Palomar College to UCSB
Psychological and Brain Sciences Transfer Plan
Palomar College covers 9 of UCSB's 11 Psychological and Brain Sciences requirements, including PSYC C1000, the CHEM 110/115 pair and the BIOL 200/201 sequence. PSY 10A and PSY 10B are the only pieces left, taught exclusively at UCSB after transfer.
From
Palomar College
To
UC Santa Barbara
Psychological and Brain SciencesUC TAG for Santa Barbara
UCSB participates in TAG, and a 3.4 GPA plus the rest of the TAG conditions guarantees a spot in the Pre-PBS pre-major. Full major admission is decided later, under the department's own GPA rules.
Major Requirements
Psychological and Brain Sciences Major Preparation
Courses at Palomar College that satisfy UC Santa Barbara's Psychological and Brain Sciences major preparation, mapped and verified by Transfermatic's transfer engine.
| Course at Palomar College | Satisfies at UCSB | Units |
|---|---|---|
| PSYC C1000 — Introduction to Psychology | PSY 1 — Introduction to Psychology | 3 |
| MATH 130 or MATH 130E — Calculus for Business and the Social Sciences | MATH 34A — Calculus for Social and Life Sciences (choose 1) | 4 |
| MATH 140 or MATH 140E — Calculus with Analytic Geometry, First Course | MATH 3A — Calculus with Applications, First Course (choose 1) | 5 |
| BUS 204 (or another listed option) — Quantitative Business Analysis | PSTAT 5A — Understanding Data | 4 |
| No Palomar match | PSY 10A — Research Methods in Psychological & Brain Sciences | — |
| No Palomar match | PSY 10B — Statistical Methods in Psychological & Brain Sciences | — |
| CHEM 110 + CHEM 115 — General Chemistry + General Chemistry | CHEM 1A, CHEM 1B | 6 |
| BIOL 200 + BIOL 201 — Foundations of Biology I + Foundations of Biology II | MCDB 1A, EEMB 2 (choose 1) | 8 |
| ANTH 105 — Introduction to Cultural Anthropology | ANTH 2 — Introductory Cultural Anthropology (choose 4) | 3 |
| ANTH 100 or ANTH 101 — Introduction to Biological Anthropology | ANTH 5 — Introductory Biological Anthropology (choose 4) | 3 |
| CHEM 115 + CHEM 110 — General Chemistry + General Chemistry | CHEM 1C — General Chemistry (choose 4) | 6 |
| CSIT 175 — Python Programming | CMPSC 8 — Introduction to Computer Science (choose 4) | 3 |
| CSCI 112 — Programming Fundamentals I | CMPSC 16 — Problem Solving with Computers I (choose 4) | 4 |
| GEOL 100 + GEOL 100L — Physical Geology + Geology Laboratory | EARTH 2 — Principles of Physical Geology (choose 4) | 4 |
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 |
Chemistry takes three semesters to finish
CHEM 100 opens CHEM 110, taken with its CHEM 110L lab, and both are required before CHEM 115. Three semesters minimum, so begin CHEM 100 early.
Palomar's semesters, UCSB's quarters
Palomar operates on semesters, while UCSB splits its year into quarters. Once you transfer, coursework including PSY 10A and 10B follows that shorter cycle instead.
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
Six courses fill the statistics slot
BUS 204, PSYC 205, SOC 180, SOC 205 or either STAT C1000 or STAT C1000E all satisfy PSTAT 5A at Palomar. Pick the section that fits your schedule.
CHEM 115 needs two courses first
CHEM 115 requires both CHEM 110 and its lab, CHEM 110L, completed before it, and CHEM 110 itself needs CHEM 100 first.
A single C- is the department's limit
UCSB's psych department allows exactly one grade of C- across Area I and Area II combined, and nothing weaker anywhere in that group.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Palomar PSYC C1000 transfer to UCSB for psychology?
Yes, PSYC C1000 at Palomar satisfies UCSB's PSY 1 requirement, with no separate honors version required.
What isn't covered by Palomar for UCSB psychology?
PSY 10A and PSY 10B, which UCSB's notes say must be taken at UCSB. They aren't a Palomar gap. Admission doesn't require specific prep, but finishing PSY 1, calculus, PSTAT 5A and CHEM 1A-1B at Palomar lets you start PSY 10A right after transfer.
What's the admit rate for UCSB Psychological and Brain Sciences?
72% of all transfer applicants to the major were admitted per UCSB's 2025 data. That's the pooled rate for every applicant, not a Palomar-specific one.
How does Palomar's chemistry sequence work?
CHEM 100 comes first, then CHEM 110 alongside its CHEM 110L lab, then CHEM 115. Three semesters minimum, so start CHEM 100 right away.
Explore More
Related Transfer Plans
Palomar College students transferring into UC Santa Barbara's Psychological and Brain Sciences, B.S. can finish most of the pre-major list at Palomar, including PSYC C1000 and the CHEM 110/CHEM 115 sequence, before they leave. PSY 10A and PSY 10B are UCSB-only by department rule. Because Palomar's chemistry chain runs through a concurrent lab course, some students use Transfermatic to keep CHEM 110 and CHEM 110L scheduled together correctly.
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