El Camino College to UCSD
Psychology Transfer Plan
El Camino College matches all 8 of UCSD's Psychology prep requirements, and its CHEM 4 course lines up directly with UCSD's own CHEM 4 code. The major also requires one programming course, and El Camino matches six of the ten options UCSD accepts for it.
From
El Camino College
To
UC San Diego
PsychologyMajor Requirements
Psychology Major Preparation
Courses at El Camino College that satisfy UC San Diego's Psychology major preparation, mapped and verified by Transfermatic's transfer engine.
| Course at El Camino College | Satisfies at UCSD | Units |
|---|---|---|
| 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 4 — Beginning Chemistry | CHEM 4 — Basic Chemistry (choose 1) | 5 |
| PSYC 109B — Research Methods in the Behavioral Sciences | PSYC 70 — Research Methods in Psychology (choose 1) | 4 |
| PSYC 109B — Research Methods in the Behavioral Sciences | COGS 14A — Introduction to Research Methods (choose 1) | 4 |
| MATH 190 — Single Variable Calculus and Analytic Geometry I | MATH 10A — Calculus I (choose 1) | 5 |
| MATH 190 — Single Variable Calculus and Analytic Geometry I | MATH 20A — Calculus for Science and Engineering (choose 1) | 5 |
| PHIL 106 — Introduction to Symbolic Logic | PHIL 10 — Introduction to Logic (choose 1) | 3 |
| CSCI 14 — Introduction to Programming with Python | COGS 18 — Introduction to Python (choose 1) | 4 |
| CSCI 14 — Introduction to Programming with Python | CSE 6R — Introduction to Computer Science and Object-Oriented Programming: Python (choose 1) | 4 |
| CSCI 1 — Problem Solving and Program Design Using C++ | CSE 8A — Introduction to Programming and Computational Problem Solving I (choose 1) | 4 |
| CSCI 3 — Object-Oriented Programming in Java | CSE 11 — Introduction to Programming and Computational Problem Solving - Accelerated Pace (choose 1) | 4 |
| CSCI 2 — Introduction to Data Structures | CSE 12 — Basic Data Structures and Object-Oriented Design (choose 1) | 5 |
| CSCI 17 — Computer Programming in MATLAB | MAE 8 — MATLAB Programming for Engineering Analysis (choose 1) | 4 |
| STAT C1000 or PSYC 109A — Introduction to Statistics | PSYC 60 — Introduction to Statistics (choose 1) | 4 |
| STAT C1000 — Introduction to Statistics | MATH 11 — Calculus Based Elementary Probability and Statistics (choose 1) | 4 |
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 |
Three semesters of chemistry at El Camino
CHEM 4 leads to CHEM 1A, then CHEM 1B: three semesters straight. If you're using chemistry for natural science, enroll from day one at El Camino, or general chemistry eats into your second year.
El Camino runs semesters, UCSD quarters
El Camino's two semesters of general chemistry, CHEM 1A and CHEM 1B, cover UCSD's three-quarter CHEM 6A to CHEM 6C series. CHEM 6B needs both courses, so finish the pair rather than stopping after one.
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
El Camino's CHEM 4 matches UCSD's CHEM 4
El Camino's own CHEM 4 course, Beginning Chemistry, satisfies UCSD's CHEM 4 requirement directly, same code, different school. It's a separate option from the CHEM 1A and CHEM 1B general chemistry sequence.
Six ways to cover programming
El Camino matches six of UCSD's ten programming options, and the major requires one. For graduate study, UCSD recommends COGS 18, CSE 11, ECE 15 or MAE 8; CSCI 14, CSCI 3 and CSCI 17 cover all but ECE 15.
MATH 190 matches either calculus option
MATH 190 matches both MATH 10A and MATH 20A, so one El Camino course fills the calculus-or-logic requirement whichever UCSD course you aim for. PHIL 106 is the logic alternative. MATH 190 needs MATH 180 first.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Does El Camino CHEM 4 transfer to UCSD?
Yes. El Camino's CHEM 4, Beginning Chemistry, matches UCSD's own CHEM 4, one of the natural science options. It's separate from the two-course CHEM 1A and CHEM 1B sequence that covers UCSD's CHEM 6A through CHEM 6C.
What doesn't El Camino cover for UCSD Psychology?
Nothing required is missing. El Camino matches all 8 of UCSD's listed prep courses, including the one required programming course, where six of UCSD's ten accepted options have an El Camino match.
What's UCSD's admit rate for Psychology transfers?
71% of all transfer applicants to UCSD's Psychology B.A. were admitted in 2025, not just those from El Camino. The major isn't capped or impacted, so there's no separate application to complete.
How long is El Camino's chemistry chain to CHEM 1B?
Three semesters minimum: CHEM 4, then CHEM 1A, then CHEM 1B. If chemistry is your natural science route, start it your first term so the sequence finishes before you transfer.
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Related Transfer Plans
El Camino College students transferring into Psychology, B.A. at UC San Diego can match all 8 of UCSD's prep requirements, including a direct CHEM 4 to CHEM 4 match and MATH 190 for either calculus option. El Camino also matches six of UCSD's ten options for the major's required programming course, including CSCI 14 for COGS 18. Transfermatic checks every El Camino course against UCSD's exact psychology requirements before you register.
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