Saddleback College to UCI
Political Science Transfer Plan
Saddleback has a match for 7 of UCI's 8 Political Science prep courses. A UCI choose-1 requirement has no Saddleback match, so plan for it before you apply.
From
Saddleback College
To
UC Irvine
Political ScienceUC Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG)
UCI offers TAG for Political Science for fall 2027 applicants, with a minimum 3.4 GPA. File during the TAG window the fall before you transfer, and check UCI's TAG page, since its list of eligible majors changes.
Major Requirements
Political Science Major Preparation
Courses at Saddleback College that satisfy UC Irvine's Political Science major preparation, mapped and verified by Transfermatic's transfer engine.
| Course at Saddleback College | Satisfies at UCI | Units |
|---|---|---|
| PS 4 — Introduction to Political Science | POL SCI 11A — Introduction to Political Science: Political Analysis (choose 4) | 3 |
| POLS C1000 or POLS C1000H — American Government and Politics | POL SCI 21A — Introduction to American Government (choose 4) | 3 |
| PS 10H — Honors Political Theory | POL SCI 31A — Introduction to Political Theory (choose 4) | 3 |
| PS 14 — International Relations | POL SCI 41A — Introduction to International Relations (choose 4) | 3 |
| PS 12 — Comparative Politics and Government | POL SCI 51A — Introduction to Politics Around the World (choose 4) | 3 |
| PS 65 — Introduction to Race and Ethnicity in Political Science | POL SCI 61A — Introduction to Race and Ethnicity in Political Science (choose 4) | 3 |
| POLS C1000 (or another listed option) — American Government and Politics | Political Science not already used (choose 1) | 3 |
| ANTH 1 (or another listed option) — Biological Anthropology | Political Science or other Social Science discipline (choose 1) | 3 |
| MATH 3AH (or another listed option) — Honors Analytic Geometry and Calculus | School of Social Sciences Math Requirement (choose 1) | 5 |
| No Saddleback match for any of 2 options | I&C SCI 31 — Introduction to Programming and others (choose 1) | — |
Courses with no equivalent must be taken at UC Irvine after transfer. Factor this into your first-year course plan.
General Education
Foundation GE at Saddleback College
Complete these five courses at Saddleback 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.
BIO 11
Human Anatomy
CHEM 12A
Organic Chemistry
HIST 16
History of the United States to 1876
ENGL C1000
Academic Reading and Writing
ENGL C1001
Critical Thinking and Writing
| Area | Course at Saddleback College | Units |
|---|---|---|
Life Science | BIO 11 — Human Anatomy | 4 |
Physical Science | CHEM 12A — Organic Chemistry | 5 |
Humanities | HIST 16 — History of the United States to 1876 | 3 |
English CompositionCCN | ENGL C1000 — Academic Reading and Writing | 4 |
Critical ThinkingCCN | ENGL C1001 — Critical Thinking and Writing | 3 |
Saddleback semesters, UCI quarters
Saddleback runs on semesters and UCI on quarters. Your units convert when you transfer, one semester unit to 1.5 quarter units, and anything left runs on UCI'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
1 UCI requirement has no Saddleback match
Saddleback lists no course for a UCI choose-1 requirement. Check UCI's Political Science page for whether it has to be done before you transfer, and plan where you'll cover it.
Start with PS 4 and POLS C1000
PS 4 and POLS C1000 sit at the start of their sequences for this route, so they fit your first semester, next to ENGL C1000 for English composition.
Saddleback gives you options here
For UCI POL SCI 21A, Saddleback accepts POLS C1000 or POLS C1000H. You need only one of them, so pick whichever fits your schedule.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What classes should I take at Saddleback for UCI Political Science?
PS 4, POLS C1000 or POLS C1000H, PS 10H, PS 14, PS 12, PS 65 and ANTH 1, plus the rest in the table above. Together they match 7 of the 8 prep courses UCI lists for Political Science.
What doesn't Saddleback cover for UCI Political Science?
A UCI choose-1 requirement. Saddleback lists no course for it, so check UCI's Political Science page for whether it has to be finished before you transfer.
Does Saddleback PS 4 transfer to UCI?
Yes, for Political Science. Saddleback PS 4 (Introduction to Political Science) is the match for UCI POL SCI 11A (Introduction to Political Science: Political Analysis) in the transfer agreement.
Can I use TAG for UCI Political Science?
UCI lists Political Science as TAG-eligible for fall 2027, with a minimum 3.4 GPA. Check UCI's TAG page before you count on it for a later term.
Explore More
Related Transfer Plans
Saddleback College students transferring to UC Irvine for Political Science can match 7 of 8 lower-division prep courses at Saddleback, including PS 4 and POLS C1000 or POLS C1000H. A UCI choose-1 requirement has no Saddleback College equivalent in the 2025-2026 agreement. PS 4 and POLS C1000 are good first-semester picks. On Transfermatic, put in Saddleback College and UC Irvine, and you get the classes you need for Political Science, semester by semester.
Build your Saddleback College → UCI plan
Personalized, semester-by-semester. Free to start.
Get My Transfer Plan