De Anza College to UCLA
Business Administration Transfer Plan
Quarter-by-quarter courses, IGETC requirements, and major prerequisites — verified from real articulation data.
From
De Anza College
To
UCLA
GPA Reality Check
UCLA sets its minimum transfer GPA at 3.2, but the mid-50th percentile for admitted students in Fall 2024 was 3.77–4.00 — and Business Economics is one of UCLA's most highly selective majors, meaning the real bar is even higher than the campus average. Your ECON 1, ECON 2, MATH 1A, MATH 1B, and MATH 10 grades carry the most weight because they are exactly the courses UCLA evaluates for major prep. Getting a B in calculus while applying to Business Economics is survivable — but it needs to be offset by A's everywhere else.
Transfer Alliance Program (TAP)
De Anza College is a participating campus in UCLA's Transfer Alliance Program (TAP). If you complete De Anza's Honors Program and earn TAP certification, UCLA's admissions office gives your application enhanced consideration — and if you're not admitted to your first-choice major, they'll guarantee a review for an alternate. Visit the De Anza Transfer Center early in your first semester to enroll in Honors; certification requires completing honors coursework throughout your time at De Anza, not just at the end.
Major Requirements
Business Economics (The College, B.A.) Major Preparation
Business Economics (The College, B.A.) at UCLA
Courses at De Anza College that satisfy UCLA's Business Administration major preparation, verified via ASSIST.org.
Students frequently confuse Business Economics with the Economics B.A. — both are in The College, but Business Economics is more applied and career-oriented, while Economics skews more theoretical and quantitative. Neither is the same as Anderson School of Management, which is a graduate (MBA) program only — there is no undergraduate business school at UCLA. Some students also consider Data Theory B.S. or Statistics B.S. if their interests lean quantitative.
| Course at De Anza College | Satisfies at UCLA | Units |
|---|---|---|
| ECON 1 — Principles of Microeconomics | ECON 1 — Principles of Microeconomics | 5 |
| ECON 2 — Principles of Macroeconomics | ECON 2 — Principles of Macroeconomics | 5 |
| MATH 1A — Calculus | MATH 31A — Differential Calculus | 5 |
| MATH 1B — Calculus | MATH 31B — Integration and Infinite Series | 5 |
| MATH 10 — Elementary Statistics | STATS 10 — Introduction to Statistical Reasoning | 5 |
General Education
IGETC at De Anza College
Complete IGETC at De Anza College to satisfy UCLA's lower-division GE requirements before transferring.
EWRT 1A — Composition and Reading
5 unitsEWRT 2 — Critical Reading and Writing, PHIL 3 — Logic and Critical Thinking
5 unitsMATH 10 — Elementary Statistics, MATH 1A — Calculus, MATH 1B — Calculus
5 unitsART 1H — Art History: Prehistoric to Gothic, MUS 1 — Fundamentals of Music, THEA 1 — Introduction to Theatre
4-5 unitsENGL 1B — Literature and Writing, HIST 1 — Western Civilization: Ancient to 1650, PHIL 1 — Introduction to Philosophy
4-5 unitsECON 1 — Principles of Microeconomics, PSYC 1 — General Psychology, SOC 1 — Introduction to Sociology, POLI 1 — Political Science
4-5 unitsPHYS 2A — Physics (with lab), CHEM 1A — General Chemistry (with lab), ASTR 1 — Astronomy
4-5 unitsBIOL 6A — Cell and Molecular Biology (with lab), BIOL 10 — General Biology
4-5 unitsSPAN 1, SPAN 2, MAND 1, MAND 2, JAPN 1, JAPN 2 — two years of high school language OR complete two quarters of the same language at De Anza
0 (proficiency requirement, not additional units if satisfied via high school) units| Area | Course options at De Anza College | Units |
|---|---|---|
| 1A: English Composition | EWRT 1A — Composition and Reading | 5 |
| 1B: Critical Thinking and Composition | EWRT 2 — Critical Reading and Writing, PHIL 3 — Logic and Critical Thinking | 5 |
| 2: Mathematical Concepts and Quantitative Reasoning | MATH 10 — Elementary Statistics, MATH 1A — Calculus, MATH 1B — Calculus | 5 |
| 3A: Arts | ART 1H — Art History: Prehistoric to Gothic, MUS 1 — Fundamentals of Music, THEA 1 — Introduction to Theatre | 4-5 |
| 3B: Humanities | ENGL 1B — Literature and Writing, HIST 1 — Western Civilization: Ancient to 1650, PHIL 1 — Introduction to Philosophy | 4-5 |
| 4: Social and Behavioral Sciences | ECON 1 — Principles of Microeconomics, PSYC 1 — General Psychology, SOC 1 — Introduction to Sociology, POLI 1 — Political Science | 4-5 |
| 5A: Physical Sciences | PHYS 2A — Physics (with lab), CHEM 1A — General Chemistry (with lab), ASTR 1 — Astronomy | 4-5 |
| 5B: Biological Sciences | BIOL 6A — Cell and Molecular Biology (with lab), BIOL 10 — General Biology | 4-5 |
| 6: Language Other Than English | SPAN 1, SPAN 2, MAND 1, MAND 2, JAPN 1, JAPN 2 — two years of high school language OR complete two quarters of the same language at De Anza | 0 (proficiency requirement, not additional units if satisfied via high school) |
MATH 1A → MATH 1B
MATH 1A (Calculus) must be completed before you can enroll in MATH 1B — and both are required for Business Economics at UCLA. Start the sequence in your first semester at De Anza; if you delay MATH 1A even one semester, you risk applying to UCLA with MATH 1B still in progress or not yet started, which is a serious red flag for one of UCLA's most competitive majors.
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 on Calculus — Start Semester One
MATH 1A and MATH 1B form a two-course sequence, and you need both completed before you apply. If you push MATH 1A to your second semester, you're gambling on finishing MATH 1B in time for your application — and if anything goes wrong, you'll be applying with a critical prep course missing. Register for MATH 1A in your very first semester at De Anza, no exceptions.
UCLA Business Economics Is Not a Business School Major
UCLA has no undergraduate business school — Anderson is graduate-only. Business Economics lives inside The College (Letters and Science) and is a B.A., not a B.B.A. The curriculum blends economics theory with quantitative business applications, so if you're expecting accounting or marketing tracks, this isn't it. Research the actual upper-division curriculum before you commit to this path.
Get TAP-Certified Early — It's Not Automatic
TAP certification through De Anza's Honors Program requires you to complete honors-designated coursework throughout your enrollment — not just one honors class at the end. Show up to the Transfer Center in your first semester, meet with a counselor, and get formally enrolled in the Honors Program. Students who discover TAP in their second year often find they've missed too many honors course opportunities to certify in time.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What GPA do I need to transfer from De Anza College to UCLA Business Economics?
The published minimum for UCLA transfer is a 3.2 GPA, but the mid-50th percentile for all admitted Fall 2024 transfer students was 3.77–4.00 — and Business Economics is explicitly listed by UCLA as a highly selective major. Realistically, you want to be at or above a 3.8 in your transferable coursework, with strong grades specifically in ECON 1, ECON 2, MATH 1A, MATH 1B, and MATH 10.
Does De Anza College have an articulation agreement with UCLA for Business Economics?
Yes — De Anza and UCLA have a formal articulation agreement available on ASSIST.org. It maps De Anza courses like ECON 1, ECON 2, MATH 1A, MATH 1B, and MATH 10 to UCLA's lower-division Business Economics major prep requirements. Always confirm the current year's agreement directly on ASSIST.org since courses and requirements can change annually.
What is the UCLA Transfer Alliance Program and how does it help De Anza students?
TAP is a formal UCLA partnership with participating community colleges including De Anza. De Anza students who complete the campus Honors Program and earn TAP certification receive enhanced consideration in UCLA's admissions review. An additional benefit: if you're not admitted to your first-choice major, UCLA will consider you for an alternate — so the certification is worth pursuing even if you're a strong applicant.
Can I use IGETC to satisfy general education requirements when transferring from De Anza to UCLA for Business Economics?
Yes — IGETC is accepted for Business Economics at UCLA, which is housed in The College (Letters and Science). De Anza can certify your IGETC completion before you transfer, covering most lower-division GE requirements. Keep in mind that ECON 1 (Principles of Microeconomics) can double-count toward both IGETC Area 4 (Social and Behavioral Sciences) and your major prep — so plan your schedule to maximize overlap.
How many units do I need to transfer from De Anza College to UCLA?
UCLA requires 60 semester units of transferable coursework completed by the end of the spring semester before your intended transfer date. At De Anza, most courses are 4–5 units each, so you'll typically need 12–15 completed courses. Be careful not to over-unit either — UCLA caps lower-division credit at 70 semester units applied toward your degree, so taking excessive courses beyond what's needed for major prep and IGETC is not beneficial.
Explore More
Related Transfer Plans
Transferring from De Anza College to UCLA to study Business Economics is one of the most competitive pathways in the California community college transfer system — and also one of the most well-supported. De Anza College has consistently ranked among the top community colleges in the state for UC transfers, sending hundreds of students each year to campuses including UCLA. For students targeting UCLA's Business Economics B.A. — which lives in The College (Letters and Science), not a separate business school — transfer planning needs to start in the first semester. The mid-50th percentile GPA for all admitted UCLA transfer students in Fall 2024 was 3.77–4.00, and Business Economics is explicitly flagged by UCLA as a highly selective major, meaning you should treat those numbers as a floor, not a ceiling. Major prerequisites like ECON 1 (Principles of Microeconomics), ECON 2 (Principles of Macroeconomics), MATH 1A and MATH 1B (Calculus), and MATH 10 (Elementary Statistics) should be completed as early as possible — UCLA strongly recommends finishing all Business Economics prep by the fall semester before you apply. On the general education side, IGETC is accepted for this major, and De Anza College can certify your completion before you transfer, clearing most lower-division GE requirements on arrival at UCLA. De Anza students also have access to the UCLA Transfer Alliance Program (TAP): complete De Anza's Honors Program, earn TAP certification, and your application receives enhanced review — plus a guarantee of alternate major consideration. Tools like Pipeline help students map all of this out into a personalized semester-by-semester plan, showing exactly when to take MATH 1A, how to stack IGETC courses against major prerequisites, and what a realistic application timeline looks like given the calendar difference between De Anza's semester system and UCLA's quarter system.
Build your De Anza College → UCLA plan
Personalized, quarter-by-quarter. Free to start.
Get My Transfer Plan