De Anza College to UCSB
Nursing 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 GPA for transfer is 3.0, but the mid-50% range of admitted students across all majors runs from 3.46 to 3.91 — and Nursing is one of the more competitive health science tracks, which means you should be aiming for the higher end of that range. The courses that matter most for your major prep GPA are your science sequence: CHEM 1A, CHEM 1B, BIOL 6A, BIOL 6B, BIOL 40A, and BIOL 40B. A grade below a B in any of these will drag your science GPA and give admissions a reason to pass. Don't retake a class you got a C in and hope for the best — build the right study habits before you start the chemistry sequence.
Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG)
UCSB's Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) is one of the best tools available to De Anza students applying to Nursing — it turns a competitive admissions process into a contract. To get certified, you need a 3.4 cumulative GPA in all UC-transferable coursework and must file your TAG application through the UC Transfer Admission Planner (UC TAP) between September 1–30 of the year before you transfer. One important caveat: TAG for Nursing admits you to the pre-major, not the full major — you'll still need to meet UCSB's on-campus screening requirements after you arrive.
Major Requirements
Nursing B.S. Major Preparation
Nursing B.S. at UC Santa Barbara
Courses at De Anza College that satisfy UC Santa Barbara's Nursing major preparation, verified via ASSIST.org.
Some students confuse UCSB's Nursing B.S. with pre-health or biology tracks. Nursing at UCSB is a distinct, clinically focused degree in the School of Nursing — not a biology or public health major. If your goal is bedside RN licensure, Nursing B.S. is the right path; if you're pre-med or pre-PA, a Biological Sciences or Biology track is likely more appropriate.
| Course at De Anza College | Satisfies at UCSB | Units |
|---|---|---|
| CHEM 1A — General Chemistry I | CHEM 1A — General Chemistry (first semester) | 5 |
| CHEM 1B — General Chemistry II | CHEM 1B — General Chemistry (second semester) | 5 |
| BIOL 6A — Cellular and Molecular Biology | MCDB 1A — Cell and Developmental Biology (first semester) | 5 |
| BIOL 6B — Organismal Biology | MCDB 1B — Cell and Developmental Biology (second semester) | 5 |
| BIOL 40A — Human Anatomy | NURS 101 lower-division anatomy requirement | 5 |
| BIOL 40B — Human Physiology | NURS 101 lower-division physiology requirement | 5 |
| BIOL 26 — Microbiology | NURS lower-division microbiology requirement | 5 |
| MATH 10 — Elementary Statistics | PSTAT 5A — Statistics lower-division requirement | 4 |
| PSYC 1 — General Psychology | PSYCH lower-division requirement for Nursing | 5 |
| SOC 1 — Introduction to Sociology | SOC lower-division requirement for Nursing | 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.
ENGL 1A (Reading and Composition)
4 unitsENGL 1B (Composition and Reading: Literature) or ENGL 1C (Critical Thinking and Writing)
4 unitsMATH 10 (Elementary Statistics) or MATH 1A (Calculus)
4-5 unitsART 1A (Art History: Prehistoric to Gothic) or MUS 1A (Music History and Literature)
3 unitsENGL 2 (British and American Literature) or HUMI 1 (Introduction to Humanities)
4-5 unitsPSYC 1 (General Psychology) or SOC 1 (Introduction to Sociology) or ANTH 1 (Introduction to Cultural Anthropology)
5 unitsBIOL 6A (Cellular and Molecular Biology) or CHEM 1A (General Chemistry I)
4-5 unitsLab component of BIOL 6A or CHEM 1A (lab included in course units)
0-1 unitsSPAN 1 (Elementary Spanish I) or FREN 1 (Elementary French I) or JAPN 1 (Elementary Japanese I) or demonstrated proficiency
5 units| Area | Course options at De Anza College | Units |
|---|---|---|
| 1A: English Composition | ENGL 1A (Reading and Composition) | 4 |
| 1B: Critical Thinking and Composition | ENGL 1B (Composition and Reading: Literature) or ENGL 1C (Critical Thinking and Writing) | 4 |
| 2: Mathematical Concepts and Quantitative Reasoning | MATH 10 (Elementary Statistics) or MATH 1A (Calculus) | 4-5 |
| 3A: Arts | ART 1A (Art History: Prehistoric to Gothic) or MUS 1A (Music History and Literature) | 3 |
| 3B: Humanities | ENGL 2 (British and American Literature) or HUMI 1 (Introduction to Humanities) | 4-5 |
| 4: Social and Behavioral Sciences | PSYC 1 (General Psychology) or SOC 1 (Introduction to Sociology) or ANTH 1 (Introduction to Cultural Anthropology) | 5 |
| 5A: Physical and Biological Sciences (lecture) | BIOL 6A (Cellular and Molecular Biology) or CHEM 1A (General Chemistry I) | 4-5 |
| 5B: Physical and Biological Sciences (lab) | Lab component of BIOL 6A or CHEM 1A (lab included in course units) | 0-1 |
| 6: Language Other Than English | SPAN 1 (Elementary Spanish I) or FREN 1 (Elementary French I) or JAPN 1 (Elementary Japanese I) or demonstrated proficiency | 5 |
BIOL 40A → BIOL 40B (Anatomy Before Physiology)
Human Anatomy (BIOL 40A) is a prerequisite for Human Physiology (BIOL 40B) at De Anza — you cannot take them simultaneously or in reverse. Both are required before you transfer into UCSB's Nursing B.S., so if you don't start BIOL 40A in your first fall semester, BIOL 40B won't be done in time and your transfer application will show incomplete nursing prep.
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 Save All Your Science For Last
UCSB explicitly warns against completing all major prep in your final spring semester before transfer. If BIOL 40A (Human Anatomy) and BIOL 40B (Human Physiology) are both on your schedule the semester you apply, that's a red flag in your application. Start CHEM 1A and BIOL 6A in your very first semester at De Anza — your entire two-year timeline depends on it.
TAG Requires The Same Major On Your UC Application
A common and costly mistake: students file their TAG for Nursing but then list a different major on their actual UC application in October. UCSB cancels the TAG if the major doesn't match exactly. After you submit your TAG through UC TAP in September, double-check that your UC application lists Nursing — not Biology, not Public Health, not Undeclared.
IGETC Is Helpful But Not The Priority
Nursing at UCSB is a high-unit major, and UCSB itself advises students in high-unit programs to focus on major preparation first and then layer in IGETC. The good news is that several major prep courses — like MATH 10 (Elementary Statistics) for Area 2, PSYC 1 for Area 4, and BIOL 6A for Area 5A — double-count toward IGETC. Map those overlaps early so you're not burning extra units on standalone GE courses.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
How competitive is it to transfer from De Anza College to UCSB for Nursing?
UCSB's overall transfer admit rate is around 61.8%, but Nursing is one of the more selective health science pathways and the mid-50% GPA range for admitted transfers runs from 3.46 to 3.91 — so expect to need well above a 3.4 to be competitive. Completing your full science sequence (CHEM 1A, CHEM 1B, BIOL 6A, BIOL 6B, BIOL 40A, BIOL 40B) before you apply is essentially a must. The TAG program offers De Anza students a guaranteed admit to the Nursing pre-major with a 3.4 GPA.
Can I use IGETC to satisfy general education requirements when I transfer to UCSB Nursing?
Yes — IGETC is accepted at UCSB and applies to the general education requirements for Nursing. However, UCSB advises students in high-unit majors like Nursing to prioritize major prep over IGETC completion, since running out of time on your science prerequisites is a bigger problem than an incomplete IGETC pattern. The smart move is to use courses that double-count — for example, MATH 10 (Elementary Statistics) satisfies both IGETC Area 2 and the Nursing statistics prerequisite.
What is the TAG program for De Anza students applying to UCSB, and does it apply to Nursing?
The Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) is a contract between De Anza and UCSB that guarantees you admission if you meet a 3.4 cumulative GPA in UC-transferable coursework and submit your TAG through UC TAP between September 1–30. Nursing is eligible for TAG, but the guarantee applies to the pre-major — not automatic advancement to the full Nursing B.S., which requires meeting additional on-campus requirements at UCSB after you transfer. You must also submit your UC application listing Nursing as your major during the October–November filing window.
Which De Anza science courses do I need to complete before transferring to UCSB Nursing?
The core science prerequisites for UCSB Nursing include two semesters of general chemistry (CHEM 1A and CHEM 1B), two semesters of general biology (BIOL 6A and BIOL 6B), Human Anatomy (BIOL 40A), Human Physiology (BIOL 40B), and Microbiology (BIOL 26). BIOL 40A is a prerequisite for BIOL 40B at De Anza, so you need to start that chain in your very first semester. UCSB strongly discourages leaving major prep courses until the final spring semester before you transfer.
How many units do I need to transfer from De Anza College to UCSB?
You need a minimum of 60 UC-transferable semester units completed by the end of your final spring term before transferring to UCSB. For TAG eligibility specifically, at least 30 of those units must be completed at a California community college by the time you submit your TAG in September. De Anza's nursing prerequisites alone (CHEM 1A, CHEM 1B, BIOL 6A, BIOL 6B, BIOL 40A, BIOL 40B, BIOL 26, MATH 10) total nearly 39 units, so pairing those with ENGL 1A and IGETC courses gets you to 60 without much filler.
Explore More
Related Transfer Plans
Planning to transfer from De Anza College to UC Santa Barbara for Nursing is one of the most demanding — and most rewarding — transfer pathways in California. UCSB's Nursing B.S. is housed in the School of Nursing and requires a substantial lower-division science sequence that must be largely completed before you arrive on campus. Transfer planning for this pathway starts in your very first semester at De Anza: courses like CHEM 1A (General Chemistry I), BIOL 6A (Cellular and Molecular Biology), and BIOL 40A (Human Anatomy) are the foundation everything else is built on, and each one has a successor course that can't be taken until the prior course is done. UCSB received over 18,000 transfer applications in fall 2024, with an overall transfer admit rate of about 61.8% — but competitive Nursing applicants typically need a GPA in the upper end of the 3.46–3.91 mid-50% range. De Anza students have a meaningful advantage through the Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) program, which offers guaranteed admission to the UCSB Nursing pre-major for students who hit a 3.4 cumulative GPA and file through UC TAP in September. IGETC is accepted at UCSB and can be used to satisfy lower-division general education requirements for Nursing, though UCSB recommends that Nursing students focus on completing their major prerequisites before worrying about IGETC breadth. Many major prep courses — including MATH 10 (Elementary Statistics) and PSYC 1 (General Psychology) — count toward IGETC areas simultaneously, which helps students manage the unit load. Tools like Pipeline help De Anza students map out a personalized semester-by-semester plan that sequences these prerequisites correctly, tracks IGETC progress, and keeps the TAG timeline in view from day one.
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