Saddleback College to UCSB
Biological Sciences Transfer Plan
Saddleback has a match for every one of UCSB's 8 Biological Sciences prep courses, so you can finish all of the listed prep at Saddleback. Start with CHEM 3 and MATH 3A.
From
Saddleback 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 Saddleback College that satisfy UC Santa Barbara's Biological Sciences major preparation, mapped and verified by Transfermatic's transfer engine.
| Course at Saddleback College | Satisfies at UCSB | Units |
|---|---|---|
| CHEM 1A + CHEM 1B — General Chemistry + General Chemistry | CHEM 1A, CHEM 1B, CHEM 1C, CHEM 2AL, CHEM 2BL (choose 1) | 10 |
| CHEM 1A + CHEM 1B — General Chemistry + General Chemistry | CHEM 1A, CHEM 1AL, CHEM 1B, CHEM 1BL, CHEM 1C, CHEM 1CL (choose 1) | 10 |
| BIO 4B + BIO 4A — Principles of Organismal Biology + Principles of Cellular Biology | MCDB 1A, MCDB 1B, MCDB 1LL, EEMB 2, EEMB 2LL, EEMB 3 | 8 |
| CHEM 12B + CHEM 12A — Organic Chemistry + Organic Chemistry | CHEM 6AL — Laboratory Methods of Organic Chemistry | 10 |
| CHEM 12B + CHEM 12A — Organic Chemistry + Organic Chemistry | CHEM 109A, CHEM 109B | 10 |
| MATH 3A or MATH 3AH — Analytic Geometry and Calculus | MATH 3A — Calculus with Applications, First Course (choose 1) | 5 |
| MATH 11 — A Brief Course in Calculus | MATH 34A — Calculus for Social and Life Sciences (choose 1) | 5 |
| MATH 3B — Analytic Geometry and Calculus | MATH 3B — Calculus with Applications, Second Course (choose 1) | 5 |
| MATH 11 — A Brief Course in Calculus | MATH 34B — Calculus for Social and Life Sciences (choose 1) | 5 |
| BUS 10 or PSYC 44 or STAT C1000 or STAT C1000H — Business Statistics | PSTAT 5A — Understanding Data (choose 1) | 3 |
| MATH 26 — Introduction to Linear Algebra | MATH 4A — Linear Algebra with Applications (choose 1) | 4 |
| PHYS 2B + PHYS 2A — Introduction to Physics + Introduction to Physics | PHYS 6A, PHYS 6AL, PHYS 6B, PHYS 6BL, PHYS 6C, PHYS 6CL | 10 |
General Education
Foundation GE at Saddleback College
Complete these five courses at Saddleback 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 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 |
5 semesters minimum for CHEM 3 onward
CHEM 3 through CHEM 12B: 5 courses, each needing the one before, so 5 semesters minimum, more than four fall and spring terms. Start CHEM 3 first or plan on summer. Placing higher shortens it.
Saddleback semesters, UCSB quarters
Saddleback 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
Saddleback covers all 8 listed courses
Every UCSB Biological Sciences 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 MATH 3A
CHEM 3 and MATH 3A 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, Saddleback accepts MATH 3A or MATH 3AH. You need only one of them, so pick whichever fits your schedule.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What classes should I take at Saddleback for UCSB Biological Sciences?
CHEM 1A, CHEM 1B, BIO 4B, BIO 4A, CHEM 12B, CHEM 12A and MATH 3A or MATH 3AH, plus the rest in the table above. Together they match 8 of the 8 prep courses UCSB lists for Biological Sciences.
What doesn't Saddleback cover for UCSB Biological Sciences?
Nothing in the transfer agreement. Every UCSB Biological Sciences prep course listed has a Saddleback match.
Does Saddleback MATH 11 transfer to UCSB?
Yes, for Biological Sciences. Saddleback MATH 11 (A Brief Course in Calculus) 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 Saddleback.
Explore More
Related Transfer Plans
Saddleback College students transferring to UC Santa Barbara for Biological Sciences can match 8 of 8 lower-division prep courses at Saddleback, including CHEM 1A and CHEM 1B. Every listed course has a Saddleback College equivalent in the 2025-2026 agreement. CHEM 3 and MATH 3A are good first-semester picks. On Transfermatic, put in Saddleback College and UC Santa Barbara, and you get the classes you need for Biological Sciences, semester by semester.
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