City College of San Francisco to UCSB
Biological Sciences Transfer Plan
CCSF has a match for every one of UCSB's 8 Biological Sciences prep courses, so you can finish all of the listed prep at CCSF. Start with CHEM 40 and MATH 110A.
From
City College of San Francisco
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 City College of San Francisco that satisfy UC Santa Barbara's Biological Sciences major preparation, mapped and verified by Transfermatic's transfer engine.
| Course at City College of San Francisco | Satisfies at UCSB | Units |
|---|---|---|
| CHEM 101A + CHEM 101B — General College Chemistry + General College Chemistry | CHEM 1A, CHEM 1B, CHEM 1C, CHEM 2AL, CHEM 2BL (choose 1) | 11 |
| CHEM 101A + CHEM 101B — General College Chemistry + General College Chemistry | CHEM 1A, CHEM 1AL, CHEM 1B, CHEM 1BL, CHEM 1C, CHEM 1CL (choose 1) | 11 |
| BIO 100B + BIO 100A — General Biology + General Biology | MCDB 1A, MCDB 1B, MCDB 1LL, EEMB 2, EEMB 2LL, EEMB 3 | 10 |
| CHEM 212B + CHEM 212A — Organic Chemistry II + Organic Chemistry I | CHEM 6AL — Laboratory Methods of Organic Chemistry | 12 |
| CHEM 212A + CHEM 212B — Organic Chemistry I + Organic Chemistry II | CHEM 109A, CHEM 109B | 12 |
| MATH 110A — Calculus I | MATH 3A — Calculus with Applications, First Course (choose 1) | 5 |
| MATH 100A or MATH 75 — Short Calculus I | MATH 34A — Calculus for Social and Life Sciences (choose 1) | 3 |
| MATH 110B — Calculus II | MATH 3B — Calculus with Applications, Second Course (choose 1) | 5 |
| MATH 100B — Short Calculus II | MATH 34B — Calculus for Social and Life Sciences (choose 1) | 3 |
| ECON 5 or LALS 5 or PSYC 5 or STAT C1000 — Introductory Statistics for Economics, Business and Social Sciences | PSTAT 5A — Understanding Data (choose 1) | 5 |
| MATH 120 or MATH 130 — Linear Algebra | MATH 4A — Linear Algebra with Applications (choose 1) | 3 |
| PHYC 2AL + PHYC 2A + PHYC 2BL + PHYC 2B — Introductory Physics Laboratory I + Introductory Physics I + Introductory Physics Laboratory II + Introductory Physics II | PHYS 6A, PHYS 6AL, PHYS 6B, PHYS 6BL, PHYS 6C, PHYS 6CL | 8 |
General Education
Foundation GE at City College of San Francisco
Complete these five courses at City College of San Francisco 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.
BIO 10
Animal Biology
CHEM 101A
General College Chemistry
HIST 1
The United States Since 1900
ENGL C1000
Academic Reading and Writing
ENGL C1001
Critical Thinking and Writing
| Area | Course at City College of San Francisco | Units |
|---|---|---|
Life Science | BIO 10 — Animal Biology | 4 |
Physical Science | CHEM 101A — General College Chemistry | 6 |
Humanities | HIST 1 — The United States Since 1900 | 3 |
English CompositionCCN | ENGL C1000 — Academic Reading and Writing | 4 |
Critical ThinkingCCN | ENGL C1001 — Critical Thinking and Writing | 4 |
5 semesters minimum for CHEM 40 onward
CHEM 40 through CHEM 212B: 5 courses, each needing the one before, so 5 semesters minimum, more than four fall and spring terms. Start CHEM 40 first or plan on summer. Placing higher shortens it.
CCSF semesters, UCSB quarters
CCSF 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
CCSF covers all 8 listed courses
Every UCSB Biological Sciences prep course in the transfer agreement has a CCSF match, so none of the listed prep has to wait. Take them all before you apply.
Start with CHEM 40 and MATH 110A
CHEM 40 and MATH 110A 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, CCSF accepts MATH 100A or MATH 75. You need only one of them, so pick whichever fits your schedule.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What classes should I take at CCSF for UCSB Biological Sciences?
CHEM 101A, CHEM 101B, BIO 100B, BIO 100A, CHEM 212B, CHEM 212A and MATH 110A, plus the rest in the table above. Together they match 8 of the 8 prep courses UCSB lists for Biological Sciences.
What doesn't CCSF cover for UCSB Biological Sciences?
Nothing in the transfer agreement. Every UCSB Biological Sciences prep course listed has a CCSF match.
Does CCSF MATH 110A transfer to UCSB?
Yes, for Biological Sciences. CCSF MATH 110A (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 CCSF.
Explore More
Related Transfer Plans
City College of San Francisco students transferring to UC Santa Barbara for Biological Sciences can match 8 of 8 lower-division prep courses at CCSF, including CHEM 101A and CHEM 101B. Every listed course has a City College of San Francisco equivalent in the 2025-2026 agreement. CHEM 40 and MATH 110A are good first-semester picks. On Transfermatic, put in City College of San Francisco and UC Santa Barbara, and you get the classes you need for Biological Sciences, semester by semester.
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