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
GPA Reality Check
UCSB's minimum transferable GPA is 2.4 for California residents, but the mid-50% GPA range for admitted transfers in fall 2024 was 3.46–3.91 — that's the real target. For Biological Sciences, which is a selective major in the College of Letters & Science, UCSB explicitly flags a 'selective GPA' of 3.5 or above, meaning your major prep courses in chemistry and biology carry enormous weight. A C in CHEM 1A won't disqualify you on paper, but it will quietly sink your competitiveness in a pool where most admitted students are pushing 3.7+.
Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG)
The UC Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) is one of the most underused advantages available to De Anza students — it's a literal contractual guarantee of admission to UCSB if you hit the benchmarks. For Biological Sciences majors, that means a 3.40 cumulative UC-transferable GPA earned by the end of the fall term you apply, your major prep courses completed with no grade below a C and a minimum 2.70 cumulative major prep GPA, and both your UC-E (EWRT 1A and 1B) and UC-M (MATH 1A) requirements started. You apply through the UC Transfer Admission Planner (UC TAP) every September — that deadline is strict and separate from the regular UC application, which you must also submit to UCSB under the exact same major.
Major Requirements
Biological Sciences B.S. (College of Letters & Science) Major Preparation
Biological Sciences B.S. (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 offers multiple Biology-adjacent degrees that students frequently confuse: Biological Sciences B.A. is a less intensive option without the full upper-division science load, while Molecular & Cellular Biology B.S. (with emphases in Biochemistry, Microbiology, Cell & Developmental Biology, or Pharmacology), Ecology & Evolution B.S., Physiology B.S., Zoology B.S., and Aquatic Biology B.S. are all distinct majors under the Biology umbrella. They share most lower-division prep but diverge sharply in upper-division requirements — choose your variant before you start planning because the ASSIST articulation page is organized by specific degree.
| Course at De Anza College | Satisfies at UCSB | Units |
|---|---|---|
| BIOL 6A — Organismal and Evolutionary Biology | EEMB 2 — Ecology, Evolution, Marine, and Behavior intro sequence | 6 |
| BIOL 6B — Cellular and Molecular Biology | MCDB 1A — Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology intro sequence | 6 |
| BIOL 6C — Ecology and Evolution | EEMB 3 — Ecology, Evolution, Marine, and Behavior intro sequence (lab) | 5 |
| CHEM 1A — General Chemistry | CHEM 1A — General Chemistry | 5 |
| CHEM 1B — General Chemistry | CHEM 1B — General Chemistry | 5 |
| CHEM 1C — General Chemistry | CHEM 1C — General Chemistry | 5 |
| MATH 1A — Calculus | MATH 3A — Calculus with Applications I | 5 |
| MATH 1B — Calculus | MATH 3B — Calculus with Applications II | 5 |
| MATH 10 — Elementary Statistics | PSTAT 5A — Statistics | 5 |
| PHYS 4A — General Physics | PHYS 6A — Physics for Life Sciences majors | 5 |
| PHYS 4B — General Physics | PHYS 6B — Physics for Life Sciences majors | 5 |
General Education
IGETC at De Anza College
Complete IGETC at De Anza College to satisfy UC Santa Barbara's lower-division GE requirements before transferring.
EWRT 1A, EWRT 1AH
5 unitsEWRT 1B, EWRT 1BH, PHIL 1
5 unitsMATH 1A, MATH 1AH, MATH 10, MATH 11, STAT C1000
5 unitsART 1H, MUSI 1, MUSI 2, THEA 1, FILM 10, ARTS 10
4-5 unitsELIT 1, ELIT 10, PHIL 2, HIST 17, HUMN 1, HUMN 2
4-5 unitsPSYC 1, SOC 1, ECON 1, POLI 1, HIST 17, ANTH 2
4-5 unitsCHEM 1A, CHEM 1AH, PHYS 4A, PHYS 4D, ASTR 4, GEOL 10
4-5 unitsBIOL 6A, BIOL 6B, BIOL 6C, BIOL 10, BIOL 11, BIOL 15, ANTH 1
4-5 unitsSPAN 2, SPAN 3, MAND 2, MAND 3, JAPN 2, JAPN 3, FREN 2, FREN 3, KORE 2, VIET 2
5 units| Area | Course options at De Anza College | Units |
|---|---|---|
| 1A: English Composition | EWRT 1A, EWRT 1AH | 5 |
| 1B: Critical Thinking and Composition | EWRT 1B, EWRT 1BH, PHIL 1 | 5 |
| 2: Mathematical Concepts and Quantitative Reasoning | MATH 1A, MATH 1AH, MATH 10, MATH 11, STAT C1000 | 5 |
| 3A: Arts | ART 1H, MUSI 1, MUSI 2, THEA 1, FILM 10, ARTS 10 | 4-5 |
| 3B: Humanities | ELIT 1, ELIT 10, PHIL 2, HIST 17, HUMN 1, HUMN 2 | 4-5 |
| 4: Social and Behavioral Sciences | PSYC 1, SOC 1, ECON 1, POLI 1, HIST 17, ANTH 2 | 4-5 |
| 5A: Physical Sciences | CHEM 1A, CHEM 1AH, PHYS 4A, PHYS 4D, ASTR 4, GEOL 10 | 4-5 |
| 5B: Biological Sciences | BIOL 6A, BIOL 6B, BIOL 6C, BIOL 10, BIOL 11, BIOL 15, ANTH 1 | 4-5 |
| 6: Language Other Than English | SPAN 2, SPAN 3, MAND 2, MAND 3, JAPN 2, JAPN 3, FREN 2, FREN 3, KORE 2, VIET 2 | 5 |
CHEM 1A → CHEM 1B → CHEM 1C (Three-Quarter Chain)
All three quarters of General Chemistry must be completed before you transfer, and each course requires the previous one — starting CHEM 1A even one quarter late means you'll likely arrive at UCSB with an incomplete chemistry sequence, which UCSB flags as a major red flag for Biological Sciences applicants.
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 Wait to Start CHEM 1A
General Chemistry (CHEM 1A) is the first link in a three-quarter chain — CHEM 1A, 1B, then 1C — and all three are required before you transfer. Students who delay CHEM 1A to their second or third quarter at De Anza often discover they can't finish the full series in time. Put CHEM 1A on your schedule for Fall quarter, quarter one, no exceptions.
IGETC for STEM Is Your Friend — But Know Its Limits
For high-unit majors like Biological Sciences, UCSB advises focusing on major prep first and using IGETC for STEM, which lets you defer some GE areas until after transfer. The catch is that UCSB only accepts IGETC for STEM if your specific major program approves partial certification — so confirm with a De Anza counselor that Biological Sciences B.S. qualifies before you skip any IGETC area. Courses like BIOL 6A already double-count toward both your major prep and IGETC Area 5B, so plan smart.
TAG in September — Not October
The TAG application through UC TAP is due in September, weeks before the regular UC application window even opens in November. Students who miss the September TAG deadline have to compete in the regular admission pool, losing the guaranteed admission benefit entirely. Set a calendar reminder now: September TAG, November UC application — same major on both.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What GPA do I need to transfer from De Anza College to UCSB for Biology?
The minimum UC-transferable GPA is 2.4 for California residents, but that's not the competitive threshold for Biology at UCSB. The mid-50% GPA range for admitted UCSB transfers in fall 2024 was 3.46–3.91, and UCSB explicitly lists a 'selective GPA' of 3.5 or above for biological sciences majors. If you're aiming for the TAG, you'll also need a 3.40 cumulative GPA earned by the end of the fall term you apply.
Does UCSB accept IGETC for Biology transfer students from De Anza?
Yes — UCSB accepts IGETC certification in lieu of its lower-division GE requirements for transfer students in all three colleges, including Letters & Science where Biological Sciences lives. For a high-unit major like Biological Sciences B.S., UCSB recommends prioritizing major prep over IGETC and using IGETC for STEM partial certification, which allows you to defer some GE areas. Courses like BIOL 6A and CHEM 1A at De Anza double-count toward both your major prep and IGETC Areas 5B and 5A respectively, so smart planning reduces your total course load significantly.
How does the TAG program work for De Anza students applying to UCSB Biology?
The Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) is a contractual agreement — if you meet the criteria, UCSB must admit you. For Biological Sciences majors from De Anza, you need a 3.40 cumulative UC-transferable GPA by the end of the fall term you apply, required major prep courses completed (including BIOL 6A, BIOL 6B, CHEM 1A series) with a minimum 2.70 major prep GPA, and your UC-E and UC-M requirements in progress. Submit the TAG through the UC Transfer Admission Planner every September — then also submit the regular UC application to UCSB in November under the exact same major.
Which De Anza biology courses count toward the UCSB Biological Sciences major?
The core lower-division major prep courses at De Anza that articulate to UCSB's Biological Sciences requirements are BIOL 6A (Organismal and Evolutionary Biology), BIOL 6B (Cellular and Molecular Biology), and BIOL 6C (Ecology and Evolution) — these map to UCSB's EEMB and MCDB introductory sequences. You also need the full general chemistry series (CHEM 1A, 1B, 1C), two quarters of calculus (MATH 1A and MATH 1B), statistics (MATH 10 articulates to PSTAT 5A), and physics (PHYS 4A, 4B). Always verify the current agreement on ASSIST.org since articulation agreements update annually.
How many units do I need to transfer from De Anza to UCSB?
UCSB requires a minimum of 60 semester or 90 quarter UC-transferable units to transfer as a junior, and De Anza is on the quarter system — so your target is 90 quarter units. No more than 21 quarter units may be taken Pass/No Pass. For the TAG specifically, you need at least 90 quarter transferable units completed by the end of spring before you transfer, with no more than 19 of those units remaining in the spring term.
Explore More
Related Transfer Plans
Planning to transfer from De Anza College to UC Santa Barbara as a Biology major takes real strategy — and the earlier you start, the better your odds. UCSB is genuinely transfer-friendly, with an overall transfer admit rate of around 61.8% for fall 2024, but Biological Sciences is a selective major in the College of Letters & Science where the mid-50% GPA range for admitted transfers runs from 3.46 to 3.91. Students at De Anza College need to nail their major prerequisites — including the full three-quarter General Chemistry series (CHEM 1A, 1B, and 1C), the core Biology sequence (BIOL 6A, 6B, and 6C), two terms of calculus, statistics, and physics — before they can realistically compete for the Biological Sciences B.S. On the general education side, UCSB accepts full IGETC certification, and for high-unit Biology majors, the IGETC for STEM pathway lets students defer some lower-division GE courses until after transfer while focusing energy on major prep. Transfer planning also means knowing about the Transfer Admission Guarantee, or TAG — a contractual program that guarantees De Anza students admission to UC Santa Barbara if they earn a 3.40 or higher cumulative GPA by the fall term they apply and meet major-specific prep requirements. The TAG application goes through the UC Transfer Admission Planner every September, separate from the regular UC application. For students who want to map out every quarter in advance, see which De Anza courses satisfy both major prerequisites and IGETC areas simultaneously, and stay on top of articulation agreement updates, Pipeline is a transfer planning tool built to generate personalized quarter-by-quarter plans for exactly this kind of complex pathway — De Anza College to UC Santa Barbara, Biology, with every prerequisite chain and GE requirement mapped out in one place.
Build your De Anza College → UCSB plan
Personalized, quarter-by-quarter. Free to start.
Get My Transfer Plan