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    Southwestern College to UC Berkeley
    Computer Science Transfer Plan

    Southwestern College covers every course UC Berkeley requires for Computer Science admission, from calculus through linear algebra and differential equations. Its match for the recommended COMPSCI 61B is filed under Southwestern's MATH courses, not a computer science department.

    Every course verified to transferSemester-by-semester scheduleFastest realistic timeline

    From

    Southwestern College

    To

    UC Berkeley

    Computer Science
    Build My Plan
    5%
    UC Berkeley Computer Science transfer admit rate, all applicants

    Major Requirements

    Computer Science Major Preparation

    Courses at Southwestern College that satisfy UC Berkeley's Computer Science major preparation, mapped and verified by Transfermatic's transfer engine.

    MATH 250
    Analytic Geometry and Calculus I
    MATH 51 — Calculus I5 units
    MATH 251
    Analytic Geometry and Calculus II
    MATH 52 — Calculus II4 units
    MATH 253 + MATH 254
    Introduction to Differential Equations + Introduction to Linear Algebra
    MATH 54 — Linear Algebra and Differential Equations (choose 1)6 units
    No Southwestern match
    COMPSCI 61A — The Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs (recommended)—
    MATH 140 + MATH 130
    Data Structures and Algorithms + Introduction to Computer Programming
    COMPSCI 61B — Data Structures (recommended)8 units
    No Southwestern match
    COMPSCI 61C — Machine Structures (recommended)—
    No Southwestern match
    COMPSCI 70 — Discrete Mathematics and Probability Theory (recommended)—

    Courses with no equivalent must be taken at UC Berkeley 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 UC Berkeley 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.

    Life Science

    BIOL 100

    Principles of Biology

    3 units
    Physical Science

    CHEM 100

    Introduction to General Chemistry

    4 units
    Humanities

    HIST 104

    Western Civilization I

    3 units
    English CompositionCCN

    ENGL C1000

    Academic Reading and Writing

    4 units
    Critical ThinkingCCN

    ENGL C1001

    Critical Thinking and Writing

    4 units

    Four semesters before linear algebra is done

    Southwestern's chain runs MATH 244, C2210, C2220, then 253: four semesters. MATH 254, the linear algebra course CS accepts alone, has the same MATH C2220 prerequisite, so start math early.

    Preview

    Your First Semester

    A preview of what Transfermatic generates — exact courses, in the right order, every semester.

    MATH 250 — Analytic Geometry and Calculus I
    5 unitsMajor
    ENGL C1000 — Academic Reading and Writing
    4 unitsGE
    Sign in to see all semestersBuild my full plan →

    Watch Out

    Common Mistakes for This Transfer Path

    61B's match is listed under MATH, not CS

    Southwestern's equivalent for COMPSCI 61B is MATH 140 and MATH 130, its data structures and programming courses. Search the MATH catalog, not computer science, when you plan this one.

    For MATH 54, MATH 254 is what counts

    Berkeley's MATH 54 maps to MATH 253 and MATH 254 together, but the notes say CS accepts just the linear algebra course, MATH 254. It needs MATH C2220 first.

    61A and 61C have no Southwestern path

    Only COMPSCI 61B is reachable here through the MATH 140/130 pair. COMPSCI 61A and 61C, along with COMPSCI 70, have no Southwestern match.

    FAQ

    Frequently Asked Questions

    What classes do I need at Southwestern for UC Berkeley computer science?

    MATH 250 and MATH 251 for calculus, then MATH 254 for linear algebra, which Berkeley CS accepts without MATH 253. Those finish every required course, and MATH 140 with MATH 130 covers the recommended COMPSCI 61B.

    What doesn't Southwestern cover for Berkeley CS?

    COMPSCI 61A, 61C, and 70 all have no Southwestern equivalent. The one recommended course Southwestern does cover, 61B, is filed under its MATH department rather than computer science.

    How hard is it to transfer into Berkeley computer science?

    Very hard. UC Berkeley admitted 5% of 2025 transfer applicants to the Computer Science major across every college combined, not Southwestern alone. Listing a different major on your application also blocks switching into CS later.

    Is IGETC required for Berkeley CS?

    No. Cal-GETC and IGETC are recommended, not required, for admission to the College of Computing, Data Science, and Society's CS major. The UC 7-course pattern is the piece that's actually mandatory.

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    Southwestern College students working toward the Computer Science, B.A. at UC Berkeley finish every required admission course on campus, including MATH 250 and MATH 251 for calculus and MATH 254, the linear algebra half of the MATH 253 and MATH 254 pair, for MATH 54. The recommended COMPSCI 61B has a match too, MATH 140 and MATH 130, filed under Southwestern's math department. Transfermatic flags that naming quirk so students don't search the wrong catalog while planning their Berkeley application.

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