MiraCosta College to UCSB
Psychological and Brain Sciences Transfer Plan
MiraCosta has a match for 9 of UCSB's 11 Psychological and Brain Sciences prep courses. PSY 10A and PSY 10B have no MiraCosta match, so plan for them before you apply.
From
MiraCosta College
To
UC Santa Barbara
Psychological and Brain SciencesUC Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG)
UCSB offers TAG for Psychological and Brain Sciences for fall 2027 applicants, with a minimum 3.4 GPA. File during the TAG window the fall before you transfer, and check UCSB's TAG page, since its list of eligible majors changes.
Major Requirements
Psychological and Brain Sciences Major Preparation
Courses at MiraCosta College that satisfy UC Santa Barbara's Psychological and Brain Sciences major preparation, mapped and verified by Transfermatic's transfer engine.
| Course at MiraCosta College | Satisfies at UCSB | Units |
|---|---|---|
| PSYC C1000 or PSYC C1000H — Introduction to Psychology | PSY 1 — Introduction to Psychology | 3 |
| MATH 115 — Calculus with Applications | MATH 34A — Calculus for Social and Life Sciences (choose 1) | 5 |
| MATH 150 or MATH 150H or MATH 150S — Calculus and Analytic Geometry I | MATH 3A — Calculus with Applications, First Course (choose 1) | 5 |
| BUS 204 (or another listed option) — Business Statistics | PSTAT 5A — Understanding Data | 3 |
| No MiraCosta match | PSY 10A — Research Methods in Psychological & Brain Sciences | — |
| No MiraCosta match | PSY 10B — Statistical Methods in Psychological & Brain Sciences | — |
| CHEM 150 + CHEM 151 — General Chemistry I: For Science Majors + General Chemistry II: For Science Majors | CHEM 1A, CHEM 1B | 10 |
| BIO 204 + BIO 202 — Foundations of Biology: Biochemistry, Cell Biology, Genetics and Molecular Biology + Foundations of Biology: Evolution, Biodiversity and Organismal Biology | MCDB 1A, EEMB 2 (choose 1) | 8 |
| ANTH 102 — Cultural Anthropology | ANTH 2 — Introductory Cultural Anthropology (choose 4) | 3 |
| ANTH 101 or ANTH 101H — Biological Anthropology | ANTH 5 — Introductory Biological Anthropology (choose 4) | 3 |
| CHEM 150 + CHEM 151 — General Chemistry I: For Science Majors + General Chemistry II: For Science Majors | CHEM 1C — General Chemistry (choose 4) | 10 |
| CS 101 or CS 138 — Introduction to Computer Science Principles | CMPSC 8 — Introduction to Computer Science (choose 4) | 3 |
| CS 150 — C++ Programming | CMPSC 16 — Problem Solving with Computers I (choose 4) | 3 |
| GEOL 101 + GEOL 101L — Physical Geology + Physical Geology Laboratory | EARTH 2 — Principles of Physical Geology (choose 4) | 4 |
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 MiraCosta College
Complete these five courses at MiraCosta 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 102
Introductory Biology: Ecology and Environmental Biology
CHEM 103
Chemistry and Society: For Non-Science Majors
HIST 100
World History to 1500
ENGL C1000
Academic Reading and Writing
ENGL C1001
Critical Thinking and Writing
| Area | Course at MiraCosta College | Units |
|---|---|---|
Life Science | BIO 102 — Introductory Biology: Ecology and Environmental Biology | 4 |
Physical Science | CHEM 103 — Chemistry and Society: For Non-Science Majors | 3 |
Humanities | HIST 100 — World History to 1500 | 3 |
English CompositionCCN | ENGL C1000 — Academic Reading and Writing | 4 |
Critical ThinkingCCN | ENGL C1001 — Critical Thinking and Writing | 4 |
3 semesters minimum for CHEM 140 onward
CHEM 140, then CHEM 150, then CHEM 151: each needs the one before, so 3 semesters minimum. Start CHEM 140 in your first semester. Placing higher shortens it.
MiraCosta semesters, UCSB quarters
MiraCosta runs on semesters and UCSB on quarters. Your units convert when you transfer, one semester unit to 1.5 quarter units, and anything left runs on UCSB's quicker quarter schedule.
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
2 UCSB requirements have no MiraCosta match
MiraCosta lists no course for PSY 10A and PSY 10B. Check UCSB's Psychological and Brain Sciences page for whether they have to be done before you transfer, and plan where you'll cover them.
Start with CHEM 140 and PSYC C1000
CHEM 140 and PSYC C1000 sit at the start of their sequences for this route, so they fit your first semester, next to ENGL C1000 for English composition.
More than one way to cover PSY 1
For UCSB PSY 1, MiraCosta accepts PSYC C1000 or PSYC C1000H. You need only one of them, so pick whichever fits your schedule.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What classes should I take at MiraCosta for UCSB Psychological and Brain Sciences?
PSYC C1000 or PSYC C1000H, MATH 115, MATH 150 or MATH 150H or MATH 150S, BUS 204, CHEM 150, CHEM 151 and BIO 204, plus the rest in the table above. Together they match 9 of the 11 prep courses UCSB lists for Psychological and Brain Sciences.
What doesn't MiraCosta cover for UCSB Psychological and Brain Sciences?
PSY 10A and PSY 10B. MiraCosta lists no course for them, so check UCSB's Psychological and Brain Sciences page for whether they have to be finished before you transfer.
Does MiraCosta MATH 115 transfer to UCSB?
Yes, for Psychological and Brain Sciences. MiraCosta MATH 115 (Calculus with Applications) is the match for UCSB MATH 34A (Calculus for Social and Life Sciences) in the transfer agreement.
What is UCSB's transfer admit rate for Psychological and Brain Sciences?
72% of all transfer applicants to UCSB Psychological and Brain Sciences were admitted in 2025. That figure covers applicants from every college, so it isn't specific to MiraCosta.
Explore More
Related Transfer Plans
MiraCosta College students transferring to UC Santa Barbara for Psychological and Brain Sciences can match 9 of 11 lower-division prep courses at MiraCosta, including PSYC C1000 or PSYC C1000H and MATH 115. PSY 10A and PSY 10B have no MiraCosta College equivalent in the 2025-2026 agreement. CHEM 140 and PSYC C1000 are good first-semester picks. On Transfermatic, put in MiraCosta College and UC Santa Barbara, and you get the classes you need for Psychological and Brain Sciences, semester by semester.
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