Orange Coast College to UCSD
    General Biology Transfer Plan

    Orange Coast College matches 19 of the 20 lower-division courses in UCSD's General Biology B.S.; only BILD 5 has no OCC equivalent. Admission turns on the screening courses, BILD 1 and 3, CHEM A180 and CHEM A185, and MATH A180 with MATH A185 or MATH A182H alone, with a 2.5 GPA across them.

    Every course verified to transferSemester-by-semester scheduleFastest realistic timeline

    From

    Orange Coast College

    To

    UC San Diego

    General Biology
    Build My Plan

    Major Requirements

    General Biology Major Preparation

    Courses at Orange Coast College that satisfy UC San Diego's General Biology major preparation, mapped and verified by Transfermatic's transfer engine.

    BIOL A180 + BIOL A185
    Introduction to Biology for Majors 1: Cell and Molecular Biology + Introduction to Biology for Majors 2: Ecology, Evolution, Diversity, and Physiology
    BILD 1 — The Cell9 units
    BIOL A185 + BIOL A180
    Introduction to Biology for Majors 2: Ecology, Evolution, Diversity, and Physiology + Introduction to Biology for Majors 1: Cell and Molecular Biology
    BILD 2 — Multicellular Life9 units
    BIOL A180 + BIOL A185
    Introduction to Biology for Majors 1: Cell and Molecular Biology + Introduction to Biology for Majors 2: Ecology, Evolution, Diversity, and Physiology
    BILD 3 — Organismic and Evolutionary Biology9 units
    BIOL A185 + BIOL A180
    Introduction to Biology for Majors 2: Ecology, Evolution, Diversity, and Physiology + Introduction to Biology for Majors 1: Cell and Molecular Biology
    BILD 4 — Introductory Biology Lab9 units
    No OCC match
    BILD 5 — Data Analysis and Design for Biologists—
    CHEM A180
    General Chemistry A
    CHEM 6A — General Chemistry I5 units
    CHEM A180 + CHEM A185
    General Chemistry A + General Chemistry B
    CHEM 6B — General Chemistry II10 units
    CHEM A180 + CHEM A185
    General Chemistry A + General Chemistry B
    CHEM 6C — General Chemistry III10 units
    CHEM A180 + CHEM A185
    General Chemistry A + General Chemistry B
    CHEM 7L — Introductory Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory10 units
    CHEM A220
    Organic Chemistry A
    CHEM 41A — Organic Chemistry I: Structure and Reactivity3 units
    CHEM A220 + CHEM A225
    Organic Chemistry A + Organic Chemistry B
    CHEM 41B — Organic Chemistry II: Reactivity and Synthesis6 units
    MATH A180 or MATH A182H
    Calculus 1
    MATH 10A — Calculus I5 units
    MATH A185 or MATH A182H
    Calculus 2
    MATH 10B — Calculus II5 units
    STAT C1000
    Introduction to Statistics
    MATH 11 — Calculus Based Elementary Probability and Statistics4 units
    PHYS A130
    University Physics 1: Mechanics with Lab
    PHYS 1A — Mechanics4 units
    PHYS A130
    University Physics 1: Mechanics with Lab
    PHYS 1AL — Mechanics Laboratory4 units
    PHYS A135
    University Physics 2: Electricity/Magnetism with Lab
    PHYS 1B — Electricity and Magnetism4 units
    PHYS A135
    University Physics 2: Electricity/Magnetism with Lab
    PHYS 1BL — Electricity and Magnetism Laboratory4 units
    PHYS A135 + PHYS A130
    University Physics 2: Electricity/Magnetism with Lab + University Physics 1: Mechanics with Lab
    PHYS 1C — Waves, Optics, and Modern Physics8 units
    PHYS A135 + PHYS A130
    University Physics 2: Electricity/Magnetism with Lab + University Physics 1: Mechanics with Lab
    PHYS 1CL — Waves, Optics, and Modern Physics Laboratory8 units

    Courses with no equivalent must be taken at UC San Diego after transfer. Factor this into your first-year course plan.

    General Education

    Foundation GE at Orange Coast College

    Complete these five courses at Orange Coast 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.

    Life Science

    BIOL A100

    Principles of Biology

    4 units
    Physical Science

    CHEM A100

    Principles of Chemistry

    3 units
    Humanities

    HIST A101

    Afro-American History

    3 units
    English CompositionCCN

    ENGL C1000

    Academic Reading and Writing

    4 units
    Critical ThinkingCCN

    ENGL C1001

    Critical Thinking and Writing

    4 units

    Chemistry is a five-semester chain at OCC

    CHEM A130 leads to CHEM A180, then CHEM A185, then CHEM A220, then CHEM A225: five semesters minimum. BIOL A180 also needs CHEM A180, so start the chain your first term.

    Semesters at OCC, quarters at UCSD

    UCSD splits into three quarters what OCC teaches in two semesters. CHEM A180 paired with CHEM A185 together earns four UCSD chemistry courses: CHEM 6A, 6B, 6C and 7L.

    Preview

    Your First Semester

    A preview of what Transfermatic generates — exact courses, in the right order, every semester.

    STAT C1000 — Introduction to Statistics
    4 unitsMajor
    ENGL C1000 — Academic Reading and Writing
    4 unitsGE
    Sign in to see all semestersBuild my full plan →

    Watch Out

    Common Mistakes for This Transfer Path

    MATH A182H alone covers both calc courses

    OCC's honors course, MATH A182H, satisfies both UCSD MATH 10A and MATH 10B in one course. Skip it and you'll take MATH A180 then MATH A185 instead, the standard two-course route.

    BILD 5 has no OCC match

    ASSIST lists no OCC course for BILD 5, Data Analysis and Design for Biologists, so you'll take it after you transfer. It isn't one of the courses UCSD checks at admission.

    STAT C1000 clears the statistics course

    STAT C1000, an intro statistics class, satisfies UCSD's MATH 11 on its own, even though MATH 11 is calculus-based at UCSD. You don't need OCC's calculus sequence to cover it.

    FAQ

    Frequently Asked Questions

    What OCC classes do I need for UC San Diego biology?

    OCC covers 19 of UCSD's 20 lower-division biology courses. Take BIOL A180 with BIOL A185, CHEM A180 with CHEM A185, CHEM A220 with CHEM A225, MATH A180 and MATH A185 (or MATH A182H alone), STAT C1000, and PHYS A130 with PHYS A135.

    What doesn't OCC cover for UCSD General Biology?

    Just one course: BILD 5, Data Analysis and Design for Biologists. ASSIST lists no OCC match, so you'd take it at UCSD after you transfer. It isn't one of the courses UCSD screens at admission.

    Does OCC's honors calculus cover both UCSD calculus courses?

    Yes. MATH A182H, OCC's combined Calculus 1 and 2 Honors course, satisfies both UCSD MATH 10A and MATH 10B by itself. Without it, you'd need the standard MATH A180 then MATH A185 sequence instead.

    What GPA does UCSD want in the biology screening courses?

    A 2.5 GPA across BILD 1, BILD 3, the CHEM 6A through 7L sequence, and MATH 10A-10B, with a C- or better in each. From OCC that's BIOL A180/A185, CHEM A180/A185, and MATH A180/A185 or MATH A182H, finished by the end of spring before fall admission.

    Explore More

    Related Transfer Plans

    Orange Coast College students aiming for UC San Diego's Biology: General Biology B.S. can finish nearly the entire lower division before transferring. OCC's CHEM A180 and CHEM A185 stand in for UCSD's general chemistry series, CHEM A220 and CHEM A225 cover organic chemistry, and BIOL A180 paired with BIOL A185 earns full credit for BILD 1 through 4. Only BILD 5 has no OCC match. Transfermatic lays out these OCC courses term by term, with the chemistry chain first.

    Build your Orange Coast College → UCSD plan

    Personalized, semester-by-semester. Free to start.

    Get My Transfer Plan