De Anza College to UCLA
Computer Science Transfer Plan
Quarter-by-quarter courses, IGETC requirements, and major prerequisites — verified from real articulation data.
From
De Anza College
To
UCLA
Computer ScienceGPA Reality Check
UCLA's minimum transfer GPA is 3.0, but the mid-50th percentile for admitted CS transfers in Fall 2024 was 3.96–4.00 — that's nearly a perfect GPA. The 3% admit rate is not a typo. Admissions reviewers pay the most attention to your grades in the math and CS sequences: MATH 1A through 1D, and CIS 22A through 22C. A B in one of these courses doesn't disqualify you, but a pattern of Bs in major prep — especially in a field this competitive — will hurt. Treat every calculus and programming course like your application depends on it, because it does.
Transfer Alliance Program (TAP)
TAP (Transfer Alliance Program) is UCLA's honors-based priority review program for community college students — but there's a catch you need to know before you invest time in it. TAP gives priority consideration only to majors within UCLA's College of Letters and Science. Computer Science at UCLA is housed in the Henry Samueli School of Engineering, which explicitly does not participate in TAP. If your goal is CS at UCLA, joining De Anza's Honors Program is still worthwhile for the academic rigor and faculty relationships it builds, but do not count on TAP certification giving your CS application a priority boost — it won't.
Major Requirements
Computer Science (B.S.) — Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science Major Preparation
Computer Science (B.S.) — Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science at UCLA
Courses at De Anza College that satisfy UCLA's Computer Science major preparation, verified via ASSIST.org.
UCLA offers several programs students frequently confuse with CS Engineering: 'Linguistics and Computer Science (B.A.)' lives in the College of Letters and Science and has a very different curriculum with less systems depth. 'Computer Science and Engineering (B.S.)' is a separate, even more hardware-focused degree also in Samueli. 'Data Theory (B.S.)' is a newer joint major between Math and Statistics that emphasizes machine learning and statistical modeling — not the same as CS. Make sure you apply to the right one, because each has its own ASSIST articulation and preparation requirements.
| Course at De Anza College | Satisfies at UCLA | Units |
|---|---|---|
| MATH 1A — Calculus | MATH 31A — Differential Calculus | 5 |
| MATH 1B — Calculus | MATH 31B — Integration and Infinite Series | 5 |
| MATH 1C — Calculus | MATH 32A — Calculus of Several Variables | 5 |
| MATH 1D — Calculus | MATH 33B — Differential Equations | 5 |
| MATH 2A — Linear Algebra | MATH 33A — Linear Algebra and Applications | 5 |
| CIS 22A — C++ Programming Fundamentals | CS 31 — Introduction to Computer Science I | 4.5 |
| CIS 22B — Intermediate C++ Programming | CS 32 — Introduction to Computer Science II | 4.5 |
| CIS 22C — Data Structures and Algorithms in C++ | CS 32 — Introduction to Computer Science II (with CIS 22B, satisfies requirement) | 4.5 |
| CIS 21JA — Introduction to Assembly Language | CS 33 — Introduction to Computer Organization | 4.5 |
| PHYS 4A — Physics for Scientists and Engineers: Mechanics | Physics 1A — Physics for Scientists and Engineers: Mechanics | 5 |
| PHYS 4B — Physics for Scientists and Engineers: Electricity and Magnetism | Physics 1B — Physics for Scientists and Engineers: Oscillations, Waves, Electric and Magnetic Fields | 5 |
| No equivalent at De Anza College | CS 35L — Software Construction Laboratory (No CC articulation exists statewide) | — |
Courses with no equivalent must be taken at UCLA after transfer. Factor this into your first-year course plan.
General Education
Foundation GE at De Anza College
Complete these five courses at De Anza College to start your UCLA 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 |
MATH 1A → MATH 1B → 1C → 1D → 2A (Five-Course Chain)
De Anza's calculus sequence is five courses long — MATH 1A through 1D plus MATH 2A — and each course is a strict prerequisite for the next. If you delay starting this chain by even one quarter, you risk running out of time to complete all required math prep before your UCLA application is reviewed in the winter of your transfer year.
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
De Anza Has No Equivalent for CS 35L
UCLA requires CS 35L (Software Construction Laboratory) as a lower-division prep course, and no California community college — including De Anza — has an articulated equivalent for it. This means you'll take it after transfer, which compresses your first quarter at UCLA. Go in knowing this so you can plan your schedule accordingly and don't show up expecting it to be waived.
TAP Won't Help You for Engineering
De Anza participates in UCLA's Transfer Alliance Program, and you may be tempted to join the Honors Program specifically for the TAP boost. The problem: TAP priority consideration only applies to the College of Letters and Science — not the Samueli School of Engineering, where CS lives. De Anza's Honors Program is genuinely valuable for your academic development and faculty relationships, but join it for those reasons, not because you think it'll give your CS application an edge at UCLA.
Start MATH 1A and CIS 22A in Your First Quarter
The math chain at De Anza runs five courses deep (MATH 1A → 1B → 1C → 1D → 2A), and the programming chain runs three courses (CIS 22A → 22B → 22C). Both chains must be started in your very first quarter, run in parallel, and completed before you apply. Waiting even one quarter to start either chain means arriving at UCLA with unfinished prep — the single most common reason CS transfer applications get denied.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
How hard is it to transfer from De Anza College to UCLA for Computer Science?
Extremely competitive. UCLA admitted just 3% of CS transfer applicants in Fall 2024, with admitted students showing a mid-50th percentile GPA of 3.96–4.00 — nearly perfect. At De Anza, that means your grades in MATH 1A through 1D, MATH 2A, and CIS 22A through 22C need to be as close to a 4.0 as possible when you submit your application.
What classes do I need to take at De Anza College to transfer to UCLA for CS?
The core lower-division prep covers five math courses (MATH 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, and 2A), three programming courses (CIS 22A, 22B, and 22C), one assembly language course (CIS 21JA), and two semesters of calculus-based physics (PHYS 4A and 4B). There is no De Anza equivalent for UCLA's CS 35L, so plan to take that after you arrive on campus.
Does De Anza's Honors Program help with UCLA Computer Science transfer admission through TAP?
Not directly. UCLA's Transfer Alliance Program (TAP) gives priority consideration only to majors in the College of Letters and Science — and Computer Science is in the Henry Samueli School of Engineering, which does not participate in TAP. De Anza's Honors Program is worth joining for academic development and faculty connections, but it won't give your CS application a formal priority boost at UCLA.
Can I use IGETC to satisfy general education requirements when transferring from De Anza to UCLA for Computer Science?
Yes, IGETC is accepted for CS at UCLA, and De Anza has a well-developed IGETC course list you can follow. However, because the math and CS prerequisite chains are so demanding, most students find that completing IGETC fully before transfer is difficult — major prep should take clear priority over GE. Complete IGETC courses in any quarter where your major prep schedule has room, starting with EWRT 1A for Area 1A.
What GPA do I need to transfer from De Anza College to UCLA Computer Science?
The UC system requires a minimum 3.0 GPA to transfer, but for UCLA CS that number is essentially meaningless. Admitted CS transfers in Fall 2024 had a mid-50th percentile GPA of 3.96–4.00, meaning even most admitted students were at or near a perfect 4.0. Focus especially on your grades in De Anza's MATH 1A–1D, MATH 2A, and CIS 22A–22C sequences — those are the courses UCLA's reviewers weight most heavily.
Explore More
Related Transfer Plans
Planning to transfer from De Anza College to UCLA for Computer Science is one of the most ambitious pathways in the California community college system — and one of the most achievable if you start early and build your plan with precision. The Computer Science B.S. program at UCLA sits within the Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science, and admitted transfers in Fall 2024 showed a mid-50th percentile GPA of 3.96–4.00 against a 3% admit rate across all applicants. Transfer planning for this pathway centers on two parallel prerequisite chains: the five-course calculus sequence at De Anza (MATH 1A through MATH 1D and MATH 2A), and the three-course C++ programming sequence (CIS 22A, CIS 22B, and CIS 22C). Both chains must be started in a student's very first quarter at De Anza College and completed before applications are submitted in November of the transfer year. Major prerequisites also include CIS 21JA for assembly language and PHYS 4A and 4B for calculus-based physics. IGETC is accepted for this major and De Anza College has a full IGETC course list, though the intensity of CS major prerequisites means GE coursework typically fills in around the edges rather than being completed first. One articulation gap worth knowing: UCLA's CS 35L (Software Construction Laboratory) has no equivalent at De Anza College or at any California community college, so students will take that course after arriving at UCLA. The UCLA Transfer Alliance Program (TAP) is available to De Anza students through its Honors Program, but TAP priority consideration applies only to the College of Letters and Science — not Engineering — so it does not directly benefit CS applicants. Tools like Pipeline help students map out this exact course sequence quarter by quarter, identify gaps like the CS 35L issue before they become surprises, and build a personalized transfer plan that keeps both major prerequisites and IGETC on track from day one at De Anza College.
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