Diablo Valley College to UC Berkeley
Biology Transfer Plan
Semester-by-semester courses, IGETC requirements, and major prerequisites — verified from real articulation data.
From
Diablo Valley College
To
UC Berkeley
BiologyGPA Reality Check
UC Berkeley's published minimum is 3.0, but admitted transfer students typically land between 3.61 and 3.96 — and that's for all majors campus-wide. For a science major with a competitive pre-med applicant pool, sitting below a 3.7 in your science prerequisites puts you at serious risk of being screened out before anyone reads your essays. Your grades in CHEM 120, CHEM 122, BIOL 118, and BIOL 120 carry the most weight — these are the exact courses Berkeley uses to judge whether you're ready for upper-division biology work.
Transfer Alliance Project (TAP)
The Transfer Alliance Project (TAP) is one of the most valuable resources a Diablo Valley College student heading to UC Berkeley can tap into. Roughly 80% of TAP participants who applied to UC Berkeley were admitted — a dramatically higher rate than the campus-wide average. To get started, visit DVC's Transfer Center and ask to connect with your designated UC Berkeley TAP representative; the earlier in your time at DVC you join, the more advising cycles you get before you apply.
Major Requirements
Biology (Letters & Science B.A.) Major Preparation
Biology (Letters & Science B.A.) at UC Berkeley
Courses at Diablo Valley College that satisfy UC Berkeley's Biology major preparation, verified via ASSIST.org.
UC Berkeley's Letters & Science division houses three biology-related majors that students often mix up: Biology B.A., Molecular & Cell Biology (MCB) B.A./B.S., and Integrative Biology B.A. Biology is the most flexible and broad; MCB is more pre-med/biochemistry-intensive with stricter lab science prep; Integrative Biology focuses on organismal and evolutionary biology. Each has its own lower-division prep requirements, so be sure you're looking at the right ASSIST agreement.
| Course at Diablo Valley College | Satisfies at UC Berkeley | Units |
|---|---|---|
| BIOL 118 — General Biology: Molecules, Cells, and Genetics | BIOLOGY 1A — General Biology | 3 |
| BIOL 119 — General Biology Laboratory | BIOLOGY 1AL — General Biology Lab | 1 |
| BIOL 120 — General Biology: Ecology, Evolution, and Diversity | BIOLOGY 1B — General Biology | 3 |
| CHEM 120 — General Chemistry I | CHEM 1A — General Chemistry | 3 |
| CHEM 121 — General Chemistry Laboratory I | CHEM 1AL — General Chemistry Lab | 1 |
| CHEM 122 — General Chemistry II | CHEM 1B — General Chemistry | 3 |
| MATH 180 — Calculus | MATH 1A — Calculus | 4 |
| MATH 181 — Calculus II | MATH 1B — Calculus | 4 |
| PHYS 130 — Physics for Scientists and Engineers I | PHYSICS 8A — Introductory Physics | 4 |
| PHYS 131 — Physics for Scientists and Engineers II | PHYSICS 8B — Introductory Physics | 4 |
General Education
Foundation GE at Diablo Valley College
Complete these five courses at Diablo Valley College to start your UC Berkeley 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.
ANTHR 115
Primate Evolution and Adaptation
CHEM 107
Integrated Inorganic, Organic, and Biological Chemistry
HIST 120
History of the United States before 1865
ENGL C1000
Academic Reading and Writing
ENGL C1001
Critical Thinking and Writing
| Area | Course at Diablo Valley College | Units |
|---|---|---|
Life Science | ANTHR 115 — Primate Evolution and Adaptation | 3 |
Physical Science | CHEM 107 — Integrated Inorganic, Organic, and Biological Chemistry | 5 |
Humanities | HIST 120 — History of the United States before 1865 | 3 |
English CompositionCCN | ENGL C1000 — Academic Reading and Writing | 3 |
Critical ThinkingCCN | ENGL C1001 — Critical Thinking and Writing | 3 |
MATH 180 → MATH 181 → PHYS 130 → PHYS 131
Calculus I (MATH 180) unlocks Calculus II (MATH 181), and completing calculus is required before or alongside Physics for Scientists and Engineers (PHYS 130). If you push MATH 180 to your second semester, the entire math-physics chain shifts forward — and you may arrive at your transfer application with physics still in progress, which weakens your file.
Preview
Your First Semester
A preview of what Pipeline generates — exact courses, in the right order, every semester.
Watch Out
Common Mistakes for This Transfer Path
Start Calculus and Chemistry Your First Semester
The Biology prep sequence at UC Berkeley is long — two semesters of biology, two of chemistry, two of physics, and two of calculus. At Diablo Valley College, both MATH 180 and CHEM 120 can be taken simultaneously in your very first semester, which is exactly what you should do. Delay either one by a semester and you'll almost certainly be scrambling to finish prerequisites before your application deadline or before the spring semester prior to transfer.
Don't Confuse Biology B.A. With MCB or Integrative Biology
Berkeley has three distinct biology-related majors in Letters & Science, and each has its own ASSIST articulation agreement. The Biology B.A. is broader and more flexible; Molecular & Cell Biology (MCB) requires additional lab science coursework including organic chemistry. Make sure you're reading the ASSIST agreement for 'Biology, Lower Division B.A.' — not the MCB or Integrative Biology page — or you may prep for the wrong set of courses entirely.
Join TAP Early — It's Not Just an Application Boost
Diablo Valley College is a named partner school in UC Berkeley's Transfer Alliance Project. TAP gives you multi-year, one-on-one advising from a Berkeley rep who works directly on DVC's campus — not just a hotline or a website. The earlier you connect with that rep (ideally your first semester), the more personalized feedback you get on your course plan, your personal insight questions, and how competitive your application looks before you ever submit it.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What GPA do I need to transfer from Diablo Valley College to UC Berkeley for Biology?
The official UC minimum is 3.0, but that won't get you far. Admitted transfer students campus-wide show a mid-50% GPA range of 3.61–3.96, and Biology applicants face a pre-med-heavy applicant pool that pushes the competitive bar higher. Aim for a 3.7 or above, especially in science prerequisites like CHEM 120 and BIOL 118.
What courses do I need to take at DVC to transfer to UC Berkeley as a Biology major?
The lower-division major prep includes two semesters of biology (BIOL 118/119 and BIOL 120), two semesters of general chemistry (CHEM 120/121 and CHEM 122), two semesters of calculus (MATH 180 and MATH 181), and two semesters of physics (PHYS 130 and PHYS 131). These map directly to Berkeley's Biology 1A/1AL, 1B, Chem 1A/1AL, 1B, Math 1A, 1B, and Physics 8A/8B — verify the current year's articulation on ASSIST.org before registering.
What is the Transfer Alliance Project (TAP) and does Diablo Valley College participate?
TAP is UC Berkeley's academic advising and enrichment program for underserved community college students, and Diablo Valley College is one of its named partner schools. About 80% of TAP participants who applied to UC Berkeley were admitted — far above the campus-wide transfer rate of around 24–30%. Contact DVC's Transfer Center in your first semester to meet your Berkeley TAP representative and get enrolled.
Is IGETC accepted for Biology at UC Berkeley?
Yes — IGETC is accepted for the Biology B.A. in the College of Letters and Science. Completing IGETC before transfer satisfies your lower-division breadth requirements and takes general education off your plate at Berkeley. That said, biology's heavy major prep course load means you should map your plan carefully so IGETC courses don't crowd out prerequisites like CHEM 122 or PHYS 130.
How many students from Diablo Valley College apply to UC Berkeley each year?
Based on UC Infocenter data, approximately 981 students from Diablo Valley College have applied to UC Berkeley in a recent reported cycle, with around 298 admitted — an admit rate of roughly 30%. That's notably higher than Berkeley's campus-wide transfer admit rate of 24%, reflecting DVC's status as Berkeley's top community college feeder. Keep in mind these numbers cover all majors combined.
Explore More
Related Transfer Plans
Students at Diablo Valley College (DVC) who are planning to transfer to UC Berkeley as Biology majors have one of the strongest pathways in the California community college system. DVC has historically sent more students to UC Berkeley than any other community college in the country, and roughly 981 students apply from DVC in a given cycle with an admit rate of approximately 30% — above Berkeley's campus-wide transfer average of 24%. The Biology B.A. in UC Berkeley's College of Letters and Science requires serious transfer planning: lower-division major prerequisites include two semesters of biology (BIOL 118 and BIOL 120 at DVC), two semesters of general chemistry, two semesters of calculus beginning with MATH 180, and two semesters of calculus-based physics. Starting this math and science sequence in your very first semester at DVC is not optional — it's survival. IGETC is accepted for this major, and thoughtfully completing it alongside your major prerequisites is achievable but requires a tight course map. DVC students also have access to the Transfer Alliance Project (TAP), a UC Berkeley-run program with an 80% admit rate among participants, offering multi-year one-on-one advising from a Berkeley representative who works directly at your campus. Tools like Pipeline help students build semester-by-semester plans that account for all of these moving pieces at once — prerequisite chains, IGETC requirements, TAP certification timelines, and the 60-unit minimum — so nothing slips through the cracks on the way to Cal.
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