Santa Monica College to SDSU
Psychology Transfer Plan
Santa Monica College has ASSIST matches for three of SDSU's seven Psychology prep requirements: PSYC C1000, PSYCH 19 and PSYCH 2. PSY 201, PSY 211, PSY 280 and the biology course have no SMC match, and the fall 2027 minimum GPA for the major is 2.50.
From
Santa Monica College
To
San Diego State University
PsychologyMajor Requirements
Psychology Major Preparation
Courses at Santa Monica College that satisfy San Diego State University's Psychology major preparation, mapped and verified by Transfermatic's transfer engine.
| Course at Santa Monica College | Satisfies at SDSU | Units |
|---|---|---|
| PSYC C1000 — General Psychology | PSY 101 — Introductory Psychology | 3 |
| No SMC match | PSY 201 — Academic and Career Opportunities in Psychology | — |
| No SMC match | PSY 211 — Introduction to Cognitive Psychology | — |
| PSYCH 19 — Lifespan Human Development | PSY 230 — Developmental Psychology | 3 |
| PSYCH 2 — Physiological Psychology | PSY 260 — Introduction to Physiological Psychology | 3 |
| No SMC match | PSY 280 — Statistical Methods in Psychology | — |
| No SMC match for any of 2 options | BIOL 100 — General Biology and others (choose 1) | — |
Courses with no equivalent must be taken at San Diego State University after transfer. Factor this into your first-year course plan.
General Education
Foundation GE at Santa Monica College
Complete these five courses at Santa Monica College to start your SDSU 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 10
Applied Ecology and Conservation Biology
CHEM 10
Introductory General Chemistry
ENGL C1001
Critical Thinking and Writing
ENGL C1000
Academic Reading and Writing
COMM C1000
Introduction to Public Speaking
| Area | Course at Santa Monica College | Units |
|---|---|---|
Life Science | BIOL 10 — Applied Ecology and Conservation Biology | 4 |
Physical Science | CHEM 10 — Introductory General Chemistry | 5 |
HumanitiesCCN | ENGL C1001 — Critical Thinking and Writing | 3 |
English CompositionCCN | ENGL C1000 — Academic Reading and Writing | 3 |
Oral CommunicationCCN | COMM C1000 — Introduction to Public Speaking | 3 |
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
PSYC C1000 comes before PSYCH 2
PSYCH 2, SMC's match for PSY 260, requires PSYC C1000. Take PSYC C1000 and PSYCH 19 in your first semester and PSYCH 2 the next, and all three matched courses are done in two semesters.
A statistics route around PSY 280
No SMC course matches PSY 280, but SDSU's agreement notes accept a college-level statistics course in its place once you also complete PSY 281 at SDSU. A statistics class at SMC can cover the first half before you transfer.
Plan for three semesters of one language
This B.A. requires foreign language competency to graduate, defined as completing the third college semester of one language. It isn't admission prep, but it counts college semesters, so you can start the sequence at SMC.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Which SMC classes transfer to SDSU for psychology?
Three have direct ASSIST matches: PSYC C1000 counts as PSY 101, PSYCH 19 as PSY 230 (Developmental Psychology), and PSYCH 2 as PSY 260 (Physiological Psychology). Each needs a C or better, and none of them can be taken credit/no credit.
What SDSU psychology prep can't I take at SMC?
ASSIST lists no SMC course for PSY 201 (a one-unit careers course), PSY 211 (Cognitive Psychology), PSY 280 (Statistical Methods), or the biology requirement, one of BIOL 100 or BIOL 203. SDSU still wants them done by the end of spring 2027; for PSY 280, a statistics class plus PSY 281 is accepted.
Is SMC in SDSU's local admission area?
No. SDSU's local area is San Diego and Imperial Valley colleges such as Grossmont, San Diego Mesa and Southwestern. Coming from SMC you apply without that priority, so the priority open to you comes from a GPA above the major's minimum.
What GPA do I need to transfer from SMC to SDSU psychology?
The fall 2027 minimum for the Psychology B.A. is 2.50, and SDSU is impacted in every major. All major prep in the SDSU catalog has to be finished by the end of spring 2027; courses taken in summer 2027 don't count.
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Related Transfer Plans
Santa Monica College students applying to San Diego State University for the Psychology B.A. can complete three of the seven preparation requirements at SMC: PSYC C1000, PSYCH 19 and PSYCH 2, which count as PSY 101, PSY 230 and PSY 260. Cognitive psychology, the one-unit PSY 201, a biology course and statistics have no SMC match, and SDSU's prep deadline is the end of spring 2027, with a statistics class plus PSY 281 as the alternative to PSY 280. Transfermatic places those SMC courses into a semester plan next to your GE.
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