Southwestern College to UCLA
Political Science Transfer Plan
Southwestern matches every course on UCLA's Political Science list: PS 101, PS 104, POLS C1000 and PS 103 for the four intro picks. Statistics has two paths, BIOL 215 or STAT C1000, and BIOL 215 needs one of MATH 122, MATH 244, BIOL 210 or BIOL 211 first.
From
Southwestern College
To
UCLA
Political ScienceMajor Requirements
Political Science Major Preparation
Courses at Southwestern College that satisfy UCLA's Political Science major preparation, mapped and verified by Transfermatic's transfer engine.
| Course at Southwestern College | Satisfies at UCLA | Units |
|---|---|---|
| PS 101 — Introduction to Political Science | POL SCI 10 — Introduction to Political Theory (choose 4) | 3 |
| PS 104 — Introduction to International Relations | POL SCI 20 — World Politics (choose 4) | 3 |
| POLS C1000 — American Government and Politics | POL SCI 40 — Introduction to American Politics (choose 4) | 3 |
| PS 103 — Introduction to Comparative Government | POL SCI 50 — Introduction to Comparative Politics (choose 4) | 3 |
| BIOL 215 or STAT C1000 — Biostatistics | STATS 10 — Introduction to Statistical Reasoning | 3 |
| BIOL 215 or STAT C1000 — Biostatistics | STATS 12 — Introduction to Statistical Methods for Geography and Environmental Studies | 3 |
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 |
Southwestern semester units become UCLA quarter units
Southwestern is a semester college and UCLA runs quarters, so each unit grows by half again on arrival, a 3-unit PS 101 comes in worth four and a half quarter units. The matches themselves hold steady.
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
BIOL 215 comes with a prerequisite
BIOL 215, Biostatistics, needs MATH 122, MATH 244, BIOL 210 or BIOL 211 first at Southwestern. STAT C1000 satisfies the same UCLA requirement by itself, so it's usually the quicker path.
Only one American politics option here
Southwestern lists just POLS C1000 for UCLA's American politics slot, with no honors alternative on this agreement. Take the standard section for a letter grade and it fills the requirement.
No AP or IB credit accepted here
UCLA's prep for this major doesn't accept AP American or Comparative Political Science, AP Statistics, or IB credit of any kind. PS 101, PS 104, POLS C1000, PS 103 and a statistics course still have to be taken at Southwestern.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What Southwestern classes count toward UCLA political science?
PS 101 for theory, PS 104 for world politics, POLS C1000 for American politics and PS 103 for comparative politics, plus STAT C1000 or BIOL 215 for statistics. Southwestern matches all six of UCLA's requirements.
Does Southwestern BIOL 215 need a prerequisite?
Yes. BIOL 215, Biostatistics, needs one of MATH 122, MATH 244, BIOL 210 or BIOL 211 first. STAT C1000 covers the same UCLA statistics requirement on its own.
What's not covered at Southwestern for UCLA political science?
Politics and Strategy sits unmatched at Southwestern, the sole gap on UCLA's intro list. It's not a problem in practice, since the group needs four of five and Southwestern's other four courses already qualify.
How selective is UCLA political science for transfers?
UCLA admitted 34% of all 2025 transfer applicants to Political Science, not Southwestern students specifically. Demand significantly exceeds space; UCLA expects at least three intro courses and one approved statistics course finished the spring before you transfer.
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Related Transfer Plans
Southwestern College students transferring into Political Science at UCLA can complete the required lower-division prep at Southwestern. PS 101, PS 104, POLS C1000 and PS 103 match UCLA's four intro political science courses, and STAT C1000 or BIOL 215 covers statistics, though BIOL 215 needs a prior course such as MATH 244 first. UCLA's fifth intro option, Politics and Strategy, has no Southwestern match, but it isn't needed once the other four are done. Transfermatic can plan around the faster path.
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