Irvine Valley College to UCLA
Biology Transfer Plan
IVC matches 11 of the 12 courses on UCLA's Biology prep list, including every chemistry, calculus, biology and physics requirement. The only gap is CHEM 153A, an upper-division biochemistry course that isn't required for admission, so you'd take it at UCLA.
From
Irvine Valley College
To
UCLA
BiologyUCLA Transfer Alliance Program (TAP)
Biology is in UCLA's College of Letters and Science, which TAP covers. Finish the IVC Honors Program with counselor certification for priority consideration and a review for an alternate major. It isn't a guarantee, and one-year transfers can't be certified.
Major Requirements
Biology Major Preparation
Courses at Irvine Valley College that satisfy UCLA's Biology major preparation, mapped and verified by Transfermatic's transfer engine.
| Course at Irvine Valley College | Satisfies at UCLA | Units |
|---|---|---|
| (CHEM 1A or CHEM 1AH) and (CHEM 1BH or CHEM 1B) — General Chemistry I | CHEM 20A, CHEM 20B, CHEM 20L, CHEM 30AL | 5 |
| CHEM 12B + CHEM 12A — Organic Chemistry + Organic Chemistry | CHEM 30A, CHEM 30B | 10 |
| MATH 3A or MATH 3AH — Analytic Geometry and Calculus I | MATH 31A — Differential and Integral Calculus | 5 |
| MATH 3B or MATH 3BH — Analytic Geometry and Calculus II | MATH 31B — Integration and Infinite Series | 5 |
| MATH 4A or MATH 4AH — Analytic Geometry and Calculus III | MATH 32A — Calculus of Several Variables | 5 |
| STAT C1000 or PSYC 10 or PSYC 10H — Introduction to Statistics | STATS 13 — Introduction to Statistical Methods for Life and Health Sciences (choose 1) | 4 |
| BIO 80 (or another listed option) — Integrated Biology: Organisms to Ecosystems | LIFESCI 7A — Cell and Molecular Biology | 4 |
| BIO 80 (or another listed option) — Integrated Biology: Organisms to Ecosystems | LIFESCI 7B — Genetics, Evolution, and Ecology | 4 |
| BIO 81 (or another listed option) — Integrated Biology: From DNA to Organisms | LIFESCI 7C — Physiology and Human Biology | 4 |
| BIO 16 or BIO 81 or BIO 81H or BIOT 70L — Cellular Biology | LIFESCI 7L — Introduction to Laboratory and Scientific Methodology | 4 |
| PHYS 4C + PHYS 4B + PHYS 4A — General Physics + General Physics + General Physics | PHYSICS 5A, PHYSICS 5B, PHYSICS 5C (choose 1) | 12 |
| PHYS 4C + PHYS 4B + PHYS 4A — General Physics + General Physics + General Physics | PHYSICS 1A, PHYSICS 1B, PHYSICS 1C, PHYSICS 4AL, PHYSICS 4BL (choose 1) | 12 |
| No IVC match | CHEM 153A — Biochemistry: Introduction to Structure, Enzymes, and Metabolism | — |
Courses with no equivalent must be taken at UCLA 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 UCLA 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 takes five semesters to finish
If you start below CHEM 1A, the chain is MATH 124, CHEM 1A, CHEM 1B, CHEM 12A, then CHEM 12B: five semesters minimum. Start it in your first term, since BIO 81 also waits on CHEM 1A.
IVC's semesters versus UCLA's quarters
UCLA's chemistry and biology sequences are quarter courses, so a two-semester IVC pair covers several at once. CHEM 1A and CHEM 1B together clear four UCLA chemistry courses, CHEM 20A through CHEM 30AL.
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
BIO 80 and BIO 81 cover four courses
The BIO 80 and BIO 81 pair satisfies LIFESCI 7A, 7B and 7C, and BIO 81 alone also counts for the LIFESCI 7L lab. Honors and regular versions can be mixed. BIO 81 needs CHEM 1A first.
One semester of organic is the floor
UCLA requires one semester of organic chemistry, CHEM 12A, by the spring before you transfer. The ASSIST notes strongly recommend either CHEM 12B as well or the full PHYS 4A, PHYS 4B and PHYS 4C series.
Statistics: one course is enough
UCLA's statistics slot is a choice between two courses. LIFESCI 40 has no IVC match, but STATS 13 does: STAT C1000, PSYC 10 or PSYC 10H. Any one of those three fills the requirement.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What IVC classes do I need for UCLA biology?
CHEM 1A and CHEM 1B, CHEM 12A and CHEM 12B, MATH 3A, MATH 3B and MATH 4A, BIO 80 and BIO 81, one statistics course such as STAT C1000, and PHYS 4A through PHYS 4C. Honors versions of most of these count the same way.
What doesn't IVC cover for UCLA biology?
Only CHEM 153A, UCLA's upper-division biochemistry course, has no IVC match. It counts toward the major but isn't required for admission, so you'd take it at UCLA. LIFESCI 40 also lacks a match, but it's one of two statistics options.
What is the UCLA biology transfer admit rate?
17%. That's UCLA's 2025 admit rate for all transfer applicants to Biology, from every college, not a figure for IVC students alone. Demand far exceeds space, and you can't switch into a life-science major after admission, so apply to Biology directly.
Does IVC PHYS 4A count for UCLA biology?
Yes, as part of a set. PHYS 4A, PHYS 4B and PHYS 4C together match either UCLA physics series. UCLA's notes call either a second semester of organic chemistry or a year of calculus-based physics strongly recommended before transfer.
Explore More
Related Transfer Plans
Irvine Valley College students heading for the Biology B.S. at UCLA can finish almost all of the lower-division preparation at IVC. General chemistry is CHEM 1A and CHEM 1B, organic is CHEM 12A and CHEM 12B, and the life-science core comes from BIO 80 and BIO 81. CHEM 153A is the one course left for UCLA. Because the chemistry chain runs five semesters from MATH 124, Transfermatic builds your IVC schedule around it so the required organic chemistry is done by the spring before you transfer.
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