El Camino College to UCI
Political Science Transfer Plan
El Camino College covers every one of UCI's 8 Political Science prep requirements, matching six of the nine intro poli sci options including POLI 3, POLI 7 and POLI 10. CSCI 14 also covers the programming requirement, so nothing is left over.
From
El Camino College
To
UC Irvine
Political ScienceTAG: UC Irvine Transfer Admission Guarantee
El Camino students with a 3.4 GPA can file for TAG, locking in a UCI seat before regular decisions go out. The fall 2027 filing period is Sept 1 to Sept 30, 2026.
Major Requirements
Political Science Major Preparation
Courses at El Camino College that satisfy UC Irvine's Political Science major preparation, mapped and verified by Transfermatic's transfer engine.
| Course at El Camino College | Satisfies at UCI | Units |
|---|---|---|
| POLI 3 — Introduction to Principles and Methods of Political Science | POL SCI 11A — Introduction to Political Science: Political Analysis (choose 4) | 3 |
| POLS C1000 — American Government and Politics | POL SCI 21A — Introduction to American Government (choose 4) | 3 |
| POLI 7 — Political Philosophy | POL SCI 31A — Introduction to Political Theory (choose 4) | 3 |
| POLI 10 — Introduction to International Relations | POL SCI 41A — Introduction to International Relations (choose 4) | 3 |
| POLI 2 — Introduction to Comparative Politics | POL SCI 51A — Introduction to Politics Around the World (choose 4) | 3 |
| POLI 5 — Ethnicity in the American Political Process | POL SCI 61A — Introduction to Race and Ethnicity in Political Science (choose 4) | 3 |
| POLS C1000 or POLI 2 or POLI 5 or POLI 6 or POLI 10 — American Government and Politics | Political Science not already used (choose 1) | 3 |
| ANTH 1 (or another listed option) — Introduction to Biological Anthropology | Political Science or other Social Science discipline (choose 1) | 3 |
| MATH 190 and (STAT C1000 or STAT C1000H or PSYC 109A) — Single Variable Calculus and Analytic Geometry I | School of Social Sciences Math Requirement (choose 1) | 5 |
| CSCI 14 — Introduction to Programming with Python | I&C SCI 31 — Introduction to Programming (choose 1) | 4 |
General Education
Foundation GE at El Camino College
Complete these five courses at El Camino 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 10
Fundamentals of Biology
CHEM 1A
General Chemistry I
HIST 101
United States History to 1877
ENGL C1000
Academic Reading and Writing
ENGL C1001
Critical Thinking and Writing
| Area | Course at El Camino College | Units |
|---|---|---|
Life Science | BIOL 10 — Fundamentals of Biology | 4 |
Physical Science | CHEM 1A — General Chemistry I | 5 |
Humanities | HIST 101 — United States History to 1877 | 3 |
English CompositionCCN | ENGL C1000 — Academic Reading and Writing | 4 |
Critical ThinkingCCN | ENGL C1001 — Critical Thinking and Writing | 4 |
Math chain runs three semesters
El Camino's path to MATH 190 is MATH 170, then MATH 180, then MATH 190: three semesters minimum. MATH 190 is the calculus half of UCI's math requirement here, so enroll in MATH 170 your first term.
Semesters at El Camino, quarters at UCI
El Camino operates on semesters while UCI is quarter-based. The matches above hold regardless, but you'll trade two 16-week semesters for three roughly ten-week quarters at UCI.
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
Six intro matches, only four required
El Camino matches six of UCI's nine intro poli sci courses: POLI 3, POLI 7, POLI 10, POLI 2 and more. Pick any four that fit your term.
CSCI 14 clears the programming requirement
El Camino's CSCI 14 satisfies UCI's I&C SCI 31 programming requirement directly. It's part of the degree requirements, not something checked at admission.
Math chain runs three semesters
MATH 170, then MATH 180, then MATH 190: three semesters minimum to reach El Camino's calculus match. UCI's math requirement also needs a statistics course (STAT C1000, STAT C1000H or PSYC 109A), so fit that in too.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Which El Camino classes count for UCI Political Science?
POLI 3 covers the intro option, POLI 7 covers political theory, POLI 10 covers international relations, and POLI 2 covers comparative politics. POLS C1000 covers American Government.
Does El Camino cover everything for UCI Political Science?
Yes, El Camino matches all 8 of UCI's prep requirements, including CSCI 14 for programming and MATH 190 plus a statistics course for math, so nothing is left for after transfer.
How long is El Camino's math sequence?
MATH 170 leads to MATH 180, then MATH 190, a three-semester minimum chain. MATH 190 is El Camino's only calculus match for UCI's math requirement, so start MATH 170 early unless you're already past it.
Is El Camino's honors program relevant to UCI?
El Camino's Honors Transfer Program is a UCLA Transfer Alliance Program partner, a separate track from this UCI Political Science pathway, so it has no effect on these requirements.
Explore More
Related Transfer Plans
El Camino College students transferring to UC Irvine for a Political Science, B.A. cover all eight of UCI's lower-division prep requirements, matching six of nine intro poli sci courses, POLI 3, POLI 7 and POLI 10 among them, plus CSCI 14 for programming. The MATH 170 to MATH 190 chain takes three semesters minimum, so it needs an early start. Transfermatic lines up El Camino's full course list against UCI's requirements so students see exactly what's done and what's still ahead.
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