Southwestern College to UCI
Biological Sciences Transfer Plan
Southwestern matches eight of UC Irvine's nine Biological Sciences requirements, leaving only Molecular Biology, BIO SCI 99, for after transfer. BIO SCI 94 has a choice here: either BIOL 210, Zoology, or BIOL 212, Biology of Plants.
From
Southwestern College
To
UC Irvine
Biological SciencesUC Irvine TAG
Southwestern students can file for TAG toward Biological Sciences at UCI for fall 2027 with a 3.4 GPA. UCI takes the major off TAG in fall 2028, and organic chemistry and the other admission courses still finish by spring.
Major Requirements
Biological Sciences Major Preparation
Courses at Southwestern College that satisfy UC Irvine's Biological Sciences major preparation, mapped and verified by Transfermatic's transfer engine.
| Course at Southwestern College | Satisfies at UCI | Units |
|---|---|---|
| BIOL 211 — Introduction to Cell and Molecular Biology | BIO SCI 93 — DNA to Organisms | 4 |
| BIOL 210 or BIOL 212 — General Zoology | BIO SCI 94 — Organisms to Ecosystems | 4 |
| CHEM 210 + CHEM 200 — General Chemistry II + General Chemistry I | CHEM 1A, CHEM 1B, CHEM 1C, CHEM 1LC, CHEM 1LD | 10 |
| CHEM 242 + CHEM 240 — Organic Chemistry II + Organic Chemistry I | CHEM 51A, CHEM 51B, CHEM 51LB, CHEM 51C, CHEM 51LC | 10 |
| BIOL 180 — Human Heredity, Evolution and Society | BIO SCI 97 — Genetics | 3 |
| CHEM 160 — Introductory Biochemistry | BIO SCI 98 — Biochemistry | 3 |
| No Southwestern match | BIO SCI 99 — Molecular Biology | — |
| PHYS 150 + PHYS 153 + PHYS 151 + PHYS 152 — Fundamentals of Physics I + Fundamentals of Physics Laboratory II + Fundamentals of Physics Laboratory I + Fundamentals of Physics II | PHYSICS 3A, PHYSICS 3B, PHYSICS 3LB, PHYSICS 3C, PHYSICS 3LC (choose 1) | 8 |
| PHYS 270 + PHYS 272 + PHYS 271 — Principles of Physics I + Principles of Physics II + Principles of Physics Laboratory I | PHYSICS 7C, PHYSICS 7LC, PHYSICS 7D, PHYSICS 7LD, PHYSICS 7E (choose 1) | 9 |
| MATH 250 (or another listed option) — Analytic Geometry and Calculus I | Mathematics Requirement | 5 |
Courses with no equivalent must be taken at UC Irvine after transfer. Factor this into your first-year course plan.
General Education
Foundation GE at Southwestern College
UCI's Biological Sciences program uses its own GE pattern (see note below), but these five Southwestern College courses cover foundation requirements every UC accepts. Start here.
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 |
UCI Biological Sciences: full GE notes
UCI notes IGETC may not be recommended for science majors, Biological Sciences among them, so Southwestern students should get chemistry and biology done before general-education breadth.
Four semesters from MATH 121 to organic
The chain runs MATH 121, CHEM 210, CHEM 240, then CHEM 242: four semesters, each needed before the next. Organic chemistry is an admission requirement due by spring, so start math or chemistry in your first term.
Two Southwestern courses replace five UCI quarters
UCI's general chemistry spans five quarter courses, CHEM 1A through CHEM 1LD, but Southwestern covers it with CHEM 200 and CHEM 210. Organic compresses the same way, CHEM 240 and CHEM 242 for five UCI courses.
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
Zoology or plants satisfy BIO SCI 94
You only need one of BIOL 210, General Zoology, or BIOL 212, Biology of Plants, since ASSIST lists them as either/or for UCI's Organisms to Ecosystems requirement. Pick whichever section fits your schedule.
Physics: four courses or three
UCI accepts PHYS 150 through PHYS 153, four courses, or PHYS 270, PHYS 271 and PHYS 272, three. PHYS 150 needs MATH 121 or MATH C2210, while PHYS 270 needs MATH C2210, so check your math first.
Two ways into CHEM 210
CHEM 210 accepts CHEM 200 or a math course such as MATH 121 as its prerequisite, but UCI needs both CHEM 200 and CHEM 210 anyway. Organic, CHEM 240 then CHEM 242, follows and is due by spring.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What Southwestern classes count for UCI biology?
BIOL 211 plus either BIOL 210 or BIOL 212 for the biology year, CHEM 200 and CHEM 210 for general chemistry, and CHEM 240 and CHEM 242 for organic. BIOL 180 covers genetics and CHEM 160 covers biochemistry.
Which UCI biology requirement has no Southwestern match?
BIO SCI 99, Molecular Biology. There's no Southwestern course on ASSIST for it, so it waits until after you transfer to UCI. It isn't part of the admission requirements, so it won't hold up your application.
Can Southwestern students use TAG for UCI Biological Sciences?
Yes, for fall 2027, at a 3.4 minimum GPA. UCI removes Biological Sciences from TAG starting fall 2028, so fall 2027 is the last cycle it's offered. Without TAG, the regular minimum GPA is 3.0.
Does Southwestern's CHEM 200 transfer to UCI as chemistry?
Yes, but only combined with CHEM 210. UCI counts general chemistry as one full-year requirement equal to CHEM 1A through CHEM 1LD, so Southwestern's CHEM 200 alone doesn't complete it without CHEM 210 too.
Explore More
Related Transfer Plans
Southwestern College students planning to transfer into UC Irvine's Biological Sciences, B.S. program can finish eight of nine requirements locally, choosing between BIOL 210 and BIOL 212 for the second biology course. Molecular Biology, BIO SCI 99, has no Southwestern match and gets completed at UCI. The shortest route to organic chemistry runs MATH 121, CHEM 210, CHEM 240 and CHEM 242, four semesters, and organic is due by spring. Transfermatic tracks that sequence against Southwestern's own course rotation.
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