Irvine Valley College to UCI
Political Science Transfer Plan
IVC covers every one of UCI's 8 Political Science prep requirements, matching courses like PHIL 5, POLS 14 and POLS 12. Honors sections of several of those count the same as the regular version, so there's flexibility in how you build the schedule.
From
Irvine Valley College
To
UC Irvine
Political ScienceTAG: UC Irvine Transfer Admission Guarantee
A 3.4 GPA gets IVC students into UCI's TAG program, which guarantees admission ahead of the regular cycle. Fall 2027 filing runs Sept 1-30, 2026, with no major changes allowed after submission.
Major Requirements
Political Science Major Preparation
Courses at Irvine Valley College that satisfy UC Irvine's Political Science major preparation, mapped and verified by Transfermatic's transfer engine.
| Course at Irvine Valley College | Satisfies at UCI | Units |
|---|---|---|
| POLS 4 — Introduction to Political Science | POL SCI 11A — Introduction to Political Science: Political Analysis (choose 4) | 3 |
| POLS C1000 or POLS C1000H — American Government and Politics | POL SCI 21A — Introduction to American Government (choose 4) | 3 |
| PHIL 5 — Political Philosophy | POL SCI 31A — Introduction to Political Theory (choose 4) | 3 |
| POLS 14 or POLS 14H — International Relations | POL SCI 41A — Introduction to International Relations (choose 4) | 3 |
| POLS 12 or POLS 12H — Comparative Politics | POL SCI 51A — Introduction to Politics Around the World (choose 4) | 3 |
| POLS C1000 (or another listed option) — American Government and Politics | Political Science not already used (choose 1) | 3 |
| ANTH 1 (or another listed option) — Introduction to Biological Anthropology | Political Science or other Social Science discipline (choose 1) | 3 |
| MATH 3AH (or another listed option) — Analytic Geometry and Calculus I Honors | School of Social Sciences Math Requirement (choose 1) | 5 |
| CS 10 — Introduction to Programming Using Python | I&C SCI 31 — Introduction to Programming (choose 1) | 3 |
General Education
Foundation GE at Irvine Valley College
Complete these five courses at Irvine Valley College to start your UCI 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 |
Semesters at IVC, quarters at UCI
IVC's semester calendar doesn't line up with UCI's quarter system. That gap doesn't touch anything matched above, only how your academic year is divided after you enroll.
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
Honors sections count the same here
POLS 14H, POLS 12H and POLS C1000H all satisfy the same requirements as their standard versions. Take whichever section fits your schedule; UCI treats them equally.
CS 10 clears the programming requirement
IVC's CS 10 satisfies UCI's I&C SCI 31 programming requirement on its own. It's a degree requirement, not something UCI checks before admitting you.
Math requirement pairs calculus with statistics
IVC's math match is MATH 3A or MATH 3AH plus one statistics course: STAT C1000, ECON 10, ECON 10H, PSYC 10 or PSYC 10H. You need both halves, not just the calculus.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Which IVC classes count for UCI Political Science?
PHIL 5 covers political theory, POLS 14 or POLS 14H covers international relations, and POLS 12 or POLS 12H covers comparative politics. POLS C1000 or POLS C1000H covers American Government.
Does IVC cover everything for UCI Political Science?
Yes. IVC has a match for all 8 of UCI's prep requirements, including CS 10 for programming and MATH 3A plus a statistics course for the math requirement, so nothing is left after transfer.
Do IVC's honors sections work for UCI transfer?
Yes, honors versions like POLS 14H and POLS 12H count exactly the same as the standard sections for these requirements, so taking honors doesn't cost you anything here.
Is IVC's Honors Program relevant to this UCI major?
IVC's Honors Program is a UCLA Transfer Alliance Program partner, which is separate from this UCI Political Science pathway and doesn't change what's required here.
Explore More
Related Transfer Plans
Irvine Valley College students transferring to UC Irvine for a Political Science, B.A. match all eight of UCI's lower-division prep requirements, from PHIL 5 and POLS 14 to CS 10 for programming and MATH 3A with a statistics course such as STAT C1000 for math. Several IVC honors sections, including POLS 14H and POLS 12H, count exactly the same as their standard counterparts, giving students more scheduling flexibility. Transfermatic lists every matched IVC course, honors and standard, against the UCI requirement it satisfies so nothing gets double-counted or missed.
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