Palomar College to UC Berkeley
Molecular and Cell Biology Transfer Plan
Palomar covers every Molecular and Cell Biology requirement UC Berkeley lists, folding organic chemistry into just two courses. Chemistry sets the pace: CHEM 100 through CHEM 221 takes five semesters minimum, so start it in your first term.
From
Palomar College
To
UC Berkeley
Molecular and Cell BiologyMajor Requirements
Molecular and Cell Biology Major Preparation
Courses at Palomar College that satisfy UC Berkeley's Molecular and Cell Biology major preparation, mapped and verified by Transfermatic's transfer engine.
| Course at Palomar College | Satisfies at UC Berkeley | Units |
|---|---|---|
| BIOL 201 — Foundations of Biology II | BIOLOGY 1A, BIOLOGY 1AL | 4 |
| BIOL 200 — Foundations of Biology I | BIOLOGY 1B — General Biology (Plant Form & Function, Ecology, Evolution) | 4 |
| CHEM 110 + CHEM 110L — General Chemistry + General Chemistry Laboratory | CHEM 1A, CHEM 1AL | 5 |
| CHEM 115 + CHEM 115L — General Chemistry + General Chemistry Laboratory | CHEM 1B — General Chemistry | 5 |
| CHEM 220 + CHEM 221 — Organic Chemistry + Organic Chemistry | CHEM 3A, CHEM 3AL, CHEM 3B, CHEM 3BL | 10 |
| MATH 140 or MATH 140E — Calculus with Analytic Geometry, First Course | MATH 51 — Calculus I (choose 2) | 5 |
| MATH 141 or (MATH 206 and MATH 141E) — Calculus with Analytic Geometry, Second Course | MATH 52 — Calculus II (choose 2) | 4 |
| MATH 205 — Calculus with Analytic Geometry, Third Course | MATH 53 — Multivariable Calculus (choose 2) | 4 |
| MATH 206 + MATH 200 — Calculus with Differential Equations + Introduction to Linear Algebra | MATH 54 — Linear Algebra and Differential Equations (choose 2) | 7 |
| PHYS 200 — Fundamentals of Physics | PHYSICS 8A — Introductory Physics (recommended) | 5 |
| PHYS 201 — Fundamentals of Physics | PHYSICS 8B — Introductory Physics (recommended) | 5 |
| PHYS 230 — Principles of Physics | PHYSICS 7A — Physics for Scientists and Engineers (recommended) | 5 |
| PHYS 231 — Principles of Physics | PHYSICS 7B — Physics for Scientists and Engineers (recommended) | 5 |
General Education
Foundation GE at Palomar College
Complete these five courses at Palomar College to start your UC Berkeley 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 100
Introductory Biology: General Biology
CHEM 100
Fundamentals of Chemistry
HIST 101
History of the United States through Reconstruction
ENGL C1000
Academic Reading and Writing
ENGL C1001
Critical Thinking and Writing
| Area | Course at Palomar College | Units |
|---|---|---|
Life Science | BIOL 100 — Introductory Biology: General Biology | 4 |
Physical Science | CHEM 100 — Fundamentals of Chemistry | 4 |
Humanities | HIST 101 — History of the United States through Reconstruction | 3 |
English CompositionCCN | ENGL C1000 — Academic Reading and Writing | 4 |
Critical ThinkingCCN | ENGL C1001 — Critical Thinking and Writing | 4 |
Five semesters from CHEM 100 to CHEM 221
CHEM 100, then CHEM 110 with CHEM 110L, then CHEM 115 with CHEM 115L, then CHEM 220, then CHEM 221. That's five semesters minimum, so start CHEM 100 in your first term.
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
Two courses clear organic chemistry
CHEM 220 and CHEM 221 together satisfy all four Berkeley requirements, CHEM 3A, 3AL, 3B and 3BL. Take both; there's no shorter path through Palomar's organic chemistry sequence.
Each chemistry lab rides with its lecture
CHEM 110 with CHEM 110L covers Berkeley's CHEM 1A/1AL, and CHEM 115 with CHEM 115L covers CHEM 1B. Each lab pairs with its lecture, and CHEM 220 won't open until CHEM 115 and CHEM 115L are done.
Both physics options are matched
PHYS 200 and PHYS 201 cover PHYSICS 8A/8B, while PHYS 230 and PHYS 231 cover 7A/7B. Either recommended pair is available at Palomar; pick based on your math track.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What Palomar classes do I need for Berkeley MCB?
BIOL 200 and BIOL 201, CHEM 110 with CHEM 110L, CHEM 115 with CHEM 115L, CHEM 220 and CHEM 221, plus two accepted math courses such as MATH 140 and MATH 141. MCB doesn't accept calculus test credit in place of the math.
Is anything missing at Palomar for Berkeley MCB?
No required course is missing, and both recommended physics pairs are matched at Palomar. Every lower-division Molecular and Cell Biology requirement can be finished on campus.
What is the UC Berkeley MCB transfer admit rate?
23% in 2025 across all transfer applicants to Molecular and Cell Biology, not a Palomar-only figure. Admitted transfers who select MCB on their application go straight into the major.
Do I need IGETC to transfer from Palomar to Berkeley MCB?
No, Letters and Science doesn't require Cal-GETC or IGETC for admission, just the UC 7-course pattern and full major prep. Cal-GETC still helps once you're working on your Berkeley degree.
Explore More
Related Transfer Plans
Palomar College students transferring into Molecular and Cell Biology at UC Berkeley can complete the full lower-division major on campus. General chemistry runs through separate lecture and lab courses, CHEM 110 through CHEM 115L, and organic chemistry folds into just CHEM 220 and CHEM 221. Both recommended physics pairs, PHYS 200/201 and PHYS 230/231, are matched. Transfermatic lays out the Palomar course order around that five-semester chemistry sequence, starting from CHEM 100, so the organic courses land before the spring deadline.
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