Riverside City College to UCSD
Psychology Transfer Plan
RCC has a match for every one of UCSD's 8 Psychology prep courses, so you can finish all of the listed prep at RCC. Start with CHE 1A and PSYC 50.
From
Riverside City College
To
UC San Diego
PsychologyMajor Requirements
Psychology Major Preparation
Courses at Riverside City College that satisfy UC San Diego's Psychology major preparation, mapped and verified by Transfermatic's transfer engine.
| Course at Riverside City College | Satisfies at UCSD | Units |
|---|---|---|
| CHE 1A — General Chemistry, I | CHEM 6A — General Chemistry I | 5 |
| CHE 1A + CHE 1B — General Chemistry, I + General Chemistry, II | CHEM 6B — General Chemistry II | 10 |
| CHE 1B — General Chemistry, II | CHEM 6C — General Chemistry III | 5 |
| CHE 3 — Fundamentals of Chemistry | CHEM 4 — Basic Chemistry (choose 1) | 4 |
| PSYC 50 — Research Methods in Psychology | PSYC 70 — Research Methods in Psychology (choose 1) | 4 |
| PSYC 50 — Research Methods in Psychology | COGS 14A — Introduction to Research Methods (choose 1) | 4 |
| MAT 5 — Calculus for Business and Life Science | MATH 10A — Calculus I (choose 1) | 4 |
| MAT 1A or MAT 1AH — Calculus I | MATH 20A — Calculus for Science and Engineering (choose 1) | 4 |
| PHI 32 — Introduction to Symbolic Logic | PHIL 10 — Introduction to Logic (choose 1) | 3 |
| CIS 18A — JAVA Programming: Objects | CSE 8A — Introduction to Programming and Computational Problem Solving I (choose 1) | 3 |
| CIS 18B — Java Programming: Advanced Objects | CSE 11 — Introduction to Programming and Computational Problem Solving - Accelerated Pace (choose 1) | 3 |
| STAT C1000 or STAT C1000H or PSYC 48 — Introduction to Statistics | PSYC 60 — Introduction to Statistics (choose 1) | 4 |
| MAT 70B or PSYC 48 or STAT C1000 or STAT C1000H — Statistics for STEM | COGS 14B — Introduction to Statistical Analysis (choose 1) | 4 |
| MAT 70B — Statistics for STEM | MATH 11 — Calculus Based Elementary Probability and Statistics (choose 1) | 4 |
General Education
Foundation GE at Riverside City College
Complete these five courses at Riverside City College to start your UCSD 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.
BIO 1
General Biology
AST 1A
Introduction to the Solar System
ENGL 14
American Literature I: Pre-Contact through Civil War
ENGL C1000
Academic Reading and Writing
COMM C1000
Introduction to Public Speaking
| Area | Course at Riverside City College | Units |
|---|---|---|
Life Science | BIO 1 — General Biology | 4 |
Physical Science | AST 1A — Introduction to the Solar System | 3 |
Humanities | ENGL 14 — American Literature I: Pre-Contact through Civil War | 3 |
English CompositionCCN | ENGL C1000 — Academic Reading and Writing | 4 |
Oral CommunicationCCN | COMM C1000 — Introduction to Public Speaking | 3 |
RCC semesters, UCSD quarters
RCC runs on semesters and UCSD on quarters. Your units convert when you transfer, one semester unit to 1.5 quarter units, and anything left runs on UCSD's quicker quarter schedule.
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
RCC covers all 8 listed courses
Every UCSD Psychology prep course in the transfer agreement has a RCC match, so none of the listed prep has to wait. Take them all before you apply.
Start with CHE 1A and PSYC 50
CHE 1A and PSYC 50 sit at the start of their sequences for this route, so they fit your first semester, next to ENGL C1000 for English composition.
More than one way to cover MATH 20A
For UCSD MATH 20A, RCC accepts MAT 1A or MAT 1AH. You need only one of them, so pick whichever fits your schedule.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What classes should I take at RCC for UCSD Psychology?
CHE 1A, CHE 1B, CHE 3, PSYC 50, MAT 5, MAT 1A or MAT 1AH and PHI 32, plus the rest in the table above. Together they match 8 of the 8 prep courses UCSD lists for Psychology.
What doesn't RCC cover for UCSD Psychology?
Nothing in the transfer agreement. Every UCSD Psychology prep course listed has a RCC match.
Does RCC CHE 1A transfer to UCSD?
Yes, for Psychology. RCC CHE 1A (General Chemistry, I) is the match for UCSD CHEM 6A (General Chemistry I) in the transfer agreement.
What is UCSD's transfer admit rate for Psychology?
71% of all transfer applicants to UCSD Psychology were admitted in 2025. That figure covers applicants from every college, so it isn't specific to RCC.
Explore More
Related Transfer Plans
Riverside City College students transferring to UC San Diego for Psychology can match 8 of 8 lower-division prep courses at RCC, including CHE 1A and CHE 1B. Every listed course has a Riverside City College equivalent in the 2025-2026 agreement. CHE 1A and PSYC 50 are good first-semester picks. On Transfermatic, put in Riverside City College and UC San Diego, and you get the classes you need for Psychology, semester by semester.
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