Santa Monica College to UCSB
Economics Transfer Plan
SMC matches all four courses UCSB screens Economics applicants on: ECON 1, ECON 2 and a two-course calculus series (MATH 7 and MATH 8, or MATH 28 and MATH 29). ECON 10A and the statistics course have no SMC match, and UCSB requires ECON 10A to be taken there anyway.
From
Santa Monica College
To
UC Santa Barbara
EconomicsUCSB Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG)
UCSB offers TAG for Economics with a 3.4 GPA. Fall 2027 TAG applications are filed Sept 1-30, 2026. A TAG guarantees admission to UCSB, not the full major: like every transfer, you start as a pre-Economics major and earn the major later.
Major Requirements
Economics Major Preparation
Courses at Santa Monica College that satisfy UC Santa Barbara's Economics major preparation, mapped and verified by Transfermatic's transfer engine.
| Course at Santa Monica College | Satisfies at UCSB | Units |
|---|---|---|
| ECON 1 — Principles of Microeconomics | ECON 1 — Principles of Economics-Micro | 3 |
| ECON 2 — Principles of Macroeconomics | ECON 2 — Principles of Economics-Macro | 3 |
| MATH 7 — Calculus 1 | MATH 3A — Calculus with Applications, First Course (choose 1) | 5 |
| MATH 28 — Calculus 1 for Business and Social Science | MATH 34A — Calculus for Social and Life Sciences (choose 1) | 5 |
| MATH 8 — Calculus 2 | MATH 3B — Calculus with Applications, Second Course (choose 1) | 5 |
| MATH 29 — Calculus 2 for Business and Social Science | MATH 34B — Calculus for Social and Life Sciences (choose 1) | 3 |
| No SMC match | ECON 10A — Intermediate Microeconomic Theory | — |
| No SMC match for any of 2 options | ECON 5 — Statistics for Economics and others (choose 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 Monica College
Complete these five courses at Santa Monica 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 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 |
Calculus takes three semesters from MATH 2
MATH 2, then MATH 7, then MATH 8: that's three semesters minimum, and the MATH 26, MATH 28, MATH 29 track is just as long. Start math your first term so both calculus courses land before you apply.
Semester to quarter at UCSB
SMC semester units become quarter units at UCSB at 1.5 to 1, so a 5-unit MATH 7 counts as 7.5 quarter units. ECON 10A and statistics, which you'll take after transfer, run on UCSB's quarter pace.
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
Pick one calculus track and stay on it
UCSB highly recommends its MATH 3A and MATH 3B series, which is MATH 7 then MATH 8 at SMC. MATH 28 then MATH 29 also qualifies. MATH 8 requires MATH 7 and MATH 29 requires MATH 28, so switching halfway costs an extra course.
No grade below C in screening courses
UCSB's selective-major screen looks at ECON 1, ECON 2 and both calculus courses: a 2.75 GPA across them and no grade below C. AP economics exams don't count, so take ECON 1 and ECON 2 at SMC even with an AP score.
ECON 10A and ECON 5 wait for UCSB
UCSB requires both ECON 10A and ECON 5 to be taken at UCSB, so those gaps aren't about SMC. Full major status then depends on a 2.85 GPA in ECON 1, 2 and 10A counting only UC grades, though SMC grades still weigh in admission.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What SMC classes do I need for UCSB economics?
ECON 1 (micro), ECON 2 (macro) and one calculus pair: MATH 7 and MATH 8, or MATH 28 and MATH 29. Those four are the courses UCSB screens on, and it wants a 2.75 GPA across them with nothing under a C.
Does SMC MATH 28 count for UCSB economics?
Yes. MATH 28 covers UCSB's MATH 34A, and MATH 29 covers MATH 34B, the calculus for social and life sciences series. MATH 7 and MATH 8 cover the MATH 3A and MATH 3B series instead. Either pair gives you the two calculus courses UCSB screens on.
What won't SMC cover for UCSB economics?
ECON 10A, Intermediate Microeconomic Theory, and the statistics requirement (ECON 5 or PSTAT 120A) have no SMC match. UCSB requires ECON 10A and ECON 5 to be taken at UCSB, so they're UCSB courses for every transfer. PSTAT 120A is the other statistics option.
What is UCSB's economics transfer admit rate?
UCSB admitted 62% of all 2025 transfer applicants to Economics. That's across every applicant to the major, not SMC students specifically. Economics is a selective major, so the four-course screen applies to every applicant, and you enter as a pre-major.
Explore More
Related Transfer Plans
Santa Monica College students transferring to UC Santa Barbara for Economics can complete all four screening courses at SMC: ECON 1, ECON 2 and a calculus pair, either MATH 7 and MATH 8 or MATH 28 and MATH 29. UCSB looks for a 2.75 GPA in those four with no grade below C. ECON 10A and ECON 5 have no SMC match, and UCSB requires both at UCSB. Transfermatic can plan the SMC math sequence so both calculus courses finish on time.
Build your Santa Monica College → UCSB plan
Personalized, semester-by-semester. Free to start.
Get My Transfer Plan