American River College to UCSD
Psychology Transfer Plan
ARC has a match for every one of UCSD's 9 Psychology prep courses, so you can finish all of the listed prep at ARC. Start with CHEM 305 and PSYC 330.
From
American River College
To
UC San Diego
PsychologyMajor Requirements
Psychology Major Preparation
Courses at American River College that satisfy UC San Diego's Psychology major preparation, mapped and verified by Transfermatic's transfer engine.
| Course at American River College | Satisfies at UCSD | Units |
|---|---|---|
| CHEM 400 — General Chemistry I | CHEM 6A — General Chemistry I | 5 |
| CHEM 401 + CHEM 400 — General Chemistry II + General Chemistry I | CHEM 6B — General Chemistry II | 10 |
| CHEM 401 — General Chemistry II | CHEM 6C — General Chemistry III | 5 |
| CHEM 305 — Introduction to Chemistry | CHEM 4 — Basic Chemistry (choose 1) | 5 |
| MATH 355 — Calculus for Biology and Medicine I | MATH 10A — Calculus I | 4 |
| MATH 400 — Calculus I | MATH 20A — Calculus for Science and Engineering | 5 |
| CISP 401 — Object Oriented Programming with Java | CSE 11 — Introduction to Programming and Computational Problem Solving - Accelerated Pace (choose 1) | 4 |
| CISP 430 — Data Structures | CSE 12 — Basic Data Structures and Object-Oriented Design (choose 1) | 4 |
| PSYC 330 or STAT C1000 or ECON 310 — Introductory Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences | PSYC 60 — Introduction to Statistics (choose 1) | 3 |
| PSYC 330 or STAT C1000 or ECON 310 — Introductory Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences | COGS 14B — Introduction to Statistical Analysis (choose 1) | 3 |
| STAT C1000 or ECON 310 or STAT C1000H or PSYC 330 — Introduction to Statistics | MATH 11 — Calculus Based Elementary Probability and Statistics (choose 1) | 4 |
| PSYC 335 — Research Methods in Psychology | PSYC 70 — Research Methods in Psychology (choose 1) | 3 |
| PSYC 335 — Research Methods in Psychology | COGS 14A — Introduction to Research Methods (choose 1) | 3 |
General Education
Foundation GE at American River College
Complete these five courses at American River College to start your UCSD 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 |
3 semesters minimum for CHEM 305 onward
CHEM 305, then CHEM 400, then CHEM 401: each needs the one before, so 3 semesters minimum. Start CHEM 305 in your first semester. Placing higher shortens it.
ARC semesters, UCSD quarters
ARC runs on semesters and UCSD on quarters. Your units convert when you transfer, one semester unit to 1.5 quarter units, and anything left runs on UCSD'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
ARC covers all 9 listed courses
Every UCSD Psychology prep course in the transfer agreement has a ARC match, so none of the listed prep has to wait. Take them all before you apply.
Start with CHEM 305 and PSYC 330
CHEM 305 and PSYC 330 sit at the start of their sequences for this route, so they fit your first semester, next to ENGL C1000 for English composition.
More than one way to cover PSYC 60
For UCSD PSYC 60, ARC accepts PSYC 330 or STAT C1000 or ECON 310. You need only one of them, so pick whichever fits your schedule.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What classes should I take at ARC for UCSD Psychology?
CHEM 400, CHEM 401, CHEM 305, MATH 355, MATH 400, CISP 401 and CISP 430, plus the rest in the table above. Together they match 9 of the 9 prep courses UCSD lists for Psychology.
What doesn't ARC cover for UCSD Psychology?
Nothing in the transfer agreement. Every UCSD Psychology prep course listed has a ARC match.
Does ARC CHEM 400 transfer to UCSD?
Yes, for Psychology. ARC CHEM 400 (General Chemistry I) is the match for UCSD CHEM 6A (General Chemistry I) in the transfer agreement.
What is UCSD's transfer admit rate for Psychology?
71% of all transfer applicants to UCSD Psychology were admitted in 2025. That figure covers applicants from every college, so it isn't specific to ARC.
Explore More
Related Transfer Plans
American River College students transferring to UC San Diego for Psychology can match 9 of 9 lower-division prep courses at ARC, including CHEM 400 and CHEM 401. Every listed course has a American River College equivalent in the 2026-2027 agreement. CHEM 305 and PSYC 330 are good first-semester picks. On Transfermatic, put in American River College and UC San Diego, and you get the classes you need for Psychology, semester by semester.
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