Irvine Valley College to UCSB
Economics Transfer Plan
IVC covers everything UCSB screens Economics transfers on: ECON 1, ECON 2 and calculus, either MATH 3A and MATH 3B or MATH 11 alone. ECON 10A and statistics (ECON 5 or PSTAT 120A) have no IVC match, and UCSB wants ECON 10A and ECON 5 taken there anyway.
From
Irvine Valley College
To
UC Santa Barbara
EconomicsUCSB Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG)
IVC students can file a UCSB TAG for Economics with at least a 3.4 GPA. UCSB is one of six UC campuses offering TAG, and the fall 2027 filing window runs Sept 1-30, 2026. Admission through TAG still starts you as a pre-major.
Major Requirements
Economics Major Preparation
Courses at Irvine Valley College that satisfy UC Santa Barbara's Economics major preparation, mapped and verified by Transfermatic's transfer engine.
| Course at Irvine Valley College | Satisfies at UCSB | Units |
|---|---|---|
| ECON 1 or ECON 1H — Principles of Economics - Micro | ECON 1 — Principles of Economics-Micro | 3 |
| ECON 2 or ECON 2H — Principles of Economics - Macro | ECON 2 — Principles of Economics-Macro | 3 |
| 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 |
| No IVC match | ECON 10A — Intermediate Microeconomic Theory | — |
| No IVC match for any of 2 options | ECON 5 — Statistics for Economics and others (choose 1) | — |
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 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 |
IVC semesters, UCSB quarters
UCSB counts each IVC semester unit as 1.5 quarter units, so a 5-unit MATH 3A becomes 7.5. Your IVC calculus pair still maps one-to-one onto UCSB's two-course sequence.
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
One MATH 11 or the MATH 3A series
ASSIST lists MATH 11 for both MATH 34A and MATH 34B, and UCSB accepts one course that matches both. UCSB highly recommends its MATH 3A and MATH 3B series, though, which IVC matches with MATH 3A then MATH 3B or the honors versions.
AP economics won't replace ECON 1
UCSB doesn't accept AP economics exams for this major's screen. Even with an AP score in micro or macro, take ECON 1 and ECON 2 (or ECON 1H and ECON 2H) at IVC, and earn at least a C in each.
Hit 2.75 across four courses
UCSB's selective-major screen averages ECON 1, ECON 2 and your calculus coursework. You need 2.75 or higher with no grade below C, so a strong ECON grade can balance a B- in MATH 3B, but nothing balances a C-.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What IVC classes transfer to UCSB for economics?
ECON 1 or ECON 1H for micro, ECON 2 or ECON 2H for macro, and calculus: MATH 3A and MATH 3B (or MATH 3AH and MATH 3BH), or MATH 11 by itself, which ASSIST lists for both MATH 34A and MATH 34B.
Does IVC MATH 11 count for UCSB economics calculus?
Yes. ASSIST lists MATH 11, A Brief Course in Calculus, for both UCSB MATH 34A and MATH 34B, and UCSB's notes say a single course matching both is acceptable for the calculus screen. UCSB does highly recommend MATH 3A and MATH 3B over MATH 34A and MATH 34B.
What doesn't IVC cover for UCSB economics?
ECON 10A, Intermediate Microeconomic Theory, and one statistics course, either ECON 5 or PSTAT 120A. IVC has no match for either. UCSB requires ECON 10A and ECON 5 at UCSB, and ECON 10A is one of three courses in the 2.85 GPA that decides full major status.
How competitive is UCSB economics for transfers?
62% of all 2025 transfer applicants to UCSB Economics were admitted, a figure for the whole applicant pool rather than IVC alone. It's a selective major, and admission makes you a pre-major; the full major comes after ECON 10A at UCSB.
Explore More
Related Transfer Plans
Irvine Valley College students applying to UC Santa Barbara for Economics can finish the full selective-major screen at IVC: ECON 1, ECON 2, MATH 3A and MATH 3B, with honors sections accepted for each. UCSB wants a 2.75 GPA in those four and no grade below C, and TAG is open at a 3.4 GPA. ECON 10A and ECON 5 must be taken at UCSB. Transfermatic can map these IVC courses into a semester plan that finishes before you apply.
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