Southwestern College to UCSB
Biological Sciences Transfer Plan
Southwestern College covers the full UCSB Biological Sciences sequence, including BIOL 211, 212 and 210, organic chemistry, and calculus. UCSB's recommended physics sequence takes four Southwestern courses: PHYS 150, 151, 152 and 153.
From
Southwestern College
To
UC Santa Barbara
Biological SciencesUCSB TAG
TAG to UCSB Biological Sciences takes a 3.4 GPA from Southwestern students, and the selective-major courses still have to be finished. File for fall 2027 between Sept 1 and Sept 30, 2026, with major prep taken for letter grades.
Major Requirements
Biological Sciences Major Preparation
Courses at Southwestern College that satisfy UC Santa Barbara's Biological Sciences major preparation, mapped and verified by Transfermatic's transfer engine.
| Course at Southwestern College | Satisfies at UCSB | Units |
|---|---|---|
| CHEM 200 + CHEM 210 — General Chemistry I + General Chemistry II | CHEM 1A, CHEM 1B, CHEM 1C, CHEM 2AL, CHEM 2BL (choose 1) | 10 |
| CHEM 210 + CHEM 200 — General Chemistry II + General Chemistry I | CHEM 1A, CHEM 1AL, CHEM 1B, CHEM 1BL, CHEM 1C, CHEM 1CL (choose 1) | 10 |
| BIOL 211 + BIOL 212 + BIOL 210 — Introduction to Cell and Molecular Biology + Biology of Plants + General Zoology | MCDB 1A, MCDB 1B, MCDB 1LL, EEMB 2, EEMB 2LL, EEMB 3 | 12 |
| CHEM 240 + CHEM 242 — Organic Chemistry I + Organic Chemistry II | CHEM 6AL — Laboratory Methods of Organic Chemistry | 10 |
| CHEM 242 + CHEM 240 — Organic Chemistry II + Organic Chemistry I | CHEM 109A, CHEM 109B | 10 |
| MATH 250 — Analytic Geometry and Calculus I | MATH 3A — Calculus with Applications, First Course (choose 1) | 5 |
| MATH 120 or MATH 121 — Calculus for Business Analysis | MATH 34A — Calculus for Social and Life Sciences (choose 1) | 4 |
| MATH 251 — Analytic Geometry and Calculus II | MATH 3B — Calculus with Applications, Second Course (choose 1) | 4 |
| MATH 122 — Applied Calculus II | MATH 34B — Calculus for Social and Life Sciences (choose 1) | 3 |
| PSYC 270 or PSYC 280 or SOC 270 or SOC 280 or STAT C1000 — Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences | PSTAT 5A — Understanding Data (choose 1) | 3 |
| BIOL 215 — Biostatistics | PSTAT 5LS — Statistics for Life Sciences (choose 1) | 3 |
| MATH 254 — Introduction to Linear Algebra | MATH 4A — Linear Algebra with Applications (choose 1) | 3 |
| PHYS 150 + PHYS 153 + PHYS 152 + PHYS 151 — Fundamentals of Physics I + Fundamentals of Physics Laboratory II + Fundamentals of Physics II + Fundamentals of Physics Laboratory I | PHYS 6A, PHYS 6AL, PHYS 6B, PHYS 6BL, PHYS 6C, PHYS 6CL | 8 |
General Education
Foundation GE at Southwestern College
Complete these five courses at Southwestern College to start your UCSB 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 from calculus into organic chem
MATH 121 leads into CHEM 210, then CHEM 240 and CHEM 242, four terms total. CHEM 240 must be done by fall before transfer, so a late start in math delays organic chemistry.
Southwestern semesters against UCSB quarters
Southwestern teaches two semesters a year; UCSB teaches three quarters. The four-term chain above counts Southwestern semesters, so it spans two full academic years there.
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
Physics runs four courses deep here
PHYS 150, 153, 152 and 151 together are the only path Southwestern offers toward UCSB's recommended physics sequence. PHYS 150 needs MATH 121 or MATH C2210, so fit calculus in first.
BIOL 215 covers life-sciences statistics directly
If you want statistics built for biology rather than general math, BIOL 215 satisfies UCSB's PSTAT 5LS option. STAT C1000 or PSYC 270 work for the general statistics alternative too.
MATH 121 comes before the chemistry chain
Southwestern's longest chain runs MATH 121, then CHEM 210, CHEM 240 and CHEM 242. CHEM 210 also accepts CHEM 200 as its prerequisite, but clear MATH 121 early so it doesn't delay organic chemistry.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Southwestern's BIOL 211 transfer to UCSB for Biology?
Yes. BIOL 211, BIOL 212 and BIOL 210 together satisfy UCSB's general biology requirement for Biological Sciences, a three-course set with no alternate path listed on ASSIST.
What doesn't Southwestern College cover for UCSB Biology?
Nothing required for admission is missing. Every Southwestern chemistry, biology, organic chemistry, calculus and even the recommended physics and statistics courses have matches on ASSIST.
What GPA does UCSB want from Southwestern biology transfers?
Chemistry, biology, organic chemistry and calculus together need to average a 2.7 GPA, and each course needs at least a C. Your first calculus course and CHEM 240 need to be done by the end of the fall term before you transfer.
What's UCSB's transfer admit rate for Biological Sciences?
UCSB's 2025 admit rate for Biological Sciences transfers was 45%, a number that reflects applicants from every community college, not one alone. A complete Southwestern sequence and solid GPA position you well within that pool.
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Related Transfer Plans
Southwestern College students transferring into Biological Sciences, B.A. & B.S. at UC Santa Barbara can complete the full required sequence there, including CHEM 210, CHEM 240 and a three-course biology set built on BIOL 211, BIOL 212 and BIOL 210. UCSB's recommended physics sequence takes four separate Southwestern courses, PHYS 150 through PHYS 153. Transfermatic checks every Southwestern course against UCSB's current articulation for you.
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