El Camino College to UCSB
Psychological and Brain Sciences Transfer Plan
El Camino College covers 9 of UCSB's 11 Psychological and Brain Sciences requirements, from PSYC C1000 through the CHEM 1A/1B pair and a three-course biology combination. PSY 10A and PSY 10B are the two pieces UCSB keeps for after transfer.
From
El Camino College
To
UC Santa Barbara
Psychological and Brain SciencesUC TAG for Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara offers TAG, and a 3.4 GPA plus the standard TAG conditions guarantees admission to the Pre-PBS pre-major. Moving into the full major afterward runs on the department's own separate GPA rules.
Major Requirements
Psychological and Brain Sciences Major Preparation
Courses at El Camino College that satisfy UC Santa Barbara's Psychological and Brain Sciences major preparation, mapped and verified by Transfermatic's transfer engine.
| Course at El Camino College | Satisfies at UCSB | Units |
|---|---|---|
| PSYC C1000 or PSYC C1000H — Introduction to Psychology | PSY 1 — Introduction to Psychology | 3 |
| MATH 165 — Calculus for Business and Social Sciences | MATH 34A — Calculus for Social and Life Sciences (choose 1) | 5 |
| MATH 190 — Single Variable Calculus and Analytic Geometry I | MATH 3A — Calculus with Applications, First Course (choose 1) | 5 |
| BUS 116 (or another listed option) — Statistics for Business Decision Making | PSTAT 5A — Understanding Data | 3 |
| No El Camino match | PSY 10A — Research Methods in Psychological & Brain Sciences | — |
| No El Camino match | PSY 10B — Statistical Methods in Psychological & Brain Sciences | — |
| CHEM 1A + CHEM 1B — General Chemistry I + General Chemistry II | CHEM 1A, CHEM 1B | 10 |
| BIOL 110 (or another listed option) — Cell and Molecular Biology | MCDB 1A, EEMB 2 (choose 1) | 5 |
| ANTH 2 or ANTH 2H — Introduction to Cultural Anthropology | ANTH 2 — Introductory Cultural Anthropology (choose 4) | 3 |
| ANTH 1 or ANTH 1H — Introduction to Biological Anthropology | ANTH 5 — Introductory Biological Anthropology (choose 4) | 3 |
| CHEM 1B + CHEM 1A — General Chemistry II + General Chemistry I | CHEM 1C — General Chemistry (choose 4) | 10 |
| CSCI 14 — Introduction to Programming with Python | CMPSC 8 — Introduction to Computer Science (choose 4) | 4 |
| CSCI 1 or CSCI 1H — Problem Solving and Program Design Using C++ | CMPSC 16 — Problem Solving with Computers I (choose 4) | 4 |
| GEOL 3 + GEOL 1 — Physical Geology Laboratory + Physical Geology | EARTH 2 — Principles of Physical Geology (choose 4) | 4 |
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 |
Chemistry takes three semesters minimum
CHEM 4 comes before CHEM 1A, which comes before CHEM 1B. Three semesters back to back, so this needs to start in your first year, not your last.
El Camino's semesters give way to UCSB quarters
El Camino runs on semesters, but UCSB uses quarters. Once you transfer, coursework including PSY 10A and 10B moves to that ten-week rhythm instead.
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
Five courses cover PSTAT 5A
BUS 116, PSYC 109A, SOCI 109A, STAT C1000 and STAT C1000H all satisfy PSTAT 5A. Take one early: UCSB wants PSTAT 5A done before you can enroll in PSY 10A.
Biology needs three courses, two with honors options
BIOL 110 or 110H, BIOL 120 or 120H, and BIOL 130 all have to be finished together to satisfy the MCDB 1A/EEMB 2 pairing.
One C- is forgiven, not two
UCSB's psych department allows a single C- across Area I and Area II combined, with no grade below that accepted in either group.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Does El Camino PSYC C1000 transfer to UCSB for psychology?
Yes, PSYC C1000 or the honors PSYC C1000H both satisfy UCSB's PSY 1 requirement directly.
What isn't covered by El Camino for UCSB psychology?
PSY 10A and PSY 10B. UCSB's notes say both must be taken at UCSB, so they aren't an El Camino shortfall. Finish PSY 1, calculus, PSTAT 5A and CHEM 1A-1B first, since UCSB requires them before PSY 10A.
What's UCSB's admit rate for Psychological and Brain Sciences?
72% of all transfer applicants to the major were admitted per UCSB's 2025 data, across every community college, El Camino included.
How long does El Camino's chemistry sequence run?
CHEM 4 leads into CHEM 1A, which leads into CHEM 1B, three semesters minimum. Start CHEM 4 early so it doesn't push back your transfer plans.
Explore More
Related Transfer Plans
El Camino College students heading to UC Santa Barbara's Psychological and Brain Sciences, B.S. can finish most of the pre-major list at El Camino, including PSYC C1000 and the CHEM 1A/CHEM 1B sequence, before transferring. UCSB requires PSY 10A and PSY 10B to be taken on its own campus. Because El Camino's biology requirement needs three separate courses, some students use Transfermatic to keep that combination and the chemistry chain lined up term by term.
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