Santa Barbara City College to UCSB
Political Science Transfer Plan
SBCC has a match for 5 of UCSB's 6 Political Science prep courses. POL S 15 has no SBCC match, so plan for it before you apply.
From
Santa Barbara City College
To
UC Santa Barbara
Political ScienceUC Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG)
UCSB offers TAG for Political Science 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
Political Science Major Preparation
Courses at Santa Barbara City College that satisfy UC Santa Barbara's Political Science major preparation, mapped and verified by Transfermatic's transfer engine.
| Course at Santa Barbara City College | Satisfies at UCSB | Units |
|---|---|---|
| POLS 132 — Political Thinking | POL S 1 — Introduction to Political Philosophy (choose 3) | 3 |
| POLS 131 — Comparative Politics | POL S 6 — Introduction to Comparative Politics (choose 3) | 3 |
| POLS 121 or POLS 121H — International Politics | POL S 7 — Introduction to International Relations (choose 3) | 3 |
| POLS C1000 — American Government and Politics | POL S 12 — American Government and Politics (choose 3) | 3 |
| No SBCC match | POL S 15 — Introduction to Research in Political Science | — |
| ECON 101 or ECON 101H — Microeconomics | ECON 1 — Principles of Economics-Micro | 3 |
| ECON 102 or ECON 102H — Macroeconomics | ECON 2 — Principles of Economics-Macro | 3 |
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 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 |
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
POL S 15 has no SBCC match
SBCC lists no course for POL S 15. Check UCSB's Political Science page for whether it has to be done before you transfer, and plan where you'll cover it.
Start with POLS 132 and ECON 101
POLS 132 and ECON 101 sit at the start of their sequences for this route, so they fit your first semester, next to ENGL C1000 for English composition.
SBCC gives you options here
For UCSB POL S 7, SBCC accepts POLS 121 or POLS 121H. 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 Political Science?
POLS 132, POLS 131, POLS 121 or POLS 121H, POLS C1000, ECON 101 or ECON 101H and ECON 102 or ECON 102H. Together they match 5 of the 6 prep courses UCSB lists for Political Science.
What doesn't SBCC cover for UCSB Political Science?
POL S 15. SBCC lists no course for it, so check UCSB's Political Science page for whether it has to be finished before you transfer.
Does SBCC POLS 132 transfer to UCSB?
Yes, for Political Science. SBCC POLS 132 (Political Thinking) is the match for UCSB POL S 1 (Introduction to Political Philosophy) in the transfer agreement.
What is UCSB's transfer admit rate for Political Science?
63% of all transfer applicants to UCSB Political Science 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 Political Science can match 5 of 6 lower-division prep courses at SBCC, including POLS 132 and POLS 131. POL S 15 has no Santa Barbara City College equivalent in the 2025-2026 agreement. POLS 132 and ECON 101 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 Political Science, semester by semester.
Build your Santa Barbara City College → UCSB plan
Personalized, semester-by-semester. Free to start.
Get My Transfer Plan