Southwestern College to UCSB
Psychological and Brain Sciences Transfer Plan
Southwestern College covers 9 of UCSB's 11 Psychological and Brain Sciences requirements, including PSYC C1000, the CHEM 210/200 pair and a three-course biology combination. Only PSY 10A and PSY 10B are missing, both taught exclusively at UCSB.
From
Southwestern College
To
UC Santa Barbara
Psychological and Brain SciencesTAG to UC Santa Barbara
UCSB is a TAG campus, so a 3.4 GPA and the rest of the TAG terms guarantee a spot in the Pre-PBS pre-major. Full major status comes later, through the department's own GPA thresholds.
Major Requirements
Psychological and Brain Sciences Major Preparation
Courses at Southwestern College that satisfy UC Santa Barbara's Psychological and Brain Sciences major preparation, mapped and verified by Transfermatic's transfer engine.
| Course at Southwestern College | Satisfies at UCSB | Units |
|---|---|---|
| PSYC C1000 — Introduction to Psychology | PSY 1 — Introduction to Psychology | 3 |
| MATH 120 or MATH 121 — Calculus for Business Analysis | MATH 34A — Calculus for Social and Life Sciences (choose 1) | 4 |
| MATH 250 — Analytic Geometry and Calculus I | MATH 3A — Calculus with Applications, First Course (choose 1) | 5 |
| PSYC 270 or PSYC 280 or SOC 270 or SOC 280 or STAT C1000 — Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences | PSTAT 5A — Understanding Data | 3 |
| No Southwestern match | PSY 10A — Research Methods in Psychological & Brain Sciences | — |
| No Southwestern match | PSY 10B — Statistical Methods in Psychological & Brain Sciences | — |
| CHEM 210 + CHEM 200 — General Chemistry II + General Chemistry I | CHEM 1A, CHEM 1B | 10 |
| BIOL 212 + BIOL 211 + BIOL 210 — Biology of Plants + Introduction to Cell and Molecular Biology + General Zoology | MCDB 1A, EEMB 2 (choose 1) | 12 |
| ANTH 102 — Cultural Anthropology | ANTH 2 — Introductory Cultural Anthropology (choose 4) | 3 |
| ANTH 101 — Biological Anthropology | ANTH 5 — Introductory Biological Anthropology (choose 4) | 3 |
| CHEM 200 + CHEM 210 — General Chemistry I + General Chemistry II | CHEM 1C — General Chemistry (choose 4) | 10 |
| CIS 106 or CIS 166 or MATH 130 — Introduction to Programming Logic and Design using Python | CMPSC 8 — Introduction to Computer Science (choose 4) | 3 |
| CIS 115 or ENGR 120C — Introduction to Programming Using C++ | CMPSC 16 — Problem Solving with Computers I (choose 4) | 4 |
| GEOL 101 + GEOL 100 — General Geology Laboratory + Principles of Geology | EARTH 2 — Principles of Physical Geology (choose 4) | 4 |
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
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 |
Chemistry into biology takes three terms
CHEM 170, then CHEM 200, then BIOL 212: three semesters minimum. Start CHEM 170 in your first term so chemistry and biology are finished before you transfer to UCSB.
Southwestern semesters, UCSB quarters
Southwestern's calendar is semester-based, but UCSB divides its year into quarters. Courses taken after transfer, including PSY 10A and 10B, run on that shorter ten-week schedule.
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
Chemistry starts with CHEM 170
CHEM 200 needs CHEM 170 first, and CHEM 210 lists CHEM 200 among its accepted prerequisites. Put CHEM 170 in your first semester so the CHEM 1A-1B match is done before you transfer.
Five options cover the statistics slot
PSYC 270, PSYC 280, SOC 270, SOC 280 or STAT C1000 all satisfy PSTAT 5A at Southwestern, so pick whichever section actually fits your term.
Only one C- is allowed
UCSB's psych department caps Area I and Area II combined at a single C-, and won't accept anything lower than that anywhere in the group.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Southwestern PSYC C1000 count for UCSB psychology?
Yes, PSYC C1000 at Southwestern satisfies UCSB's PSY 1 requirement, no additional coursework needed.
What does Southwestern not cover for UCSB psychology?
PSY 10A and PSY 10B, which UCSB requires to be taken at UCSB. They aren't a Southwestern gap. No specific prep is required for admission, but finishing PSY 1, calculus, PSTAT 5A and CHEM 1A-1B first lets you start PSY 10A soon after you arrive.
How selective is UCSB's psychology program?
72% of all transfer applicants to Psychological and Brain Sciences were admitted in UCSB's 2025 data, a rate for the whole pool rather than Southwestern alone.
Is there a long prerequisite chain at Southwestern?
Yes, a three-semester one. CHEM 170, then CHEM 200, then BIOL 212 is the longest chain here, so start chemistry in your first semester.
Explore More
Related Transfer Plans
Southwestern College students planning to transfer into UC Santa Barbara's Psychological and Brain Sciences, B.S. can cover most of the pre-major list before leaving Southwestern, including PSYC C1000 and the CHEM 210/CHEM 200 pair. PSY 10A and PSY 10B must be taken at UCSB. Because the CHEM 170 to BIOL 212 chain runs three semesters, students sometimes use Transfermatic to start chemistry early and fit the rest of their prep around it.
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