Santa Barbara City College to UCSB
Psychological and Brain Sciences Transfer Plan
SBCC has a match for 9 of UCSB's 11 Psychological and Brain Sciences prep courses. PSY 10A and PSY 10B have no SBCC match, so plan for them before you apply.
From
Santa Barbara City College
To
UC Santa Barbara
Psychological and Brain SciencesUC Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG)
UCSB offers TAG for Psychological and Brain 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
Psychological and Brain Sciences Major Preparation
Courses at Santa Barbara City College that satisfy UC Santa Barbara's Psychological and Brain Sciences major preparation, mapped and verified by Transfermatic's transfer engine.
| Course at Santa Barbara City College | Satisfies at UCSB | Units |
|---|---|---|
| PSYC C1000 or PSYC C1000H — Introduction to Psychology | PSY 1 — Introduction to Psychology | 3 |
| MATH 130 — Calculus for Biological Sciences, Social Sciences and Business I | MATH 34A — Calculus for Social and Life Sciences (choose 1) | 5 |
| MATH 150 — Calculus with Analytic Geometry I | MATH 3A — Calculus with Applications, First Course (choose 1) | 5 |
| CS 118 (or another listed option) — Data Science for All | PSTAT 5A — Understanding Data | 4 |
| No SBCC match | PSY 10A — Research Methods in Psychological & Brain Sciences | — |
| No SBCC match | PSY 10B — Statistical Methods in Psychological & Brain Sciences | — |
| CHEM 156 + CHEM 155 — General Chemistry II + General Chemistry I | CHEM 1A, CHEM 1B | 10 |
| BIOL 102 + BIOL 103 + BIOL 101 — Animal Biology + Cell and Molecular Biology + Plant Biology | MCDB 1A, EEMB 2 (choose 1) | 14 |
| ANTH 103 or ANTH 103H or ANTH 109 — Introduction to Cultural Anthropology | ANTH 2 — Introductory Cultural Anthropology (choose 4) | 3 |
| ANTH 101 or ANTH 101H — Physical Anthropology | ANTH 5 — Introductory Biological Anthropology (choose 4) | 3 |
| CHEM 155 + CHEM 156 — General Chemistry I + General Chemistry II | CHEM 1C — General Chemistry (choose 4) | 10 |
| CIS 119 or CS 104 — Introduction to Programming Using Visual Basic | CMPSC 8 — Introduction to Computer Science (choose 4) | 4 |
| (CS 105 and CS 137) or (CS 105 and CS 140) — Theory and Practice I | CMPSC 16 — Problem Solving with Computers I (choose 4) | 3 |
| (ERTH 111L and ERTH 111) or (ERTH 111L and ERTH 111H) — Dynamic Earth-Physical Geology Laboratory | EARTH 2 — Principles of Physical Geology (choose 4) | 1 |
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 |
3 semesters minimum for CHEM 101 onward
CHEM 101, then CHEM 155, then CHEM 156: each needs the one before, so 3 semesters minimum. Start CHEM 101 in your first semester. 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
2 UCSB requirements have no SBCC match
SBCC lists no course for PSY 10A and PSY 10B. Check UCSB's Psychological and Brain Sciences page for whether they have to be done before you transfer, and plan where you'll cover them.
Start with CHEM 101 and PSYC C1000
CHEM 101 and PSYC C1000 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 PSY 1
For UCSB PSY 1, SBCC accepts PSYC C1000 or PSYC C1000H. 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 Psychological and Brain Sciences?
PSYC C1000 or PSYC C1000H, MATH 130, MATH 150, CS 118, CHEM 156, CHEM 155 and BIOL 102, plus the rest in the table above. Together they match 9 of the 11 prep courses UCSB lists for Psychological and Brain Sciences.
What doesn't SBCC cover for UCSB Psychological and Brain Sciences?
PSY 10A and PSY 10B. SBCC lists no course for them, so check UCSB's Psychological and Brain Sciences page for whether they have to be finished before you transfer.
Does SBCC MATH 130 transfer to UCSB?
Yes, for Psychological and Brain Sciences. SBCC MATH 130 (Calculus for Biological Sciences, Social Sciences and Business I) is the match for UCSB MATH 34A (Calculus for Social and Life Sciences) in the transfer agreement.
What is UCSB's transfer admit rate for Psychological and Brain Sciences?
72% of all transfer applicants to UCSB Psychological and Brain 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 Psychological and Brain Sciences can match 9 of 11 lower-division prep courses at SBCC, including PSYC C1000 or PSYC C1000H and MATH 130. PSY 10A and PSY 10B have no Santa Barbara City College equivalent in the 2025-2026 agreement. CHEM 101 and PSYC C1000 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 Psychological and Brain Sciences, semester by semester.
Build your Santa Barbara City College → UCSB plan
Personalized, semester-by-semester. Free to start.
Get My Transfer Plan