De Anza College to UCLA
Nursing 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's published minimum GPA for transfer is 3.0, but admitted Nursing students are operating in a completely different universe — Nursing posted a 0.9% transfer admit rate in 2025, and the overall UCLA transfer mid-50th percentile GPA is 3.77–4.00. For a program that admits roughly 10 students per year from 200+ applicants, your science GPA is what matters most: admissions reviewers scrutinize your grades in CHEM 1A, CHEM 1B, CHEM 12A, BIOL 6A, BIOL 40A, and BIOL 40B specifically. A 3.0 doesn't get you a second look — you realistically need A's across your entire science prep sequence.
Transfer Alliance Program (TAP)
De Anza College is a TAP member school, which means you can get TAP-certified through De Anza's Honors Program and receive priority consideration at UCLA. Here's the catch: the UCLA School of Nursing is one of a handful of specialty schools that does not participate in TAP priority review, so TAP certification won't give you a direct advantage for your Nursing application. That said, savvy students still get certified — it means UCLA will consider you for an eligible alternate major in the College of Letters and Science if Nursing doesn't work out, giving you a second chance at admission to the university itself.
Major Requirements
Nursing B.S. — Prelicensure (Joe C. Wen School of Nursing) Major Preparation
Nursing B.S. — Prelicensure (Joe C. Wen School of Nursing) at UCLA
Courses at De Anza College that satisfy UCLA's Nursing major preparation, verified via ASSIST.org.
Students sometimes confuse this program with Public Health (B.S. or B.A.) in the Fielding School of Public Health, or with Human Biology and Society in Letters and Science. Those programs have different prerequisites and very different career paths. The Nursing B.S. is a direct prelicensure clinical program — you graduate ready to sit for the NCLEX-RN licensing exam. Public Health and Human Biology do not lead to RN licensure.
| Course at De Anza College | Satisfies at UCLA | Units |
|---|---|---|
| BIOL 6A — Cell Biology and Genetics | Life Sciences 7A — Introduction to Cell and Molecular Biology | 5 |
| BIOL 6B — Evolution, Ecology, and Biodiversity | Life Sciences 7C — Physiology and Human Biology | 5 |
| CHEM 1A — General Chemistry | Chemistry 20A — Chemical Structure | 5 |
| CHEM 1B — General Chemistry | Chemistry 20B — Chemical Energetics and Change | 5 |
| CHEM 12A — Organic Chemistry | Chemistry 30A — Organic Chemistry I | 5 |
| BIOL 40A — Human Anatomy | Physiological Science 3 — Introduction to Human Anatomy | 5 |
| BIOL 40B — Human Physiology | Physiological Science 13 — Introduction to Human Physiology | 5 |
| BIOL 26 — Microbiology | Microbiology 6 — Introductory Microbiology (strongly recommended) | 5 |
| PSYC 1 — General Psychology | Psychology 10 — Introductory Psychology (strongly recommended) | 4 |
| COMM 1 — Public Speaking | Communication Studies 1 — Principles of Oral Communication (strongly recommended) | 4 |
| MATH 1A — Calculus | Calculus for Life Sciences — one course in calculus (strongly recommended) | 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 or EWRT 1AH (honors)
5 unitsEWRT 1B, EWRT 1BH (honors), PHIL 1, or PHIL 1H (honors)
5 unitsMATH 1A (Calculus), MATH 10 (Elementary Statistics), MATH 11 (Statistics), or MATH 12 (Precalculus)
4-5 unitsART 1A (History of Western Art I), MUSI 1 (Introduction to Music), or FILM 1 (Film as Art and Industry)
4-5 unitsELIT 1 (Introduction to Literature), ELIT 46A (Introduction to World Literature), or HUMI 1 (Introduction to Humanities)
4-5 unitsHIST 1 (Western Civilization), POLI 1 (Introduction to Political Science), PSYC 1 (General Psychology), or SOCI 1 (Introduction to Sociology)
4-5 unitsCHEM 1A (General Chemistry) or PHYS 4A (General Physics)
4-5 unitsBIOL 6A (Cell Biology and Genetics) or BIOL 6B (Evolution, Ecology, and Biodiversity) — lab included
5 unitsSPAN 1 (Elementary Spanish), FREN 1 (Elementary French), JAPN 1 (Elementary Japanese), or demonstrated proficiency (two years of HS language accepted)
4-5 units| Area | Course options at De Anza College | Units |
|---|---|---|
| 1A: English Composition | EWRT 1A or EWRT 1AH (honors) | 5 |
| 1B: Critical Thinking and Composition | EWRT 1B, EWRT 1BH (honors), PHIL 1, or PHIL 1H (honors) | 5 |
| 2: Mathematical Concepts and Quantitative Reasoning | MATH 1A (Calculus), MATH 10 (Elementary Statistics), MATH 11 (Statistics), or MATH 12 (Precalculus) | 4-5 |
| 3A: Arts | ART 1A (History of Western Art I), MUSI 1 (Introduction to Music), or FILM 1 (Film as Art and Industry) | 4-5 |
| 3B: Humanities | ELIT 1 (Introduction to Literature), ELIT 46A (Introduction to World Literature), or HUMI 1 (Introduction to Humanities) | 4-5 |
| 4: Social and Behavioral Sciences | HIST 1 (Western Civilization), POLI 1 (Introduction to Political Science), PSYC 1 (General Psychology), or SOCI 1 (Introduction to Sociology) | 4-5 |
| 5A: Physical Science | CHEM 1A (General Chemistry) or PHYS 4A (General Physics) | 4-5 |
| 5B: Biological Science | BIOL 6A (Cell Biology and Genetics) or BIOL 6B (Evolution, Ecology, and Biodiversity) — lab included | 5 |
| 6: Language Other Than English (LOTE) | SPAN 1 (Elementary Spanish), FREN 1 (Elementary French), JAPN 1 (Elementary Japanese), or demonstrated proficiency (two years of HS language accepted) | 4-5 |
CHEM 1A → CHEM 1B → CHEM 12A
These three chemistry courses must be taken in order across at least three consecutive quarters, and all three are required before you transfer — start CHEM 1A in your very first Fall quarter at De Anza or you won't finish the chain in time to apply.
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 sleep on the supplemental application
UCLA Nursing requires a separate School of Nursing Supplemental Application — just submitting the UC application is not enough. The supplemental asks for a statement of purpose, a resume of healthcare experience, and two letters of recommendation. Missing the January 15th supplemental deadline is an automatic disqualification, no exceptions.
Organic chemistry is not optional
Some students see 'one semester of organic chemistry' listed and assume it's the lightest item on the list — it isn't. CHEM 12A at De Anza is a rigorous 5-unit course that requires both CHEM 1A and CHEM 1B as prerequisites, meaning this one course alone commits you to a three-quarter chemistry chain. Plan for it in your very first quarter and don't let it slip to your final term.
Healthcare experience actually moves the needle
With an admit rate around 0.9%, grades alone won't separate you from the pack. The UCLA School of Nursing explicitly asks for volunteer, work, and life experience in healthcare on the supplemental — applicants with CNA work, hospital volunteering, or clinical shadowing are significantly more competitive. Start accumulating documented healthcare hours well before you apply.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
How hard is it to transfer from De Anza College to UCLA Nursing?
It is extremely competitive. UCLA Nursing posted a transfer admit rate of approximately 0.9% in 2025 — one of the lowest of any program at UCLA — and the School of Nursing admits only about 10 transfer students per year from 200+ applicants. You need a near-perfect science GPA in courses like CHEM 1A, BIOL 6A, and BIOL 40A, plus strong healthcare experience, to be a real candidate.
What courses do I need to take at De Anza College to prepare for UCLA Nursing?
Required prep includes two quarters of general chemistry (CHEM 1A and CHEM 1B), one quarter of organic chemistry (CHEM 12A), two quarters of general biology (BIOL 6A and BIOL 6B), human anatomy (BIOL 40A), and human physiology (BIOL 40B) — all with lab components. UCLA also strongly recommends microbiology (BIOL 26), introductory psychology (PSYC 1), public speaking (COMM 1), and calculus (MATH 1A).
Does TAP help De Anza students get into UCLA Nursing?
Not directly. The UCLA School of Nursing is one of a small group of specialty schools that does not participate in the TAP priority consideration process. However, De Anza students who complete the Honors Program and get TAP-certified can still benefit — UCLA will review their application for an eligible alternate major in the College of Letters and Science if they aren't admitted to Nursing, giving them a backup path to the university.
Does UCLA Nursing accept IGETC for transfer students?
Yes. The UCLA School of Nursing requires that transfer applicants have completed either all IGETC requirements or all general education requirements before entering the program. Completing IGETC at De Anza College and obtaining official certification from the Admissions and Records Office satisfies this requirement — just make sure all IGETC coursework is done before you transfer, as it cannot be completed at the School of Nursing.
What GPA do I need to transfer from De Anza College to UCLA Nursing?
UCLA's stated minimum GPA for transfer eligibility is 3.0, but that number is essentially irrelevant for Nursing. The overall UCLA transfer mid-50th percentile GPA in 2024 was 3.77–4.00, and Nursing is one of the most selective programs on campus. Realistically, you should be targeting A's in every science course — CHEM 1A, CHEM 1B, CHEM 12A, BIOL 6A, BIOL 40A, and BIOL 40B all carry heavy weight in the review.
Explore More
Related Transfer Plans
Transferring from De Anza College to UCLA's Nursing program is one of the most ambitious paths in California community college transfer planning — and one of the most competitive. The Joe C. Wen School of Nursing at UCLA admits roughly 10 transfer students per year from a pool of 200 or more applicants, with a program-specific transfer admit rate of approximately 0.9% as of 2025. For De Anza College students targeting this path, the major prerequisites alone represent a multi-quarter commitment: two quarters of General Chemistry (CHEM 1A and CHEM 1B), one quarter of Organic Chemistry (CHEM 12A), two quarters of General Biology (BIOL 6A and BIOL 6B), Human Anatomy (BIOL 40A), Human Physiology (BIOL 40B), and a strong recommendation to add Microbiology (BIOL 26) as well. Because CHEM 1A is a prerequisite for both the general chemistry sequence and BIOL 6A, students who delay chemistry by even one quarter can find their entire science prep compressed into an unworkable timeline. IGETC is accepted for this program, and De Anza College students can pursue full IGETC certification through the school's Admissions and Records Office — but major prerequisites take priority over GE completion given the volume of coursework required. De Anza is a member of the UCLA Transfer Alliance Program (TAP), though nursing applicants should understand that the School of Nursing is a restricted specialty school under TAP, meaning TAP certification does not confer the same priority consideration it does for College of Letters and Science majors. Getting the sequence right from your very first quarter at De Anza College is essential, and that's exactly what Pipeline is built for — helping students map out a personalized, quarter-by-quarter transfer plan that accounts for prerequisite chains, IGETC requirements, and application deadlines all at once.
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