Los Angeles Pierce College to UCLA
Political Science Transfer Plan
Pierce matches every course on UCLA's Political Science list: POL SCI 005, POL SCI 007, POLS C1000 and POL SCI 002 for the four intro picks, plus a statistics course. POL SCI 005 needs ENGL C1000 first, so political theory can't start your first term unless composition is already done.
From
Los Angeles Pierce College
To
UCLA
Political ScienceUCLA TAP through Pierce's Honors Transfer Program
Complete Pierce's Honors Transfer Program and get certified by its counselor, and UCLA gives your Political Science application priority review, plus consideration for an alternate major if it says no. TAP is not a guarantee of admission, and Pierce students there only one year after high school can't get certified.
Major Requirements
Political Science Major Preparation
Courses at Los Angeles Pierce College that satisfy UCLA's Political Science major preparation, mapped and verified by Transfermatic's transfer engine.
| Course at Los Angeles Pierce College | Satisfies at UCLA | Units |
|---|---|---|
| POL SCI 005 — The History of Western Political Thought | POL SCI 10 — Introduction to Political Theory (choose 4) | 3 |
| POL SCI 007 — Introduction to International Relations | POL SCI 20 — World Politics (choose 4) | 3 |
| POLS C1000 — American Government and Politics | POL SCI 40 — Introduction to American Politics (choose 4) | 3 |
| POL SCI 002 — Introduction to Comparative Politics | POL SCI 50 — Introduction to Comparative Politics (choose 4) | 3 |
| STAT C1000 or MATH 228B or STAT 101 or MATH 229 — Introduction to Statistics | STATS 10 — Introduction to Statistical Reasoning | 4 |
| STAT C1000 or MATH 228B or STAT 101 — Introduction to Statistics | STATS 12 — Introduction to Statistical Methods for Geography and Environmental Studies | 4 |
General Education
Foundation GE at Los Angeles Pierce College
Complete these five courses at Los Angeles Pierce 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.
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 |
Pierce semester units become UCLA quarter units
Pierce runs on semesters, UCLA on quarters, so units grow by about half again once you transfer, a 3-unit POL SCI 007 becomes four and a half quarter units. The course-to-course matches don't change.
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
English composition comes before political theory
POL SCI 005, Pierce's political theory course, requires ENGL C1000 as a prerequisite. Plan on finishing your composition requirement early so political theory doesn't get pushed into a later term than you'd like.
Four approved statistics courses at Pierce
STAT C1000, MATH 228B, STAT 101 and MATH 229 all satisfy UCLA's statistics prep at Pierce. That gives more flexibility than a single required course, so choose based on your schedule or your comfort with math.
AP and IB credit is excluded here
UCLA excludes AP American or Comparative Political Science, AP Statistics and IB exams from counting toward this major's prep. POL SCI 005, POL SCI 007, POLS C1000, POL SCI 002 and a statistics course still have to be taken at Pierce.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What Pierce classes count toward UCLA political science?
POL SCI 005 for theory, POL SCI 007 for world politics, POLS C1000 for American politics and POL SCI 002 for comparative politics, plus a statistics course such as STAT C1000. Pierce matches all six of UCLA's requirements.
Does Pierce POL SCI 005 need a prerequisite?
Yes. POL SCI 005, The History of Western Political Thought, requires ENGL C1000 first at Pierce. Finish composition early so this political theory course isn't delayed later than necessary.
What's not covered at Pierce for UCLA political science?
Politics and Strategy is the one UCLA intro course Pierce doesn't offer, but UCLA's group only asks for four of five options. Pierce's other four intro matches already cover it.
How selective is UCLA political science for transfers?
UCLA admitted 34% of all 2025 transfer applicants to Political Science, not Pierce students specifically. Demand significantly exceeds space. Finish at least three intro courses and statistics, for a letter grade, by the spring before transfer.
Explore More
Related Transfer Plans
Los Angeles Pierce College students transferring into Political Science at UCLA can complete the required lower-division prep at Pierce. POL SCI 005, POL SCI 007, POLS C1000 and POL SCI 002 match UCLA's four intro political science courses, and STAT C1000 is one of four approved statistics options. POL SCI 005 needs ENGL C1000 first, so composition should come early. Transfermatic can sequence these into a Pierce course plan around that prerequisite.
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