Irvine Valley College to UCSB
Biological Sciences Transfer Plan
IVC covers the full pre-major sequence for UCSB Biological Sciences: general chemistry, general biology, organic chemistry and calculus, with honors options throughout. Nothing required for admission is missing on ASSIST.
From
Irvine Valley College
To
UC Santa Barbara
Biological SciencesUCSB TAG
IVC students can apply for a UCSB Transfer Admission Guarantee in Biological Sciences with a 3.4 GPA. The fall 2027 filing window runs Sept 1-30, 2026, and your major prep still needs letter grades.
Major Requirements
Biological Sciences Major Preparation
Courses at Irvine Valley College that satisfy UC Santa Barbara's Biological Sciences major preparation, mapped and verified by Transfermatic's transfer engine.
| Course at Irvine Valley College | Satisfies at UCSB | Units |
|---|---|---|
| (CHEM 1A or CHEM 1AH) and (CHEM 1BH or CHEM 1B) — General Chemistry I | CHEM 1A, CHEM 1B, CHEM 1C, CHEM 2AL, CHEM 2BL (choose 1) | 5 |
| (CHEM 1AH or CHEM 1A) and (CHEM 1BH or CHEM 1B) — General Chemistry 1 Honors | CHEM 1A, CHEM 1AL, CHEM 1B, CHEM 1BL, CHEM 1C, CHEM 1CL (choose 1) | 5 |
| BIO 81 (or another listed option) — Integrated Biology: From DNA to Organisms | MCDB 1A, MCDB 1B, MCDB 1LL, EEMB 2, EEMB 2LL, EEMB 3 | 4 |
| CHEM 12B + CHEM 12A — Organic Chemistry + Organic Chemistry | CHEM 6AL — Laboratory Methods of Organic Chemistry | 10 |
| CHEM 12B + CHEM 12A — Organic Chemistry + Organic Chemistry | CHEM 109A, CHEM 109B | 10 |
| MATH 3A or MATH 3AH — Analytic Geometry and Calculus I | MATH 3A — Calculus with Applications, First Course (choose 1) | 5 |
| MATH 11 — A Brief Course in Calculus | MATH 34A — Calculus for Social and Life Sciences (choose 1) | 4 |
| MATH 3B or MATH 3BH — Analytic Geometry and Calculus II | MATH 3B — Calculus with Applications, Second Course (choose 1) | 5 |
| MATH 11 — A Brief Course in Calculus | MATH 34B — Calculus for Social and Life Sciences (choose 1) | 4 |
| ECON 10 (or another listed option) — Statistics for Business and Economics | PSTAT 5A — Understanding Data (choose 1) | 3 |
| MATH 26 or MATH 26H — Introduction to Linear Algebra | MATH 4A — Linear Algebra with Applications (choose 1) | 4 |
| PHYS 2B + PHYS 2A — Introduction to Physics + Introduction to Physics | PHYS 6A, PHYS 6AL, PHYS 6B, PHYS 6BL, PHYS 6C, PHYS 6CL | 8 |
General Education
Foundation GE at Irvine Valley College
Complete these five courses at Irvine Valley 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.
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 |
Five-term chain from precalc to organic chem
MATH 124 leads to CHEM 1A, CHEM 1B, CHEM 12A and CHEM 12B, five terms in a row. Start math right away or organic chemistry won't finish before you transfer.
IVC's semesters become UCSB's quarters
IVC runs two long terms a year; UCSB runs three shorter ones. The five-term chain above counts IVC semesters, so it stretches across two and a half years, not five UCSB quarters.
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
IVC's honors track counts the same
CHEM 1AH, CHEM 1BH, BIO 81H, BIO 80H and MATH 3AH all substitute for their standard versions. Take honors if it fits your schedule; UCSB accepts either path for admission.
Calculus and organic chem must start by fall
UCSB wants your first calculus course and CHEM 12A done by the end of the fall term before you transfer. MATH 3A or MATH 11 both work, so pick the track that matches your other math.
Biology has a four-course alternate path
Besides BIO 81 and BIO 80, IVC also lets BIO 2, BIO 5, BIO 16 and BIO 80 stand in for the same MCDB and EEMB requirement. Either route satisfies the same courses.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Does IVC CHEM 1A transfer to UCSB for Biology?
Yes. CHEM 1A paired with CHEM 1B (or their honors versions, 1AH/1BH) covers UCSB's general chemistry requirement for the Biological Sciences major, one of two accepted paths on ASSIST.
What doesn't IVC cover for UCSB Biology?
Nothing required for admission. ASSIST matches all of IVC's chemistry, biology, organic chemistry and calculus courses to UCSB's list. The only unmatched item is PSTAT 5LS, a recommended statistics option; ECON 10, STAT C1000 or MATH 26 cover that slot instead.
What GPA does UCSB want from IVC biology applicants?
UCSB asks for a 2.7 GPA across your required chemistry, biology, organic chemistry and calculus courses, each with a C or better. That's a minimum for admission to the pre-major, not a target.
What's the admit rate for UCSB Biological Sciences transfers?
UCSB admitted 45% of transfer applicants to Biological Sciences in 2025. That's across every community college, not just IVC, so your own prep and GPA still matter most.
Explore More
Related Transfer Plans
Irvine Valley College students headed into Biological Sciences, B.A. & B.S. at UC Santa Barbara can complete the entire required sequence at IVC: general chemistry through CHEM 1A and CHEM 1B, general biology, organic chemistry via CHEM 12A and CHEM 12B, and calculus. Honors sections such as CHEM 1AH, BIO 81H and MATH 3AH count the same as standard ones. Transfermatic checks each IVC course against UCSB's current articulation so you know exactly what to take before you apply.
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