Los Angeles Pierce College to UCSD
Psychology Transfer Plan
Los Angeles Pierce College matches all 8 of UCSD's Psychology prep courses, with five different statistics options alone, from STAT 101 to MATH 229. For the calculus-or-logic slot you need only one course, and Pierce's two calculus options map to different UCSD courses: MATH 238 to MATH 10A, MATH 261 to MATH 20A.
From
Los Angeles Pierce College
To
UC San Diego
PsychologyMajor Requirements
Psychology Major Preparation
Courses at Los Angeles Pierce College that satisfy UC San Diego's Psychology major preparation, mapped and verified by Transfermatic's transfer engine.
| Course at Los Angeles Pierce College | Satisfies at UCSD | Units |
|---|---|---|
| CHEM 101 — General Chemistry I | CHEM 6A — General Chemistry I | 5 |
| CHEM 102 + CHEM 101 — General Chemistry II + General Chemistry I | CHEM 6B — General Chemistry II | 10 |
| CHEM 101 + CHEM 102 — General Chemistry I + General Chemistry II | CHEM 6C — General Chemistry III | 10 |
| CHEM 060 — Introduction to General Chemistry | CHEM 4 — Basic Chemistry (choose 1) | 5 |
| PSYCH 074 — Research Methods in the Behavioral Sciences | PSYC 70 — Research Methods in Psychology (choose 1) | 3 |
| PSYCH 074 — Research Methods in the Behavioral Sciences | COGS 14A — Introduction to Research Methods (choose 1) | 3 |
| MATH 238 — Calculus for Business and Social Science I | MATH 10A — Calculus I (choose 1) | 5 |
| MATH 261 — Calculus I | MATH 20A — Calculus for Science and Engineering (choose 1) | 5 |
| PHILOS 009 — Symbolic Logic I | PHIL 10 — Introduction to Logic (choose 1) | 3 |
| CS 116 or CS 119 — Programming in C++ | CSE 8A — Introduction to Programming and Computational Problem Solving I (choose 1) | 3 |
| CS 216 or CS 213 — Object-Oriented Programming in C++ | CSE 11 — Introduction to Programming and Computational Problem Solving - Accelerated Pace (choose 1) | 3 |
| CS 136 — Introduction to Data Structures | CSE 12 — Basic Data Structures and Object-Oriented Design (choose 1) | 3 |
| STAT C1000 or MATH 228B or STAT 101 or SOC 125 or MATH 229 — Introduction to Statistics | PSYC 60 — Introduction to Statistics (choose 1) | 4 |
| STAT 101 or SOC 125 — Statistics for the Social Sciences | COGS 14B — Introduction to Statistical Analysis (choose 1) | 4 |
| STAT C1000 or MATH 229 — Introduction to Statistics | MATH 11 — Calculus Based Elementary Probability and Statistics (choose 1) | 4 |
General Education
Foundation GE at Los Angeles Pierce College
Complete these five courses at Los Angeles Pierce 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.
ANATOMY 001
Introduction to Human Anatomy
CHEM 051
Fundamentals of Chemistry I
A S L 003
American Sign Language III
ENGL C1000
Academic Reading and Writing
ENGL C1001
Critical Thinking and Writing
| Area | Course at Los Angeles Pierce College | Units |
|---|---|---|
Life Science | ANATOMY 001 — Introduction to Human Anatomy | 4 |
Physical Science | CHEM 051 — Fundamentals of Chemistry I | 5 |
Humanities | A S L 003 — American Sign Language III | 4 |
English CompositionCCN | ENGL C1000 — Academic Reading and Writing | 3 |
Critical ThinkingCCN | ENGL C1001 — Critical Thinking and Writing | 3 |
Three semesters of chemistry before CHEM 102
CHEM 060 feeds CHEM 101, then CHEM 102: three semesters in a row. CHEM 060 alone matches UCSD's CHEM 4, so if chemistry is your natural science route, start it your very first term.
Pierce runs semesters, UCSD runs quarters
Pierce's CHEM 101 and CHEM 102 cover UCSD's three-quarter CHEM 6A to CHEM 6C series in two semesters, with CHEM 6B and CHEM 6C each needing both 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
Five ways to satisfy statistics
STAT 101, SOC 125, STAT C1000, MATH 228B or MATH 229 all count toward UCSD's PSYC 60 statistics requirement. Take whichever one fits your schedule best.
Calculus courses don't overlap here
MATH 238 only satisfies UCSD's MATH 10A, while MATH 261 is the only Pierce course that covers MATH 20A, UCSD's advanced-calculus recommendation. MATH 261 also needs MATH 260 first, so start math early.
Programming coverage is thin at Pierce
Three of UCSD's ten programming options have a Pierce match: CSE 8A, CSE 11 and CSE 12. The major requires one. For graduate study UCSD suggests CSE 11 among others, which is CS 216 or CS 213 here, both needing CS 116 first.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Pierce's MATH 261 transfer to UCSD?
Yes. MATH 261 matches UCSD's MATH 20A, Calculus for Science and Engineering, the option UCSD recommends for students planning advanced calculus. It needs MATH 260 first, so it's a two-course commitment at Pierce.
What doesn't Pierce cover for UCSD Psychology?
Nothing required is missing. Pierce matches all 8 of UCSD's listed prep courses, though only three of the ten programming options have a Pierce match. Any one of those three fills the programming slot, so nothing has to wait.
What's UCSD's Psychology admit rate?
71% of all transfer applicants to UCSD's Psychology B.A. were admitted in 2025, across every community college, not Pierce specifically. Psychology isn't capped and doesn't require a separate application.
How long is Pierce's chemistry chain to CHEM 102?
Three semesters minimum: CHEM 060, then CHEM 101, then CHEM 102. Start chemistry your first term at Pierce if you're using it for natural science, since general chemistry takes a year and a half to complete.
Explore More
Related Transfer Plans
Los Angeles Pierce College students transferring into Psychology, B.A. at UC San Diego can match all 8 of UCSD's prep requirements, with five different courses covering the statistics slot alone, including STAT 101 and MATH 229. UCSD's two calculus options pull from separate Pierce courses, MATH 238 and MATH 261, so choose based on which one you need. Transfermatic checks every Pierce course against UCSD's exact psychology requirements before you register.
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