Southwestern College to UCSB
Computer Science Transfer Plan
Southwestern covers six of the seven courses UCSB requires for Computer Science admission. CMPSC 24, data structures, has no Southwestern match, and UCSB wants it finished with no grade below C by the end of spring before transfer.
From
Southwestern College
To
UC Santa Barbara
Computer ScienceMajor Requirements
Computer Science Major Preparation
Courses at Southwestern College that satisfy UC Santa Barbara's Computer Science major preparation, mapped and verified by Transfermatic's transfer engine.
| Course at Southwestern College | Satisfies at UCSB | Units |
|---|---|---|
| MATH 250 — Analytic Geometry and Calculus I | MATH 3A — Calculus with Applications, First Course | 5 |
| MATH 251 — Analytic Geometry and Calculus II | MATH 3B — Calculus with Applications, Second Course | 4 |
| MATH 254 — Introduction to Linear Algebra | MATH 4A — Linear Algebra with Applications | 3 |
| MATH 253 — Introduction to Differential Equations | MATH 4B — Differential Equations | 3 |
| CIS 115 or ENGR 120C — Introduction to Programming Using C++ | CMPSC 16 — Problem Solving with Computers I | 4 |
| No Southwestern match | CMPSC 24 — Problem Solving with Computers II | — |
| MATH 260 or MATH 265 — Discrete Mathematics | CMPSC 40 — Foundations of Computer Science | 3 |
| No Southwestern match | CMPSC 32 — Object Oriented Design and Implementation (recommended) | — |
| MATH 230 — Computer Organization and Architecture | CMPSC 64 — Computer Organization and Logic Design (recommended) | 4 |
| MATH 252 — Analytic Geometry and Calculus III | MATH 6A — Vector Calculus with Applications, First Course | 4 |
| PHYS 270 — Principles of Physics I | PHYS 1 — Basic Physics (choose 2) | 4 |
| PHYS 270 + PHYS 274 — Principles of Physics I + Principles of Physics III | PHYS 2 — Basic Physics (choose 2) | 8 |
| PHYS 272 + PHYS 273 — Principles of Physics II + Principles of Physics Laboratory II | PHYS 3, PHYS 3L (choose 2) | 5 |
| 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 (choose 2) | 8 |
| PHYS 270 — Principles of Physics I | PHYS 7A — Basic Physics (choose 2) | 4 |
| PHYS 270 + PHYS 272 + PHYS 274 — Principles of Physics I + Principles of Physics II + Principles of Physics III | PHYS 7B — Basic Physics (choose 2) | 12 |
| No Southwestern match | PSTAT 120A — Probability and Statistics | — |
Courses with no equivalent must be taken at UC Santa Barbara after transfer. Factor this into your first-year course plan.
General Education
Foundation GE at Southwestern College
UCSB's Computer Science 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 |
UCSB Computer Science: full GE notes
UCSB's Engineering college wants applicants centered on major courses rather than IGETC or Cal-GETC, saving general education for after transfer on a three-year path.
Linear algebra is a four-semester chain
MATH 244, then MATH C2210, MATH C2220, then MATH 254: Southwestern's path to UCSB's linear algebra requirement runs four semesters, so start math right away.
Southwestern semesters, UCSB quarters
Southwestern runs two semesters a year; UCSB runs three quarters. Semester credits convert to quarter units, and a course pairing at Southwestern can land in separate, shorter UCSB terms.
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
Data structures is missing at Southwestern
CMPSC 24 has no Southwestern equivalent on this agreement, unlike the other six required courses. UCSB requires it for admission by the end of spring before transfer, so raise it with a counselor early.
CIS 115 or ENGR 120C cover intro programming
Southwestern students can take either CIS 115 or ENGR 120C to satisfy UCSB's CMPSC 16 requirement; only one of the two is needed.
MATH 230 covers a recommended CS elective
MATH 230 at Southwestern satisfies UCSB's strongly recommended CMPSC 64, even though it's listed as a math course. The other recommended elective, CMPSC 32, has no Southwestern match.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Southwestern College MATH 250 transfer to UCSB Computer Science?
Yes. MATH 250 satisfies UCSB's MATH 3A calculus requirement, one of the four math courses Southwestern students need finished for admission to the major.
What classes does Southwestern not cover for UCSB CS?
CMPSC 24, data structures, has no Southwestern match, the only gap among UCSB's seven required courses. PSTAT 120A is also unmatched, but UCSB's notes say that upper-division course is taken at UCSB.
Is UCSB Computer Science hard to get into from Southwestern?
About 12% of transfer applicants to the major were admitted in 2025, a rate covering every community college that applies, not one specific to Southwestern. Missing prep like CMPSC 24 works against an application.
Does UCSB CS require CMPSC 24 before transfer?
Yes. UCSB's notes list CMPSC 24 among the courses CS applicants must complete, with no grade below C, by the end of spring before transfer. Southwestern has no match for it on this agreement, so plan how you'll meet it with a counselor before you apply.
Explore More
Related Transfer Plans
Southwestern College students aiming for UC Santa Barbara's Computer Science, B.S. cover six of the seven required admission courses, everything except CMPSC 24, data structures, which has no Southwestern match even though UCSB requires it before transfer. The math sequence and CMPSC 16 and 40 are all covered, and MATH 230 even satisfies the recommended CMPSC 64 elective. PSTAT 120A remains an upper-division UCSB course for every applicant. Transfermatic maps this Southwestern-to-UCSB route so the missing course is clear ahead of time.
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