De Anza College to UC Berkeley
Nursing Transfer Plan
Quarter-by-quarter courses, IGETC requirements, and major prerequisites — verified from real articulation data.
From
De Anza College
To
UC Berkeley
NursingGPA Reality Check
UC Berkeley's published minimum GPA for transfer applicants is 3.0, but admitted students in 2025 had a mid-50th percentile range of 3.61–3.96 — meaning half of admitted students were above a 3.96. For nursing-track applicants, the science GPA in courses like BIOL 40A (Human Anatomy), BIOL 40B (Human Physiology), and BIOL 26 (Microbiology) carries the most weight because BSN programs and the UC Berkeley Extension NPP use those grades as the primary filter. A 3.0 makes you eligible to apply. A 3.7 or higher in your sciences is what makes you genuinely competitive.
UC Berkeley Pathways to Four-Year Universities
De Anza is an official partner campus in the UC Berkeley Pathways to Four-Year Universities program, which means visiting UC Berkeley advisers come to campus specifically to work with De Anza students. They will review your exact course plan, help you decide if a UC Berkeley Summer Sessions course makes sense for your timeline, and connect you with the most current admissions criteria. Visit the De Anza Transfer Center to book your Pathways advising session — it's free, and the information you get is straight from Berkeley's own staff.
Major Requirements
Nursing Preparatory Program (UC Berkeley Extension — Pre-Nursing Certificate leading to BSN) Major Preparation
Nursing Preparatory Program (UC Berkeley Extension — Pre-Nursing Certificate leading to BSN) at UC Berkeley
Courses at De Anza College that satisfy UC Berkeley's Nursing major preparation, verified via ASSIST.org.
UC Berkeley's main campus does not offer a traditional undergraduate Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) for transfer students. The pathway through UC Berkeley is the Nursing Preparatory Program (NPP) at UC Berkeley Extension — a certificate program that completes your lower-division science prerequisites and connects you to BSN programs, including a formal linkage to Samuel Merritt University. Students who want a UC-campus nursing degree should also research UCSF's MEPN (Master's Entry Program in Nursing) or CSU programs with direct BSN transfer tracks like Cal State East Bay or San Jose State.
| Course at De Anza College | Satisfies at UC Berkeley | Units |
|---|---|---|
| BIOL 6A — Cellular and Molecular Biology | General Biology — lower-division biology requirement for nursing prerequisites | 5 |
| CHEM 1A — General Chemistry | General Chemistry with lab — lower-division chemistry requirement | 5 |
| BIOL 40A — Human Anatomy | Human Anatomy — required prerequisite for nursing programs | 5 |
| BIOL 40B — Human Physiology | Human Physiology — required prerequisite for nursing programs | 5 |
| BIOL 26 — Microbiology | Microbiology with lab — required prerequisite for nursing programs | 5 |
| MATH 10 — Elementary Statistics | Statistics — required prerequisite for nursing programs | 5 |
| PSYC 1 — General Psychology | Introduction to Psychology — behavioral science requirement | 5 |
| SOC 1 — Introduction to Sociology | Introduction to Sociology — social science requirement | 5 |
| No equivalent at De Anza College | Nutrition — required prerequisite for most BSN programs; no standalone Nutrition course articulated at De Anza | — |
Courses with no equivalent must be taken at UC Berkeley after transfer. Factor this into your first-year course plan.
General Education
Foundation GE at De Anza College
Complete these five courses at De Anza College to start your UC Berkeley 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 10
Introductory Biology
CHEM 10
Introductory Chemistry
HIST 17A
History of the United States to Early National Era
ENGL C1000
Academic Reading and Writing
ENGL C1001
Critical Thinking and Writing
| Area | Course at De Anza College | Units |
|---|---|---|
Life Science | BIOL 10 — Introductory Biology | 5 |
Physical Science | CHEM 10 — Introductory Chemistry | 5 |
Humanities | HIST 17A — History of the United States to Early National Era | 4 |
English CompositionCCN | ENGL C1000 — Academic Reading and Writing | 5 |
Critical ThinkingCCN | ENGL C1001 — Critical Thinking and Writing | 5 |
BIOL 40A → BIOL 40B (Anatomy before Physiology)
Human Anatomy (BIOL 40A) is a formal prerequisite for Human Physiology (BIOL 40B) at De Anza — you cannot take both in the same quarter. Since both courses are required for virtually every BSN program, delaying the start of BIOL 40A by one quarter pushes back your entire nursing prerequisite timeline by at least two quarters.
De Anza runs on quarters — UC Berkeley runs on semesters
De Anza's quarter system moves fast — each quarter is about 11 weeks, so a course like BIOL 40A (Human Anatomy) covers the same material in less time than it would in a 16-week semester; budget more weekly study hours per course than you might expect.
Preview
Your First Quarter
A preview of what Pipeline generates — exact courses, in the right order, every quarter.
Watch Out
Common Mistakes for This Transfer Path
De Anza Has No Nutrition Course — Plan Ahead
De Anza College does not currently offer a standalone Nutrition course with a published articulation to UC Berkeley's nursing prerequisite list. Most BSN programs, including the UC Berkeley Extension Nursing Preparatory Program, require Nutrition as a distinct prerequisite. You'll need to take it at another institution — Foothill College's NUTR 1 (Introduction to Nutrition) is a nearby option that is UC-transferable — or plan to complete it through UC Berkeley Extension itself.
Berkeley Has No Traditional BSN Transfer Major
UC Berkeley's main campus does not offer a Bachelor of Science in Nursing that community college students transfer into — this surprises a lot of De Anza students who list 'Nursing' on their UC application. The actual pathway is through UC Berkeley Extension's Nursing Preparatory Program, which is a certificate program with a formal linkage to Samuel Merritt University's BSN. If your goal is a UC-campus nursing degree, research UCSF's graduate entry programs or CSU campuses like San Jose State, which has a direct BSN transfer track.
Anatomy and Physiology Must Be Sequential — Not Concurrent
At De Anza, BIOL 40A (Human Anatomy) is a hard prerequisite for BIOL 40B (Human Physiology) — you cannot take them in the same quarter. Since these two courses together represent two full quarters of your timeline, starting BIOL 40A no later than your second quarter at De Anza is critical. Students who wait until their second year to start the A&P sequence routinely find themselves applying with an incomplete prereq list.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I transfer from De Anza College to UC Berkeley for Nursing?
UC Berkeley's main campus does not offer a traditional undergraduate BSN (Bachelor of Science in Nursing) that community college students transfer into. The nursing pathway at Berkeley runs through UC Berkeley Extension's Nursing Preparatory Program, which helps students complete lower-division science prerequisites — including courses equivalent to De Anza's BIOL 40A (Human Anatomy) and BIOL 26 (Microbiology) — and then connects them to accredited BSN programs. If you want to transfer as a nursing major directly, CSU campuses like San Jose State offer direct BSN transfer tracks.
What GPA do I need to transfer from De Anza College to UC Berkeley?
UC Berkeley's published minimum GPA for all transfer applicants is 3.0, but the mid-50th percentile GPA range for admitted transfer students in 2025 was 3.61–3.96. For nursing-track applicants, your grades in science courses like BIOL 40A, BIOL 40B, and BIOL 26 at De Anza carry the most weight. A 3.0 makes you eligible to apply; a 3.7 or higher in your sciences is what makes you genuinely competitive.
Does De Anza College have a TAG agreement with UC Berkeley?
No — UC Berkeley does not participate in the Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) program. The six UC campuses that offer TAG are Davis, Irvine, Merced, Riverside, Santa Barbara, and Santa Cruz. What De Anza does have with UC Berkeley is the Pathways to Four-Year Universities partnership, which gives De Anza students access to visiting UC Berkeley advisers who will help you build a personalized course plan. Visit the De Anza Transfer Center to schedule your Pathways advising appointment.
Does De Anza have all the nursing prerequisites for UC Berkeley Extension's Nursing Preparatory Program?
Almost — but not quite. De Anza covers the core science prerequisites including BIOL 40A (Human Anatomy), BIOL 40B (Human Physiology), BIOL 26 (Microbiology), and CHEM 1A (General Chemistry). However, De Anza does not currently offer a standalone Nutrition course with a UC-transferable articulation, which most BSN programs and the Berkeley Extension NPP require. You'll need to take Nutrition at a neighboring college like Foothill or complete it through UC Berkeley Extension.
What is the UC Berkeley Pathways to Four-Year Universities program and how does it help De Anza students?
The Pathways to Four-Year Universities program makes De Anza an official partner campus of UC Berkeley, meaning actual UC Berkeley advisers visit De Anza to work with students one-on-one. They'll map out exactly which courses you need, tell you whether a UC Berkeley Summer Sessions course could strengthen your application, and give you current admissions information directly from Berkeley's own staff. To participate, visit the De Anza Transfer Center and ask to schedule a Pathways advising appointment — it costs nothing and can save you from taking the wrong courses.
Explore More
Related Transfer Plans
Navigating the nursing pathway from De Anza College to UC Berkeley requires understanding one critical fact that most transfer guides gloss over: UC Berkeley's main campus does not offer a traditional undergraduate Bachelor of Science in Nursing that community college students transfer into. Instead, the nursing route at Berkeley runs through UC Berkeley Extension's Nursing Preparatory Program (NPP), a structured certificate program designed for students completing lower-division science prerequisites before applying to accredited BSN programs. Transfer planning for this pathway means completing a specific set of science courses at De Anza College, including BIOL 40A (Human Anatomy), BIOL 40B (Human Physiology), BIOL 26 (Microbiology), CHEM 1A (General Chemistry), and MATH 10 (Elementary Statistics). One important gap specific to De Anza: the college does not currently offer a standalone, UC-transferable Nutrition course, which is required by most BSN programs and by the Berkeley Extension NPP — you'll need to complete this at a neighboring institution or through Extension itself. IGETC is accepted for the Letters and Science college at UC Berkeley, making it a useful GE strategy for students keeping their transfer options open across multiple UC campuses. The overall UC Berkeley transfer admit rate for Fall 2025 was 24%, with admitted students showing a mid-50th percentile GPA of 3.61–3.96; for science-heavy nursing prerequisites, staying at or above 3.7 in your major prep courses is the real target. De Anza is also a partner campus in the UC Berkeley Pathways to Four-Year Universities program, giving students direct access to Berkeley advisers on campus. Tools like Pipeline help students at De Anza build personalized plans that account for prerequisite chains, missing courses like Nutrition, and the quarter-to-semester calendar difference when mapping out a realistic transfer timeline.
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