American River College to UCSB
Biological Sciences Transfer Plan
ARC has a match for every one of UCSB's 8 Biological Sciences prep courses, so you can finish all of the listed prep at ARC. Start with CHEM 310 and MATH 309.
From
American River College
To
UC Santa Barbara
Biological SciencesUC Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG)
UCSB offers TAG for Biological Sciences for fall 2027 applicants, with a minimum 3.4 GPA. File during the TAG window the fall before you transfer, and check UCSB's TAG page, since its list of eligible majors changes.
Major Requirements
Biological Sciences Major Preparation
Courses at American River College that satisfy UC Santa Barbara's Biological Sciences major preparation, mapped and verified by Transfermatic's transfer engine.
| Course at American River College | Satisfies at UCSB | Units |
|---|---|---|
| CHEM 400 + CHEM 401 — General Chemistry I + General Chemistry II | CHEM 1A, CHEM 1B, CHEM 1C, CHEM 2AL, CHEM 2BL (choose 1) | 10 |
| CHEM 401 + CHEM 400 — General Chemistry II + General Chemistry I | CHEM 1A, CHEM 1AL, CHEM 1B, CHEM 1BL, CHEM 1C, CHEM 1CL (choose 1) | 10 |
| BIOL 410 + BIOL 400 + BIOL 420 — Principles of Botany + Principles of Biology + Principles of Zoology | MCDB 1A, MCDB 1B, MCDB 1LL, EEMB 2, EEMB 2LL, EEMB 3 | 15 |
| CHEM 421 + CHEM 420 — Organic Chemistry II + Organic Chemistry I | CHEM 6AL — Laboratory Methods of Organic Chemistry | 10 |
| CHEM 420 + CHEM 421 — Organic Chemistry I + Organic Chemistry II | CHEM 109A, CHEM 109B | 10 |
| MATH 400 — Calculus I | MATH 3A — Calculus with Applications, First Course (choose 1) | 5 |
| MATH 309 or MATH 340 or MATH 341 or MATH 355 — Calculus Concepts for non-STEM Majors | MATH 34A — Calculus for Social and Life Sciences (choose 1) | 3 |
| MATH 401 — Calculus II | MATH 3B — Calculus with Applications, Second Course (choose 1) | 5 |
| MATH 309 or MATH 340 or MATH 341 or MATH 356 — Calculus Concepts for non-STEM Majors | MATH 34B — Calculus for Social and Life Sciences (choose 1) | 3 |
| ECON 310 (or another listed option) — Statistics for Business and Economics | PSTAT 5A — Understanding Data (choose 1) | 3 |
| MATH 410 — Introduction to Linear Algebra | MATH 4A — Linear Algebra with Applications (choose 1) | 3 |
| PHYS 360 + PHYS 350 — General Physics + General Physics | PHYS 6A, PHYS 6AL, PHYS 6B, PHYS 6BL, PHYS 6C, PHYS 6CL | 8 |
General Education
Foundation GE at American River College
Complete these five courses at American River College to start your UCSB 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 |
5 semesters minimum for CHEM 310 onward
CHEM 310 through CHEM 421: 5 courses, each needing the one before, so 5 semesters minimum, more than four fall and spring terms. Start CHEM 310 first or plan on summer. Placing higher shortens it.
ARC semesters, UCSB quarters
ARC runs on semesters and UCSB on quarters. Your units convert when you transfer, one semester unit to 1.5 quarter units, and anything left runs on UCSB'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 8 listed courses
Every UCSB Biological Sciences 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 310 and MATH 309
CHEM 310 and MATH 309 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 MATH 34A
For UCSB MATH 34A, ARC accepts MATH 309 or MATH 340 or MATH 341 or MATH 355. You need only one of them, so pick whichever fits your schedule.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What classes should I take at ARC for UCSB Biological Sciences?
CHEM 400, CHEM 401, BIOL 410, BIOL 400, BIOL 420, CHEM 421 and CHEM 420, plus the rest in the table above. Together they match 8 of the 8 prep courses UCSB lists for Biological Sciences.
What doesn't ARC cover for UCSB Biological Sciences?
Nothing in the transfer agreement. Every UCSB Biological Sciences prep course listed has a ARC match.
Does ARC MATH 400 transfer to UCSB?
Yes, for Biological Sciences. ARC MATH 400 (Calculus I) is the match for UCSB MATH 3A (Calculus with Applications, First Course) in the transfer agreement.
What is UCSB's transfer admit rate for Biological Sciences?
45% of all transfer applicants to UCSB Biological Sciences 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 Santa Barbara for Biological Sciences can match 8 of 8 lower-division prep courses at ARC, including CHEM 400 and CHEM 401. Every listed course has a American River College equivalent in the 2025-2026 agreement. CHEM 310 and MATH 309 are good first-semester picks. On Transfermatic, put in American River College and UC Santa Barbara, and you get the classes you need for Biological Sciences, semester by semester.
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