Pasadena City College to UCI
Political Science Transfer Plan
PCC covers every one of UCI's 8 Political Science prep requirements, including POLS 007, POLS 022 and POLS 006 for the intro sequence. The one thing to plan for is the programming chain, which runs three semesters through MATH 009 and CS 002 before reaching CS 003A.
From
Pasadena City College
To
UC Irvine
Political ScienceTAG: UC Irvine Transfer Admission Guarantee
PCC students with a 3.4 GPA or higher can lock in a UCI seat through TAG before ever applying. The window for fall 2027 is Sept 1 through Sept 30, 2026, and the major you file can't change later.
Major Requirements
Political Science Major Preparation
Courses at Pasadena City College that satisfy UC Irvine's Political Science major preparation, mapped and verified by Transfermatic's transfer engine.
| Course at Pasadena City College | Satisfies at UCI | Units |
|---|---|---|
| POLS 007 — Principles of Political Science | POL SCI 11A — Introduction to Political Science: Political Analysis (choose 4) | 3 |
| POLS C1000 — American Government and Politics | POL SCI 21A — Introduction to American Government (choose 4) | 3 |
| POLS 022 — Introduction to Political Theory | POL SCI 31A — Introduction to Political Theory (choose 4) | 3 |
| POLS 006 — The U.S. and World Politics | POL SCI 41A — Introduction to International Relations (choose 4) | 3 |
| POLS 002 — Comparative Government and Politics | POL SCI 51A — Introduction to Politics Around the World (choose 4) | 3 |
| POLS C1000 or POLS 002 or POLS 006 or POLS 021 or POLS 022 — American Government and Politics | Political Science not already used (choose 1) | 3 |
| ANTH 001 (or another listed option) — Biological Anthropology | Political Science or other Social Science discipline (choose 1) | 3 |
| MATH 005AH (or another listed option) — Honors Single Variable Calculus I | School of Social Sciences Math Requirement (choose 1) | 5 |
| CS 003A (or another listed option) — Fundamentals of Computer Science II (C++) | I&C SCI 31 — Introduction to Programming (choose 1) | 3 |
General Education
Foundation GE at Pasadena City College
Complete these five courses at Pasadena City College to start your UCI 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 002
Animal Biology
CHEM 001A
General Chemistry and Chemical Analysis I
HIST 001A
History of European Civilization to 1715
ENGL C1000
Academic Reading and Writing
ENGL C1001
Critical Thinking and Writing
| Area | Course at Pasadena City College | Units |
|---|---|---|
Life Science | BIOL 002 — Animal Biology | 4 |
Physical Science | CHEM 001A — General Chemistry and Chemical Analysis I | 5 |
Humanities | HIST 001A — History of European Civilization to 1715 | 3 |
English CompositionCCN | ENGL C1000 — Academic Reading and Writing | 4 |
Critical ThinkingCCN | ENGL C1001 — Critical Thinking and Writing | 4 |
Programming chain runs three semesters
PCC's chain for CS 003A runs through MATH 009 and CS 002 first, three semesters minimum. Start MATH 009 your first term if you're aiming for the programming option.
Semesters at PCC, quarters at UCI
PCC operates on semesters; UCI does not. None of the matches above change because of it, but budget for three compact terms a year at UCI instead of PCC's two.
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
Programming chain takes three semesters
CS 003A, which clears UCI's I&C SCI 31 requirement, needs MATH 009 and CS 002 finished first, a three-semester minimum. Start MATH 009 your first term if you want that route done early.
Five intro matches for the pick-four group
PCC matches five of UCI's nine intro poli sci courses, including POLS 007, POLS 022 and POLS 006. Any four of the five cover the requirement.
Lecture and lab pair for programming
The CS 003A option requires its paired lab, CS 003AL, alongside it; PCC also offers a CS 003B or CS 003C track with the same lecture-lab pairing.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Which PCC classes count for UCI Political Science?
POLS 007 covers Political Analysis (POL SCI 11A), POLS C1000 covers American Government (POL SCI 21A), POLS 022 covers political theory, POLS 006 covers international relations and POLS 002 covers comparative politics. Any four of those five fill the intro group.
Does PCC cover everything for UCI Political Science?
Yes, PCC has a match for all 8 of UCI's prep requirements, including math and the CS 003A programming sequence, so nothing carries over to after transfer.
How long is PCC's programming course sequence?
MATH 009 and CS 002 both come before CS 003A, a three-semester chain minimum. Enroll in MATH 009 as soon as you start if programming is part of your plan.
What GE track should PCC students use for UCI?
Cal-GETC and IGETC are both accepted paths for this major, so either GE pattern PCC offers will satisfy UCI's general education expectations before you transfer.
Explore More
Related Transfer Plans
Pasadena City College students transferring to UC Irvine for a Political Science, B.A. match all eight of UCI's lower-division prep requirements, including POLS 007, POLS 022 and the CS 003A programming sequence. The programming path takes three semesters, MATH 009 into CS 002 before CS 003A, so it's worth starting early rather than leaving it for the last year. Transfermatic sequences PCC's courses against that timeline so students see exactly when each UCI requirement needs to be in progress.
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