Palomar College to UCSB
Biological Sciences Transfer Plan
Palomar College covers the full UCSB Biological Sciences sequence, from BIOL 200/201 through organic chemistry and calculus. Palomar's chemistry-to-organic-chemistry chain runs seven separate courses across five terms, because lecture and lab are split.
From
Palomar College
To
UC Santa Barbara
Biological SciencesUCSB TAG
With a 3.4 GPA, Palomar students can file a UCSB TAG for Biological Sciences, provided the chemistry, biology, organic chemistry and calculus requirements are also met. The fall 2027 filing period is Sept 1-30, 2026.
Major Requirements
Biological Sciences Major Preparation
Courses at Palomar College that satisfy UC Santa Barbara's Biological Sciences major preparation, mapped and verified by Transfermatic's transfer engine.
| Course at Palomar College | Satisfies at UCSB | Units |
|---|---|---|
| CHEM 110 + CHEM 110L + CHEM 115 + CHEM 115L — General Chemistry + General Chemistry Laboratory + General Chemistry + General Chemistry Laboratory | CHEM 1A, CHEM 1B, CHEM 1C, CHEM 2AL, CHEM 2BL (choose 1) | 10 |
| CHEM 115L + CHEM 110 + CHEM 115 + CHEM 110L — General Chemistry Laboratory + General Chemistry + General Chemistry + General Chemistry Laboratory | CHEM 1A, CHEM 1AL, CHEM 1B, CHEM 1BL, CHEM 1C, CHEM 1CL (choose 1) | 10 |
| BIOL 200 + BIOL 201 — Foundations of Biology I + Foundations of Biology II | MCDB 1A, MCDB 1B, MCDB 1LL, EEMB 2, EEMB 2LL, EEMB 3 | 8 |
| CHEM 221 + CHEM 220 — Organic Chemistry + Organic Chemistry | CHEM 6AL — Laboratory Methods of Organic Chemistry | 10 |
| CHEM 221 + CHEM 220 — Organic Chemistry + Organic Chemistry | CHEM 109A, CHEM 109B | 10 |
| MATH 140 or MATH 140E — Calculus with Analytic Geometry, First Course | MATH 3A — Calculus with Applications, First Course (choose 1) | 5 |
| MATH 130 or MATH 130E — Calculus for Business and the Social Sciences | MATH 34A — Calculus for Social and Life Sciences (choose 1) | 4 |
| MATH 141 or MATH 141E — Calculus with Analytic Geometry, Second Course | MATH 3B — Calculus with Applications, Second Course (choose 1) | 4 |
| MATH 130 or MATH 130E — Calculus for Business and the Social Sciences | MATH 34B — Calculus for Social and Life Sciences (choose 1) | 4 |
| BUS 204 (or another listed option) — Quantitative Business Analysis | PSTAT 5A — Understanding Data (choose 1) | 4 |
| MATH 200 — Introduction to Linear Algebra | MATH 4A — Linear Algebra with Applications (choose 1) | 3 |
| PHYS 200 + PHYS 201 — Fundamentals of Physics + Fundamentals of Physics | PHYS 6A, PHYS 6AL, PHYS 6B, PHYS 6BL, PHYS 6C, PHYS 6CL | 10 |
General Education
Foundation GE at Palomar College
Complete these five courses at Palomar 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 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 |
Seven courses, five terms to organic chem
CHEM 100 opens into CHEM 110, 110L, 115, 115L, 220 and 221, five terms total since lecture and lab run together. Start chemistry immediately so organic chemistry doesn't slip.
Palomar semesters against UCSB quarters
Palomar teaches two semesters a year; UCSB teaches three quarters. The five-term chemistry chain above runs on Palomar's calendar, spanning about two and a half years there.
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 runs through seven Palomar courses
CHEM 100, 110, 110L, 115, 115L, 220 and 221 make up the full chain to organic chemistry. Lecture and lab are separate courses at Palomar, so track both each term.
MATH 140E and MATH 141E are accepted alternates
If you took Palomar's MATH 140E or MATH 141E sections instead of the standard MATH 140/141, they still satisfy UCSB's calculus requirement the same way.
No direct match for life-sciences statistics
Palomar has no course mapped to UCSB's PSTAT 5LS option, but STAT C1000, STAT C1000E, BUS 204, PSYC 205, SOC 180 or SOC 205 cover the general statistics alternative.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Palomar's BIOL 200 transfer to UCSB for Biology?
Yes. BIOL 200 paired with BIOL 201 satisfies UCSB's general biology requirement for Biological Sciences in a two-course sequence, no additional courses needed beyond that pair.
What doesn't Palomar College cover for UCSB Biology?
Every required course has a Palomar match on ASSIST. The recommended life-sciences statistics course has no dedicated Palomar equivalent, but several general statistics courses work instead.
What GPA does UCSB expect from Palomar biology applicants?
A combined 2.7 GPA across chemistry, biology, organic chemistry and calculus is the minimum, with every course graded C or better. Your first calculus course and CHEM 220 need to be done by the end of fall before you transfer.
How selective is UCSB's Biological Sciences major for transfers?
UCSB's Biological Sciences transfer admit rate landed at 45% in 2025, tallied across every community college that applies, not Palomar specifically. Completing Palomar's seven-course chemistry chain strengthens your file within that pool.
Explore More
Related Transfer Plans
Palomar College students transferring into Biological Sciences, B.A. & B.S. at UC Santa Barbara can complete the full required sequence there, including a two-course biology set, BIOL 200 and BIOL 201, and organic chemistry through CHEM 220 and CHEM 221. Palomar splits chemistry lecture and lab into separate courses, so the full chain covers seven courses in five terms. Transfermatic checks every Palomar course against UCSB's current articulation for you.
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