El Camino College to UCSB
Economics Transfer Plan
El Camino covers four of UCSB Economics' six prep courses: ECON 102, ECON 101 and calculus, either MATH 165 alone or the MATH 190-191 pair. ECON 10A and a statistics course have no El Camino match, so both are finished at UCSB.
From
El Camino College
To
UC Santa Barbara
EconomicsUCSB Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG)
El Camino students at a 3.4 GPA can apply for UCSB TAG in Economics. TAG guarantees the Pre-Economics pre-major, not the declared major, which still depends on a 2.85 GPA in ECON 1, 2 and 10A after you transfer.
Major Requirements
Economics Major Preparation
Courses at El Camino College that satisfy UC Santa Barbara's Economics major preparation, mapped and verified by Transfermatic's transfer engine.
| Course at El Camino College | Satisfies at UCSB | Units |
|---|---|---|
| ECON 102 — Principles of Economics: Microeconomics Theory | ECON 1 — Principles of Economics-Micro | 3 |
| ECON 101 or ECON 101H — Principles of Economics: Macroeconomics | ECON 2 — Principles of Economics-Macro | 3 |
| 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 |
| No El Camino match | ECON 10A — Intermediate Microeconomic Theory | — |
| No El Camino match for any of 2 options | ECON 5 — Statistics for Economics and others (choose 1) | — |
Courses with no equivalent must be taken at UC Santa Barbara 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 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 |
El Camino semesters, UCSB quarters
UCSB converts each El Camino semester unit into one and a half quarter units. Whichever calculus route you take at El Camino, MATH 165 or the MATH 190-191 pair, still satisfies UCSB's full requirement.
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
Take ECON 101 before ECON 102
El Camino requires ECON 101, macroeconomics, as a prerequisite for ECON 102, microeconomics, reversing the order some students expect. Plan on two semesters minimum for the pair rather than taking them together.
MATH 165 clears calculus in one course
El Camino's MATH 165, Calculus for Business and Social Sciences, articulates against both UCSB MATH 34A and MATH 34B. The MATH 190-191 pair maps to UCSB's separate MATH 3A and MATH 3B track instead.
Honors macro exists; honors micro doesn't
El Camino offers ECON 101H as an honors option for macroeconomics, but ASSIST lists no honors version of ECON 102 for microeconomics. Both still need a C or better and count the same toward UCSB's 2.75 GPA average.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What El Camino classes transfer to UCSB for economics?
ECON 102 for micro, ECON 101 or 101H for macro, and calculus: MATH 165 by itself, or MATH 190 then MATH 191. Each course needs a C or better for the screen.
Do you need ECON 101 before ECON 102 at El Camino?
Yes. El Camino lists ECON 101 or ECON 101H, macroeconomics, as the prerequisite for ECON 102, microeconomics. Budget two semesters for the pair, not one.
What doesn't El Camino cover for UCSB economics?
ECON 10A and a statistics course, either ECON 5 or PSTAT 120A. El Camino has no match for either, and UCSB has you complete both after transfer, with ECON 10A part of the pre-major GPA.
How competitive is UCSB's economics program for transfers?
62% of every 2025 applicant to the major was admitted, a figure across all colleges, not El Camino alone. Admission starts you as a Pre-Economics pre-major, and full major status needs a 2.85 GPA later in ECON 1, 2 and 10A.
Explore More
Related Transfer Plans
El Camino College students transferring into UC Santa Barbara's Economics major need to plan around one quirk: ECON 101, macroeconomics, is a prerequisite for ECON 102, microeconomics, so the pair takes two semesters minimum. Add calculus, either MATH 165 alone or MATH 190 and MATH 191, and El Camino covers most of the screen, scored at a 2.75 GPA with TAG open at 3.4. ECON 10A and a statistics course remain for UCSB. Transfermatic can sequence this El Camino path correctly.
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