Santa Barbara City College to UCSB
Biological Sciences Transfer Plan
SBCC has a match for every one of UCSB's 8 Biological Sciences prep courses, so you can finish all of the listed prep at SBCC. Start with CHEM 101 and BIOL 102.
From
Santa Barbara City 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 Santa Barbara City College that satisfy UC Santa Barbara's Biological Sciences major preparation, mapped and verified by Transfermatic's transfer engine.
| Course at Santa Barbara City College | Satisfies at UCSB | Units |
|---|---|---|
| CHEM 155 + CHEM 156 — General Chemistry I + General Chemistry II | CHEM 1A, CHEM 1B, CHEM 1C, CHEM 2AL, CHEM 2BL (choose 1) | 10 |
| CHEM 155 + CHEM 156 — General Chemistry I + General Chemistry II | CHEM 1A, CHEM 1AL, CHEM 1B, CHEM 1BL, CHEM 1C, CHEM 1CL (choose 1) | 10 |
| BIOL 102 + BIOL 103 + BIOL 101 — Animal Biology + Cell and Molecular Biology + Plant Biology | MCDB 1A, MCDB 1B, MCDB 1LL, EEMB 2, EEMB 2LL, EEMB 3 | 14 |
| CHEM 221 + CHEM 211 — Organic Chemistry Laboratory I + Organic Chemistry I | CHEM 6AL — Laboratory Methods of Organic Chemistry | 5.3 |
| CHEM 211 + CHEM 212 — Organic Chemistry I + Organic Chemistry II | CHEM 109A, CHEM 109B | 6 |
| MATH 150 — Calculus with Analytic Geometry I | MATH 3A — Calculus with Applications, First Course (choose 1) | 5 |
| MATH 130 — Calculus for Biological Sciences, Social Sciences and Business I | MATH 34A — Calculus for Social and Life Sciences (choose 1) | 5 |
| MATH 160 — Calculus with Analytic Geometry II | MATH 3B — Calculus with Applications, Second Course (choose 1) | 5 |
| MATH 130 or MATH 131 — Calculus for Biological Sciences, Social Sciences and Business I | MATH 34B — Calculus for Social and Life Sciences (choose 1) | 5 |
| CS 118 (or another listed option) — Data Science for All | PSTAT 5A — Understanding Data (choose 1) | 4 |
| MATH 210 — Linear Algebra | MATH 4A — Linear Algebra with Applications (choose 1) | 4 |
| (PHYS 110 and PHYS 111) or (PHYS 106 and PHYS 105) — Introductory Physics | PHYS 6A, PHYS 6AL, PHYS 6B, PHYS 6BL, PHYS 6C, PHYS 6CL | 4 |
General Education
Foundation GE at Santa Barbara City College
Complete these five courses at Santa Barbara City 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.
BIOL 100
Concepts of Biology
CHEM 101
Introductory Chemistry
HIST 101
History of the U.S. to 1877
ENGL C1000
Academic Reading and Writing
ENGL C1001
Critical Thinking and Writing
| Area | Course at Santa Barbara City College | Units |
|---|---|---|
Life Science | BIOL 100 — Concepts of Biology | 4 |
Physical Science | CHEM 101 — Introductory Chemistry | 4 |
Humanities | HIST 101 — History of the U.S. to 1877 | 3 |
English CompositionCCN | ENGL C1000 — Academic Reading and Writing | 4 |
Critical ThinkingCCN | ENGL C1001 — Critical Thinking and Writing | 3 |
5 semesters minimum for CHEM 101 onward
CHEM 101 through CHEM 212: 5 courses, each needing the one before, so 5 semesters minimum, more than four fall and spring terms. Start CHEM 101 first or plan on summer. Placing higher shortens it.
SBCC semesters, UCSB quarters
SBCC 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
SBCC covers all 8 listed courses
Every UCSB Biological Sciences prep course in the transfer agreement has a SBCC match, so none of the listed prep has to wait. Take them all before you apply.
Start with CHEM 101 and BIOL 102
CHEM 101 and BIOL 102 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 34B
For UCSB MATH 34B, SBCC accepts MATH 130 or MATH 131. You need only one of them, so pick whichever fits your schedule.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What classes should I take at SBCC for UCSB Biological Sciences?
CHEM 155, CHEM 156, BIOL 102, BIOL 103, BIOL 101, CHEM 221 and CHEM 211, plus the rest in the table above. Together they match 8 of the 8 prep courses UCSB lists for Biological Sciences.
What doesn't SBCC cover for UCSB Biological Sciences?
Nothing in the transfer agreement. Every UCSB Biological Sciences prep course listed has a SBCC match.
Does SBCC MATH 150 transfer to UCSB?
Yes, for Biological Sciences. SBCC MATH 150 (Calculus with Analytic Geometry I) is the match for UCSB MATH 3A (Calculus with Applications, First Course) 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 SBCC.
Explore More
Related Transfer Plans
Santa Barbara City College students transferring to UC Santa Barbara for Biological Sciences can match 8 of 8 lower-division prep courses at SBCC, including CHEM 155 and CHEM 156. Every listed course has a Santa Barbara City College equivalent in the 2025-2026 agreement. CHEM 101 and BIOL 102 are good first-semester picks. On Transfermatic, put in Santa Barbara City College and UC Santa Barbara, and you get the classes you need for Biological Sciences, semester by semester.
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