Santa Monica College to UC Davis
Economics Transfer Plan
SMC matches all five UC Davis Economics prep courses on the current agreement: ECON 1, ECON 2, MATH 7, MATH 8 and STAT C1000. The math chain from MATH 2 takes three semesters, and students starting fall 2027 must complete the whole MAT 019A/B/C series, which this agreement doesn't map to SMC courses.
From
Santa Monica College
To
UC Davis
EconomicsUC Davis TAG (Transfer Admission Guarantee)
Economics is TAG eligible at UC Davis. Keep a 3.2 cumulative GPA, hold at least a 2.50 GPA across the economics and calculus courses, and finish them for a letter grade, no grade below C, by spring before you enroll.
Major Requirements
Economics Major Preparation
Courses at Santa Monica College that satisfy UC Davis's Economics major preparation, mapped and verified by Transfermatic's transfer engine.
| Course at Santa Monica College | Satisfies at UC Davis | Units |
|---|---|---|
| ECON 1 — Principles of Microeconomics | ECN 001A — Principles of Microeconomics | 3 |
| ECON 2 — Principles of Macroeconomics | ECN 001B — Principles of Macroeconomics | 3 |
| MATH 7 — Calculus 1 | MAT 021A — Calculus | 5 |
| MATH 8 — Calculus 2 | MAT 021B — Calculus | 5 |
| STAT C1000 — Introduction to Statistics | STA 013 — Elementary Statistics (choose 1) | 4 |
General Education
Foundation GE at Santa Monica College
Complete these five courses at Santa Monica College to start your UC Davis 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 |
The math chain takes three semesters
MATH 2 leads to MATH 7, which leads to MATH 8. Start MATH 2 in your first semester at SMC so calculus is done by the end of spring before you transfer.
SMC runs semesters, UC Davis runs quarters
Your SMC courses are longer semester classes, while UC Davis splits the same material into three shorter quarters, so pacing after transfer looks noticeably faster.
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
Start the math chain first term
MATH 7 needs MATH 2 first, and MATH 8 needs MATH 7. That's three semesters of math before you're done, so put MATH 2 on your very first SMC schedule.
STAT C1000 is your only stats option here
SMC has one course for STA 013, STAT C1000. UC Davis's other statistics option, STA 032, has no SMC match, so STAT C1000 is the course to take.
Watch the 2027 calculus change
UC Davis's current agreement accepts MATH 7 and MATH 8 as MAT 021A and MAT 021B. Its notes say students starting fall 2027 must complete the whole MAT 019A/B/C series, so check which SMC courses count before you plan calculus.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What classes should I take at SMC for UC Davis Economics?
Take ECON 1, ECON 2, MATH 7, MATH 8 and STAT C1000, with MATH 2 first if you need it. That set matches the current agreement. If you start at UC Davis in fall 2027, confirm calculus, because the notes then require the full MAT 019A/B/C series.
Does SMC MATH 8 transfer to UC Davis as MAT 021B?
Yes. MATH 8 at SMC satisfies UC Davis's MAT 021B calculus requirement, the second course in the accepted pair, once you've completed MATH 7 first.
What UC Davis Economics prep does SMC not cover?
On the current agreement, none of it: every line has an SMC match. The unsettled part is calculus. From fall 2027, UC Davis requires the whole MAT 019A/B/C series, and this agreement lists SMC courses only for MAT 021A and MAT 021B.
What's the admit rate for UC Davis Economics transfers?
UC Davis admitted 75% of Economics transfer applicants across all community colleges in 2025. That figure covers every applicant to the major, not SMC students specifically.
Explore More
Related Transfer Plans
Santa Monica College matches every line of UC Davis's current Economics, A.B. agreement: ECON 1 and ECON 2 for the principles pair, MATH 7 and MATH 8 for calculus, and STAT C1000 for statistics. MATH 2 comes before MATH 7, so starting math late costs time. UC Davis's notes add that SMC students starting in fall 2027 must complete the whole MAT 019A/B/C series, which this agreement doesn't map, and that all prep is due by the end of spring. Transfermatic maps this SMC-to-Davis route before you register.
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