Diablo Valley College to UCI
Political Science Transfer Plan
DVC covers 7 of UCI's 8 Political Science prep requirements, matching courses like POLS 210, POLS 250 and POLS 220. The one gap is the programming or data-methods course, which has no DVC equivalent, so that one waits until after transfer.
From
Diablo Valley College
To
UC Irvine
Political ScienceTAG: UC Irvine Transfer Admission Guarantee
If your GPA reaches 3.4, DVC students qualify for UCI's TAG guarantee. Applications for fall 2027 open Sept 1, 2026 and close Sept 30; your TAG major locks in once filed.
Major Requirements
Political Science Major Preparation
Courses at Diablo Valley College that satisfy UC Irvine's Political Science major preparation, mapped and verified by Transfermatic's transfer engine.
| Course at Diablo Valley College | Satisfies at UCI | Units |
|---|---|---|
| POLS C1000 — American Government and Politics | POL SCI 21A — Introduction to American Government (choose 4) | 3 |
| POLS 210 or POLS 240 — Political Ideology | POL SCI 31A — Introduction to Political Theory (choose 4) | 3 |
| POLS 250 — International Relations | POL SCI 41A — Introduction to International Relations (choose 4) | 3 |
| POLS 220 — Comparative Politics | POL SCI 51A — Introduction to Politics Around the World (choose 4) | 3 |
| POLS 122 — Latinx Politics and American Government | POL SCI 61A — Introduction to Race and Ethnicity in Political Science (choose 4) | 3 |
| POLS 120 or POLS C1000 or POLS 220 or POLS 240 or POLS 250 — Introduction to Politics | Political Science not already used (choose 1) | 3 |
| ANTHR 115 (or another listed option) — Primate Evolution and Adaptation | Political Science or other Social Science discipline (choose 1) | 3 |
| MATH 182 (or another listed option) — Calculus for Management, Life Science, and Social Science I | School of Social Sciences Math Requirement (choose 1) | 4 |
| No DVC 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 Diablo Valley College
Complete these five courses at Diablo Valley 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 C1000
Introduction to Biology with Lab
CHEM 107
Integrated Inorganic, Organic, and Biological Chemistry
HIST C1001
United States History to 1877
ENGL C1000
Academic Reading and Writing
ENGL C1003
Critical Thinking and Writing through Literature
| Area | Course at Diablo Valley College | Units |
|---|---|---|
Life ScienceCCN | BIOL C1000 — Introduction to Biology with Lab | 4 |
Physical Science | CHEM 107 — Integrated Inorganic, Organic, and Biological Chemistry | 5 |
HumanitiesCCN | HIST C1001 — United States History to 1877 | 3 |
English CompositionCCN | ENGL C1000 — Academic Reading and Writing | 3 |
Critical ThinkingCCN | ENGL C1003 — Critical Thinking and Writing through Literature | 4 |
Semesters at DVC, quarters at UCI
DVC's calendar is semester-based while UCI's is quarter-based. Course credit isn't affected, but once you arrive you'll be splitting the year into three shorter terms rather than two.
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
Programming requirement has no DVC match
Neither I&C SCI 31 nor SOC SCI 3A has a DVC equivalent, so this one requirement waits until you're at UCI. It's not needed for admission, only for the degree later.
Five intro matches for a pick-four group
DVC matches five of UCI's nine intro poli sci options, including POLS 210, POLS 240 and POLS 122. Any four of those five satisfy the requirement.
Math requirement is calculus plus statistics
DVC clears UCI's math requirement with a calculus course like MATH 182 alongside a statistics course such as STAT C1000. Both pieces are needed, not just one.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Which DVC classes count toward UCI Political Science?
POLS 210 or POLS 240 covers political theory, POLS 250 covers international relations, POLS 220 covers comparative politics, and POLS 122 covers race and ethnicity. POLS C1000 handles American Government.
What doesn't DVC cover for UCI Political Science?
DVC has no course matching UCI's I&C SCI 31 or SOC SCI 3A programming requirement. Every other requirement, including math and the poli sci electives, has a DVC match.
What math should I take at DVC before transferring?
Pair a calculus course like MATH 182 with a statistics course such as STAT C1000. UCI's Social Sciences math requirement needs both pieces, not a single class.
Does DVC's calendar affect my UCI plan?
DVC runs semesters and UCI runs quarters, but that only changes term length after transfer. The courses matched above still count exactly as listed.
Explore More
Related Transfer Plans
Diablo Valley College students planning to transfer to UC Irvine for a Political Science, B.A. cover seven of UCI's eight lower-division prep requirements, from POLS 210 and POLS 250 to the MATH 182 and STAT C1000 math combination. The single gap is UCI's programming requirement, I&C SCI 31 or SOC SCI 3A, which has no DVC match and has to be completed after transfer. Transfermatic tracks that gap alongside DVC's other matched courses so it's factored into a student's plan from the start, not discovered late.
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