El Camino College to UCSD
General Biology Transfer Plan
El Camino College matches 19 of the 20 lower-division courses in UCSD's General Biology B.S.; only BILD 5 has no El Camino equivalent. Admission screening covers BILD 1 and 3, general chemistry, and calculus, with a 2.5 GPA needed across that set.
From
El Camino College
To
UC San Diego
General BiologyMajor Requirements
General Biology Major Preparation
Courses at El Camino College that satisfy UC San Diego's General Biology major preparation, mapped and verified by Transfermatic's transfer engine.
| Course at El Camino College | Satisfies at UCSD | Units |
|---|---|---|
| (BIOL 110 and BIOL 120) or (BIOL 110H and BIOL 120H) — Cell and Molecular Biology | BILD 1 — The Cell | 5 |
| (BIOL 110 and BIOL 120) or (BIOL 110H and BIOL 120H) — Cell and Molecular Biology | BILD 2 — Multicellular Life | 5 |
| (BIOL 110 and BIOL 120) or (BIOL 110H and BIOL 120H) — Cell and Molecular Biology | BILD 3 — Organismic and Evolutionary Biology | 5 |
| (BIOL 110 and BIOL 120) or (BIOL 110H and BIOL 120H) — Cell and Molecular Biology | BILD 4 — Introductory Biology Lab | 5 |
| No El Camino match | BILD 5 — Data Analysis and Design for Biologists | — |
| CHEM 1A — General Chemistry I | CHEM 6A — General Chemistry I | 5 |
| CHEM 1A + CHEM 1B — General Chemistry I + General Chemistry II | CHEM 6B — General Chemistry II | 10 |
| CHEM 1B — General Chemistry II | CHEM 6C — General Chemistry III | 5 |
| CHEM 1A + CHEM 1B — General Chemistry I + General Chemistry II | CHEM 7L — Introductory Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory | 10 |
| CHEM 7A — Organic Chemistry I | CHEM 41A — Organic Chemistry I: Structure and Reactivity | 5 |
| CHEM 7B + CHEM 7A — Organic Chemistry II + Organic Chemistry I | CHEM 41B — Organic Chemistry II: Reactivity and Synthesis | 10 |
| MATH 190 — Single Variable Calculus and Analytic Geometry I | MATH 10A — Calculus I | 5 |
| MATH 191 — Single Variable Calculus and Analytic Geometry II | MATH 10B — Calculus II | 5 |
| STAT C1000 — Introduction to Statistics | MATH 11 — Calculus Based Elementary Probability and Statistics | 4 |
| PHYS 3A + PHYS 3B — General Physics with Calculus + General Physics with Calculus | PHYS 1A — Mechanics | 10 |
| PHYS 3B + PHYS 3A — General Physics with Calculus + General Physics with Calculus | PHYS 1AL — Mechanics Laboratory | 10 |
| PHYS 3A + PHYS 3B — General Physics with Calculus + General Physics with Calculus | PHYS 1B — Electricity and Magnetism | 10 |
| PHYS 3A + PHYS 3B — General Physics with Calculus + General Physics with Calculus | PHYS 1BL — Electricity and Magnetism Laboratory | 10 |
| PHYS 3A + PHYS 3B — General Physics with Calculus + General Physics with Calculus | PHYS 1C — Waves, Optics, and Modern Physics | 10 |
| PHYS 3A + PHYS 3B — General Physics with Calculus + General Physics with Calculus | PHYS 1CL — Waves, Optics, and Modern Physics Laboratory | 10 |
Courses with no equivalent must be taken at UC San Diego after transfer. Factor this into your first-year course plan.
General Education
Foundation GE at El Camino College
Complete these five courses at El Camino 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 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 |
Chemistry runs five semesters at El Camino
CHEM 4 leads to CHEM 1A, then CHEM 1B, then CHEM 7A, then CHEM 7B: five semesters minimum. Biology also needs CHEM 4 first, so start it your first term.
El Camino runs semesters, UCSD runs quarters
UCSD splits what El Camino teaches across two semesters into three quarters. A single CHEM 1A and CHEM 1B pair covers all four UCSD chemistry requirements: CHEM 6A, CHEM 6B, CHEM 6C and CHEM 7L.
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
Honors or standard biology both work
BIOL 110H paired with BIOL 120H earns BILD 1 through 4, same as the standard BIOL 110 and BIOL 120 pair. Either combination works; UCSD doesn't require the honors version.
Both physics courses count toward every requirement
PHYS 3A and PHYS 3B, El Camino's full-year physics sequence, are both needed for each of UCSD's six physics courses, PHYS 1A through 1CL. Neither one alone satisfies any of them.
BILD 5 has no El Camino match
ASSIST lists no El Camino course for BILD 5, Data Analysis and Design for Biologists, so that one waits until UCSD. It's not among the courses UCSD checks at admission.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What El Camino classes transfer to UC San Diego for biology?
BIOL 110 with BIOL 120 (or the honors BIOL 110H and BIOL 120H) for BILD 1 through 4, CHEM 1A and CHEM 1B for general chemistry, CHEM 7A and CHEM 7B for organic chemistry, MATH 190 and MATH 191 for calculus, STAT C1000, and PHYS 3A with PHYS 3B for physics.
What doesn't El Camino cover for UCSD General Biology?
El Camino leaves one requirement open: BILD 5, Data Analysis and Design for Biologists. No El Camino class is articulated to it, so you'd take it at UCSD after transferring. UCSD's admission screening doesn't include it.
Do I need El Camino's honors biology to transfer?
No. BIOL 110 and BIOL 120, the standard pair, earn the same BILD 1 through 4 credit as BIOL 110H and BIOL 120H. Take whichever section fits your schedule; UCSD accepts both routes equally.
What GPA does UCSD want in the biology screening courses?
UCSD wants a 2.5 GPA across BILD 1, BILD 3, general chemistry with its lab, and calculus, with each grade at a C- or higher. From El Camino that's your biology sequence, CHEM 1A and CHEM 1B, and MATH 190 and MATH 191, finished by the spring before you enroll at UCSD.
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Related Transfer Plans
El Camino College students working toward UC San Diego's Biology: General Biology B.S. can complete almost the entire lower division before transferring, with an honors option along the way. BIOL 110H and BIOL 120H, or the standard BIOL 110 and BIOL 120, both earn BILD 1 through 4, while CHEM 1A and CHEM 1B cover general chemistry. Only BILD 5 has no El Camino match. Transfermatic lays out these El Camino courses by UCSD term, honors option included.
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