Saddleback College to UCSD
Psychology Transfer Plan
Saddleback has a match for every one of UCSD's 13 Psychology prep courses, so you can finish all of the listed prep at Saddleback. Start with CHEM 3 and BIO 20.
From
Saddleback College
To
UC San Diego
PsychologyMajor Requirements
Psychology Major Preparation
Courses at Saddleback College that satisfy UC San Diego's Psychology major preparation, mapped and verified by Transfermatic's transfer engine.
| Course at Saddleback College | Satisfies at UCSD | Units |
|---|---|---|
| BIO 4A + BIO 4B — Principles of Cellular Biology + Principles of Organismal Biology | BILD 1 — The Cell | 8 |
| BIO 4A + BIO 4B — Principles of Cellular Biology + Principles of Organismal Biology | BILD 2 — Multicellular Life | 8 |
| BIO 4B + BIO 4A — Principles of Organismal Biology + Principles of Cellular Biology | BILD 3 — Organismic and Evolutionary Biology | 8 |
| BIO 20 — Introduction to Biology | BILD 10 — Fundamental Concepts of Modern Biology | 4 |
| BIO 22 — Human Genetics | BILD 20 — Human Genetics in Modern Society | 3 |
| BIO 12 — Human Physiology | BILD 26 — Human Physiology | 4 |
| CHEM 1A — General Chemistry | CHEM 6A — General Chemistry I | 5 |
| CHEM 1B + CHEM 1A — General Chemistry + General Chemistry | CHEM 6B — General Chemistry II | 10 |
| CHEM 1B — General Chemistry | CHEM 6C — General Chemistry III | 5 |
| PSYC 2 or PSYC 2H — Research Methods in Psychology | PSYC 70 — Research Methods in Psychology (choose 1) | 3 |
| MATH 3A or MATH 3AH or MATH 11 — Analytic Geometry and Calculus | MATH 10A — Calculus I (choose 1) | 5 |
| MATH 3A or MATH 3AH — Analytic Geometry and Calculus | MATH 20A — Calculus for Science and Engineering (choose 1) | 5 |
| PHIL 12 — Introduction to Logic | PHIL 10 — Introduction to Logic (choose 1) | 3 |
| CS 1A — Introduction to Computer Science I | CSE 3 — Fluency in Information Technology (choose 1) | 3.5 |
| CS 1C or CS 4A — Introduction to Computer Science III | CSE 8A — Introduction to Programming and Computational Problem Solving I (choose 1) | 3.5 |
| CS 4B — Advanced Topics in JAVA for Computer Science | CSE 11 — Introduction to Programming and Computational Problem Solving - Accelerated Pace (choose 1) | 3.5 |
| CS 1D — Data Structures | CSE 12 — Basic Data Structures and Object-Oriented Design (choose 1) | 3.5 |
| STAT C1000 or PSYC 44 — Introduction to Statistics | PSYC 60 — Introduction to Statistics (choose 1) | 3 |
| STAT C1000 — Introduction to Statistics | COGS 14B — Introduction to Statistical Analysis (choose 1) | 3 |
| STAT C1000 — Introduction to Statistics | MATH 11 — Calculus Based Elementary Probability and Statistics (choose 1) | 3 |
General Education
Foundation GE at Saddleback College
Complete these five courses at Saddleback 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 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 |
4 semesters minimum for CHEM 3 onward
CHEM 3 through BIO 4B: 4 courses, each needing the one before, so 4 semesters minimum. Start CHEM 3 in your first semester. Placing higher shortens it.
Saddleback semesters, UCSD quarters
Saddleback 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
Saddleback covers all 13 listed courses
Every UCSD Psychology prep course in the transfer agreement has a Saddleback match, so none of the listed prep has to wait. Take them all before you apply.
Start with CHEM 3 and BIO 20
CHEM 3 and BIO 20 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 PSYC 70
For UCSD PSYC 70, Saddleback accepts PSYC 2 or PSYC 2H. You need only one of them, so pick whichever fits your schedule.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What classes should I take at Saddleback for UCSD Psychology?
BIO 4A, BIO 4B, BIO 20, BIO 22, BIO 12, CHEM 1A and CHEM 1B, plus the rest in the table above. Together they match 13 of the 13 prep courses UCSD lists for Psychology.
What doesn't Saddleback cover for UCSD Psychology?
Nothing in the transfer agreement. Every UCSD Psychology prep course listed has a Saddleback match.
Does Saddleback BIO 20 transfer to UCSD?
Yes, for Psychology. Saddleback BIO 20 (Introduction to Biology) is the match for UCSD BILD 10 (Fundamental Concepts of Modern Biology) 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 Saddleback.
Explore More
Related Transfer Plans
Saddleback College students transferring to UC San Diego for Psychology can match 13 of 13 lower-division prep courses at Saddleback, including BIO 4A and BIO 4B. Every listed course has a Saddleback College equivalent in the 2025-2026 agreement. CHEM 3 and BIO 20 are good first-semester picks. On Transfermatic, put in Saddleback College and UC San Diego, and you get the classes you need for Psychology, semester by semester.
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