San Diego Mesa College to UCSD
Economics Transfer Plan
San Diego Mesa College covers every one of UC San Diego's Economics prep requirements. The math chain runs four semesters starting at MATH 141, and Mesa's ECON 121 and ECON 120 cover the two required economics courses.
From
San Diego Mesa College
To
UC San Diego
EconomicsMajor Requirements
Economics Major Preparation
Courses at San Diego Mesa College that satisfy UC San Diego's Economics major preparation, mapped and verified by Transfermatic's transfer engine.
| Course at San Diego Mesa College | Satisfies at UCSD | Units |
|---|---|---|
| MATH 150 — Calculus with Analytic Geometry I | MATH 20A — Calculus for Science and Engineering | 5 |
| MATH 151 — Calculus with Analytic Geometry II | MATH 20B — Calculus for Science and Engineering | 4 |
| MATH 252 — Calculus with Analytic Geometry III | MATH 20C — Calculus and Analytic Geometry for Science and Engineering | 4 |
| ECON 121 — Principles of Microeconomics | ECON 1 — Principles of Microeconomics | 3 |
| ECON 120 — Principles of Macroeconomics | ECON 3 — Principles of Macroeconomics | 3 |
General Education
Foundation GE at San Diego Mesa College
Complete these five courses at San Diego Mesa 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.
BIOL 100
Natural History - Environmental Biology
CHEM 100
Fundamentals of Chemistry
HIST 100
World History I
ENGL C1000
Academic Reading and Writing
ENGL C1001
Critical Thinking and Writing
| Area | Course at San Diego Mesa College | Units |
|---|---|---|
Life Science | BIOL 100 — Natural History - Environmental Biology | 4 |
Physical Science | CHEM 100 — Fundamentals of Chemistry | 3 |
Humanities | HIST 100 — World History I | 3 |
English CompositionCCN | ENGL C1000 — Academic Reading and Writing | 3 |
Critical ThinkingCCN | ENGL C1001 — Critical Thinking and Writing | 3 |
Four-semester calculus chain
Mesa's math prep runs MATH 141 to MATH 150 to MATH 151 to MATH 252, four semesters minimum. Start MATH 141 right away so Economics prep stays on schedule.
Mesa's semesters, UCSD's quarters
Mesa teaches across two semesters a year, while UCSD splits the year into three 10-week quarters. Economics and math courses move faster once you're on campus.
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
MATH 150 needs MATH 141 or 15E
Mesa's MATH 150, the match for UCSD's MATH 20A, needs MATH 141 or MATH 15E first. If that's MATH 141 for you, take it your first semester so the rest of the sequence isn't delayed.
ECON 121 is the micro match
Mesa's ECON 121 satisfies UCSD's ECON 1, microeconomics. ECON 120 satisfies UCSD's ECON 3, macroeconomics. Both are separate from the math sequence and can be taken any term.
MATH 252 gates upper-division econ
UCSD won't open upper-division economics courses until the third calculus class is finished. At Mesa that's MATH 252, the last step after MATH 150 and MATH 151.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What classes transfer from Mesa to UCSD for Economics?
MATH 150 covers UCSD's MATH 20A, MATH 151 covers MATH 20B, and MATH 252 covers MATH 20C. Mesa's ECON 121 covers ECON 1 and ECON 120 covers ECON 3, the two required economics courses.
What doesn't Mesa cover for UCSD Economics?
Nothing. Mesa has a matching course for every one of UCSD's five Economics prep requirements, so none of them are left for after you transfer.
What's the admit rate for UCSD Economics?
65% for 2025, across every transfer applicant to the major, not specific to Mesa. Before anything else, UCSD looks at ECON 1, ECON 3 and MATH 20A-B: a C- minimum per course and a 2.3 GPA across the set.
How long is Mesa's calculus chain for UCSD Economics?
Four semesters, counting from MATH 141. MATH 141 leads to MATH 150, then MATH 151 and MATH 252, which finish UCSD's full calculus requirement.
Explore More
Related Transfer Plans
San Diego Mesa College students transferring into UC San Diego's Economics B.A. can clear all five prep requirements at Mesa. MATH 141 leads into MATH 150, MATH 151 and MATH 252, covering UCSD's full calculus sequence, while Mesa's ECON 121 and ECON 120 cover the two required economics courses. UCSD admitted 65% of Economics transfer applicants in 2025, counting Mesa students the same as everyone else who applies. Transfermatic flags MATH 141 as the real starting point so Mesa students don't lose a semester.
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