Southwestern College to UCI
Political Science Transfer Plan
Southwestern College covers every one of UCI's 8 Political Science prep requirements, but only by taking all five of its poli sci matches: PS 101, PS 120, PS 103, PS 104 and POLS C1000. CIS 106 clears programming, so nothing is left to pick up after transfer.
From
Southwestern College
To
UC Irvine
Political ScienceTAG: UC Irvine Transfer Admission Guarantee
TAG lets Southwestern students with a 3.4 GPA guarantee UCI admission early. File Sept 1 through Sept 30, 2026 for fall 2027, and expect your named major to stay fixed after that.
Major Requirements
Political Science Major Preparation
Courses at Southwestern College that satisfy UC Irvine's Political Science major preparation, mapped and verified by Transfermatic's transfer engine.
| Course at Southwestern College | Satisfies at UCI | Units |
|---|---|---|
| PS 101 — Introduction to Political Science | POL SCI 11A — Introduction to Political Science: Political Analysis (choose 4) | 3 |
| POLS C1000 — American Government and Politics | POL SCI 21A — Introduction to American Government (choose 4) | 3 |
| PS 101 or PS 120 — Introduction to Political Science | POL SCI 31A — Introduction to Political Theory (choose 4) | 3 |
| PS 104 — Introduction to International Relations | POL SCI 41A — Introduction to International Relations (choose 4) | 3 |
| PS 103 — Introduction to Comparative Government | POL SCI 51A — Introduction to Politics Around the World (choose 4) | 3 |
| PS 101 or POLS C1000 or PS 103 or PS 104 — Introduction to Political Science | Political Science not already used (choose 1) | 3 |
| ANTH 101 (or another listed option) — Biological Anthropology | Political Science or other Social Science discipline (choose 1) | 3 |
| MATH 250 (or another listed option) — Analytic Geometry and Calculus I | School of Social Sciences Math Requirement (choose 1) | 5 |
| CIS 106 — Introduction to Programming Logic and Design using Python | I&C SCI 31 — Introduction to Programming (choose 1) | 3 |
General Education
Foundation GE at Southwestern College
Complete these five courses at Southwestern College to start your UCI 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 |
MATH 121 to BIOL 215 takes three semesters
MATH 121, then MATH 122, then BIOL 215 is the longest chain here: three semesters. BIOL 215 is one of three statistics options for UCI's math requirement; STAT C1000 and PSYC 270 are the others.
Semesters at Southwestern, quarters at UCI
Southwestern's semester calendar differs from UCI's quarters. That's purely a scheduling change, not a credit one, everything matched above still applies once you transfer.
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
You need all five PS matches
UCI counts a course once, and Southwestern's extra poli sci list repeats its intro matches. So take PS 101, PS 120, PS 103, PS 104 and POLS C1000, with PS 120 covering political theory.
CIS 106 clears the programming requirement
Southwestern's CIS 106 satisfies UCI's I&C SCI 31 programming requirement directly. It's needed for the degree, not a condition of admission to UCI.
Math requirement has several accepted paths
Southwestern's math options include MATH 250 alone, or MATH 121 paired with MATH 122, combined with a statistics course such as STAT C1000.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Southwestern classes count for UCI Political Science?
PS 101, PS 120, PS 103, PS 104 and POLS C1000 all count, and you need all five. PS 120 covers political theory, PS 104 international relations, PS 103 comparative politics, POLS C1000 American Government, and PS 101 political analysis or the extra poli sci course.
Does Southwestern cover everything for UCI Political Science?
Yes, Southwestern matches all 8 of UCI's prep requirements, including CIS 106 for programming and a math sequence built around MATH 250 or MATH 121 and MATH 122.
What math should Southwestern students take before UCI?
Either MATH 250 alone, or MATH 121 and MATH 122 together, paired with a statistics course like STAT C1000, satisfies UCI's Social Sciences math requirement.
Can Southwestern's PS 101 count twice for UCI?
No. PS 101 matches POL SCI 11A and POL SCI 31A and sits on the extra poli sci list too, but UCI's notes say a course counts only once. That's why PS 120 is needed for political theory.
Explore More
Related Transfer Plans
Southwestern College students transferring to UC Irvine for a Political Science, B.A. cover all eight of UCI's lower-division prep requirements, including CIS 106 for programming. Because UCI counts each course once, the poli sci side takes all five matches: PS 101, PS 120, PS 103, PS 104 and POLS C1000. Math pairs MATH 250, or MATH 121 and MATH 122, with a statistics course, and MATH 121 to BIOL 215 is a three-semester chain. Transfermatic checks Southwestern's catalog against each UCI requirement so students see a complete plan before applying.
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