Pasadena City College to UCSB
Political Science Transfer Plan
PCC covers three of UCSB's four pre-major courses and both economics requirements, with honors versions accepted for the econ sequence. POL S 15 has no PCC equivalent.
From
Pasadena City College
To
UC Santa Barbara
Political ScienceUC Santa Barbara TAG
PCC students can use UCSB's Transfer Admission Guarantee at a 3.4 GPA to lock in the Political Science pre-major. Full major status is separate and needs a 2.6 GPA in UC-taken courses.
Major Requirements
Political Science Major Preparation
Courses at Pasadena City College that satisfy UC Santa Barbara's Political Science major preparation, mapped and verified by Transfermatic's transfer engine.
| Course at Pasadena City College | Satisfies at UCSB | Units |
|---|---|---|
| POLS 022 — Introduction to Political Theory | POL S 1 — Introduction to Political Philosophy (choose 3) | 3 |
| POLS 002 — Comparative Government and Politics | POL S 6 — Introduction to Comparative Politics (choose 3) | 3 |
| POLS 006 — The U.S. and 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) | 3 |
| No PCC match | POL S 15 — Introduction to Research in Political Science | — |
| ECON 001B or ECON 001BH — Principles of Microeconomics | ECON 1 — Principles of Economics-Micro | 3 |
| ECON 001A or ECON 001AH — Principles of Macroeconomics | 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 Pasadena City College
Complete these five courses at Pasadena City 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 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 |
PCC's semester units convert to quarters
PCC's political science and economics courses run 3 semester units; UCSB's equivalents are worth 5 quarter units each. Plan on three quarter terms a year at UCSB instead of PCC's two semesters.
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
PCC's econ letters don't match UCSB's numbers
PCC's ECON 001B (micro) satisfies UCSB's ECON 1, and ECON 001A (macro) satisfies ECON 2. The letter order is easy to mix up when you register.
Honors econ sections work too
ECON 001AH and ECON 001BH articulate the same as the standard sections. Take them if you're already in the honors program.
No PCC course covers POL S 15
The research methods requirement isn't offered at PCC in a form that articulates. It gets completed at UCSB after transfer.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Which PCC classes count toward UCSB Political Science?
POLS 022, POLS 002, POLS 006 and POLS C1000 each satisfy one of UCSB's four pre-major options; you need three. ECON 001A and ECON 001B cover the economics requirement.
Does PCC ECON 001B transfer to UCSB as ECON 1?
Yes, PCC's ECON 001B matches UCSB's ECON 1, and ECON 001A matches ECON 2. Both are required, and the honors sections work identically.
What isn't covered at PCC for this major?
POL S 15 has no PCC match. It's required at UCSB regardless, so it goes on your schedule after you transfer.
What's the admit rate for UCSB Political Science transfers?
UCSB accepted 63% of transfer applicants to Political Science in 2025, according to the university's published data for the major.
Explore More
Related Transfer Plans
Pasadena City College students aiming for Political Science at UC Santa Barbara can knock out most of the prep work at PCC. POLS 022, POLS 002 and POLS 006 each cover one of UCSB's pre-major course options, and POLS C1000 covers another, so any three complete that requirement. ECON 001A and ECON 001B, PCC's macro and micro sequence, transfer into UCSB's two required economics courses. POL S 15 is the exception, saved for after transfer. Transfermatic keeps the PCC-to-UCSB course map current so students don't misread the letter codes.
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