Riverside City College to UCSB
Biological Sciences Transfer Plan
RCC has a match for every one of UCSB's 8 Biological Sciences prep courses, so you can finish all of the listed prep at RCC. Start with CHE 1A and BIO 61.
From
Riverside City College
To
UC Santa Barbara
Biological SciencesUC Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG)
UCSB offers TAG for Biological Sciences for fall 2027 applicants, with a minimum 3.4 GPA. File during the TAG window the fall before you transfer, and check UCSB's TAG page, since its list of eligible majors changes.
Major Requirements
Biological Sciences Major Preparation
Courses at Riverside City College that satisfy UC Santa Barbara's Biological Sciences major preparation, mapped and verified by Transfermatic's transfer engine.
| Course at Riverside City College | Satisfies at UCSB | Units |
|---|---|---|
| (CHE 1A or CHE 1AH) and (CHE 1B or CHE 1BH) — General Chemistry, I | CHEM 1A, CHEM 1B, CHEM 1C, CHEM 2AL, CHEM 2BL (choose 1) | 5 |
| (CHE 1A or CHE 1AH) and (CHE 1BH or CHE 1B) — General Chemistry, I | CHEM 1A, CHEM 1AL, CHEM 1B, CHEM 1BL, CHEM 1C, CHEM 1CL (choose 1) | 5 |
| BIO 61 + BIO 60 — Introduction to Organismal and Population Biology + Introduction to Molecular and Cellular Biology | MCDB 1A, MCDB 1B, MCDB 1LL, EEMB 2, EEMB 2LL, EEMB 3 | 10 |
| CHE 12B + CHE 12A — Organic Chemistry, II + Organic Chemistry, I | CHEM 6AL — Laboratory Methods of Organic Chemistry | 10 |
| CHE 12A + CHE 12B — Organic Chemistry, I + Organic Chemistry, II | CHEM 109A, CHEM 109B | 10 |
| MAT 1A or MAT 1AH — Calculus I | MATH 3A — Calculus with Applications, First Course (choose 1) | 4 |
| MAT 5 — Calculus for Business and Life Science | MATH 34A — Calculus for Social and Life Sciences (choose 1) | 4 |
| MAT 1B — Calculus II | MATH 3B — Calculus with Applications, Second Course (choose 1) | 4 |
| MAT 5 — Calculus for Business and Life Science | MATH 34B — Calculus for Social and Life Sciences (choose 1) | 4 |
| MAT 70B (or another listed option) — Statistics for STEM | PSTAT 5A — Understanding Data (choose 1) | 4 |
| MAT 3 — Linear Algebra | MATH 4A — Linear Algebra with Applications (choose 1) | 3 |
| PHY 2A + PHY 2B — General Physics I + General Physics II | PHYS 6A, PHYS 6AL, PHYS 6B, PHYS 6BL, PHYS 6C, PHYS 6CL | 8 |
General Education
Foundation GE at Riverside City College
Complete these five courses at Riverside 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.
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, UCSB quarters
RCC runs on semesters and UCSB on quarters. Your units convert when you transfer, one semester unit to 1.5 quarter units, and anything left runs on UCSB'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 UCSB Biological Sciences 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 BIO 61
CHE 1A and BIO 61 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 3A
For UCSB MATH 3A, 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 UCSB Biological Sciences?
CHE 1A, BIO 61, BIO 60, CHE 12B, CHE 12A, MAT 1A or MAT 1AH and MAT 5, plus the rest in the table above. Together they match 8 of the 8 prep courses UCSB lists for Biological Sciences.
What doesn't RCC cover for UCSB Biological Sciences?
Nothing in the transfer agreement. Every UCSB Biological Sciences prep course listed has a RCC match.
Does RCC MAT 5 transfer to UCSB?
Yes, for Biological Sciences. RCC MAT 5 (Calculus for Business and Life Science) is the match for UCSB MATH 34A (Calculus for Social and Life Sciences) in the transfer agreement.
What is UCSB's transfer admit rate for Biological Sciences?
45% of all transfer applicants to UCSB Biological Sciences 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 Santa Barbara for Biological Sciences can match 8 of 8 lower-division prep courses at RCC, including CHE 1A and BIO 61. Every listed course has a Riverside City College equivalent in the 2025-2026 agreement. CHE 1A and BIO 61 are good first-semester picks. On Transfermatic, put in Riverside City College and UC Santa Barbara, and you get the classes you need for Biological Sciences, semester by semester.
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