Mt. San Antonio College to UCSB
Political Science Transfer Plan
Mt. SAC covers three of UCSB's four pre-major courses and both economics requirements, though the economics courses sit in the Business department. POL S 15 has no Mt. SAC match.
From
Mt. San Antonio College
To
UC Santa Barbara
Political ScienceUC Santa Barbara TAG
Mt. SAC students are eligible for UCSB's Transfer Admission Guarantee at a 3.4 GPA, which secures Political Science pre-major status. The full major needs its own 2.6 GPA in UC-taken courses.
Major Requirements
Political Science Major Preparation
Courses at Mt. San Antonio College that satisfy UC Santa Barbara's Political Science major preparation, mapped and verified by Transfermatic's transfer engine.
| Course at Mt. San Antonio College | Satisfies at UCSB | Units |
|---|---|---|
| POLS 5 — Political Theory I - Ancient to Contemporary | POL S 1 — Introduction to Political Philosophy (choose 3) | 3 |
| POLS 2 — Comparative Politics | POL S 6 — Introduction to Comparative Politics (choose 3) | 3 |
| POLS 9 — International Relations | POL S 7 — Introduction to International Relations (choose 3) | 3 |
| POLS C1000 or POLS C1000H — American Government and Politics | POL S 12 — American Government and Politics (choose 3) | 3 |
| No Mt. SAC match | POL S 15 — Introduction to Research in Political Science | — |
| BUSC 1B or BUSC 1BH — Principles of Microeconomics | ECON 1 — Principles of Economics-Micro | 3 |
| BUSC 1A or BUSC 1AH — Principles of Macroeconomics | ECON 2 — Principles of Economics-Macro | 3 |
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 Mt. San Antonio College
Complete these five courses at Mt. San Antonio 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.
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 |
Mt. SAC semesters, UCSB quarters
Mt. SAC's political science and business courses run 3 semester units; the UCSB courses they cover are worth 5 quarter units each. Expect a faster pace across three quarter terms a year after transfer.
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
Econ prep is filed under Business
BUSC 1A and BUSC 1B, not ECON courses, satisfy UCSB's ECON 2 and ECON 1. Search the Business department if you're looking for the right class.
Honors sections all articulate
POLS C1000H, BUSC 1AH and BUSC 1BH count the same as the standard sections for every requirement they touch.
POL S 15 has no Mt. SAC match
The research methods course isn't offered here in an articulated form. It's completed at UCSB after you transfer.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Mt. SAC classes count toward UCSB Political Science?
POLS 5, POLS 2, POLS 9 and POLS C1000 each satisfy one of UCSB's four pre-major options, and you only need three. POLS 2 needs POLS C1000 or POLS C1000H first. BUSC 1A and BUSC 1B cover the economics side.
Does Mt. SAC BUSC 1A transfer to UCSB as economics?
Yes. BUSC 1A matches UCSB's ECON 2 and BUSC 1B matches ECON 1, even though both are taught in Mt. SAC's Business department.
What can't Mt. SAC students finish before transferring?
POL S 15 has no Mt. SAC equivalent. It stays on the required list at UCSB no matter how much else transfers in.
What's the admit rate for UCSB Political Science?
In 2025 UCSB admitted 63% of the students who applied to transfer into Political Science, Mt. SAC applicants among them.
Explore More
Related Transfer Plans
Mt. San Antonio College students working toward Political Science at UC Santa Barbara have a full four-course match for the pre-major, so picking any three from POLS 5, POLS 2, POLS 9 and POLS C1000 works. The catch is economics: Mt. SAC's BUSC 1A and BUSC 1B satisfy UCSB's ECON requirement but live in the Business department, not Econ. POL S 15 remains unmatched and gets finished at UCSB. Transfermatic flags department quirks like this so Mt. SAC students don't spend a semester searching the wrong catalog listing.
Build your Mt. San Antonio College → UCSB plan
Personalized, semester-by-semester. Free to start.
Get My Transfer Plan