Orange Coast College to UCSB
Psychological and Brain Sciences Transfer Plan
OCC handles 9 of the 11 prep requirements UCSB lists for Psychological and Brain Sciences, from PSYC C1000 through CHEM A180 and the BIOL A180/A185 pair. Only PSY 10A and PSY 10B are missing, and they're taught exclusively at UCSB.
From
Orange Coast College
To
UC Santa Barbara
Psychological and Brain SciencesUC TAG at Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara is a TAG campus, and a 3.4 GPA plus the standard TAG terms guarantees a spot in the Pre-PBS pre-major. Full major status is a separate step, decided by department GPA rules after you arrive.
Major Requirements
Psychological and Brain Sciences Major Preparation
Courses at Orange Coast College that satisfy UC Santa Barbara's Psychological and Brain Sciences major preparation, mapped and verified by Transfermatic's transfer engine.
| Course at Orange Coast College | Satisfies at UCSB | Units |
|---|---|---|
| PSYC C1000 or PSYC C1000H — Introduction to Psychology | PSY 1 — Introduction to Psychology | 3 |
| MATH A140 — Business Calculus | MATH 34A — Calculus for Social and Life Sciences (choose 1) | 5 |
| MATH A180 or MATH A180H or MATH A182H — Calculus 1 | MATH 3A — Calculus with Applications, First Course (choose 1) | 5 |
| PSYC A160 or PUBH A214 or STAT C1000 — Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences | PSTAT 5A — Understanding Data | 4 |
| No OCC match | PSY 10A — Research Methods in Psychological & Brain Sciences | — |
| No OCC match | PSY 10B — Statistical Methods in Psychological & Brain Sciences | — |
| CHEM A180 + CHEM A185 — General Chemistry A + General Chemistry B | CHEM 1A, CHEM 1B | 10 |
| BIOL A180 (or another listed option) — Introduction to Biology for Majors 1: Cell and Molecular Biology | MCDB 1A, EEMB 2 (choose 1) | 4 |
| ANTH A100 or ANTH A100H — Cultural Anthropology | ANTH 2 — Introductory Cultural Anthropology (choose 4) | 3 |
| ANTH A185 or ANTH A185H — Introduction to Biological Anthropology | ANTH 5 — Introductory Biological Anthropology (choose 4) | 3 |
| CHEM A185 + CHEM A180 — General Chemistry B + General Chemistry A | CHEM 1C — General Chemistry (choose 4) | 10 |
| CS A131 or CS A170 — Python Programming I | CMPSC 8 — Introduction to Computer Science (choose 4) | 4 |
| CS A150 — C++ Programming Language 1 | CMPSC 16 — Problem Solving with Computers I (choose 4) | 4 |
| GEOL A110 — Physical Geology | 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 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 |
The chem-to-biology chain runs four terms
CHEM A130 opens CHEM A180, which is required before BIOL A180, which is required before BIOL A185. Four semesters minimum, so this can't wait until your last year.
Quarters replace semesters after transfer
OCC's terms are semester-length, but UCSB runs on quarters. The courses you take once you're on campus, including PSY 10A and PSY 10B, follow a ten-week rhythm instead.
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
Three OCC courses cover statistics
PSTAT 5A comes from PSYC A160, PUBH A214 or STAT C1000 at OCC. Pick one early so it doesn't collide with your chemistry schedule; UCSB wants it done before PSY 10A.
MATH A182H needs three courses first
The honors calculus route, MATH A182H, isn't open until you've finished MATH A140, MATH A180 and MATH A180H. The single MATH A140 path gets you into psych prep faster.
Only one low grade is forgiven
UCSB's psych department allows a single C- across your Area I and Area II courses combined, and nothing lower than that anywhere in the list.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Does OCC PSYC C1000 count for UCSB PSY 1?
Yes, PSYC C1000 (or the honors PSYC C1000H) satisfies PSY 1 directly, so it's safe to register for at OCC before you transfer.
What doesn't OCC cover for UCSB psychology?
PSY 10A and PSY 10B, both taught only at UCSB after transfer, with 10A required first. No OCC course substitutes for either.
How selective is UCSB Psychological and Brain Sciences?
UCSB admitted 72% of all transfer applicants to the major in its 2025 data, across every applying college, not OCC specifically.
How long does OCC's chemistry sequence take?
CHEM A130 leads into CHEM A180, which then opens up BIOL A180 and BIOL A185, four terms back to back at minimum. Start CHEM A130 as early as you can.
Explore More
Related Transfer Plans
Orange Coast College students planning a move to UC Santa Barbara's Psychological and Brain Sciences, B.S. can knock out most of the pre-major list, including PSYC C1000 and the CHEM A180 through BIOL A185 chain, before they leave OCC. PSY 10A and PSY 10B must be taken at UCSB. Because that chemistry-to-biology chain runs four terms, students sometimes turn to Transfermatic to map out which OCC sections to take each semester so nothing gets pushed into a fifth year.
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