De Anza College to UCI
Computer Science Transfer Plan
Quarter-by-quarter courses, IGETC requirements, and major prerequisites — verified from real articulation data.
From
De Anza College
To
UC Irvine
GPA Reality Check
UCI's minimum GPA for transfer eligibility is 2.4, but the median GPA for admitted transfer students from California community colleges is 3.77 — and Computer Science is one of the most competitive majors on campus, with an admit rate around 21%. Your major prep GPA carries the most weight here, meaning your grades in courses like MATH 1A, MATH 1B, CIS 22A, and CIS 22B are what admissions is scrutinizing most closely. A 3.0 gets you in the door for the TAG application; realistically, you want to be at 3.5 or above — and closer to 3.7 or higher — to be genuinely competitive for a CS admit.
Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG)
The Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) is a contractual agreement between De Anza College and UC Irvine — if you meet all the requirements, UCI is obligated to admit you. For CS in the Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences, you need a minimum 3.0 GPA in your required coursework and the TAG coursework in progress or completed. Submit your TAG application by September 30, then follow up with your full UC application between October 1 and November 30 — and make absolutely sure the major listed on both applications is identical.
Major Requirements
Computer Science B.S. — Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences Major Preparation
Computer Science B.S. — Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences at UC Irvine
Courses at De Anza College that satisfy UC Irvine's Computer Science major preparation, verified via ASSIST.org.
UCI's Bren School offers several programs students commonly mix up: Informatics (focuses on the human and social side of computing), Computer Science and Engineering (housed in the Samueli School of Engineering — a different school with different prereqs and no TAG eligibility), and Data Science. If you're applying for CS in the Bren School, make sure your TAG and UC application both say 'Computer Science' under the Bren School — not CS&E, which is an engineering program with stricter prereqs and no TAG.
| Course at De Anza College | Satisfies at UCI | Units |
|---|---|---|
| CIS 22A — C++ Programming Fundamentals | ICS 31 — Introduction into Programming | 4.5 |
| CIS 22B — Intermediate C++ Programming | ICS 32 — Programming with Software Libraries | 4.5 |
| CIS 35A — Java Programming | ICS 33 — Intermediate Programming | 4.5 |
| CIS 36A — Introduction to Computer Architecture | ICS 51 — Introductory Computer Organization | 4 |
| MATH 1A — Calculus | MATH 2A — Single-Variable Calculus I | 5 |
| MATH 1B — Calculus | MATH 2B — Single-Variable Calculus II | 5 |
| MATH 1C — Calculus | MATH 2D — Multivariable Calculus | 5 |
| MATH 1D — Calculus | MATH 2E — Vector Calculus | 5 |
| MATH 2A — Differential Equations | MATH 3D — Elementary Differential Equations | 5 |
| MATH 2B — Linear Algebra | MATH 3A — Introduction to Linear Algebra | 5 |
General Education
IGETC at De Anza College
Complete IGETC at De Anza College to satisfy UC Irvine's lower-division GE requirements before transferring.
ENGL C1000 (formerly EWRT 1A), ENGL C1000H (Honors)
5 unitsENGL C1001 (formerly EWRT 2), ENGL C1001H (Honors), PHIL 1, PHIL 1H
5 unitsMATH 1A, MATH 1AH, MATH 1B, MATH 1C, MATH 1D, MATH 2A, MATH 2B, STAT C1000 (formerly MATH 10)
4-5 unitsARTS 1A, ARTS 2A, MUSI 1A, THEA 1, F/TV 1
4-5 unitsENGL C1001 (formerly EWRT 2), ELIT 1, ELIT 3, HIST 1, HIST 2, PHIL 1, INTL 21
4-5 unitsECON 1, ECON 2, POLI 1, PSYC 1, SOCI 1, HIST 17A, HIST 17B, HIST 17C
4-5 unitsPHYS 4A (with lab), PHYS 2A, CHEM 1A, ASTR 10
4-5 unitsBIOL 6A, BIOL 10, ANTH 1, BIOL 15
4-5 unitsSPAN 2 or 3, MAND 2 or 3, JAPN 2 or 3, FREN 2 or 3, KORE 2 or 3, VIET 2 or 3 (or demonstrated two-year high school proficiency on file at De Anza)
4-5 units| Area | Course options at De Anza College | Units |
|---|---|---|
| 1A: English Composition | ENGL C1000 (formerly EWRT 1A), ENGL C1000H (Honors) | 5 |
| 1B: Critical Thinking / English Composition | ENGL C1001 (formerly EWRT 2), ENGL C1001H (Honors), PHIL 1, PHIL 1H | 5 |
| 2: Mathematical Concepts and Quantitative Reasoning | MATH 1A, MATH 1AH, MATH 1B, MATH 1C, MATH 1D, MATH 2A, MATH 2B, STAT C1000 (formerly MATH 10) | 4-5 |
| 3A: Arts | ARTS 1A, ARTS 2A, MUSI 1A, THEA 1, F/TV 1 | 4-5 |
| 3B: Humanities | ENGL C1001 (formerly EWRT 2), ELIT 1, ELIT 3, HIST 1, HIST 2, PHIL 1, INTL 21 | 4-5 |
| 4: Social and Behavioral Sciences | ECON 1, ECON 2, POLI 1, PSYC 1, SOCI 1, HIST 17A, HIST 17B, HIST 17C | 4-5 |
| 5A: Physical Sciences | PHYS 4A (with lab), PHYS 2A, CHEM 1A, ASTR 10 | 4-5 |
| 5B: Biological Sciences | BIOL 6A, BIOL 10, ANTH 1, BIOL 15 | 4-5 |
| 6: Language Other Than English | SPAN 2 or 3, MAND 2 or 3, JAPN 2 or 3, FREN 2 or 3, KORE 2 or 3, VIET 2 or 3 (or demonstrated two-year high school proficiency on file at De Anza) | 4-5 |
CIS 22A → CIS 22B → CIS 35A
These three programming courses must be taken in order — each is a prerequisite for the next — and together they cover three consecutive quarters at minimum. Delaying your start in CIS 22A can push your entire programming prep into a timeline that doesn't finish before transfer, which weakens your application significantly.
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
Don't confuse Bren CS with CS&E
Computer Science (Bren School) and Computer Science and Engineering (Samueli School of Engineering) are two completely different programs at UCI. The engineering version has stricter prereqs, a different GE path, and is NOT eligible for the TAG program. When you fill out your TAG application and UC application, confirm you are selecting 'Computer Science' under the Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences — not the engineering variant.
Start MATH 1A your very first quarter
The calculus sequence at De Anza — MATH 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, 2A, 2B — is long, and you cannot skip ahead. Waiting even one quarter to start MATH 1A can cascade into a delayed timeline across every downstream math and programming course. Enroll in MATH 1A in your first Fall quarter at De Anza, no exceptions.
IGETC won't cover all your units — plan accordingly
UCI accepts IGETC for Bren School CS, but the major prep courses for CS are so unit-heavy that you'll likely hit or exceed the 90-unit transfer maximum before you can finish both IGETC and all the programming prerequisites. Talk to a De Anza counselor early about which IGETC courses overlap with major prep (like PHYS 4A for Area 5A) so you're not burning units on duplicative coursework.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What GPA do I need to transfer from De Anza College to UC Irvine for Computer Science?
UCI's minimum GPA for transfer eligibility is 2.4 for California residents, but the median GPA for admitted transfer students from California community colleges is 3.77. Computer Science is one of UCI's most competitive majors with an admit rate around 21%, so you want to aim as high as possible — especially in your CIS and MATH courses, which admissions weighs most heavily.
Does the UCI TAG program apply to Computer Science students from De Anza?
Yes — Computer Science in UCI's Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences is eligible for the Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG). You need to meet the minimum 3.0 GPA requirement in your required coursework and submit your TAG application by September 30. Be aware that the CS and Engineering version (CS&E) is NOT TAG-eligible, so double-check which program you're applying to.
What courses do I need to take at De Anza College to prepare for Computer Science at UCI?
The core lower-division prep includes the programming sequence — CIS 22A, CIS 22B, and CIS 35A (which map to ICS 31, 32, and 33 at UCI) — plus CIS 36A for computer organization, and the calculus sequence MATH 1A through MATH 1D plus MATH 2A and 2B. Check the current ASSIST.org articulation agreement between De Anza and UCI each year, since course mappings can change.
Should I complete IGETC before transferring from De Anza to UCI for CS?
IGETC is accepted by UCI's Bren School for Computer Science, so completing it can save you from taking lower-division GE courses after transfer. That said, CS has extensive major prep requirements, and you only have 90 quarter units to work with before transfer — look for overlap between IGETC and your major prep (for example, PHYS 4A satisfies both IGETC Area 5A and is highly recommended for CS) to avoid spending units on courses that don't pull double duty.
How many De Anza students transfer to UC Irvine each year?
In 2022-23, De Anza College students sent 134 transfer students to UC Irvine, making it one of the top UC transfer destinations from De Anza. De Anza consistently ranks as one of the top community colleges in California for UC transfers overall, with 1,546 UC applicants and 1,264 UC admits in 2022-23 across all majors and campuses.
Explore More
Related Transfer Plans
Transferring from De Anza College to UC Irvine as a Computer Science major is one of the most competitive pathways in the California community college transfer system — but with the right transfer planning, it's absolutely achievable. The Computer Science B.S. program at UCI lives in the Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences, and it carries a major-specific admit rate of around 21%, well below UCI's overall transfer acceptance rate of roughly 40%. The median GPA for admitted California community college transfer students at UCI is 3.77, making your performance in major prerequisites like CIS 22A (C++ Programming Fundamentals), CIS 22B, and the calculus sequence MATH 1A through MATH 1D critically important — these courses are what the admissions team is looking at most closely. One significant advantage for De Anza College students is the Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG), a contractual agreement with UCI that guarantees admission if you meet the GPA and course requirements; CS in the Bren School is TAG-eligible, which is a real edge over students applying through the general process. In terms of general education, IGETC is accepted for this program, and completing it before transfer lets you skip most lower-division GE coursework after you arrive at Irvine. IGETC at De Anza College covers areas including English Composition (ENGL C1000), Critical Thinking (ENGL C1001), math, arts, humanities, social sciences, sciences, and a Language Other Than English requirement. Tools like Pipeline help students build personalized, quarter-by-quarter transfer plans that account for prerequisite chains, unit caps, and IGETC completion — so nothing falls through the cracks. De Anza College is consistently one of the top community college feeders into the UC system, and with careful planning, UCI Computer Science is well within reach.
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