De Anza College to UCSD
Nursing 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
The minimum UC GPA to apply is 2.4, but the mid-50% range for admitted transfer students at UCSD was 3.55–3.94 for Fall 2025 — and that's across all majors. Pre-nursing is among the most competitive health science tracks anywhere in California, so realistically you want your science GPA (CHEM 1A, BIOL 6A, BIOL 40A, and BIOL 26 especially) as close to a 4.0 as possible. A single C in a science course doesn't disqualify you from UCSD, but it can significantly hurt your chances at impacted BSN programs — many rank applicants by science GPA.
Major Requirements
Pre-Nursing Preparation (BS Nursing pathway — degree conferred at partner institutions such as SDSU, Samuel Merritt University, or Point Loma Nazarene) Major Preparation
Pre-Nursing Preparation (BS Nursing pathway — degree conferred at partner institutions such as SDSU, Samuel Merritt University, or Point Loma Nazarene) at UC San Diego
Courses at De Anza College that satisfy UC San Diego's Nursing major preparation, verified via ASSIST.org.
UC San Diego does not offer a standalone undergraduate B.S. in Nursing. Students who complete pre-nursing prerequisites at De Anza typically apply to BSN programs at SDSU, Samuel Merritt University, or Point Loma Nazarene University. Students sometimes confuse UCSD's pre-nursing advising track with UC Irvine's 'Nursing Science B.S.' — those are two different paths at two different campuses.
| Course at De Anza College | Satisfies at UCSD | Units |
|---|---|---|
| BIOL 6A — Form and Function in the Biological World | BILD 1 — The Cell | 6 |
| BIOL 6B — Cell and Molecular Biology | BILD 2 — Multicellular Life | 6 |
| BIOL 6C — Ecology and Evolution | BILD 3 — Organismic and Evolutionary Biology | 6 |
| BIOL 40A — Human Anatomy and Physiology | Human Anatomy prerequisite for nursing programs (no direct UCSD upper-div equiv; required by BSN programs) | 5 |
| BIOL 26 — Intro Microbiology | Microbiology prerequisite for nursing programs (BIMM 120 equivalent area) | 5 |
| CHEM 1A — General Chemistry | CHEM 6A — General Chemistry I | 5 |
| CHEM 1B — General Chemistry | CHEM 6B — General Chemistry II | 5 |
| CHEM 1C — General Chemistry and Qualitative Analysis | CHEM 6C — General Chemistry III | 5 |
| MATH 10 — Introductory Statistics | Statistics prerequisite for nursing programs (MATH 11 / PSYC 60 area) | 5 |
| PSYC 1 — General Psychology | PSYC 1 — Introduction to Psychology | 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 (also listed as ENGL C1000)
5 unitsEWRT 2 (also listed as ENGL C1001), EWRT 1B, PHIL 2
5 unitsMATH 10 (Introductory Statistics; also listed as STAT C1000), MATH 1A, MATH 11
5 unitsARTS 1A, MUSI 1A, THEA 1, F/TV 1
5 unitsPHIL 1, PHIL 2, HUMI 2, ELIT 10, HIST 6A
5 unitsPSYC 1 (General Psychology), SOC 1, POLI 1 (also listed as POLS C1000), ECON 1, ANTH 2
5 unitsCHEM 1A (General Chemistry — with lab), PHYS 2A, ASTR 4
5 unitsBIOL 6A (Form and Function in the Biological World — with lab), BIOL 6B, ANTH 1
6 unitsSPAN 2, SPAN 3, MAND 2, JAPN 2, FREN 2, SIGN 2 (any second-level or higher language course)
5 units| Area | Course options at De Anza College | Units |
|---|---|---|
| 1A: English Composition | EWRT 1A (also listed as ENGL C1000) | 5 |
| 1B: Critical Thinking / English Composition | EWRT 2 (also listed as ENGL C1001), EWRT 1B, PHIL 2 | 5 |
| 2: Mathematical Concepts and Quantitative Reasoning | MATH 10 (Introductory Statistics; also listed as STAT C1000), MATH 1A, MATH 11 | 5 |
| 3A: Arts | ARTS 1A, MUSI 1A, THEA 1, F/TV 1 | 5 |
| 3B: Humanities | PHIL 1, PHIL 2, HUMI 2, ELIT 10, HIST 6A | 5 |
| 4: Social and Behavioral Sciences | PSYC 1 (General Psychology), SOC 1, POLI 1 (also listed as POLS C1000), ECON 1, ANTH 2 | 5 |
| 5A: Physical Sciences | CHEM 1A (General Chemistry — with lab), PHYS 2A, ASTR 4 | 5 |
| 5B: Biological Sciences | BIOL 6A (Form and Function in the Biological World — with lab), BIOL 6B, ANTH 1 | 6 |
| 6: Language Other Than English | SPAN 2, SPAN 3, MAND 2, JAPN 2, FREN 2, SIGN 2 (any second-level or higher language course) | 5 |
CHEM 1A → BIOL 6A → BIOL 26
Chemistry must come before BIOL 6A, which must come before BIOL 26 (Intro Microbiology) — that's a three-course chain that spans at least three semesters. If you start chemistry late or retake a course, you risk running out of time to complete BIOL 26 before your transfer 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 an Undergraduate Nursing Degree
This is the most important thing to know: UC San Diego does not award a B.S. in Nursing to undergraduates. UCSD's career center guides pre-nursing students toward external BSN programs at schools like SDSU, Samuel Merritt University, and Point Loma Nazarene. If your goal is a BSN, build your plan around where you'll actually earn that degree, not just where you're transferring from De Anza.
Don't Start BIOL 6A Without Finishing CHEM 1A
De Anza enforces chemistry as a prerequisite for BIOL 6A (Form and Function in the Biological World). Students who delay CHEM 1A push every downstream course — BIOL 6B, BIOL 6C, and BIOL 26 — back by a semester or more. Start the chemistry sequence in your very first semester at De Anza to keep your entire science chain on track.
IGETC Saves You Time — But Submit the Certification
Completing the IGETC clears most lower-division GE requirements at UCSD's Muir, Marshall, Warren, Roosevelt, Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth Colleges. But the credit doesn't apply automatically — you must submit a request for certification to De Anza's Admissions and Records Office after receiving conditional admission. Missing this step means you'll be stuck completing those GE courses at UCSD on top of your already-packed nursing prerequisite load.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Does UC San Diego have a nursing major for transfer students from De Anza College?
UC San Diego does not offer an undergraduate B.S. in Nursing. Students at De Anza College who want a BSN typically use their time at De Anza to complete prerequisite courses like BIOL 6A, BIOL 26, and CHEM 1A before applying to BSN programs at schools such as SDSU or Samuel Merritt University. UCSD's career center provides pre-nursing advising but does not award the nursing degree.
What GPA do I need to transfer from De Anza College to UC San Diego?
The official UC minimum is a 2.4 GPA for California residents, but the mid-50% GPA range for admitted UCSD transfer students for Fall 2025 was 3.55–3.94. For health science and pre-nursing tracks, competition is especially stiff — aim as close to a 4.0 as possible in your science courses like CHEM 1A and BIOL 6A at De Anza.
Does De Anza College's BIOL 6A count toward nursing prerequisites?
Yes. BIOL 6A (Form and Function in the Biological World) at De Anza articulates to BILD 1 at UCSD and satisfies the general biology requirement used by most BSN programs. Note that De Anza requires CHEM 1A as a prerequisite before you can enroll in BIOL 6A, so plan chemistry first.
Can I use IGETC when transferring from De Anza College to UC San Diego?
Yes — IGETC is accepted at UCSD's Muir, Marshall, Warren, Roosevelt, Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth Colleges. Completing IGETC before you transfer clears most lower-division GE requirements so you can focus on your major courses after arriving at UCSD. You must request formal IGETC certification from De Anza's Admissions and Records Office after receiving conditional admission.
Is there a TAG or guaranteed admission program from De Anza College to UC San Diego?
No — UC San Diego does not participate in the UC Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) program. TAG is available only at UC Davis, UC Irvine, UC Merced, UC Riverside, UC Santa Barbara, and UC Santa Cruz. De Anza students applying to UCSD go through the standard competitive UC transfer process via the UC Application, submitted between October 1 and November 30.
Explore More
Related Transfer Plans
Planning your transfer from De Anza College to UC San Diego in a health science or pre-nursing track takes more upfront research than most students expect — and the earlier you start, the better your outcomes. De Anza College is consistently one of the top feeder schools to UC San Diego, with 158 students transferring to UCSD in a single recent year, and the overall UCSD transfer admit rate for Fall 2025 was 52.7% across 23,441 applicants. That number sounds encouraging, but UCSD transfer applicants admitted for Fall 2025 had a mid-50% GPA range of 3.55–3.94, and pre-nursing students need to be competitive at the high end of that range. One of the most important facts to know is that UC San Diego does not offer an undergraduate B.S. in Nursing — students use De Anza as preparation for BSN programs at schools like SDSU and Samuel Merritt University. That means your major prerequisites, including BIOL 6A (Form and Function in the Biological World), the full General Chemistry sequence (CHEM 1A, 1B, 1C), BIOL 26 (Intro Microbiology), and BIOL 40A (Human Anatomy and Physiology), must be completed with strong grades before you apply. Transfer planning at De Anza also involves completing IGETC — the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum — which clears most lower-division GE requirements at UCSD when you arrive. Use ASSIST.org to verify which De Anza courses articulate directly to UCSD equivalents for each major prerequisite, and verify with a De Anza counselor that your sequencing is correct. Tools like Pipeline help students map out a semester-by-semester plan that accounts for prerequisite chains, IGETC completion, and application deadlines — all in one personalized view — so nothing falls through the cracks on the way to becoming a Triton.
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