Palomar College to UCSB
Political Science Transfer Plan
Palomar has no course for POL S 1, but covers the other three UCSB pre-major options and both economics requirements. POL S 15 also has no Palomar match.
From
Palomar College
To
UC Santa Barbara
Political ScienceUC Santa Barbara TAG
Palomar students can apply for UCSB's Transfer Admission Guarantee at a 3.4 GPA to secure Political Science pre-major status. Full major status is separate, needing its own 2.6 GPA in UC courses.
Major Requirements
Political Science Major Preparation
Courses at Palomar College that satisfy UC Santa Barbara's Political Science major preparation, mapped and verified by Transfermatic's transfer engine.
| Course at Palomar College | Satisfies at UCSB | Units |
|---|---|---|
| POSC 100 or POSC 103 — Introduction to Political Science | POL S 6 — Introduction to Comparative Politics (choose 3) | 3 |
| POSC 110 — Introduction to World Politics | POL S 7 — Introduction to International Relations (choose 3) | 3 |
| POLS C1000 — American Government and Politics | POL S 12 — American Government and Politics (choose 3) | 4 |
| No Palomar match | POL S 15 — Introduction to Research in Political Science | — |
| ECON 102 — Principles of Economics (Micro) | ECON 1 — Principles of Economics-Micro | 3 |
| ECON 101 — Principles of Economics (Macro) | ECON 2 — Principles of Economics-Macro | 3 |
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 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 |
Palomar semesters convert to UCSB quarters
Palomar's political science and economics courses run 3 or 4 semester units; the UCSB courses they satisfy are worth 5 quarter units each. Expect three shorter terms a year after transfer.
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
POL S 1 has no Palomar match
Political philosophy has no articulated Palomar course. You can skip it, since UCSB needs only three of the four pre-major options and Palomar covers the other three.
Use the other three pre-major courses instead
POSC 100 or POSC 103, POSC 110 and POLS C1000 cover the remaining pre-major options. Complete those three and you're set.
POL S 15 is the real gap
The research methods course has no Palomar match, so you'll take it at UCSB after you transfer. POL S 1 doesn't need to be made up there once the other three are done.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Palomar classes count toward UCSB Political Science?
POSC 100 or POSC 103, POSC 110 and POLS C1000 satisfy three of UCSB's four pre-major options. ECON 102 and ECON 101 cover the required economics courses.
Does Palomar have a match for POL S 1?
No, political philosophy has no articulated Palomar course. That's not a problem, since UCSB's pre-major only requires three of its four listed options.
What else isn't covered at Palomar?
POL S 15, the research methods course, has no Palomar match, so you'll take it at UCSB after transfer. POL S 1 isn't a second course to make up, since POSC 100 or POSC 103, POSC 110 and POLS C1000 already cover three options.
What's the admit rate for UCSB Political Science transfers?
63% of 2025 transfer applicants to UCSB Political Science were admitted, a number that isn't broken out by individual college.
Explore More
Related Transfer Plans
Palomar College students transferring into Political Science at UC Santa Barbara have one course without a match to plan around, POL S 15, and one pre-major option, POL S 1, that Palomar doesn't offer. That still leaves POSC 100 or POSC 103, POSC 110 and POLS C1000 to complete three of UCSB's four pre-major options, plus ECON 102 and ECON 101 for the economics requirement. Skipping POL S 1 costs nothing, since UCSB needs only three. Transfermatic flags gaps like POL S 15 clearly so Palomar students aren't caught off guard after transfer.
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