Irvine Valley College to UCSD
General Biology Transfer Plan
Irvine Valley College matches 18 of the 20 lower-division courses in UCSD's General Biology B.S.; only BILD 5 and UCSD's MATH 11 statistics course wait until after you transfer. Admission turns on the screening courses, BILD 1 and 3, CHEM 6A through CHEM 7L, and MATH 10A-B, with a 2.5 GPA across them.
From
Irvine Valley College
To
UC San Diego
General BiologyMajor Requirements
General Biology Major Preparation
Courses at Irvine Valley College that satisfy UC San Diego's General Biology major preparation, mapped and verified by Transfermatic's transfer engine.
| Course at Irvine Valley College | Satisfies at UCSD | Units |
|---|---|---|
| BIO 16 (or another listed option) — Cellular Biology | BILD 1 — The Cell | 4 |
| BIO 2 (or another listed option) — Plant Biology | BILD 2 — Multicellular Life | 4 |
| BIO 2 (or another listed option) — Plant Biology | BILD 3 — Organismic and Evolutionary Biology | 4 |
| BIO 2 (or another listed option) — Plant Biology | BILD 4 — Introductory Biology Lab | 4 |
| No IVC match | BILD 5 — Data Analysis and Design for Biologists | — |
| CHEM 1A — General Chemistry I | CHEM 6A — General Chemistry I | 5 |
| CHEM 1A + CHEM 1B — General Chemistry I + General Chemistry II | CHEM 6B — General Chemistry II | 10 |
| CHEM 1B — General Chemistry II | CHEM 6C — General Chemistry III | 5 |
| CHEM 1A + CHEM 1B — General Chemistry I + General Chemistry II | CHEM 7L — Introductory Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory | 10 |
| CHEM 12A — Organic Chemistry | CHEM 41A — Organic Chemistry I: Structure and Reactivity | 5 |
| CHEM 12B + CHEM 12A — Organic Chemistry + Organic Chemistry | CHEM 41B — Organic Chemistry II: Reactivity and Synthesis | 10 |
| MATH 3A or MATH 3AH or MATH 11 — Analytic Geometry and Calculus I | MATH 10A — Calculus I | 5 |
| MATH 3B or MATH 3BH — Analytic Geometry and Calculus II | MATH 10B — Calculus II | 5 |
| No IVC match | MATH 11 — Calculus Based Elementary Probability and Statistics | — |
| PHYS 4A — General Physics | PHYS 1A — Mechanics | 4 |
| PHYS 4A — General Physics | PHYS 1AL — Mechanics Laboratory | 4 |
| PHYS 4B — General Physics | PHYS 1B — Electricity and Magnetism | 4 |
| PHYS 4B — General Physics | PHYS 1BL — Electricity and Magnetism Laboratory | 4 |
| PHYS 4C — General Physics | PHYS 1C — Waves, Optics, and Modern Physics | 4 |
| PHYS 4C — General Physics | PHYS 1CL — Waves, Optics, and Modern Physics Laboratory | 4 |
Courses with no equivalent must be taken at UC San Diego 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 UCSD 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 is a five-semester chain at IVC
MATH 124, then CHEM 1A, CHEM 1B, CHEM 12A and CHEM 12B: five semesters minimum. BIO 16 and BIO 81 also need CHEM 1A, so take MATH 124 (or CHEM 1A, if you're past it) your first term.
Semesters at IVC, quarters at UCSD
UCSD splits into three quarters what IVC teaches in two semesters. CHEM 1A and CHEM 1B together earn CHEM 6A, CHEM 6B, CHEM 6C and CHEM 7L, and PHYS 4A through PHYS 4C earn six UCSD physics courses.
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 the two-course biology route
BIO 80 plus BIO 81 (or BIO 80H plus BIO 81H) covers BILD 1 through 4. The other route, BIO 16, BIO 5 and BIO 2, is three courses, and BIO 5 and BIO 2 list BIO 1, an extra course, as a prerequisite.
IVC MATH 11 is not UCSD MATH 11
IVC's MATH 11, a brief calculus course, counts as UCSD's MATH 10A. It does not cover UCSD's MATH 11, the probability and statistics course with no IVC match. MATH 10B accepts only MATH 3B or MATH 3BH, so plan on MATH 3B either way.
Finish each sequence where you start it
UCSD's biology department encourages finishing biology, math, physics, general chemistry and organic chemistry at the school where you began each one. Leaving IVC after CHEM 1A would split a series that CHEM 1A and CHEM 1B cover together.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What IVC classes do I need for UC San Diego biology?
A full IVC biology sequence (BIO 80 with BIO 81 is the shortest), CHEM 1A and CHEM 1B, CHEM 12A and CHEM 12B, MATH 3A and MATH 3B, and PHYS 4A, PHYS 4B and PHYS 4C. Together they match 18 of the 20 lower-division courses in UCSD's General Biology B.S.
What doesn't IVC cover for UCSD General Biology?
Two courses: BILD 5 (Data Analysis and Design for Biologists) and MATH 11 (Calculus Based Elementary Probability and Statistics). ASSIST lists no IVC course for either, so you'd take both at UCSD. Neither one is among the screening courses UCSD checks at admission.
Does IVC BIO 81 count as BILD 1 on its own?
No. UCSD grants BILD 1, 2, 3 and 4 only after you finish a whole IVC biology sequence, and it gives no partial credit. BIO 81 counts once it's paired with BIO 80, and BIO 81H once it's paired with BIO 80H.
What GPA does UCSD want in the biology screening courses?
A 2.5 GPA across them, with a C- or better in each. From IVC that means your biology sequence, CHEM 1A and CHEM 1B, and MATH 3A (or MATH 11) plus MATH 3B, all done by the end of spring before fall entry. AP or IB credit can clear a course but doesn't count in that GPA.
Explore More
Related Transfer Plans
Irvine Valley College students aiming for UC San Diego's Biology: General Biology B.S. can finish nearly all of the lower division before transferring. IVC's CHEM 1A and CHEM 1B stand in for UCSD's general chemistry series, CHEM 12A and CHEM 12B cover organic chemistry, and a complete biology sequence such as BIO 80 with BIO 81 earns BILD 1 through 4. BILD 5 and UCSD's MATH 11 have no IVC match. Transfermatic lays out these IVC courses term by term, chemistry chain first.
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