Diablo Valley College to UCLA
Computer Science Transfer Plan
Semester-by-semester courses, IGETC requirements, and major prerequisites — verified from real articulation data.
From
Diablo Valley College
To
UCLA
GPA Reality Check
UCLA requires a 3.4 minimum GPA just to be considered for HSSEAS — and the actual admitted CS students in Fall 2024 came in with GPAs clustered between 3.96 and 4.00. That gap is not a typo. This is one of the most competitive transfer majors in the entire UC system, admitting roughly 3% of applicants. Your major prep GPA — especially your grades in MATH 192 through MATH 196 and CS 161/162 — matters most, and HSSEAS counts both your original grade and any retake grade, so there is no easy do-over.
UCLA Transfer Alliance Program (TAP)
DVC participates in the UCLA Transfer Alliance Program (TAP), which is tied to DVC's Honors Program. TAP certification gives students priority consideration for transfer into UCLA's College of Letters and Science — but Computer Science B.S. lives inside the Henry Samueli School of Engineering, which does not participate in TAP. If you complete DVC's Honors Program, it can still strengthen your application and personal insight questions, and it qualifies you for TAP benefits if you list an L&S alternate major. Just don't count on TAP as your main advantage for CS Engineering admission.
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 Diablo Valley College that satisfy UCLA's Computer Science major preparation, verified via ASSIST.org.
UCLA offers a separate Computer Science and Engineering B.S. (also in HSSEAS) that blends CS with electrical engineering hardware — if you want software-focused study, plain Computer Science B.S. is typically the right choice. There is also a Computational and Systems Biology major and a Data Theory major in the College of Letters and Science that students sometimes confuse with CS; those are different schools with different prep requirements and different admit rates.
| Course at Diablo Valley College | Satisfies at UCLA | Units |
|---|---|---|
| MATH 192 — Calculus I | MATH 31A — Differential Calculus | 5 |
| MATH 193 — Calculus II | MATH 31B — Integral Calculus | 5 |
| MATH 194 — Multivariable Calculus | MATH 32A/32B — Calculus of Several Variables | 5 |
| MATH 195 — Linear Algebra | MATH 33A — Linear Algebra and Applications | 4 |
| MATH 196 — Differential Equations | MATH 33B — Differential Equations | 4 |
| CS 161 — Introduction to Computer Science Using Java | COM SCI 31 — Introduction to Computer Science I | 4 |
| CS 162 — Data Structures | COM SCI 32 — Introduction to Computer Science II | 4 |
| PHYS 120 — Mechanics | PHYSICS 1A — Mechanics | 4 |
| PHYS 121 — Electricity and Magnetism | PHYSICS 1B — Oscillations, Waves, Electric and Magnetic Fields | 4 |
| CS 260 — Discrete Mathematics for Computer Science | COM SCI 180 — Algorithms and Complexity (discrete math preparation) | 4 |
General Education
GE Requirements at UCLA
IGETC is not accepted for this program
Because Computer Science at UCLA sits inside the Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science (HSSEAS), IGETC is not required and partial IGETC will not be accepted. Instead, focus almost entirely on completing the required major prep courses (math series, physics series, programming, discrete math) with strong grades. UCLA does encourage engineering applicants to complete at least one course each from the arts, humanities, social sciences, and life sciences for UC eligibility — DVC courses like ENGL 122 (Critical Thinking and Composition) or HIST 121 (History of the U.S.) can check that box. But the engineering GE requirements are largely fulfilled after you arrive on campus.
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
IGETC Is the Wrong Plan for Engineering CS
A lot of DVC students default to IGETC because it's the standard UC transfer GE path — but HSSEAS explicitly states that IGETC is not required, and partial IGETC will not be accepted. Spending semesters building out an IGETC checklist instead of finishing MATH 194, MATH 195, or MATH 196 is a real mistake that costs admits. Put every available semester into major prep; the engineering GE gets sorted after you arrive at UCLA.
Start the Math Chain in Your Very First Semester
The math sequence — MATH 192 → MATH 193 → MATH 194 → MATH 195/196 — takes a minimum of four to five semesters if you take one course per term. Students who delay MATH 192 by even one semester often find themselves unable to finish MATH 196 and both physics courses before the application deadline. Enroll in MATH 192 in your first fall semester at DVC, no exceptions.
Don't Skip Discrete Math Before You Apply
CS 260 (Discrete Mathematics for Computer Science) is easy to overlook because it is not part of the calculus or physics chain, but it directly supports your preparation for UCLA's algorithms and theory coursework. Admissions readers for engineering majors look for breadth of CS preparation — showing CS 161, CS 162, and CS 260 completed signals you are ready to hit the ground running at the upper-division level.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What GPA do I need to transfer from Diablo Valley College to UCLA Computer Science?
The minimum GPA to be considered for any HSSEAS major at UCLA is 3.4, but admitted CS transfer students in Fall 2024 had GPAs overwhelmingly in the 3.96–4.00 range. Your major prep GPA — earned in courses like MATH 192, CS 161, and PHYS 120 at DVC — carries the most weight. A single retaken course still hurts because HSSEAS counts both the original and the new grade.
Does IGETC count for the UCLA Computer Science transfer application from DVC?
No — and this is one of the most common planning mistakes. Computer Science at UCLA is housed in the Henry Samueli School of Engineering, which explicitly states that IGETC is not required and that partial IGETC will not be accepted. Your energy is far better spent completing MATH 192 through MATH 196, CS 161, CS 162, and both physics courses before you apply.
Does the UCLA Transfer Alliance Program (TAP) help Diablo Valley College students get into Computer Science?
TAP gives priority consideration specifically for majors in UCLA's College of Letters and Science — the Samueli School of Engineering, which houses CS, does not participate in TAP. Completing DVC's Honors Program to earn TAP certification can still enrich your application and your personal insight questions, and it helps if you list an L&S program as your alternate major. But it is not a direct lever for CS Engineering admission.
What Computer Science courses at Diablo Valley College transfer to UCLA?
CS 161 (Introduction to Computer Science Using Java) articulates to UCLA's COM SCI 31, and CS 162 (Data Structures) articulates to COM SCI 32 — these are both required lower-division prep courses for the CS B.S. at UCLA. CS 260 (Discrete Mathematics for Computer Science) is also strongly recommended as preparation for upper-division theory and algorithms courses you will take at UCLA.
How many applicants apply to UCLA Computer Science as transfer students each year?
UCLA received approximately 27,167 total transfer applications for Fall 2024, and Computer Science is among the most applied-to engineering majors in that pool. The CS transfer admit rate was approximately 3% in Fall 2024, making it one of the most selective transfer pathways at any UC campus. Completing the full major prep sequence at DVC — including both CS 161 and CS 162 with strong grades — is essentially the baseline expectation, not a differentiator.
Explore More
Related Transfer Plans
Planning your transfer from Diablo Valley College (DVC) to UCLA for Computer Science is one of the most demanding academic journeys in the California community college system — and the numbers make that clear. The Computer Science B.S. program at UCLA's Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science admitted roughly 3% of transfer applicants in Fall 2024, with successful admits carrying GPAs clustered between 3.96 and 4.00. Getting there from DVC means methodically completing a rigorous sequence of major prerequisites that spans multiple semesters: the full calculus chain from MATH 192 through MATH 194, then MATH 195 (Linear Algebra) and MATH 196 (Differential Equations), calculus-based physics in PHYS 120 and PHYS 121, programming fundamentals in CS 161 and CS 162, and discrete mathematics in CS 260. Each of these DVC courses articulates directly to an equivalent UCLA lower-division requirement per the ASSIST.org articulation agreement between the two institutions. One critical planning note that surprises many students: unlike most UC transfer pathways, the Samueli School of Engineering does not accept IGETC, and partial IGETC will not be credited — so transfer planning for this major means front-loading math and CS courses rather than building out a general education checklist. DVC students can also explore the UCLA Transfer Alliance Program through DVC's Honors Program, though TAP benefits apply primarily to College of Letters and Science majors rather than engineering. Tools like Pipeline help students map out a personalized, semester-by-semester course plan so nothing in that critical major prerequisites chain gets missed or taken out of order — because with a 3% admit rate, there is very little margin for sequencing mistakes.
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