De Anza College to UCSD
Psychology 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 for California residents, but the average admitted transfer student comes in right around 3.9. That gap is real, and for Psychology specifically, your science and math courses carry the most weight — admissions reviewers will look hard at how you performed in calculus and biology, because those are the exact courses that signal whether you're ready for UCSD's research-focused curriculum. A 3.5 in those classes won't sink you, but anything below that in your major prep courses will make an already competitive pool even harder to crack.
Major Requirements
Psychology (B.S.) Major Preparation
Psychology (B.S.) at UC San Diego
Courses at De Anza College that satisfy UC San Diego's Psychology major preparation, verified via ASSIST.org.
UCSD offers several programs students confuse with Psychology. Cognitive Science (also in the Division of Social Sciences) overlaps heavily with Psychology but emphasizes computation, linguistics, and neuroscience — it's a separate major with its own prep. Human Developmental Sciences focuses on development across the lifespan and lives in a different department entirely. If your goal is clinical or counseling work, Psychology B.S. is the right pick; if you're drawn to AI, language, or brain-mind questions, Cognitive Science may fit better.
| 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 10 — Elementary Statistics | PSYC 60 — Statistics | 5 |
| BIOL 6A — Biological Concepts: Molecules, Cells, and Physiology | BILD 1 — The Cell (Biological Science requirement) | 5 |
| BIOL 6B — Biological Concepts: Evolution, Biodiversity, and Ecology | BILD 2 — Multicellular Life (Biological Science requirement) | 5 |
| No equivalent at De Anza College | CSE 3 or CSE 8A — Computer Programming (Formal Skills / Computer Programming requirement) | — |
Courses with no equivalent must be taken at UC San Diego after transfer. Factor this into your first-year course plan.
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 or EWRT 1AH
5 unitsEWRT 1B, EWRT 1BH, or PHIL 1A
5 unitsMATH 1A, MATH 10, MATH 11, MATH 22, or MATH 31
5 unitsART 1A, MUS 1, or THTR 1
3 unitsELIT 6, HIST 1A, HIST 4A, or PHIL 1C
3-5 unitsPSYC C1000 (formerly PSYC 1), SOC 1, ANTH 1, or POLS C1000 (formerly POLI 1)
4-5 unitsCHEM 1A (with lab), PHYS 4A (with lab), or ASTR 4/15L
5 unitsBIOL 6A (with lab), BIOL 6B, BIOL 10, or ANTH 1/1L
5 unitsSPAN 1, FREN 1, JAPN 1, CHIN 1, or demonstrated proficiency from high school
5 units| Area | Course options at De Anza College | Units |
|---|---|---|
| 1A: English Composition | EWRT 1A or EWRT 1AH | 5 |
| 1B: Critical Thinking and Composition | EWRT 1B, EWRT 1BH, or PHIL 1A | 5 |
| 2: Mathematical Concepts and Quantitative Reasoning | MATH 1A, MATH 10, MATH 11, MATH 22, or MATH 31 | 5 |
| 3A: Arts | ART 1A, MUS 1, or THTR 1 | 3 |
| 3B: Humanities | ELIT 6, HIST 1A, HIST 4A, or PHIL 1C | 3-5 |
| 4: Social and Behavioral Sciences | PSYC C1000 (formerly PSYC 1), SOC 1, ANTH 1, or POLS C1000 (formerly POLI 1) | 4-5 |
| 5A: Physical Sciences | CHEM 1A (with lab), PHYS 4A (with lab), or ASTR 4/15L | 5 |
| 5B: Biological Sciences | BIOL 6A (with lab), BIOL 6B, BIOL 10, or ANTH 1/1L | 5 |
| 6: Language Other Than English | SPAN 1, FREN 1, JAPN 1, CHIN 1, or demonstrated proficiency from high school | 5 |
MATH 1A → MATH 1B → Transfer Ready
UCSD's Psychology B.S. requires completion of both MATH 1A and MATH 1B (calculus sequence) before transfer, and they must be taken in order — you cannot register for MATH 1B without first passing MATH 1A. Start MATH 1A in Fall quarter of your first year; any later and you risk arriving at UCSD still owing a lower-division calculus requirement that delays every subsequent science course.
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 Psych Has No Intro Psych Requirement
A lot of transfer students assume they need to knock out a general psychology course like PSYC C1000 for their major prep — but UCSD's Psychology B.S. has zero lower-division psychology lecture requirements. PSYC C1000 is still worth taking because it counts toward IGETC Area 4, but it does nothing for your major prep GPA at UCSD. Put your energy into MATH 1A, MATH 10, and the BIOL 6 series instead.
Computer Programming Has No De Anza Equivalent
UCSD's Psychology B.S. requires a computer programming course — either CSE 3 or CSE 8A — and De Anza College has no articulated equivalent for this requirement as of the current ASSIST agreement. That means you'll take this course after you arrive at UCSD. Budget for it in your first-year plan on campus so it doesn't block your upper-division coursework.
Start Calculus Fall Quarter — No Exceptions
MATH 1A is the first link in a two-course calculus chain that UCSD requires for the Psychology B.S., and both MATH 1A and MATH 1B need to be done before transfer. If you push MATH 1A to Winter or Spring quarter of your first year, the sequence almost certainly won't be finished by the time you apply. Enroll in MATH 1A your very first quarter at De Anza, even if math isn't your strongest subject.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What GPA do I need to transfer from De Anza College to UC San Diego for Psychology?
The official minimum GPA for California residents is 2.4, but realistically the average admitted transfer student at UCSD comes in around 3.9. For the Psychology B.S., your performance in MATH 1A, MATH 10 (Statistics), and BIOL 6A will matter most — those courses signal scientific readiness to reviewers. Aim for a 3.7 or higher in your major prep courses to be genuinely competitive.
Does UC San Diego Psychology accept IGETC from De Anza College?
Yes — IGETC is accepted for Psychology at UCSD for students placed into Muir, Marshall, Warren, Roosevelt, Sixth, Seventh, or Eighth College. The one exception is Revelle College, which has additional math and science requirements on top of IGETC. Even with a completed IGETC, you still need to finish your lower-division major prep courses (like MATH 1A and BIOL 6A) separately — IGETC doesn't cover those.
Is there a TAG or guaranteed admission from De Anza College to UC San Diego?
No — UC San Diego does not participate in the UC Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) program. Only six UC campuses offer TAG: Davis, Irvine, Merced, Riverside, Santa Barbara, and Santa Cruz. If you're set on UCSD, you apply through the regular UC application process in October and compete in the general pool. The good news is that UCSD's overall transfer admit rate for Fall 2025 was 52.7%, which is meaningfully higher than its first-year admit rate.
What major prep courses do I need at De Anza College for UCSD Psychology?
UCSD's Psychology B.S. doesn't require intro psychology — it requires STEM foundations: at least one calculus course (MATH 1A or the full sequence through MATH 1B), statistics (MATH 10 articulates to UCSD's PSYC 60), and two biological science courses (BIOL 6A and BIOL 6B). There is no articulated equivalent for the computer programming requirement, so that gets done after you arrive on campus. Check ASSIST.org for the current De Anza–UCSD agreement to confirm any updates.
How many applicants transfer from California community colleges to UCSD Psychology each year?
UCSD received 23,441 transfer applications for Fall 2025 across all majors, admitting 12,355 — a 52.7% overall transfer admit rate. UCSD has not disclosed major-specific transfer admit rates for 2024–2025. Importantly, Psychology at UCSD is not a capped or impacted major, meaning you are not screened out at the department level — if you're admitted to UCSD, you're in the Psychology B.S. program.
Explore More
Related Transfer Plans
Planning your transfer from De Anza College to UC San Diego as a Psychology major takes more advance planning than most students expect — and the details matter. Unlike many programs, UCSD's Psychology B.S. is not a capped or impacted major, so if you're admitted to the university, you're in the program. But that doesn't mean the path is simple. The Psychology department at UC San Diego requires a foundation in natural sciences and quantitative skills, not a general intro to psychology course, which surprises almost every student who starts transfer planning at De Anza. Before you apply, you'll need to complete MATH 1A (Calculus) and MATH 1B, MATH 10 (Elementary Statistics, which articulates to UCSD's PSYC 60), and both BIOL 6A and BIOL 6B — a two-course biological sciences sequence. For Fall 2025, UCSD received 23,441 transfer applications and admitted 12,355, a 52.7% overall transfer admit rate. While that number looks accessible, competitive applicants typically carry a GPA closer to 3.9. IGETC is accepted for Psychology at UCSD (for all colleges except Revelle), meaning De Anza students who complete their IGETC coursework — including EWRT 1A for Area 1A and PSYC C1000 for Area 4 — can satisfy most lower-division general education requirements before arriving on campus. Note that UC San Diego does not participate in the Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) program, so every De Anza applicant goes through the standard UC application process in October. For students working through these layers of major prerequisites, IGETC requirements, and sequencing decisions, tools like Pipeline help you map out a personalized quarter-by-quarter plan that makes sure nothing falls through the cracks. The earlier you start your transfer planning at De Anza College, the better positioned you'll be to compete for a seat in UCSD's Psychology program.
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