Saddleback College to UCSB
Psychological and Brain Sciences Transfer Plan
Saddleback has a match for 9 of UCSB's 11 Psychological and Brain Sciences prep courses. PSY 10A and PSY 10B have no Saddleback match, so plan for them before you apply.
From
Saddleback 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 Saddleback College that satisfy UC Santa Barbara's Psychological and Brain Sciences major preparation, mapped and verified by Transfermatic's transfer engine.
| Course at Saddleback College | Satisfies at UCSB | Units |
|---|---|---|
| PSYC C1000 or PSYC C1000H — Introduction to Psychology | PSY 1 — Introduction to Psychology | 3 |
| MATH 11 — A Brief Course in Calculus | MATH 34A — Calculus for Social and Life Sciences (choose 1) | 5 |
| MATH 3A or MATH 3AH — Analytic Geometry and Calculus | MATH 3A — Calculus with Applications, First Course (choose 1) | 5 |
| BUS 10 or PSYC 44 or STAT C1000 or STAT C1000H — Business Statistics | PSTAT 5A — Understanding Data | 3 |
| No Saddleback match | PSY 10A — Research Methods in Psychological & Brain Sciences | — |
| No Saddleback match | PSY 10B — Statistical Methods in Psychological & Brain Sciences | — |
| CHEM 1A + CHEM 1B — General Chemistry + General Chemistry | CHEM 1A, CHEM 1B | 10 |
| BIO 4A + BIO 4B — Principles of Cellular Biology + Principles of Organismal Biology | MCDB 1A, EEMB 2 (choose 1) | 8 |
| ANTH 2 or ANTH 2H — Cultural Anthropology | ANTH 2 — Introductory Cultural Anthropology (choose 4) | 3 |
| ANTH 1 or ANTH 1H — Biological Anthropology | ANTH 5 — Introductory Biological Anthropology (choose 4) | 3 |
| CHEM 1B + CHEM 1A — General Chemistry + General Chemistry | CHEM 1C — General Chemistry (choose 4) | 10 |
| CIMP 8A or CS 4A — Programming with Python | CMPSC 8 — Introduction to Computer Science (choose 4) | 3 |
| CS 1A + CS 1B — Introduction to Computer Science I + Introduction to Computer Science II | CMPSC 16 — Problem Solving with Computers I (choose 4) | 7 |
| GEOL 1 — Introduction to Physical Geology | 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 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 |
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, 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
2 UCSB requirements have no Saddleback match
Saddleback 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 CHEM 3 and PSYC C1000
CHEM 3 and PSYC C1000 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, Saddleback 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 Saddleback for UCSB Psychological and Brain Sciences?
PSYC C1000 or PSYC C1000H, MATH 11, MATH 3A or MATH 3AH, BUS 10, CHEM 1A, CHEM 1B and BIO 4A, 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 Saddleback cover for UCSB Psychological and Brain Sciences?
PSY 10A and PSY 10B. Saddleback 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 Saddleback MATH 11 transfer to UCSB?
Yes, for Psychological and Brain 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 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 Saddleback.
Explore More
Related Transfer Plans
Saddleback College students transferring to UC Santa Barbara for Psychological and Brain Sciences can match 9 of 11 lower-division prep courses at Saddleback, including PSYC C1000 or PSYC C1000H and MATH 11. PSY 10A and PSY 10B have no Saddleback College equivalent in the 2025-2026 agreement. CHEM 3 and PSYC C1000 are good first-semester picks. On Transfermatic, put in Saddleback College and UC Santa Barbara, and you get the classes you need for Psychological and Brain Sciences, semester by semester.
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