De Anza College to UCSB
Biology Transfer Plan
Quarter-by-quarter courses, IGETC requirements, and major prerequisites — verified from real articulation data.
From
De Anza College
To
UC Santa Barbara
BiologyGPA Reality Check
The UC minimum to apply is a 2.0, but UCSB Biology requires a 2.70 GPA specifically in your science prep courses — and admitted transfer students typically land between 3.46 and 3.91. That's a wide gap. The courses that will make or break your GPA are General Chemistry (CHEM 1A/1B/1C) and Organic Chemistry (CHEM 12A/12B) — these are graded rigorously and carry a lot of weight in UCSB's review. Don't treat the 2.70 floor as a target; treat it as an emergency threshold and aim for 3.5 or above in every science course.
Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG)
De Anza students can lock in guaranteed admission to UCSB Biology through the Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) — one of the most underused advantages available to you. To qualify, you need a 2.70 or higher GPA across your required science prep courses (CHEM 1A/1B/1C, BIOL 6A/6B/6C, CHEM 12A/12B, and MATH 1A/1B) with no grade below a C. Submit your TAG application in September of the fall quarter before you plan to transfer, then follow up with your full UC application in November — both must list the same Biology major.
Major Requirements
Biological Sciences (Pre-Biology, College of Letters & Science) Major Preparation
Biological Sciences (Pre-Biology, College of Letters & Science) at UC Santa Barbara
Courses at De Anza College that satisfy UC Santa Barbara's Biology major preparation, verified via ASSIST.org.
UCSB has several biology-adjacent programs that students mix up. Biochemistry B.S. is a separate, chemistry-heavier major with a distinct prep sequence including more math. Molecular & Cellular Biology B.S. and Ecology & Evolution B.S. are specific tracks students choose after arriving as Pre-Biology. If you apply as 'Biology,' you enter as Pre-Biology and select your specific major focus after completing early prep courses on campus.
| Course at De Anza College | Satisfies at UCSB | Units |
|---|---|---|
| CHEM 1A — General Chemistry | CHEM 1A / 1AL — General Chemistry (with lab) | 5 |
| CHEM 1B — General Chemistry | CHEM 1B / 1BL — General Chemistry (with lab) | 5 |
| CHEM 1C — General Chemistry | CHEM 1C / 1CL — General Chemistry (with lab) | 5 |
| BIOL 6A — Cell and Molecular Biology | General Biology Series — lower-division biology requirement (with lab) | 5 |
| BIOL 6B — Animal Biology | General Biology Series — lower-division biology requirement (with lab) | 5 |
| BIOL 6C — Plant Biology | General Biology Series — lower-division biology requirement (with lab) | 5 |
| MATH 1A — Calculus | MATH 3A — Calculus with Applications I | 5 |
| MATH 1B — Calculus | MATH 3B — Calculus with Applications II | 5 |
| CHEM 12A — Organic Chemistry | CHEM 109A — Organic Chemistry (with lab) | 5 |
| CHEM 12B — Organic Chemistry | CHEM 109B — Organic Chemistry (with lab) | 5 |
| PHYS 4A — General Physics | PHYS 6A — Physics for Life Sciences (calculus-based, with lab) | 5 |
| STAT C1000 — Statistics | PSTAT 5LS — Statistics for the Life Sciences | 5 |
General Education
Foundation GE at De Anza College
Complete these five courses at De Anza College to start your UCSB 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 |
CHEM 1A → CHEM 12A (General → Organic Chemistry)
You cannot begin Organic Chemistry (CHEM 12A) until you've finished all three quarters of General Chemistry (CHEM 1A, 1B, and 1C) — and UCSB requires CHEM 12A to be done before your fall transfer quarter. Start CHEM 1A in your very first quarter at De Anza or you won't have time to complete the chain.
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
UCSB Won't Accept a Split Biology Series
UCSB Biology explicitly states that the General Biology series is evaluated as a whole and that course-to-course articulations do not exist — you must complete the entire BIOL 6A, 6B, 6C sequence at De Anza. If you started BIOL 6A at a different school before arriving at De Anza, UCSB will not count it. Plan to take all three quarters of the series without interruption at De Anza, and start in your very first fall quarter.
Organic Chemistry Has a Hard Transfer Deadline
UCSB requires the first quarter of Organic Chemistry (CHEM 12A at De Anza) to be completed by the fall quarter prior to your transfer. That means if you're transferring in fall 2026, CHEM 12A must be done by fall 2025 — not winter or spring. Students who start General Chemistry too late run out of time for the organic sequence. Map your CHEM 1A start date backwards from your transfer target and you'll see exactly how much runway you have.
Use IGETC for STEM — Not Full IGETC — for Biology
De Anza offers a specialized IGETC for STEM certification for Biology students, which lets you defer some lower-division GE areas and replace them with required science coursework. UCSB's Biology program is a science-heavy major, and the standard full IGETC can actually conflict with getting all your major prep done on time. Talk to a De Anza counselor specifically about IGETC for STEM before you finalize your GE plan.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What GPA do I need to transfer from De Anza College to UCSB Biology?
UCSB Biology requires a minimum 2.70 GPA in your science prep courses — General Chemistry (CHEM 1A/1B/1C), General Biology (BIOL 6A/6B/6C), Organic Chemistry (CHEM 12A/12B), and Calculus (MATH 1A/1B) — with no individual grade below a C. However, the mid-50th percentile GPA range for admitted UCSB transfers overall is 3.46–3.91, so you should realistically be targeting at least a 3.5 in your science prep to be competitive. The 2.70 is the floor, not the goal.
Does De Anza College have a TAG agreement with UCSB for Biology?
Yes — De Anza participates in the Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) program with UCSB, and Biology is one of the eligible majors. You need a 2.70 or higher cumulative GPA in your required prep courses (including CHEM 1A/1B/1C and BIOL 6A/6B/6C) with no grade below a C, and you must submit your TAG application in September before your planned transfer year. It's one of the strongest safety nets available to De Anza biology students, so don't sleep on it.
Which De Anza biology courses count toward UCSB Biology transfer requirements?
De Anza's BIOL 6A (Cell and Molecular Biology), BIOL 6B (Animal Biology), and BIOL 6C (Plant Biology) together satisfy UCSB's required General Biology series — but only if you complete all three at De Anza. UCSB will not accept the series split across institutions, so if you transfer in from another school mid-sequence, you'll need to restart. CHEM 1A, 1B, and 1C satisfy General Chemistry, while CHEM 12A and 12B cover Organic Chemistry.
How many transfer applicants does UCSB Biology receive, and how competitive is it?
For fall 2024, UCSB received 18,421 total transfer applications across all majors and admitted 11,386 students — an overall transfer admit rate of about 61.8%. Biology is flagged by UCSB as a selective major, meaning the actual admit rate for Biology applicants is lower than the campus-wide average. California community college students get strong preference, but you'll still want a science GPA well above the 2.70 minimum to be safe.
Can I complete IGETC before transferring from De Anza to UCSB for Biology?
Yes, IGETC is accepted for UCSB Biology, but De Anza specifically offers IGETC for STEM certification for Biology students — which is often a better fit. IGETC for STEM lets you defer some general education areas and prioritize the heavy science sequence (CHEM 1A/1B/1C, BIOL 6A/6B/6C, CHEM 12A/12B) that Biology requires. Talk to a De Anza counselor early so you don't accidentally over-load on GE courses while falling behind on your science prep timeline.
Explore More
Related Transfer Plans
Transferring from De Anza College to UC Santa Barbara to study Biology is one of the most structured — and demanding — pathways in the California community college transfer system. Both schools run on the quarter calendar, which means transfer planning at De Anza College needs to account for three terms per year, not two. Students targeting UCSB's Biological Sciences program must complete a rigorous sequence of lower-division major prerequisites before they arrive on campus: General Chemistry (CHEM 1A, 1B, and 1C), General Biology (BIOL 6A, 6B, and 6C), Organic Chemistry (CHEM 12A and 12B), and Calculus (MATH 1A and 1B). One detail that catches De Anza students off guard is UCSB's policy that the Biology series must be completed entirely at one institution — partial credit from another school won't count. For fall 2024, UCSB received 18,421 transfer applications and admitted roughly 61.8%, but Biology is designated a selective major with a higher bar. The mid-50th percentile GPA range for admitted UCSB transfers was 3.46–3.91, and the biology department requires a minimum 2.70 in prep science courses alone. De Anza students have an additional advantage: the Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG), which provides a contractual guarantee of admission to UCSB Biology for students who meet the GPA and coursework criteria. IGETC is accepted for this major, though the IGETC for STEM option is often the smarter choice for Biology students at De Anza, allowing them to defer lower-priority GE courses and keep their schedule focused on science prerequisites. Tools like Pipeline help students build personalized academic plans that map out exactly when to take CHEM 1A, when to start the BIOL 6 series, and how to structure IGETC around major prep — so nothing falls through the cracks on the road from De Anza College to UCSB.
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