San Diego Mesa College to UCSD
Political Science Transfer Plan
San Diego Mesa College matches all four of UC San Diego's introductory Political Science courses, including POLI 140 for international relations and POLI 124 for power and justice. POLI 30 is the exception; Mesa has no course for it, so that's completed at UCSD.
From
San Diego Mesa College
To
UC San Diego
Political ScienceMajor Requirements
Political Science Major Preparation
Courses at San Diego Mesa College that satisfy UC San Diego's Political Science major preparation, mapped and verified by Transfermatic's transfer engine.
| Course at San Diego Mesa College | Satisfies at UCSD | Units |
|---|---|---|
| POLS C1000 — American Government and Politics | POLI 10 — Introduction to Political Science: American Politics | 3 |
| POLI 103 — Comparative Politics | POLI 11 — Introduction to Political Science: Comparative Politics | 3 |
| POLI 140 — Contemporary International Politics | POLI 12 — Introduction to Political Science: International Relations | 3 |
| POLI 124 — Power and Justice: An Introduction to Political Theory | POLI 13 — Power and Justice | 3 |
| No Mesa match | POLI 30 — Political Inquiry | — |
Courses with no equivalent must be taken at UC San Diego after transfer. Factor this into your first-year course plan.
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 |
Mesa semesters, UCSD quarters
Mesa runs semesters and UCSD runs quarters. Course length and units shift at transfer, so terms move faster and cover less at a time once you're at UCSD.
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
Mesa's own POLI numbers aren't UCSD's
Mesa's POLI 103, POLI 140 and POLI 124 share a prefix with UCSD's intro courses but not the numbers. Match by requirement: POLI 103 covers POLI 11, POLI 140 covers POLI 12 and POLI 124 covers POLI 13.
All four requirements have a Mesa match
UCSD requires three of the four intro courses; Mesa students who finish all four, POLS C1000 plus POLI 103, 140 and 124, clear it with room to spare.
POLI 30 is finished at UCSD
Mesa has no course ASSIST maps to POLI 30, Political Inquiry. UCSD requires it on top of three intro courses, and you'll take it after you arrive at UCSD.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Mesa POLI 140 transfer to UC San Diego political science?
Yes. POLI 140 satisfies POLI 12, the international relations requirement, on its own.
What courses should Mesa students take first for UCSD political science?
POLS C1000 and POLI 103 together cover POLI 10 and POLI 11 in the same term, an easy pair to start with.
What's missing from Mesa's political science prep for UCSD?
POLI 30, Political Inquiry. Mesa has no matching course, so students complete that requirement after transferring to UCSD.
What GPA do Mesa students need for UC San Diego political science?
The general transfer minimum applies since Political Science isn't a screened major at UCSD: a 2.4 GPA for California residents.
Explore More
Related Transfer Plans
San Diego Mesa College students transferring to UC San Diego for a Political Science B.A. match all four intro requirements, pairing POLI 140 with POLI 12 and POLI 124 with POLI 13. POLI 30, Political Inquiry, has no Mesa equivalent and is finished at UCSD after transfer. Mesa's semester calendar differs from UCSD's quarter system, changing the pace of coursework once students arrive. Transfermatic checks Mesa's catalog against this exact UCSD agreement so students can see what's already covered before registering.
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