Riverside City College to UCSB
Psychological and Brain Sciences Transfer Plan
RCC has a match for 9 of UCSB's 11 Psychological and Brain Sciences prep courses. PSY 10A and PSY 10B have no RCC match, so plan for them before you apply.
From
Riverside City College
To
UC Santa Barbara
Psychological and Brain SciencesUC Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG)
UCSB offers TAG for Psychological and Brain 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
Psychological and Brain Sciences Major Preparation
Courses at Riverside City College that satisfy UC Santa Barbara's Psychological and Brain Sciences major preparation, mapped and verified by Transfermatic's transfer engine.
| Course at Riverside City College | Satisfies at UCSB | Units |
|---|---|---|
| PSYC C1000 or PSYC C1000H — Introduction to Psychology | PSY 1 — Introduction to Psychology | 3 |
| MAT 5 — Calculus for Business and Life Science | MATH 34A — Calculus for Social and Life Sciences (choose 1) | 4 |
| MAT 1A or MAT 1AH — Calculus I | MATH 3A — Calculus with Applications, First Course (choose 1) | 4 |
| MAT 70B (or another listed option) — Statistics for STEM | PSTAT 5A — Understanding Data | 4 |
| No RCC match | PSY 10A — Research Methods in Psychological & Brain Sciences | — |
| No RCC match | PSY 10B — Statistical Methods in Psychological & Brain Sciences | — |
| (CHE 1A or CHE 1AH) and (CHE 1BH or CHE 1B) — General Chemistry, I | CHEM 1A, CHEM 1B | 5 |
| BIO 60 + BIO 61 — Introduction to Molecular and Cellular Biology + Introduction to Organismal and Population Biology | MCDB 1A, EEMB 2 (choose 1) | 10 |
| ANT 2 or ANT 2H — Cultural Anthropology | ANTH 2 — Introductory Cultural Anthropology (choose 4) | 3 |
| ANT 1 or ANT 1H — Physical Anthropology | ANTH 5 — Introductory Biological Anthropology (choose 4) | 3 |
| (CHE 1A or CHE 1AH) and (CHE 1BH or CHE 1B) — General Chemistry, I | CHEM 1C — General Chemistry (choose 4) | 5 |
| CIS 18A or CIS 30A or CSC 8 or CSC 18A or ENE 38 — JAVA Programming: Objects | CMPSC 8 — Introduction to Computer Science (choose 4) | 3 |
| CIS 5 or CSC 5 — Programming Concepts and Methodology I: C++ | CMPSC 16 — Problem Solving with Computers I (choose 4) | 4 |
| GEO 1 + GEO 1L — Physical Geology + Physical 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 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
2 UCSB requirements have no RCC match
RCC lists no course for PSY 10A and PSY 10B. Check UCSB's Psychological and Brain Sciences page for whether they have to be done before you transfer, and plan where you'll cover them.
Start with PSYC C1000 and MAT 5
PSYC C1000 and MAT 5 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 PSY 1
For UCSB PSY 1, RCC accepts PSYC C1000 or PSYC C1000H. 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 Psychological and Brain Sciences?
PSYC C1000 or PSYC C1000H, MAT 5, MAT 1A or MAT 1AH, MAT 70B, CHE 1A, BIO 60 and BIO 61, plus the rest in the table above. Together they match 9 of the 11 prep courses UCSB lists for Psychological and Brain Sciences.
What doesn't RCC cover for UCSB Psychological and Brain Sciences?
PSY 10A and PSY 10B. RCC lists no course for them, so check UCSB's Psychological and Brain Sciences page for whether they have to be finished before you transfer.
Does RCC MAT 5 transfer to UCSB?
Yes, for Psychological and Brain 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 Psychological and Brain Sciences?
72% of all transfer applicants to UCSB Psychological and Brain 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 Psychological and Brain Sciences can match 9 of 11 lower-division prep courses at RCC, including PSYC C1000 or PSYC C1000H and MAT 5. PSY 10A and PSY 10B have no Riverside City College equivalent in the 2025-2026 agreement. PSYC C1000 and MAT 5 are good first-semester picks. On Transfermatic, put in Riverside City College and UC Santa Barbara, and you get the classes you need for Psychological and Brain Sciences, semester by semester.
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