Mt. San Antonio College to UCI
Economics Transfer Plan
Mt. SAC covers the micro, macro and calculus core of UCI's Economics prep, six of nine requirement slots. The programming pick, ECON 15A and ECON 15B have no Mt. SAC match, and the calculus chain alone takes four semesters.
From
Mt. San Antonio College
To
UC Irvine
EconomicsUC Irvine TAG
Mt. SAC students qualify for the Transfer Admission Guarantee at a 3.4 GPA, but only for fall 2027. UCI drops Economics from TAG the next admission cycle, fall 2028.
Major Requirements
Economics Major Preparation
Courses at Mt. San Antonio College that satisfy UC Irvine's Economics major preparation, mapped and verified by Transfermatic's transfer engine.
| Course at Mt. San Antonio College | Satisfies at UCI | Units |
|---|---|---|
| BUSC 1B or BUSC 1BH — Principles of Microeconomics | ECON 20A — Basic Economics I | 3 |
| BUSC 1A or BUSC 1AH — Principles of Macroeconomics | ECON 20B — Basic Economics II | 3 |
| MATH 180 — Calculus and Analytic Geometry I | MATH 2A — Single-Variable Calculus | 4 |
| MATH 181 — Calculus and Analytic Geometry II | MATH 2B — Single-Variable Calculus | 4 |
| No Mt. SAC match | ECON 15A — Probability and Statistics in Economics I | — |
| No Mt. SAC match | ECON 15B — Probability and Statistics in Economics II | — |
| ANTH 1 (or another listed option) — Biological Anthropology | Introductory Social Science courses in disciplines other than Economics for Economics (choose 2) | 3 |
| No Mt. SAC match for any of 2 options | I&C SCI 31 — Introduction to Programming and others (choose 1) | — |
Courses with no equivalent must be taken at UC Irvine after transfer. Factor this into your first-year course plan.
General Education
Foundation GE at Mt. San Antonio College
Complete these five courses at Mt. San Antonio College to start your UCI 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.
BIOL 1
General Biology
CHEM 10
Chemistry for Allied Health Majors
HIST 1
History of the United States
ENGL C1000
Academic Reading and Writing
ENGL C1001
Critical Thinking and Writing
| Area | Course at Mt. San Antonio College | Units |
|---|---|---|
Life Science | BIOL 1 — General Biology | 4 |
Physical Science | CHEM 10 — Chemistry for Allied Health Majors | 5 |
Humanities | HIST 1 — History of the United States | 3 |
English CompositionCCN | ENGL C1000 — Academic Reading and Writing | 4 |
Critical ThinkingCCN | ENGL C1001 — Critical Thinking and Writing | 4 |
Calculus needs four semesters minimum
MATH 150 must come before MATH 160, which comes before MATH 180, which comes before MATH 181. Delay the start and you delay your whole transfer timeline.
Mt. SAC runs semesters, UCI runs quarters
Mt. SAC's semester classes convert to quarter units at UCI, and coursework moves at a quicker clip once you're there, so budget more study time per week.
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
Calculus is a four-semester chain here
Mt. SAC's calc prerequisites stack up: MATH 150, MATH 160, MATH 180, MATH 181, in that order. Enroll in MATH 150 your very first term if you want to clear it in four semesters flat.
No Mt. SAC course covers I&C SCI 31
Neither I&C SCI 31 nor SOC SCI 3A has a Mt. SAC equivalent. Plan to take one of those two after you arrive at UCI.
Honors sections exist for micro and macro
BUSC 1BH and BUSC 1AH match UCI's ECON 20A and 20B the same as the regular sections. Taking honors here doesn't cost you either match.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Mt. SAC BUSC 1B transfer to UCI as ECON 20A?
Yes, BUSC 1B or its honors version BUSC 1BH both satisfy UCI's ECON 20A microeconomics requirement, alongside BUSC 1A for macroeconomics.
What classes doesn't Mt. SAC cover for UCI Economics?
There's no Mt. SAC match for UCI's programming pick, and ECON 15A and ECON 15B are also missing. None of the three block admission.
Is UC Irvine TAG open to Mt. SAC Economics students?
Yes, for fall 2027, with a required 3.4 GPA. UCI removes Economics from TAG starting fall 2028, so this is one of the last eligible cycles.
How long does Mt. SAC's calculus sequence to UCI take?
Four semesters at minimum. MATH 150 through MATH 181 forms the longest prerequisite chain in the Economics requirement set, so start it right away.
Explore More
Related Transfer Plans
Mt. San Antonio College students transferring into Economics, B.A. at the University of California, Irvine cover the core prep: BUSC 1B for microeconomics, BUSC 1A for macroeconomics, and a four-semester calculus chain ending at MATH 181. UCI's programming requirement has no Mt. SAC match, so that one waits until after transfer. Transfermatic maps the full Mt. SAC path to UCI Economics, term by term, so the four-semester math sequence doesn't catch you off guard.
Build your Mt. San Antonio College → UCI plan
Personalized, semester-by-semester. Free to start.
Get My Transfer Plan