Irvine Valley College to UC Berkeley
Molecular and Cell Biology Transfer Plan
IVC covers all seven of UC Berkeley's listed Molecular and Cell Biology prep courses: general and organic chemistry, a year of biology, and two math courses. The longest stretch is chemistry, which runs five semesters from MATH 124 to CHEM 12B.
From
Irvine Valley College
To
UC Berkeley
Molecular and Cell BiologyMajor Requirements
Molecular and Cell Biology Major Preparation
Courses at Irvine Valley College that satisfy UC Berkeley's Molecular and Cell Biology major preparation, mapped and verified by Transfermatic's transfer engine.
| Course at Irvine Valley College | Satisfies at UC Berkeley | Units |
|---|---|---|
| BIO 81 or BIO 81H — Integrated Biology: From DNA to Organisms | BIOLOGY 1A, BIOLOGY 1AL (choose 1) | 4 |
| BIO 80 or BIO 80H — Integrated Biology: Organisms to Ecosystems | BIOLOGY 1B — General Biology (Plant Form & Function, Ecology, Evolution) (choose 1) | 4 |
| (BIO 51 and BIO 52) or (BIO 51H and BIO 52H) — Foundations of Biology I | BIOLOGY 1A, BIOLOGY 1AL, BIOLOGY 1B (choose 1) | 4 |
| CHEM 1A or CHEM 1AH — General Chemistry I | CHEM 1A, CHEM 1AL | 5 |
| CHEM 1B — General Chemistry II | CHEM 1B — General Chemistry | 5 |
| CHEM 12A — Organic Chemistry | CHEM 3A, CHEM 3AL | 5 |
| CHEM 12B — Organic Chemistry | CHEM 3B, CHEM 3BL | 5 |
| MATH 3A or MATH 3AH — Analytic Geometry and Calculus I | MATH 51 — Calculus I (choose 2) | 5 |
| MATH 3B or MATH 3BH — Analytic Geometry and Calculus II | MATH 52 — Calculus II (choose 2) | 5 |
| MATH 4A — Analytic Geometry and Calculus III | MATH 53 — Multivariable Calculus (choose 2) | 5 |
| (MATH 26 and MATH 24) or (MATH 24H and MATH 26) — Introduction to Linear Algebra | MATH 54 — Linear Algebra and Differential Equations (choose 2) | 4 |
| MATH 6A — Computer Discrete Mathematics I | MATH 55 — Discrete Mathematics (choose 2) | 3 |
| No IVC match | PHYSICS 8A — Introductory Physics (recommended) | — |
| No IVC match | PHYSICS 8B — Introductory Physics (recommended) | — |
| PHYS 4A — General Physics | PHYSICS 7A — Physics for Scientists and Engineers (recommended) | 4 |
| PHYS 4B — General Physics | PHYSICS 7B — Physics for Scientists and Engineers (recommended) | 4 |
Courses with no equivalent must be taken at UC Berkeley after transfer. Factor this into your first-year course plan.
General Education
Foundation GE at Irvine Valley College
Complete these five courses at Irvine Valley College to start your UC Berkeley 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.
BIO 1
The Life Sciences
CHEM 12A
Organic Chemistry
HIST 1
The History of World Civilizations to 1500
ENGL C1000
Academic Reading and Writing
ENGL C1001
Critical Thinking and Writing
| Area | Course at Irvine Valley College | Units |
|---|---|---|
Life Science | BIO 1 — The Life Sciences | 3 |
Physical Science | CHEM 12A — Organic Chemistry | 5 |
Humanities | HIST 1 — The History of World Civilizations to 1500 | 3 |
English CompositionCCN | ENGL C1000 — Academic Reading and Writing | 4 |
Critical ThinkingCCN | ENGL C1001 — Critical Thinking and Writing | 4 |
Chemistry runs five semesters deep
Organic chemistry sets the pace: MATH 124, CHEM 1A, CHEM 1B, CHEM 12A, then CHEM 12B. That's five semesters minimum from MATH 124, so start that chain in your first IVC term.
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 ways to cover Berkeley biology
Take BIO 81 for BIOLOGY 1A and 1AL plus BIO 80 for BIOLOGY 1B, or take the BIO 51 and BIO 52 pair, which covers all three. Honors versions work on both routes. BIO 81 and BIO 51 both need CHEM 1A first.
Choose any two math courses
Berkeley wants two of five math options. MATH 3A and MATH 3B are the usual pair, but MATH 4A, MATH 6A, or MATH 26 with MATH 24 also count. MCB doesn't accept calculus test credit to waive these.
CHEM 1B is needed at IVC anyway
Berkeley's notes require CHEM 1B only for the Biological Chemistry track, but IVC's CHEM 12A lists CHEM 1B as its prerequisite. To reach organic chemistry here, you take CHEM 1B regardless of track.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What IVC classes do I need for UC Berkeley MCB?
CHEM 1A, CHEM 1B, CHEM 12A and CHEM 12B; BIO 80 with BIO 81, or BIO 51 with BIO 52; and two math courses, usually MATH 3A and MATH 3B. PHYS 4A and PHYS 4B are strongly recommended on top.
Is any Berkeley MCB requirement missing at IVC?
No required course is missing. The only unmatched items are PHYSICS 8A and PHYSICS 8B, one of two recommended physics options. IVC's PHYS 4A and PHYS 4B match the other, PHYSICS 7A and PHYSICS 7B, and MCB warns physics can be hard to get into at Berkeley.
What is the UC Berkeley MCB transfer admit rate?
23% in 2025, counting all transfer applicants to Molecular and Cell Biology from every college. It isn't an IVC-specific figure. Admitted transfers who chose MCB go straight into the major, as they have since fall 2023, so select it on your application.
Do I need IGETC for Berkeley MCB?
No. Letters and Science doesn't require IGETC or Cal-GETC for admission but highly recommends it for degree progress. You still need the UC 7-course pattern and every prep course ASSIST lists as required, done by the end of spring.
Explore More
Related Transfer Plans
Irvine Valley College students applying to Molecular and Cell Biology (B.A.) at UC Berkeley can finish the full required prep at IVC. General chemistry is CHEM 1A and CHEM 1B, organic is CHEM 12A and CHEM 12B, and biology comes from BIO 80 and BIO 81 or the BIO 51 and BIO 52 pair. Two math courses, often MATH 3A and MATH 3B, complete it. Transfermatic builds the IVC semester plan around the five-semester chemistry chain so the whole series is done before you transfer.
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