Santa Monica College to UCLA
Business Economics Transfer Plan
SMC covers six of the eight Business Economics prep courses UCLA lists on ASSIST: ECON 1, ECON 2, ACCTG 1, ACCTG 2, MATH 7 and MATH 8. UCLA's ECON 11 and ECON 41 have no SMC match, so you take those after you transfer.
From
Santa Monica College
To
UCLA
Business EconomicsUCLA Transfer Alliance Program (TAP)
SMC's Scholars Program is its TAP route. Complete it and get certified by its counselor, and UCLA gives you priority consideration for Business Economics plus a look at an alternate major if you miss. It's no guarantee, and one-year transfers can't be certified.
Major Requirements
Business Economics Major Preparation
Courses at Santa Monica College that satisfy UCLA's Business Economics major preparation, mapped and verified by Transfermatic's transfer engine.
| Course at Santa Monica College | Satisfies at UCLA | Units |
|---|---|---|
| ECON 1 — Principles of Microeconomics | ECON 1 — Principles of Economics(Microeconomics) | 3 |
| ECON 2 — Principles of Macroeconomics | ECON 2 — Principles of Economics(Macroeconomics) | 3 |
| No SMC match | ECON 11 — Microeconomic Theory | — |
| No SMC match | ECON 41 — Probability and Statistics for Economists | — |
| ACCTG 1 — Introduction to Financial Accounting | MGMT 1A — Principles of Accounting: Introduction to Financial Accounting Principles | 5 |
| ACCTG 2 — Corporate Financial and Managerial Accounting | MGMT 1B — Principles of Accounting:Introduction to Managerial Accounting Principles | 5 |
| MATH 7 — Calculus 1 | MATH 31A — Differential and Integral Calculus | 5 |
| MATH 8 — Calculus 2 | MATH 31B — Integration and Infinite Series | 5 |
Courses with no equivalent must be taken at UCLA 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 UCLA 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 |
Start calculus your first SMC semester
MATH 7 needs MATH 2 (or MATH 3 and MATH 4), and MATH 8 needs MATH 7. Starting from MATH 2, that's three semesters minimum before calculus is done, so begin math in your first term.
SMC semesters, UCLA quarters
SMC runs on semesters and UCLA on quarters. Your SMC units convert to quarter units when you transfer, and ECON 11 and ECON 41 will come in UCLA's shorter terms, so the pace picks up once you arrive.
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
Finish all six SMC courses by fall
UCLA wants micro, macro, a year of calculus and both accounting courses done by the end of fall before transfer, with spring as the hard cutoff. At SMC that list is ECON 1, ECON 2, ACCTG 1, ACCTG 2, MATH 7 and MATH 8.
ACCTG 1 has to come first
ACCTG 2 requires ACCTG 1, and each runs 5 units at SMC. Take ACCTG 1 by your second semester so ACCTG 2 fits in your third, the fall UCLA wants your prep wrapped up.
Your AP scores may replace SMC classes
A 5 on AP Microeconomics or AP Macroeconomics (exams after spring 2021) counts for UCLA ECON 1 or ECON 2. A 5 on Calculus AB or a 4 on BC counts as UCLA MATH 31A, the requirement SMC's MATH 7 meets.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What classes should I take at SMC for UCLA Business Economics?
Take ECON 1, ECON 2, ACCTG 1, ACCTG 2, MATH 7 and MATH 8. At SMC the numbers line up with UCLA's for econ: SMC ECON 1 is micro and meets UCLA ECON 1. ECON 1 and ECON 2 can both go in your first semester next to ENGL C1000.
Does SMC have a class for UCLA ECON 11 or ECON 41?
No. ASSIST lists no SMC course for ECON 11 (Microeconomic Theory) or ECON 41 (Probability and Statistics for Economists), so both wait until you're at UCLA. The prep UCLA wants before you arrive is micro, macro, a year of calculus and the two accounting courses.
How hard is it to get into UCLA Business Economics from SMC?
Very. UCLA admitted 10% of all transfer applicants to Business Economics in 2025, a figure that counts every college, not SMC alone. You must be admitted directly as Pre-Business Economics; you can't switch in after arriving or add it as a double major.
Do I need IGETC at SMC to transfer to UCLA Business Economics?
It isn't required. UCLA strongly encourages community college applicants to its College of Letters and Science, which houses Business Economics, to finish IGETC or Cal-GETC, so plan GE around the six SMC prep courses.
Explore More
Related Transfer Plans
Santa Monica College students aiming for UCLA Business Economics can finish six of the eight lower-division prep courses at SMC, including ECON 1, ECON 2 and the MATH 7 to MATH 8 calculus sequence. UCLA's ECON 11 and ECON 41 have no Santa Monica College equivalent on ASSIST, so they come after transfer. On Transfermatic, put in Santa Monica College and UCLA to get a semester-by-semester plan that places accounting and calculus before the fall UCLA wants them done.
Build your Santa Monica College → UCLA plan
Personalized, semester-by-semester. Free to start.
Get My Transfer Plan