Diablo Valley College to UCSB
Biology Transfer Plan
Semester-by-semester courses, IGETC requirements, and major prerequisites — verified from real articulation data.
From
Diablo Valley College
To
UC Santa Barbara
BiologyGPA Reality Check
The UC minimum GPA to transfer is 3.0, but the mid-50th percentile of admitted UCSB transfer students ranges from 3.46 to 3.91 — and Biology is explicitly flagged as one of UCSB's more selective majors. For TAG, the floor rises to 3.4 in all UC-transferable coursework, and your science prep courses (general chemistry, biology, organic chemistry, calculus) must collectively average at least 2.7 with no grade below a C. In practice, the students who get in are earning mostly A's in those courses — not just clearing the minimums.
Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG)
UCSB's TAG program is one of the most valuable tools available to DVC students, and Biology qualifies — but with stricter conditions than most majors. You need a 3.4 cumulative GPA in all UC-transferable coursework by the end of the fall semester before you transfer, and all required major prep courses on ASSIST must be finished by the end of the spring semester before transfer. Apply through the UC TAP tool between September 1–30, then submit your full UC application to UCSB for the same major between October 1 and December 1.
Major Requirements
Biological Sciences (College of Letters & Science B.S. or B.A.) Major Preparation
Biological Sciences (College of Letters & Science B.S. or B.A.) at UC Santa Barbara
Courses at Diablo Valley College that satisfy UC Santa Barbara's Biology major preparation, verified via ASSIST.org.
UCSB runs its Biology program jointly through two departments: EEMB (Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology) and MCDB (Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology). Students declare a specific concentration — such as Ecology and Evolution B.S., Molecular & Cellular Biology B.S., or Zoology B.S. — after completing pre-major requirements on campus. All transfer students are initially admitted as Pre-Biology majors, so you are not choosing between these tracks at the application stage; you choose after arriving.
| Course at Diablo Valley College | Satisfies at UCSB | Units |
|---|---|---|
| BIOL 107 — General Biology I | MCDB 1A / EEMB 2 — Introductory Biology (first semester of sequence) | 4 |
| BIOL 108 — General Biology II | MCDB 1B / EEMB 3 — Introductory Biology (second semester of sequence) | 4 |
| CHEM 120 — General Chemistry I | CHEM 1A — General Chemistry | 5 |
| CHEM 121 — General Chemistry II | CHEM 1B — General Chemistry | 5 |
| CHEM 122 — General Chemistry III | CHEM 1C — General Chemistry | 5 |
| CHEM 230 — Organic Chemistry I | CHEM 6A — Organic Chemistry | 5 |
| CHEM 231 — Organic Chemistry II | CHEM 6B — Organic Chemistry | 5 |
| MATH 180 — Calculus I | MATH 3A — Calculus with Applications | 5 |
| MATH 181 — Calculus II | MATH 3B — Calculus with Applications | 5 |
| PHYS 120 — General Physics I | PHYS 6A — Physics (strongly recommended before transfer) | 4 |
| PHYS 121 — General Physics II | PHYS 6B — Physics (strongly recommended before transfer) | 4 |
| MATH 142 — Elementary Statistics | PSTAT 10 — Probability and Statistics (strongly recommended before transfer) | 4 |
General Education
Foundation GE at Diablo Valley College
Complete these five courses at Diablo Valley College to start your UCSB 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 |
CHEM 122 → CHEM 230 (General Chemistry → Organic Chemistry)
You cannot enroll in Organic Chemistry I (CHEM 230) at DVC until all three semesters of General Chemistry are done — and UCSB Biology requires organic chemistry to be completed before transfer. Getting this chain started late by even one semester can push your transfer date back by a full year.
DVC runs on semesters — UCSB runs on quarters
Your DVC courses are semester-length (about 16 weeks), but once you arrive at UCSB you'll be on a 10-week quarter schedule, so the pace of upper-division biology courses will feel noticeably faster — plan to hit the ground running in Fall quarter.
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 General Chemistry in Semester One
UCSB Biology requires a full year of general chemistry, a year of organic chemistry, and two semesters of calculus — all with no grade below a C. At DVC, general chemistry alone spans three semesters (CHEM 120, 121, 122), so if you wait until your second semester to start, organic chemistry physically cannot be completed before your transfer application is reviewed. Map the entire chain on day one: CHEM 120 → 121 → 122 → CHEM 230 → 231, and build everything else around it.
Understand the Pre-Biology Admission — You Are Not Yet in the Major
UCSB admits all Biology transfer students as Pre-Biology majors first. You formally petition to enter the full major after completing two quarters on campus and finishing the remaining prep requirements with at least a 2.0 GPA in those courses. This is not just a formality — if your grades slip in the first two quarters at UCSB, you can be denied entry into the major you transferred for. Treat the first quarter the same way you treated transfer prep.
DVC's CCN Course Renumbering Changes Which Codes Appear on ASSIST
Starting Fall 2025, DVC adopted the statewide Common Course Numbering (CCN) system, which renamed many science courses — for example, BIOL 107 and CHEM 120 may now carry different catalog numbers. If you are searching ASSIST and see a mismatch between course codes in older resources and what DVC is currently offering, ask a DVC counselor to confirm the new CCN equivalent before you register. Using the wrong course number could mean completing a course that no longer maps to the UCSB requirement.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What GPA do I need to transfer from Diablo Valley College to UCSB for Biology?
The UC minimum is 3.0, but UCSB Biology is a selective major and real admit data shows the mid-50th percentile of admitted transfers ranges from 3.46 to 3.91. If you want to use the TAG program, you need at least a 3.4 cumulative GPA in all UC-transferable courses by the end of the fall semester before you transfer, plus a minimum 2.7 GPA specifically in your science prep courses like CHEM 120, BIOL 107, and MATH 180.
Does Diablo Valley College have a TAG agreement with UCSB for Biology?
Yes — DVC participates in the UC Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) program with UCSB, and Biology is eligible. Because Biology is a selective major at UCSB, TAG applicants must complete all required major preparation courses from the ASSIST articulation agreement and earn at least a 3.4 cumulative GPA by end of fall before transfer. You apply through the UC TAP tool between September 1–30, then file your full UC application for the same major by December 1.
What classes do I need to take at DVC to prepare for UCSB Biology?
UCSB Biology requires a full year of general chemistry with lab (CHEM 120, 121, 122 at DVC), a two-semester general biology sequence with lab (BIOL 107 and BIOL 108), and organic chemistry (CHEM 230 and CHEM 231). UCSB also strongly recommends completing two semesters of calculus (MATH 180 and MATH 181), two semesters of physics (PHYS 120 and PHYS 121), and a statistics course (MATH 142) before transferring so you can make normal progress in upper-division courses from day one.
Is IGETC accepted for Biology at UC Santa Barbara?
Yes, IGETC is accepted for Biological Sciences majors in UCSB's College of Letters & Science. Completing IGETC at DVC satisfies most lower-division general education requirements so you can focus your time at UCSB on upper-division Biology courses. However, note that starting Fall 2025 DVC has transitioned to the Cal-GETC framework — speak with a DVC counselor to confirm how your completed GE courses map under the new system.
How many units do I need to transfer from Diablo Valley College to UCSB?
UCSB requires a minimum of 60 UC-transferable semester units to transfer — exactly what DVC's transfer pathway is built around. For TAG purposes, you need at least 30 UC-transferable units completed before your TAG application in September, and the full 60 units finished by end of spring before your fall enrollment. Keep in mind that UCSB caps lower-division transfer credit at 70 semester units, so there's no benefit to taking extra courses beyond what your major prep and IGETC require.
Explore More
Related Transfer Plans
Students at Diablo Valley College (DVC) targeting UC Santa Barbara (UCSB) for a Biology degree are pursuing one of the more demanding — and rewarding — transfer pathways in the California community college system. UCSB's overall transfer admit rate was approximately 61.8% for fall 2024, but Biological Sciences is explicitly identified as a selective major where admit rates are lower and competition is sharper. Successful transfer planning starts well before the application window opens: the Biology major prep sequence at UCSB requires a full year of general chemistry, two semesters of general biology with lab, a year of organic chemistry, two semesters of calculus, and ideally physics and statistics as well — all completed with no grade below a C and a cumulative science GPA of at least 2.7. At DVC, that means starting courses like CHEM 120 and BIOL 107 in your very first semester, because the prerequisite chains are long. DVC students are also fortunate to have access to the Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) program with UCSB, which offers guaranteed admission to students who earn a 3.4 GPA in all UC-transferable coursework and finish required major prerequisites by the fall before transfer. IGETC is accepted for this major, giving students a clear path to knock out general education requirements at DVC before arriving at UCSB. The calendar shift matters too: DVC runs on semesters while UCSB operates on quarters, so upper-division Biology courses will move at a noticeably faster pace once you arrive. Transfer planning tools like Pipeline help students map every required course — from CHEM 120 through calculus — into a semester-by-semester plan, so nothing falls through the cracks and the path from Diablo Valley College to UC Santa Barbara stays on track.
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