El Camino College to UCSB
Biological Sciences Transfer Plan
El Camino College matches the entire UCSB Biological Sciences sequence, including CHEM 1A/1B, organic chemistry through CHEM 7A/7B, and a three-course biology set. Honors sections of the first two biology courses count the same as standard ones.
From
El Camino College
To
UC Santa Barbara
Biological SciencesUCSB TAG
UCSB offers TAG for Biological Sciences at a 3.4 GPA. It doesn't replace the selective-major list: general chemistry, biology, organic chemistry and calculus still need a C or better. Fall 2027 TAG filing runs Sept 1-30, 2026.
Major Requirements
Biological Sciences Major Preparation
Courses at El Camino College that satisfy UC Santa Barbara's Biological Sciences major preparation, mapped and verified by Transfermatic's transfer engine.
| Course at El Camino College | Satisfies at UCSB | Units |
|---|---|---|
| CHEM 1A + CHEM 1B — General Chemistry I + General Chemistry II | CHEM 1A, CHEM 1B, CHEM 1C, CHEM 2AL, CHEM 2BL (choose 1) | 10 |
| CHEM 1A + CHEM 1B — General Chemistry I + General Chemistry II | CHEM 1A, CHEM 1AL, CHEM 1B, CHEM 1BL, CHEM 1C, CHEM 1CL (choose 1) | 10 |
| BIOL 110 (or another listed option) — Cell and Molecular Biology | MCDB 1A, MCDB 1B, MCDB 1LL, EEMB 2, EEMB 2LL, EEMB 3 | 5 |
| CHEM 7A + CHEM 7B — Organic Chemistry I + Organic Chemistry II | CHEM 6AL — Laboratory Methods of Organic Chemistry | 10 |
| CHEM 7A + CHEM 7B — Organic Chemistry I + Organic Chemistry II | CHEM 109A, CHEM 109B | 10 |
| MATH 190 — Single Variable Calculus and Analytic Geometry I | MATH 3A — Calculus with Applications, First Course (choose 1) | 5 |
| MATH 165 — Calculus for Business and Social Sciences | MATH 34A — Calculus for Social and Life Sciences (choose 1) | 5 |
| MATH 191 — Single Variable Calculus and Analytic Geometry II | MATH 3B — Calculus with Applications, Second Course (choose 1) | 5 |
| MATH 165 — Calculus for Business and Social Sciences | MATH 34B — Calculus for Social and Life Sciences (choose 1) | 5 |
| BUS 116 (or another listed option) — Statistics for Business Decision Making | PSTAT 5A — Understanding Data (choose 1) | 3 |
| MATH 270 — Differential Equations with Linear Algebra | MATH 4A — Linear Algebra with Applications (choose 1) | 5 |
| (PHYS 3A and PHYS 3B) or (PHYS 2A and PHYS 2B) — General Physics with Calculus | PHYS 6A, PHYS 6AL, PHYS 6B, PHYS 6BL, PHYS 6C, PHYS 6CL | 5 |
General Education
Foundation GE at El Camino College
Complete these five courses at El Camino College 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.
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 |
Five semesters from prep chem to organic chem
CHEM 4 leads into CHEM 1A, CHEM 1B, CHEM 7A and CHEM 7B, five semesters in sequence. Starting chemistry late leaves organic chemistry unfinished by a normal transfer date.
El Camino semesters, UCSB quarters
El Camino runs two semesters a year; UCSB runs three quarters. The five-semester chemistry chain above is counted in El Camino terms, spanning roughly two and a half years there.
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
Two of three biology courses have honors versions
BIOL 110H and BIOL 120H substitute for BIOL 110 and BIOL 120. BIOL 130 has no honors alternative, so take it as listed alongside whichever version of the first two you choose.
Start chemistry before calculus or biology
CHEM 4 comes before CHEM 1A, and CHEM 7A must be done by the end of the fall term before you transfer. Enroll in CHEM 4 your first term if you haven't placed directly into CHEM 1A.
MATH 165 covers both calculus terms at once
A single El Camino course, MATH 165, satisfies both MATH 34A and MATH 34B. MATH 190 leading to MATH 191 is the alternate path if you want the higher-level track.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Does El Camino's CHEM 7A transfer to UCSB for Biology?
Yes. CHEM 7A paired with CHEM 7B covers UCSB's organic chemistry requirement, including the lecture and lab components UCSB lists as CHEM 6AL and CHEM 109A/109B.
What doesn't El Camino College cover for UCSB Biology?
Every required course has a match on ASSIST. The recommended life-sciences statistics course has no dedicated El Camino equivalent, but BUS 116 or STAT C1000 satisfy the general statistics alternative.
What GPA does UCSB want from El Camino biology transfers?
Keep a combined 2.7 GPA in chemistry, biology, organic chemistry and calculus, with no grade below a C in any of them. Your first calculus course and CHEM 7A need to be finished by the end of the fall term before you transfer.
What's UCSB's admit rate for Biological Sciences transfers?
UCSB admitted 45% of transfer applicants to Biological Sciences in 2025, across all community colleges combined. A finished El Camino sequence with a strong GPA improves your odds within that pool.
Explore More
Related Transfer Plans
El Camino College students transferring into Biological Sciences, B.A. & B.S. at UC Santa Barbara can complete the full required sequence there, including CHEM 1A, CHEM 1B and a three-course biology set built on BIOL 110, BIOL 120 and BIOL 130. Organic chemistry through CHEM 7A and CHEM 7B also transfers in full. Transfermatic checks every El Camino course against UCSB's current articulation so you know what to register for.
Build your El Camino College → UCSB plan
Personalized, semester-by-semester. Free to start.
Get My Transfer Plan