American River College to UCI
Political Science Transfer Plan
ARC has a match for 7 of UCI's 8 Political Science prep courses. A UCI choose-1 requirement has no ARC match, so plan for it before you apply.
From
American River College
To
UC Irvine
Political ScienceUC Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG)
UCI offers TAG for Political Science for fall 2027 applicants, with a minimum 3.4 GPA. File during the TAG window the fall before you transfer, and check UCI's TAG page, since its list of eligible majors changes.
Major Requirements
Political Science Major Preparation
Courses at American River College that satisfy UC Irvine's Political Science major preparation, mapped and verified by Transfermatic's transfer engine.
| Course at American River College | Satisfies at UCI | Units |
|---|---|---|
| POLS C1000 or POLS C1000H — American Government and Politics | POL SCI 21A — Introduction to American Government (choose 4) | 3 |
| POLS 320 — Introduction to Political Theory | POL SCI 31A — Introduction to Political Theory (choose 4) | 3 |
| POLS 310 — Introduction to International Relations | POL SCI 41A — Introduction to International Relations (choose 4) | 3 |
| POLS 302 — Comparative Politics | POL SCI 51A — Introduction to Politics Around the World (choose 4) | 3 |
| POLS C1000 or POLS 302 or POLS 310 or POLS 330 — American Government and Politics | Political Science not already used (choose 1) | 3 |
| ANTH 300 (or another listed option) — Biological Anthropology | Political Science or other Social Science discipline (choose 1) | 3 |
| MATH 400 and (STAT C1000 or PSYC 330 or STAT C1000H) — Calculus I | School of Social Sciences Math Requirement (choose 1) | 5 |
| No ARC match for any of 2 options | I&C SCI 31 — Introduction to Programming and others (choose 1) | — |
Courses with no equivalent must be taken at UC Irvine after transfer. Factor this into your first-year course plan.
General Education
Foundation GE at American River College
Complete these five courses at American River College to start your UCI GE pattern. Finishing full IGETC/Cal-GETC at the CC is ideal — these five give you the broadest head start, and CCN-tagged courses stay portable if you switch community colleges.
BIOL 300
The Foundations of Biology
CHEM 305
Introduction to Chemistry
HIST 300
History of Europe and the Mediterranean to 1500
ENGL C1000
Academic Reading and Writing
ENGL C1001
Critical Thinking and Writing
| Area | Course at American River College | Units |
|---|---|---|
Life Science | BIOL 300 — The Foundations of Biology | 3 |
Physical Science | CHEM 305 — Introduction to Chemistry | 5 |
Humanities | HIST 300 — History of Europe and the Mediterranean to 1500 | 3 |
English CompositionCCN | ENGL C1000 — Academic Reading and Writing | 3 |
Critical ThinkingCCN | ENGL C1001 — Critical Thinking and Writing | 3 |
ARC semesters, UCI quarters
ARC runs on semesters and UCI on quarters. Your units convert when you transfer, one semester unit to 1.5 quarter units, and anything left runs on UCI's quicker quarter schedule.
Preview
Your First Semester
A preview of what Transfermatic generates — exact courses, in the right order, every semester.
Watch Out
Common Mistakes for This Transfer Path
1 UCI requirement has no ARC match
ARC lists no course for a UCI choose-1 requirement. Check UCI's Political Science page for whether it has to be done before you transfer, and plan where you'll cover it.
Start with POLS C1000 and ANTH 300
POLS C1000 and ANTH 300 sit at the start of their sequences for this route, so they fit your first semester, next to ENGL C1000 for English composition.
ARC gives you options here
For UCI POL SCI 21A, ARC accepts POLS C1000 or POLS C1000H. You need only one of them, so pick whichever fits your schedule.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What classes should I take at ARC for UCI Political Science?
POLS C1000 or POLS C1000H, POLS 320, POLS 310, POLS 302, ANTH 300 and MATH 400, plus the rest in the table above. Together they match 7 of the 8 prep courses UCI lists for Political Science.
What doesn't ARC cover for UCI Political Science?
A UCI choose-1 requirement. ARC lists no course for it, so check UCI's Political Science page for whether it has to be finished before you transfer.
Does ARC POLS 320 transfer to UCI?
Yes, for Political Science. ARC POLS 320 (Introduction to Political Theory) is the match for UCI POL SCI 31A (Introduction to Political Theory) in the transfer agreement.
Can I use TAG for UCI Political Science?
UCI lists Political Science as TAG-eligible for fall 2027, with a minimum 3.4 GPA. Check UCI's TAG page before you count on it for a later term.
Explore More
Related Transfer Plans
American River College students transferring to UC Irvine for Political Science can match 7 of 8 lower-division prep courses at ARC, including POLS C1000 or POLS C1000H and POLS 320. A UCI choose-1 requirement has no American River College equivalent in the 2025-2026 agreement. POLS C1000 and ANTH 300 are good first-semester picks. On Transfermatic, put in American River College and UC Irvine, and you get the classes you need for Political Science, semester by semester.
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