Palomar College to UCI
Biological Sciences Transfer Plan
Palomar matches eight of UC Irvine's nine Biological Sciences requirements, missing only Molecular Biology, BIO SCI 99. General chemistry here splits into four separate lecture-and-lab courses, CHEM 110 through CHEM 115L.
From
Palomar College
To
UC Irvine
Biological SciencesUC Irvine TAG
Palomar students can file TAG for Biological Sciences at UCI for fall 2027 with a 3.4 minimum GPA. UCI drops the major from TAG starting fall 2028, and the admission courses still need finishing by the end of spring.
Major Requirements
Biological Sciences Major Preparation
Courses at Palomar College that satisfy UC Irvine's Biological Sciences major preparation, mapped and verified by Transfermatic's transfer engine.
| Course at Palomar College | Satisfies at UCI | Units |
|---|---|---|
| BIOL 200 — Foundations of Biology I | BIO SCI 93 — DNA to Organisms | 4 |
| BIOL 201 — Foundations of Biology II | BIO SCI 94 — Organisms to Ecosystems | 4 |
| CHEM 110L + CHEM 110 + CHEM 115 + CHEM 115L — General Chemistry Laboratory + General Chemistry + General Chemistry + General Chemistry Laboratory | CHEM 1A, CHEM 1B, CHEM 1C, CHEM 1LC, CHEM 1LD | 10 |
| CHEM 220 + CHEM 221 — Organic Chemistry + Organic Chemistry | CHEM 51A, CHEM 51B, CHEM 51LB, CHEM 51C, CHEM 51LC | 10 |
| BIOL 110 — Human Genetics | BIO SCI 97 — Genetics | 3 |
| CHEM 205 — Introductory Biochemistry | BIO SCI 98 — Biochemistry | 3 |
| No Palomar match | BIO SCI 99 — Molecular Biology | — |
| PHYS 201 + PHYS 200 — Fundamentals of Physics + Fundamentals of Physics | PHYSICS 3A, PHYSICS 3B, PHYSICS 3LB, PHYSICS 3C, PHYSICS 3LC (choose 1) | 10 |
| PHYS 231 + PHYS 230 — Principles of Physics + Principles of Physics | PHYSICS 7C, PHYSICS 7LC, PHYSICS 7D, PHYSICS 7LD, PHYSICS 7E (choose 1) | 10 |
| MATH 140 (or another listed option) — Calculus with Analytic Geometry, First Course | Mathematics Requirement | 5 |
Courses with no equivalent must be taken at UC Irvine after transfer. Factor this into your first-year course plan.
General Education
Foundation GE at Palomar College
UCI's Biological Sciences program uses its own GE pattern (see note below), but these five Palomar College courses cover foundation requirements every UC accepts. Start here.
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 |
UCI Biological Sciences: full GE notes
Per UCI, IGETC may not be recommended for science majors like Biological Sciences, so Palomar students should sequence chemistry and biology ahead of general-education courses.
Chemistry alone spans five semesters here
The path runs CHEM 100, CHEM 110, CHEM 110L, CHEM 115, CHEM 115L, CHEM 220, then CHEM 221: five semesters across seven courses, labs taken with lectures. Organic is due by spring for admission, so start CHEM 100 right away.
Four Palomar courses replace five UCI quarters
UCI's general chemistry spans five quarter courses, CHEM 1A through CHEM 1LD, and Palomar covers it with four courses of its own, CHEM 110 through CHEM 115L. Organic condenses two Palomar courses into UCI's five-course sequence.
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
Chemistry is split into four separate courses
CHEM 110, CHEM 110L, CHEM 115 and CHEM 115L, lecture and lab kept apart, all count toward UCI's year-long general chemistry requirement. All four have to be completed, not just the lecture pair.
Genetics comes from a dedicated human genetics course
BIOL 110, Human Genetics, covers BIO SCI 97 directly, and CHEM 205, Introductory Biochemistry, covers BIO SCI 98. Only Molecular Biology, BIO SCI 99, is left with no Palomar match.
Two physics pairs, both covered
PHYS 200 and PHYS 201 satisfy one of UCI's two physics options, and PHYS 230 and PHYS 231 satisfy the other. PHYS 200 needs MATH C2210 first, while PHYS 231 needs MATH 205, so let your math progress decide.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What Palomar classes count for UCI biology?
BIOL 200 and BIOL 201 for biology, CHEM 110, CHEM 110L, CHEM 115 and CHEM 115L for general chemistry, and CHEM 220 and CHEM 221 for organic. BIOL 110 covers genetics and CHEM 205 covers biochemistry.
Which UCI biology requirement has no Palomar equivalent?
BIO SCI 99, Molecular Biology. ASSIST shows no Palomar course covering it, so you'd complete it at UCI after transfer. It isn't required for admission, so it won't hold up your application to UCI.
Can Palomar students use TAG for UCI Biological Sciences?
Yes, for fall 2027, at a 3.4 minimum GPA. UCI ends Biological Sciences TAG eligibility starting fall 2028, so fall 2027 is the last cycle it's offered. The standard minimum GPA without TAG is 3.0.
Does Palomar's CHEM 110 transfer to UCI as general chemistry?
Yes, but only combined with CHEM 110L, CHEM 115 and CHEM 115L. UCI counts general chemistry only as a complete year, equal to CHEM 1A through CHEM 1LD, so all four Palomar courses are required together.
Explore More
Related Transfer Plans
Palomar College students transferring into UC Irvine's Biological Sciences, B.S. program can complete eight of nine requirements locally, including a four-course general-chemistry sequence, CHEM 110 through CHEM 115L. Molecular Biology, BIO SCI 99, has no Palomar match and gets finished at UCI. The chemistry chain runs five semesters across seven separate Palomar courses, from CHEM 100 to CHEM 221. Transfermatic maps that full sequence against Palomar's own course schedule so nothing gets missed.
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