Orange Coast College to UCLA
Biology Transfer Plan
OCC covers 11 of the 12 courses on UCLA's Biology prep list, missing only CHEM 153A, an upper-division course you don't need for admission. The chemistry sequence runs five semesters, so plan on starting it your first term.
From
Orange Coast College
To
UCLA
BiologyUCLA Transfer Alliance Program (TAP)
OCC's Honors Program feeds UCLA's TAP for Letters and Science majors like Biology. Certified honors graduates get priority consideration and are also reviewed for an alternate major if not admitted to their first choice. It isn't a guarantee.
Major Requirements
Biology Major Preparation
Courses at Orange Coast College that satisfy UCLA's Biology major preparation, mapped and verified by Transfermatic's transfer engine.
| Course at Orange Coast College | Satisfies at UCLA | Units |
|---|---|---|
| CHEM A185 + CHEM A180 — General Chemistry B + General Chemistry A | CHEM 20A, CHEM 20B, CHEM 20L, CHEM 30AL | 10 |
| CHEM A225 + CHEM A220 — Organic Chemistry B + Organic Chemistry A | CHEM 30A, CHEM 30B | 6 |
| MATH A180 or MATH A180H or MATH A182H — Calculus 1 | MATH 31A — Differential and Integral Calculus | 5 |
| MATH A182H or MATH A185 or MATH A185H — Calculus 1 and 2 Honors | MATH 31B — Integration and Infinite Series | 5 |
| MATH A280 or MATH A280H — Calculus 3 | MATH 32A — Calculus of Several Variables | 5 |
| STAT C1000 or PSYC A160 — Introduction to Statistics | STATS 13 — Introduction to Statistical Methods for Life and Health Sciences (choose 1) | 4 |
| BIOL A180 — Introduction to Biology for Majors 1: Cell and Molecular Biology | LIFESCI 7A — Cell and Molecular Biology | 4 |
| 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 | LIFESCI 7B — Genetics, Evolution, and Ecology | 9 |
| BIOL A182 or BIOL A221 or BIOL A225 — Zoology | LIFESCI 7C — Physiology and Human Biology | 3 |
| BIOL A180 — Introduction to Biology for Majors 1: Cell and Molecular Biology | LIFESCI 7L — Introduction to Laboratory and Scientific Methodology | 4 |
| PHYS A130 + PHYS A135 — University Physics 1: Mechanics with Lab + University Physics 2: Electricity/Magnetism with Lab | PHYSICS 5A, PHYSICS 5B, PHYSICS 5C (choose 1) | 8 |
| PHYS A285 (or another listed option) — Calculus Based Physics: Modern with Lab | PHYSICS 1A, PHYSICS 1B, PHYSICS 1C, PHYSICS 4AL, PHYSICS 4BL (choose 1) | 5 |
| No OCC match | CHEM 153A — Biochemistry: Introduction to Structure, Enzymes, and Metabolism | — |
Courses with no equivalent must be taken at UCLA 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 UCLA 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 |
Chemistry is a five-semester chain
The prerequisite chain runs CHEM A130, CHEM A180, CHEM A185, CHEM A220, then CHEM A225: five semesters minimum before organic chemistry is done. Start it your first term so it's finished by spring before you transfer.
OCC semesters cover UCLA quarters
UCLA runs chemistry and biology on the quarter system, so OCC's semester pairs clear several courses at once. CHEM A180 and CHEM A185 together satisfy four UCLA courses: CHEM 20A, CHEM 20B, CHEM 20L and CHEM 30AL.
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
One physics pair covers three courses
PHYS A130 and PHYS A135 together satisfy UCLA's general physics option, PHYSICS 5A, PHYSICS 5B and PHYSICS 5C. The calculus-based alternative needs three OCC courses instead: PHYS A185, PHYS A280 and PHYS A285.
Statistics: one course clears the requirement
LIFESCI 40 has no OCC match, but STATS 13 does. STAT C1000 or PSYC A160 both satisfy it, so you only need one of the two.
CHEM 153A is taken at UCLA
CHEM 153A is the only gap in OCC's prep list. It's upper-division biochemistry that counts toward the major, but UCLA's notes say it isn't required for admission, so you'd take it at UCLA.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What OCC classes do I need for UCLA biology?
CHEM A180 and CHEM A185 for general chemistry, CHEM A220 and CHEM A225 for organic, MATH A180, MATH A185 and MATH A280 for calculus, BIOL A180, BIOL A185 and one of BIOL A182, BIOL A221 or BIOL A225, and either PHYS A130 and PHYS A135 or the three-course calculus-based physics series.
What doesn't OCC cover for UCLA biology?
Only CHEM 153A, UCLA's upper-division biochemistry course, has no OCC equivalent. UCLA's notes say it isn't required for admission, so it doesn't block your application; you'd take it at UCLA.
What is the UCLA biology transfer admit rate?
17%. That's UCLA's 2025 admit rate for every transfer applicant to Biology, not a number specific to OCC students. The major is highly selective and you can't switch into it after admission, so apply to Biology directly if that's your plan.
Is physics required before transfer for UCLA biology?
No, but UCLA's notes strongly recommend a year of calculus-based physics or a second semester of organic chemistry. At OCC, PHYS A130 with PHYS A135 matches PHYSICS 5A-5C, and PHYS A185, A280 and A285 match the PHYSICS 1A series.
Explore More
Related Transfer Plans
Orange Coast College students planning to transfer into the Biology B.S. at UCLA can complete nearly all of the lower-division preparation before they leave OCC. General chemistry runs through CHEM A180 and CHEM A185, and the life-science core comes from BIOL A180 and BIOL A185. Only CHEM 153A, an upper-division biochemistry course, is left for after transfer. Because the chemistry sequence takes five semesters from CHEM A130, Transfermatic schedules OCC coursework so organic chemistry finishes by the spring before transfer.
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