Orange Coast College to UCSB
Biological Sciences Transfer Plan
Orange Coast College's chemistry, biology, organic chemistry and calculus sequences all match UCSB's Biological Sciences requirements on ASSIST. Organic chemistry is split into four OCC courses, two lecture and two lab, instead of two combined ones.
From
Orange Coast College
To
UC Santa Barbara
Biological SciencesUCSB TAG
UCSB's TAG includes Biological Sciences at a 3.4 GPA, but it sits on top of the selective-major screening, not in place of it. For fall 2027, file Sept 1-30, 2026, and take every prep course for a letter grade, not pass/no pass.
Major Requirements
Biological Sciences Major Preparation
Courses at Orange Coast College that satisfy UC Santa Barbara's Biological Sciences major preparation, mapped and verified by Transfermatic's transfer engine.
| Course at Orange Coast College | Satisfies at UCSB | Units |
|---|---|---|
| CHEM A180 + CHEM A185 — General Chemistry A + General Chemistry B | CHEM 1A, CHEM 1B, CHEM 1C, CHEM 2AL, CHEM 2BL (choose 1) | 10 |
| CHEM A180 + CHEM A185 — General Chemistry A + General Chemistry B | CHEM 1A, CHEM 1AL, CHEM 1B, CHEM 1BL, CHEM 1C, CHEM 1CL (choose 1) | 10 |
| BIOL A180 (or another listed option) — Introduction to Biology for Majors 1: Cell and Molecular Biology | MCDB 1A, MCDB 1B, MCDB 1LL, EEMB 2, EEMB 2LL, EEMB 3 | 4 |
| CHEM A220L + CHEM A225L — Organic Chemistry A Lab + Organic Chemistry B Laboratory | CHEM 6AL — Laboratory Methods of Organic Chemistry | 4 |
| CHEM A225 + CHEM A220 — Organic Chemistry B + Organic Chemistry A | CHEM 109A, CHEM 109B | 6 |
| MATH A180 or MATH A180H or MATH A182H — Calculus 1 | MATH 3A — Calculus with Applications, First Course (choose 1) | 5 |
| MATH A140 — Business Calculus | MATH 34A — Calculus for Social and Life Sciences (choose 1) | 5 |
| MATH A182H or MATH A185 or MATH A185H — Calculus 1 and 2 Honors | MATH 3B — Calculus with Applications, Second Course (choose 1) | 5 |
| MATH A140 — Business Calculus | MATH 34B — Calculus for Social and Life Sciences (choose 1) | 5 |
| PSYC A160 or PUBH A214 or STAT C1000 — Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences | PSTAT 5A — Understanding Data (choose 1) | 4 |
| MATH A285 or MATH A285H — Introduction to Linear Algebra and Differential Equations | MATH 4A — Linear Algebra with Applications (choose 1) | 5 |
| (PHYS A130 and PHYS A135) or (PHYS A120 and PHYS A125) — University Physics 1: Mechanics with Lab | PHYS 6A, PHYS 6AL, PHYS 6B, PHYS 6BL, PHYS 6C, PHYS 6CL | 4 |
General Education
Foundation GE at Orange Coast College
Complete these five courses at Orange Coast 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 A100
Principles of Biology
CHEM A100
Principles of Chemistry
HIST A101
Afro-American History
ENGL C1000
Academic Reading and Writing
ENGL C1001
Critical Thinking and Writing
| Area | Course at Orange Coast College | Units |
|---|---|---|
Life Science | BIOL A100 — Principles of Biology | 4 |
Physical Science | CHEM A100 — Principles of Chemistry | 3 |
Humanities | HIST A101 — Afro-American History | 3 |
English CompositionCCN | ENGL C1000 — Academic Reading and Writing | 4 |
Critical ThinkingCCN | ENGL C1001 — Critical Thinking and Writing | 4 |
Five semesters from intro chem to organic chem
CHEM A130 leads into CHEM A180, CHEM A185, CHEM A220 and CHEM A225L in sequence, five semesters total. Falling behind in your first chemistry course pushes organic chemistry past your transfer date.
OCC semesters, UCSB quarters
OCC teaches on two long semesters a year, UCSB on three shorter quarters. The five-semester chemistry chain above runs on OCC's calendar, so plan it around OCC's own registration dates, not UCSB's.
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
Organic chem needs four separate OCC courses
CHEM A220 and CHEM A225 cover the lecture side, while CHEM A220L and CHEM A225L cover the labs separately. Register for all four; missing one leaves the requirement incomplete.
Biology has three accepted course combinations
BIOL A180 with A185 is the simplest path, but ASSIST also accepts A180, A182 or A182H, A182L, A183 and A183L together. The two-course route is shorter, so take it unless your schedule forces the other.
Two physics tracks both satisfy UCSB
PHYS A130 with A135, or PHYS A120 with A125, both cover UCSB's recommended physics sequence. Neither is required for admission, but finishing one helps you stay on pace after transfer.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Does OCC's organic chemistry transfer to UCSB for Biology?
Yes, but you need four OCC courses, not two: CHEM A220 and CHEM A225 for lecture, plus CHEM A220L and CHEM A225L for lab. Together they cover UCSB's CHEM 6AL and CHEM 109A/109B.
What doesn't OCC cover for UCSB Biology?
Every required course has an OCC match on ASSIST. The recommended life-sciences statistics option has no dedicated OCC course, but PSYC A160 or STAT C1000 satisfy the general statistics alternative instead.
What GPA does UCSB expect from OCC biology applicants?
A 2.7 GPA across your required chemistry, biology, organic chemistry and calculus courses, each graded C or higher. UCSB also wants your first calculus course and CHEM A220 finished by the end of the fall term before you transfer.
How selective is UCSB's Biological Sciences major for transfers?
45% of transfer applicants got into UCSB's Biological Sciences major in 2025, and that figure covers every community college, not just OCC. Finishing OCC's full prep sequence with a strong GPA helps your odds.
Explore More
Related Transfer Plans
Orange Coast College students planning to transfer into Biological Sciences, B.A. & B.S. at UC Santa Barbara can finish the full required sequence at OCC, including CHEM A180, CHEM A185 and the general biology courses. Organic chemistry runs as four separate OCC courses rather than two combined ones, so plan your schedule around CHEM A220, A220L, A225 and A225L. Transfermatic checks every OCC course against UCSB's current articulation so you see what counts before you register.
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