Southwestern College to UCLA
Biology Transfer Plan
Southwestern covers 10 of the 12 courses on UCLA's Biology prep list. LIFESCI 7L, the lab methodology course, has no match, and UCLA wants a year of biology with lab by spring before transfer; CHEM 153A is also open but isn't required for admission.
From
Southwestern College
To
UCLA
BiologyMajor Requirements
Biology Major Preparation
Courses at Southwestern College that satisfy UCLA's Biology major preparation, mapped and verified by Transfermatic's transfer engine.
| Course at Southwestern College | Satisfies at UCLA | Units |
|---|---|---|
| CHEM 200 + CHEM 210 — General Chemistry I + General Chemistry II | CHEM 20A, CHEM 20B, CHEM 20L, CHEM 30AL | 10 |
| CHEM 242 + CHEM 240 — Organic Chemistry II + Organic Chemistry I | CHEM 30A, CHEM 30B | 10 |
| MATH 250 — Analytic Geometry and Calculus I | MATH 31A — Differential and Integral Calculus | 5 |
| MATH 251 — Analytic Geometry and Calculus II | MATH 31B — Integration and Infinite Series | 4 |
| MATH 252 — Analytic Geometry and Calculus III | MATH 32A — Calculus of Several Variables | 4 |
| BIOL 215 or STAT C1000 — Biostatistics | STATS 13 — Introduction to Statistical Methods for Life and Health Sciences (choose 1) | 3 |
| BIOL 211 — Introduction to Cell and Molecular Biology | LIFESCI 7A — Cell and Molecular Biology | 4 |
| BIOL 210 — General Zoology | LIFESCI 7B — Genetics, Evolution, and Ecology | 4 |
| BIOL 190 — Human Anatomy and Physiology | LIFESCI 7C — Physiology and Human Biology | 4 |
| No Southwestern match | LIFESCI 7L — Introduction to Laboratory and Scientific Methodology | — |
| PHYS 153 + PHYS 150 + PHYS 151 + PHYS 152 — Fundamentals of Physics Laboratory II + Fundamentals of Physics I + Fundamentals of Physics Laboratory I + Fundamentals of Physics II | PHYSICS 5A, PHYSICS 5B, PHYSICS 5C (choose 1) | 8 |
| PHYS 273 + PHYS 271 + PHYS 270 + PHYS 272 + PHYS 274 — Principles of Physics Laboratory II + Principles of Physics Laboratory I + Principles of Physics I + Principles of Physics II + Principles of Physics III | PHYSICS 1A, PHYSICS 1B, PHYSICS 1C, PHYSICS 4AL, PHYSICS 4BL (choose 1) | 14 |
| No Southwestern match | CHEM 153A — Biochemistry: Introduction to Structure, Enzymes, and Metabolism | — |
Courses with no equivalent must be taken at UCLA 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 UCLA 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 |
Five semesters to finish organic chemistry
The chain runs CHEM 170, CHEM 200, CHEM 210, CHEM 240, then CHEM 242: five semesters minimum. Start CHEM 170 your first term so organic chemistry finishes by spring before transfer.
Southwestern semesters, UCLA quarters
UCLA teaches chemistry and biology by the quarter, so Southwestern's semester courses cover more per class. CHEM 200 and CHEM 210 together satisfy all four of UCLA's general chemistry quarter 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
No local match for the lab course
LIFESCI 7L, UCLA's lab methodology requirement, has no Southwestern course listed. BIOL 211, BIOL 210 and BIOL 190 cover 7A, 7B and 7C. UCLA requires a year of biology with lab by the end of spring before transfer.
Two physics paths, different course counts
PHYS 270, PHYS 271, PHYS 272, PHYS 273 and PHYS 274, five Southwestern courses, match UCLA's PHYSICS 1A series. The other option, PHYS 150, PHYS 151, PHYS 152 and PHYS 153, is four courses for PHYSICS 5A-5C.
Statistics: biology or math both work
BIOL 215 or STAT C1000, either one satisfies UCLA's STATS 13 requirement. BIOL 215 needs MATH 122, MATH 244, BIOL 210 or BIOL 211 first.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What Southwestern classes do I need for UCLA biology?
CHEM 200 and CHEM 210 for general chemistry, CHEM 240 and CHEM 242 for organic, MATH 250, MATH 251 and MATH 252 for calculus, BIOL 211, BIOL 210 and BIOL 190 for biology, and BIOL 215 or STAT C1000 for statistics.
What doesn't Southwestern cover for UCLA biology?
Two things: LIFESCI 7L, the lab methodology course, and CHEM 153A, upper-division biochemistry. UCLA's notes say CHEM 153A isn't required for admission. For 7L, ASSIST lists no Southwestern course, and UCLA wants a year of biology with lab done by spring before transfer.
What is the UCLA biology transfer admit rate?
17%. That's UCLA's 2025 admit rate for every transfer applicant to Biology, not specific to Southwestern. The major is highly selective and you can't switch into it after admission, so apply to Biology directly if that's the goal.
Does Southwestern's BIOL 215 count for UCLA biology?
Yes, as one of two statistics options. BIOL 215 or STAT C1000 either satisfies UCLA's STATS 13 requirement, so you only need one. BIOL 215 requires MATH 122, MATH 244, BIOL 210 or BIOL 211 first.
Explore More
Related Transfer Plans
Southwestern College students transferring into the Biology B.S. at UCLA cover most of the lower-division preparation before they leave. General chemistry runs CHEM 200 and CHEM 210, organic chemistry adds CHEM 240 and CHEM 242, and the biology core comes from BIOL 211, BIOL 210 and BIOL 190. LIFESCI 7L has no Southwestern match, and CHEM 153A is taken at UCLA. Transfermatic sequences Southwestern's schedule around the five-semester chemistry chain so nothing slips past UCLA's spring deadline.
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