Southwestern College to SDSU
Computer Science Transfer Plan
Southwestern covers 12 of SDSU's 14 Computer Science prep requirements, including CS 150 and CS 160 under its MATH prefix. Data Structures and Software Systems have no Southwestern match, and SDSU wants all catalog major prep finished by the end of spring 2027.
From
Southwestern College
To
San Diego State University
Computer ScienceMajor Requirements
Computer Science Major Preparation
Courses at Southwestern College that satisfy San Diego State University's Computer Science major preparation, mapped and verified by Transfermatic's transfer engine.
| Course at Southwestern College | Satisfies at SDSU | Units |
|---|---|---|
| MATH 130 — Introduction to Computer Programming | CS 150, CS 150L | 4 |
| MATH 140 — Data Structures and Algorithms | CS 160, CS 160L | 4 |
| No Southwestern match | CS 210 — Data Structures | — |
| MATH 230 — Computer Organization and Architecture | CS 240 — Computer Organization | 4 |
| No Southwestern match | CS 250 — Introduction to Software Systems | — |
| MATH 250 — Analytic Geometry and Calculus I | MATH 150 — Calculus I | 5 |
| MATH 251 — Analytic Geometry and Calculus II | MATH 151 — Calculus II | 4 |
| MATH 260 or MATH 265 — Discrete Mathematics | MATH 245 — Discrete Mathematics | 3 |
| MATH 254 — Introduction to Linear Algebra | MATH 254 — Introduction to Linear Algebra | 3 |
| STAT C1000 or BIOL 215 or PSYC 280 — Introduction to Statistics | STAT 250 — Statistical Principles and Practices | 4 |
| PHYS 270 — Principles of Physics I | PHYS 195 — Principles of Physics | 4 |
| PHYS 271 — Principles of Physics Laboratory I | PHYS 195L — Principles of Physics Laboratory | 1 |
| PHYS 272 — Principles of Physics II | PHYS 196 — Principles of Physics | 4 |
| PHYS 273 — Principles of Physics Laboratory II | PHYS 196L — Principles of Physics Laboratory | 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 Southwestern College
Complete these five courses at Southwestern 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 100
Principles of Biology
CHEM 100
Introduction to General Chemistry
HIST 104
Western Civilization I
ENGL C1000
Academic Reading and Writing
ENGL C1001
Critical Thinking and Writing
| Area | Course at Southwestern College | Units |
|---|---|---|
Life Science | BIOL 100 — Principles of Biology | 3 |
Physical Science | CHEM 100 — Introduction to General Chemistry | 4 |
Humanities | HIST 104 — Western Civilization I | 3 |
English CompositionCCN | ENGL C1000 — Academic Reading and Writing | 4 |
Critical ThinkingCCN | ENGL C1001 — Critical Thinking and Writing | 4 |
Four terms to reach Linear Algebra
MATH 244 leads to MATH C2210, then C2220, before MATH 254 becomes available. Start that sequence early so it doesn't run past your planned SDSU transfer term.
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
MATH 130 is Southwestern's intro programming course
Despite the prefix, MATH 130 covers CS 150, and MATH 140 covers CS 160. Don't skip these two looking for a course labeled CS, since they're filed under MATH.
Physics needs four courses here, not two
PHYS 270 and 271 cover lecture and lab for PHYS 195 separately, and PHYS 272 and 273 do the same for PHYS 196. Register for all four, since none bundles lecture with lab.
Local-area status applies to Southwestern students
Southwestern is in SDSU's local admission area, so you get priority consideration in the ranking. SDSU is impacted in every major, and its published fall 2027 minimum GPA for Computer Science is 2.0.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Southwestern MATH 130 count as CS 150 at SDSU?
Yes, MATH 130, Introduction to Computer Programming, covers SDSU's CS 150 despite the MATH prefix. MATH 140 covers CS 160 the same way.
Can I take Data Structures at Southwestern before SDSU?
No. CS 210 has no matched Southwestern course, and neither does CS 250, Introduction to Software Systems. Both are still SDSU catalog prep, due by the end of spring 2027, with summer 2027 courses not counting.
Does Southwestern's physics combine lecture and lab in one course?
No. PHYS 270 and PHYS 271 are separate lecture and lab courses covering SDSU's first physics sequence, and PHYS 272 and PHYS 273 cover the second the same way.
Do Southwestern students get priority in SDSU admissions?
Southwestern is on SDSU's local admissions area list, which gives local applicants priority consideration in an impacted major, alongside the published GPA minimum of 2.0.
Explore More
Related Transfer Plans
Southwestern College students transferring to San Diego State University for a Computer Science, B.S. clear twelve of fourteen prep requirements, including CS 150 and CS 160, which appear under Southwestern's MATH prefix as MATH 130 and MATH 140. Southwestern's physics prep splits into four separate courses, PHYS 270 through PHYS 273, rather than two combined lecture-and-lab classes. Only CS 210 and CS 250 remain uncovered. A student planning this route with Transfermatic should also know Southwestern sits on SDSU's local admissions area list.
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