De Anza College to UCSD
Business Administration Transfer Plan
Quarter-by-quarter courses, IGETC requirements, and major prerequisites — verified from real articulation data.
From
De Anza College
To
UC San Diego
GPA Reality Check
UCSD's minimum transfer GPA is 2.4, but admitted transfer students average around 3.9. That's not a typo — there's a full grade point of daylight between the floor and the reality. For Management Science specifically, which is a selective major at the Rady School, your calculus, statistics, and economics courses carry the most weight in the eyes of reviewers. A B in MATH 1A can hurt you more than a B in an elective, so protect those grades.
Major Requirements
Management Science B.S. (Rady School of Management) Major Preparation
Management Science B.S. (Rady School of Management) at UC San Diego
Courses at De Anza College that satisfy UC San Diego's Business Administration major preparation, verified via ASSIST.org.
Students often confuse UCSD's Management Science B.S. at the Rady School with Economics or Cognitive Science. Management Science is quantitative and business-focused — it's distinct from UCSD's Economics B.A./B.S. (which lives in the Division of Social Sciences) and from Business Psychology tracks. If your goal is a traditional business degree, Management Science is the right target.
| Course at De Anza College | Satisfies at UCSD | Units |
|---|---|---|
| MATH 1A — Calculus | MATH 20A — Calculus for Science and Engineering | 5 |
| MATH 1B — Calculus | MATH 20B — Calculus for Science and Engineering | 5 |
| MATH 11 — Probability and Statistics | MATH 11 — Probability and Statistics for Engineering | 5 |
| ECON 1 — Macroeconomics | ECON 2 — Principles of Macroeconomics | 5 |
| ECON 2 — Microeconomics | ECON 1 — Principles of Microeconomics | 5 |
| ACCT 1A — Financial Accounting | MGT 4 — Financial Accounting | 5 |
General Education
IGETC at De Anza College
Complete IGETC at De Anza College to satisfy UC San Diego's lower-division GE requirements before transferring.
EWRT 1A
5 unitsEWRT 1B, PHIL 1
5 unitsMATH 10, MATH 11
5 unitsART 1A, DRAMA 10, MUS 1
4-5 unitsENGL 10, HIST 1, HUMN 1
4-5 unitsECON 1, ECON 2, PSYC 1, SOC 1
4-5 unitsCHEM 1A, PHYS 4A, ASTR 4
4-5 unitsBIOL 6A, BIOL 11
4-5 unitsSPAN 1, FREN 1, JAPN 1, CHNS 1
5 units| Area | Course options at De Anza College | Units |
|---|---|---|
| 1A: English Composition | EWRT 1A | 5 |
| 1B: Critical Thinking and Composition | EWRT 1B, PHIL 1 | 5 |
| 2: Mathematical Concepts and Quantitative Reasoning | MATH 10, MATH 11 | 5 |
| 3A: Arts | ART 1A, DRAMA 10, MUS 1 | 4-5 |
| 3B: Humanities | ENGL 10, HIST 1, HUMN 1 | 4-5 |
| 4: Social and Behavioral Sciences | ECON 1, ECON 2, PSYC 1, SOC 1 | 4-5 |
| 5A: Physical Sciences | CHEM 1A, PHYS 4A, ASTR 4 | 4-5 |
| 5B: Biological Sciences | BIOL 6A, BIOL 11 | 4-5 |
| 6: Language Other Than English | SPAN 1, FREN 1, JAPN 1, CHNS 1 | 5 |
MATH 1A → MATH 1B
MATH 1B requires completion of MATH 1A — you cannot take them simultaneously. If you wait until your second quarter to start MATH 1A, you'll push MATH 1B to your third quarter at the earliest, which can leave you scrambling to complete all required major prep before the application deadline.
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
UCSD Does Not Offer TAG — Plan Ahead
Tag (Transfer Admission Guarantee) is only available at six UC campuses: Davis, Irvine, Merced, Riverside, Santa Barbara, and Santa Cruz. UC San Diego is not on that list. If you were counting on a guaranteed admission safety net for UCSD, you don't have one — so your application and GPA need to stand on their own. Apply to a TAG-eligible campus as a backup if you want a guaranteed option.
Don't Double-Dip Calculus and Stats in One Term
MATH 1A and MATH 11 are both required for the Rady Management Science major prep, and both are 5-unit courses with real workload. Stacking them in the same quarter is a recipe for a grade slide in both — and these are exactly the courses UCSD reviewers scrutinize most. Spread them across separate quarters and take one at full effort.
ECON 1 and ECON 2 Double as IGETC Area 4
Both ECON 1 (Macroeconomics) and ECON 2 (Microeconomics) are required major prep courses and also satisfy IGETC Area 4 (Social and Behavioral Sciences). Take advantage of this overlap — it means you're not spending extra units on a standalone social science IGETC course. Map this out in your education plan from day one so you don't accidentally take a separate sociology or psychology course for Area 4 before realizing ECON already covers it.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What GPA do I need to transfer from De Anza College to UC San Diego for Business Administration?
UCSD's official minimum transfer GPA is 2.4 for California residents, but that number is misleading. Admitted transfer students average around 3.9, and Management Science at the Rady School is a selective major with even higher competition. Aim for at least a 3.7, and make sure your grades in MATH 1A, ECON 1, and ACCT 1A are strong — those are the courses reviewers look at most closely.
Does De Anza College have a TAG agreement with UC San Diego?
No — UC San Diego does not participate in the Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) program. TAG is only available at UC Davis, UC Irvine, UC Merced, UC Riverside, UC Santa Barbara, and UC Santa Cruz. If you want a guaranteed admission option, you'd need to TAG to one of those six campuses and apply to UCSD through the regular process simultaneously.
Which De Anza courses satisfy UCSD Management Science major prep?
The core lower-division prep courses are MATH 1A and MATH 1B (Calculus), MATH 11 (Probability and Statistics), ECON 1 (Macroeconomics), ECON 2 (Microeconomics), and ACCT 1A (Financial Accounting). Always verify the current agreement at assist.org under the De Anza → UCSD Management Science path, since articulation agreements can update year to year.
Can I use IGETC to satisfy general education requirements when transferring from De Anza to UC San Diego?
Yes — IGETC is accepted at UCSD for most of its residential colleges, including Muir, Marshall, Warren, Roosevelt, Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth. If you're placed in Revelle College, there are additional math and science requirements beyond standard IGETC that must be completed before or after transfer. Have De Anza send your official IGETC certification directly to UCSD Admissions once you've completed all required areas.
How many applicants transfer to UC San Diego every year, and what are the odds?
For Fall 2025, UCSD received 23,441 transfer applications and admitted 12,355, resulting in an overall transfer admit rate of about 52.7%. That's higher than UCSD's freshman admit rate of 28.4%, but Management Science is a selective major and will be more competitive than the campus average. Having completed your major prep courses — especially MATH 1A, ECON 1, and ACCT 1A — with strong grades significantly improves your odds.
Explore More
Related Transfer Plans
Planning your transfer from De Anza College to UC San Diego as a Business Administration student means navigating a layered process — and getting the details right early makes a real difference. The target program at UCSD is the Management Science B.S. at the Rady School of Management, a selective major that screens applicants on both GPA and completion of lower-division major prerequisites. For the 2025 application cycle, UC San Diego received 23,441 transfer applications and admitted approximately 52.7% — but that campus-wide figure masks the tighter competition for selective majors like Management Science. Admitted transfer students carry an average GPA around 3.9, which means that meeting the 2.4 minimum requirement won't come close to making you competitive. At De Anza College, your transfer planning should center on completing the articulated major prep sequence: MATH 1A and MATH 1B for Calculus, MATH 11 for Probability and Statistics, ECON 1 and ECON 2 for the economics requirement, and ACCT 1A for Financial Accounting. These courses map directly to UCSD's lower-division preparation requirements per the ASSIST articulation agreement between De Anza and UC San Diego. On the GE side, IGETC is accepted at UCSD for most of its residential colleges, and a smart move is to double-count ECON 1 and ECON 2 toward both your major prerequisites and IGETC Area 4, saving you several units. Unlike some UC campuses, UCSD does not participate in the Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) program, so there's no shortcut — your application stands on its own. Tools like Pipeline can help you build a personalized quarter-by-quarter plan that sequences your major prep courses correctly, tracks IGETC completion, and keeps your application timeline on track, so nothing falls through the cracks between now and your transfer date.
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