Diablo Valley College to UCLA
Psychology Transfer Plan
Semester-by-semester courses, IGETC requirements, and major prerequisites — verified from real articulation data.
From
Diablo Valley College
To
UCLA
PsychologyGPA Reality Check
UCLA posts a minimum 3.2 GPA for transfer applicants, but the mid-50th percentile for admitted Psychology students in Fall 2024 was 3.81–4.00 — that gap is not a typo. Psychology is classified by UCLA as a highly selective major, and the Transfer Admission Guide explicitly recommends completing all major prep by fall semester before you transfer. Your GPA in PSYC 121 and MATH 120 carries extra weight because those are the two courses reviewers can directly tie to your readiness for upper-division Psychology work.
Transfer Alliance Program (TAP)
DVC is a TAP member college, which means you have access to one of the most valuable tools in the UCLA transfer process. By completing DVC's Honors Program, signing the TAP Applicant Agreement Form, and submitting your UC application, you earn priority consideration for admission to Psychology and other College of Letters and Science majors. TAP also gives you a second-chance review for an approved alternate major — a safety net that non-TAP applicants simply don't get.
Major Requirements
Psychology B.A. (College of Letters and Science) Major Preparation
Psychology B.A. (College of Letters and Science) at UCLA
Courses at Diablo Valley College that satisfy UCLA's Psychology major preparation, verified via ASSIST.org.
UCLA also offers Psychobiology (B.S.) and Cognitive Science (B.S. and B.A.) — all housed in the same Psychology Department but with very different prep requirements. Psychobiology is a highly selective science-track degree requiring two semesters of chemistry, two of biology, and calculus. Cognitive Science blends psychology, linguistics, philosophy, and computer science. Make sure your ASSIST plan matches the specific degree you're targeting — the prep courses are not interchangeable.
| Course at Diablo Valley College | Satisfies at UCLA | Units |
|---|---|---|
| PSYC 121 — General Psychology | PSYCH 10 — Introductory Psychology | 3 |
| MATH 120 — Introduction to Statistics | STATS 10 — Introduction to Statistical Reasoning | 4 |
| BIOL 119 — General Biology | Life Science preparation requirement (satisfies one approved life science course) | 4 |
| CHEM 108 — Introduction to Chemistry | Physical Science preparation requirement (satisfies one approved physical science course) | 4 |
| No equivalent at Diablo Valley College | PSYCH 100A — Research Methods in Psychology (upper-division, taken after transfer at UCLA) | — |
Courses with no equivalent must be taken at UCLA after transfer. Factor this into your first-year course plan.
General Education
Foundation GE at Diablo Valley College
Complete these five courses at Diablo Valley 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.
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 |
Statistics → Research Methods
MATH 120 (Introduction to Statistics) at DVC must be completed before you arrive at UCLA, because it's the direct prerequisite foundation for PSYCH 100A (Research Methods in Psychology) — the gateway to the entire upper-division major. Skip it or leave it for spring of your transfer year, and you'll be playing catch-up from your first quarter on campus.
DVC runs on semesters — UCLA runs on quarters
Each semester you complete at DVC is roughly equivalent to a quarter and a half at UCLA, so build your course plan around finishing all five major prep requirements well before your final semester — don't count on using spring semester to squeeze in a critical science course.
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
Take Statistics Your Very First Semester
MATH 120 (Introduction to Statistics) is the backbone of your entire Psychology prep sequence at DVC. UCLA's Psychology Department recommends statistics as preparation for upper-division work, and delaying it even one semester can compress your timeline significantly. DVC runs on semesters while UCLA runs on quarters, so every semester you spend at DVC represents roughly 1.5 UCLA quarters — don't waste that early calendar advantage by putting MATH 120 off until year two.
Start the DVC Honors Program as a First-Semester Student
TAP certification requires completing DVC's full Honors Program, and that takes time — you can't cram honors coursework into your last semester. If you don't enroll in the Honors Program your very first semester, you may not accumulate enough honors units to be TAP-certified before your application deadline. Visit the DVC Transfer Center on day one and ask specifically about Honors Program enrollment.
Verify Your Science Courses on ASSIST Before Enrolling
UCLA Psychology requires both a life science and a physical science prep course, and not every DVC science course has a confirmed articulation to those requirement slots. Before you register for BIOL 119 or CHEM 108, pull up the official ASSIST agreement for DVC → UCLA Psychology at assist.org and confirm each course maps to the specific requirement you think it does. A science class that counts as an IGETC elective is not the same as one that satisfies a major prep requirement — and that distinction can cost you a full semester.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What are my chances of transferring from Diablo Valley College to UCLA for Psychology?
In Fall 2024, 737 students applied to UCLA from Diablo Valley College with an overall admit rate of 23%. UCLA Psychology specifically carried a 22% admit rate that same year with a mid-50th percentile GPA of 3.81–4.00 among admitted students. Psychology is officially classified as a highly selective major by UCLA, so completing all major prep — including PSYC 121 and MATH 120 — before you apply is essential, not optional.
What courses do I need to take at Diablo Valley College to prepare for the UCLA Psychology major?
The core lower-division prep courses you should complete at DVC are PSYC 121 (General Psychology), which articulates to UCLA's PSYCH 10, and MATH 120 (Introduction to Statistics), which satisfies UCLA's quantitative reasoning requirement. You'll also need an approved life science course (BIOL 119) and a physical science course (CHEM 108) — verify the exact articulation for each on ASSIST before enrolling. PSYCH 100A and 100B are upper-division courses taken at UCLA after you transfer, not at DVC.
Does Diablo Valley College participate in the UCLA Transfer Alliance Program (TAP)?
Yes — DVC is a TAP member college. To get TAP-certified, you need to complete DVC's Honors Program, submit a TAP Applicant Agreement Form, and indicate your TAP participation on your UC application. TAP gives you priority consideration for Psychology and other UCLA College of Letters and Science majors, plus a second-chance alternate major review if your first choice isn't admitted.
Can I use IGETC when transferring from Diablo Valley College to UCLA for Psychology?
Yes, IGETC is accepted for the Psychology B.A. at UCLA. Completing IGETC at DVC satisfies most lower-division general education requirements before you transfer, which frees up your schedule at UCLA to focus on upper-division major coursework. Check with a DVC counselor to make sure your IGETC certification is filed with DVC's Admissions and Records office before you transfer.
Is UCLA Psychology the same as Psychobiology at UCLA, and which should I apply to from DVC?
They are different degrees with very different preparation tracks. Psychology is a B.A. in the College of Letters and Science — the major prep at DVC centers on PSYC 121 and MATH 120, plus one life and one physical science course. Psychobiology is a B.S. and requires two semesters each of chemistry and biology plus calculus — a much heavier science load. Applying to the wrong one means your DVC prep courses may not match what UCLA expects, so confirm your choice before building your course plan.
Explore More
Related Transfer Plans
Students at Diablo Valley College (DVC) targeting the UCLA Psychology program are navigating one of the more competitive transfer pathways in the California community college system. Transfer planning for this route requires careful attention to both major prerequisites and general education — and the earlier you start, the better your odds. In Fall 2024, 737 students applied to UCLA from Diablo Valley College with a 23% overall admit rate; UCLA Psychology specifically carried a 22% admit rate that year, with admitted students showing a mid-50th percentile GPA of 3.81–4.00. The Psychology B.A. lives in UCLA's College of Letters and Science, which means IGETC is accepted and can be completed at DVC to clear most lower-division general education requirements before you arrive on campus. On the major prerequisites side, the ASSIST articulation agreement for Diablo Valley College to UCLA identifies PSYC 121 (General Psychology) as the DVC equivalent of UCLA's PSYCH 10, and MATH 120 (Introduction to Statistics) as the course that satisfies the quantitative reasoning prep requirement. Both courses should be completed as early as possible in your time at DVC — UCLA's own Transfer Admission Guide flags Psychology as a highly selective major and recommends finishing all major prep by fall semester before transfer. DVC students also have access to the Transfer Alliance Program (TAP), which awards priority consideration to students who complete DVC's Honors Program and get TAP-certified. Tools like Pipeline help DVC students build a semester-by-semester plan that accounts for the DVC-to-UCLA calendar difference, prerequisite sequencing, IGETC completion, and TAP certification timelines all in one place — so nothing falls through the cracks on the road from Pleasant Hill to Westwood.
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