De Anza College to UC Berkeley
Psychology Transfer Plan
Quarter-by-quarter courses, IGETC requirements, and major prerequisites — verified from real articulation data.
From
De Anza College
To
UC Berkeley
PsychologyGPA Reality Check
UC Berkeley's published minimum GPA for transfer is 3.0, but the middle 50% of admitted students came in with GPAs between 3.61 and 3.96 for Fall 2025 — and Psychology is one of the more popular, competitive majors within Letters & Science. Your grades in the four lower-division psychology prerequisites (PSYC 1, PSYC 10, PSYC 6, and MATH 10) carry the most weight, so treat every one of those courses like it's the one that gets you in — because it might be.
UC Berkeley Pathways to Four-Year Universities
De Anza is an official partner campus in UC Berkeley's Pathways to Four-Year Universities program, which means UC Berkeley advisers come directly to campus to meet with you. This is not a guaranteed admission program like TAG — UC Berkeley does not participate in TAG — but it gives you a real edge in knowing exactly what Berkeley expects before you apply. Check the De Anza Transfer Center calendar for scheduled Berkeley adviser visits and book an appointment early, ideally in your first year.
Major Requirements
Psychology (College of Letters & Science, B.A.) Major Preparation
Psychology (College of Letters & Science, B.A.) at UC Berkeley
Courses at De Anza College that satisfy UC Berkeley's Psychology major preparation, verified via ASSIST.org.
UC Berkeley also offers Cognitive Science (L&S B.A.), which blends psychology, linguistics, philosophy, and computer science. Students interested in the brain-behavior intersection sometimes apply to the wrong one. If you're drawn to research in perception, memory, or language, verify which major fits your goals before you apply — switching after admission is difficult.
| Course at De Anza College | Satisfies at UC Berkeley | Units |
|---|---|---|
| PSYC 1 — General Psychology | PSYCH 1 — General Psychology | 5 |
| PSYC 10 — Biological Bases of Behavior | Biological Science prerequisite | 5 |
| PSYC 6 — Social Psychology | Social Science prerequisite | 5 |
| MATH 10 — Elementary Statistics | Statistics / Quantitative Reasoning prerequisite | 5 |
| No equivalent at De Anza College | PSYCH 101 — Research and Design Methods (upper-division, taken at UC Berkeley after transfer) | — |
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 |
PSYC 1 → PSYC 10 and PSYC 6
PSYC 1 (General Psychology) is a prerequisite for both PSYC 10 (Biological Bases of Behavior) and PSYC 6 (Social Psychology) at De Anza — if you don't take it first, you'll be blocked from enrolling in either course, leaving two of Berkeley's four lower-division prerequisites unfinished and potentially delaying your transfer by a full year.
De Anza runs quarters — UC Berkeley runs semesters
You'll need 90 quarter units at De Anza to meet UC Berkeley's transfer minimum, so plan your PSYC and MATH course sequence across Fall, Winter, and Spring quarters with the full three-quarter academic year in mind — don't assume a two-quarter sprint will be enough.
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
PSYCH 101 Has No CC Equivalent — Plan Accordingly
Berkeley's PSYCH 101 (Research and Design Methods) is an upper-division course taken after you arrive on campus — there is no De Anza equivalent that satisfies it before transfer. Some students waste time hunting for a research methods course to check off before applying; don't. Focus instead on nailing your four lower-division prerequisites — PSYC 1, PSYC 10, PSYC 6, and MATH 10 — all of which do have articulated De Anza equivalents.
Don't Skip the Berkeley Adviser Visits on Campus
Through the Pathways to Four-Year Universities program, UC Berkeley advisers visit De Anza and will review your specific course plan — for free, while you're still a community college student. Most students don't know this exists or assume it's only for students close to transferring. Book an appointment as early as your first quarter; the feedback you get on your PSYC 1 → PSYC 10 → PSYC 6 sequence alone can save you a wasted term.
Berkeley Runs Semesters — De Anza Runs Quarters
You're used to 11-week quarters at De Anza, but UC Berkeley's semester courses run about 15–16 weeks. The coursework doesn't get harder — it gets longer and slower to unfold. Plan to complete all 90 quarter units at De Anza before transfer, and mentally prepare for a pacing adjustment: at Berkeley, your first midterm in a psychology course may not come until week five or six.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What courses do I need to take at De Anza College to transfer to UC Berkeley Psychology?
The four lower-division prerequisites you can complete at De Anza are PSYC 1 (General Psychology), PSYC 10 (Biological Bases of Behavior), PSYC 6 (Social Psychology), and MATH 10 (Elementary Statistics). The fifth Berkeley Psychology prerequisite — PSYCH 101, Research and Design Methods — is upper-division and can only be taken after you arrive at Berkeley. All four De Anza courses must be taken for a letter grade, not Pass/No Pass.
What GPA do I need to transfer from De Anza to UC Berkeley as a Psychology major?
UC Berkeley's published minimum is a 3.0, but for Fall 2025 the middle 50% of all admitted transfer students had GPAs between 3.61 and 3.96. Psychology is among the more popular majors in the College of Letters & Science, so realistically you want to be at or above 3.7, with strong grades specifically in PSYC 1, PSYC 10, PSYC 6, and MATH 10.
Does UC Berkeley accept IGETC from De Anza College for the Psychology major?
Yes — the College of Letters & Science at UC Berkeley accepts full IGETC certification, and the De Anza Psychology transfer pathway is designed with IGETC in mind. You should aim for full certification, not partial, because Berkeley's L&S specifically requires full IGETC as part of its selection criteria. Request your IGETC certification from De Anza's Admissions and Records office after you complete all required areas.
Is there a transfer agreement between De Anza College and UC Berkeley?
UC Berkeley does not participate in the TAG (Transfer Admission Guarantee) program, so there is no guaranteed admission contract. However, De Anza is a partner campus in UC Berkeley's Pathways to Four-Year Universities program, which provides De Anza students with direct access to UC Berkeley advisers on campus. This is a significant advising resource, but it does not guarantee admission.
How competitive is the UC Berkeley Psychology transfer from De Anza compared to other majors?
The overall UC Berkeley transfer admit rate for Fall 2025 was 24% across all majors, with 23,322 students applying. Psychology is noted as one of the more popular and competitive majors within Letters & Science, which means the effective rate for declared Psychology applicants is likely lower than the campus average. Your lower-division prep GPA — especially in courses like PSYC 1 and MATH 10 — is the clearest signal you can send to admissions.
Explore More
Related Transfer Plans
Students at De Anza College in Cupertino who are planning to transfer to UC Berkeley as Psychology majors face one of the more competitive pathways in the California community college system. The overall UC Berkeley transfer admit rate for Fall 2025 was 24%, and Psychology — housed in UC Berkeley's College of Letters & Science — consistently draws a strong applicant pool, making careful transfer planning essential from day one. At De Anza, the four lower-division major prerequisites you can complete before transfer are PSYC 1 (General Psychology), PSYC 10 (Biological Bases of Behavior), PSYC 6 (Social Psychology), and MATH 10 (Elementary Statistics), all of which are articulated to UC Berkeley's Psychology prerequisite requirements via ASSIST.org. Notably, Berkeley's fifth prerequisite — PSYCH 101, Research and Design Methods — is an upper-division course taken on campus after transfer, and no De Anza equivalent exists to satisfy it in advance. IGETC is accepted for this major, and because UC Berkeley's College of Letters & Science specifically requires full IGETC certification, De Anza students should plan their GE coursework to achieve complete certification before they apply. De Anza is also a partner campus in the UC Berkeley Pathways to Four-Year Universities program, giving students free access to Berkeley advisers on campus — a resource most students underuse. Because De Anza operates on quarters and UC Berkeley runs on semesters, you'll need 90 quarter units to meet transfer eligibility, and your sequencing across three-quarter academic years matters more than students often expect. Tools like Pipeline can help you build a personalized, quarter-by-quarter plan that maps every major prerequisite and IGETC requirement to a specific term, so nothing falls through the cracks on your path from De Anza to UC Berkeley.
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