San Diego Mesa College to UCLA
Political Science Transfer Plan
Mesa matches every course on UCLA's Political Science list: POLI 101 or POLI 124, POLI 140, POLS C1000 and POLI 103, plus a statistics course. POLI 201, BUSE 115 or BIOL 200 each cover statistics alone, BIOL 200 after BIOL 107, while the psychology route needs both PSYC 258 and PSYC 255.
From
San Diego Mesa College
To
UCLA
Political ScienceUCLA TAP through Mesa's Honors Program
Complete Mesa's Honors Program and get certified by its counselor, and UCLA gives your Political Science application priority review, plus consideration for an alternate major if it says no. TAP doesn't guarantee a spot, and students at Mesa for only a year after high school are excluded from certification.
Major Requirements
Political Science Major Preparation
Courses at San Diego Mesa College that satisfy UCLA's Political Science major preparation, mapped and verified by Transfermatic's transfer engine.
| Course at San Diego Mesa College | Satisfies at UCLA | Units |
|---|---|---|
| POLI 101 or POLI 124 — Introduction to Political Science | POL SCI 10 — Introduction to Political Theory (choose 4) | 3 |
| POLI 140 — Contemporary International Politics | POL SCI 20 — World Politics (choose 4) | 3 |
| POLS C1000 — American Government and Politics | POL SCI 40 — Introduction to American Politics (choose 4) | 3 |
| POLI 103 — Comparative Politics | POL SCI 50 — Introduction to Comparative Politics (choose 4) | 3 |
| (PSYC 258 and PSYC 255) or BIOL 200 or BUSE 115 or POLI 201 — Behavioral Science Statistics | STATS 10 — Introduction to Statistical Reasoning | 3 |
| (PSYC 255 and PSYC 258) or BIOL 200 or BUSE 115 or POLI 201 — Introduction to Psychological Research | STATS 12 — Introduction to Statistical Methods for Geography and Environmental Studies | 3 |
General Education
Foundation GE at San Diego Mesa College
Complete these five courses at San Diego Mesa College to start your UCLA 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 semester units become UCLA quarter units
Mesa is on semesters and UCLA is on quarters, so unit counts shift after transfer, about 1.5 quarter units per Mesa semester unit. A 3-unit POLI 101 becomes four and a half, with no change to which course it satisfies.
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
POLI 201 is a one-course stats route
POLI 201, Elementary Statistics for Political Science, satisfies UCLA's statistics prep on its own. The psychology route needs both PSYC 258 and PSYC 255, and PSYC 255 needs PSYC C1000 first.
Two options for the theory course
POLI 101, Introduction to Political Science, and POLI 124, Power and Justice, both satisfy UCLA's political theory requirement at Mesa. Take either one, since UCLA's agreement accepts both for the same slot.
AP and IB scores don't count here
UCLA doesn't count AP American or Comparative Political Science, AP Statistics, or any IB score toward this major's prep. POLI 101 or POLI 124, POLI 140, POLS C1000, POLI 103 and a statistics course still have to be taken at Mesa.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What Mesa classes count toward UCLA political science?
POLI 101 or POLI 124 for theory, POLI 140 for world politics, POLS C1000 for American politics and POLI 103 for comparative politics, plus a statistics course such as POLI 201. Mesa matches all six of UCLA's requirements.
Does Mesa POLI 140 transfer to UCLA political science?
Yes. POLI 140, Contemporary International Politics, matches UCLA's POL SCI 20, World Politics. It's one of four intro courses in UCLA's pick-four group, and Mesa has an approved match for all four.
What's not covered at Mesa for UCLA political science?
Politics and Strategy is the single UCLA intro course without a Mesa match. Since UCLA only needs four of the five intro options, Mesa's other four picks already complete that group without it.
How selective is UCLA political science for transfers?
UCLA admitted 34% of all 2025 transfer applicants to Political Science, not Mesa students specifically. Demand significantly exceeds space, and every prep course must be taken for a letter grade, whichever Mesa statistics path you choose.
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Related Transfer Plans
San Diego Mesa College students transferring into Political Science at UCLA can complete the required lower-division prep at Mesa. POLI 101 or POLI 124, POLI 140, POLS C1000 and POLI 103 match UCLA's four intro political science courses, and several statistics paths are approved, with POLI 201 covering it in one course. UCLA's fifth intro option, Politics and Strategy, has no Mesa match, but it isn't needed once the other four are done. Transfermatic can plan around Mesa's fastest path.
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