Mt. San Antonio College to UC Berkeley
Nursing Transfer Plan
Semester-by-semester courses, IGETC requirements, and major prerequisites — verified from real articulation data.
From
Mt. San Antonio College
To
UC Berkeley
GPA Reality Check
UC Berkeley's minimum GPA to apply as a transfer is 3.0, but that number will not get you in. Admitted transfers in Fall 2025 had a mid-50th percentile GPA range of 3.61–3.96, which means half of all admitted students had a GPA above 3.96. For a health-sciences pathway like Public Health, your science courses — BIOL 5, BIOL 6, and CHEM 10 — carry the most weight because they signal directly whether you can handle Berkeley's upper-division curriculum. Treat those courses as the ones you absolutely cannot afford a B− in.
Major Requirements
Public Health (L&S B.A.) — Pre-Nursing Pathway Major Preparation
Public Health (L&S B.A.) — Pre-Nursing Pathway at UC Berkeley
Courses at Mt. San Antonio College that satisfy UC Berkeley's Nursing major preparation, verified via ASSIST.org.
UC Berkeley does not offer a standalone undergraduate Nursing degree. Students pursuing nursing careers at Berkeley typically major in Public Health (B.A.) through the College of Letters & Science, or in Molecular & Cell Biology, Integrative Biology, or Psychology — then apply to graduate-level BSN or entry-level master's nursing programs after earning their bachelor's degree. Do not confuse this with the UC Berkeley Extension Nursing Preparatory Program, which is a separate non-degree certificate pathway.
| Course at Mt. San Antonio College | Satisfies at UC Berkeley | Units |
|---|---|---|
| BIOL 5 — Principles of Biology I | BIOL 1A — General Biology Lecture | 4 |
| BIOL 6 — Principles of Biology II | BIOL 1B — General Biology Lecture | 4 |
| CHEM 10 — Introductory General Chemistry | CHEM 1A — General Chemistry | 5 |
| MATH 71 — Calculus I | MATH 1A — Calculus | 4 |
| MATH 110 — Statistics | STAT 20 — Introduction to Statistics (Math Part I — Quantitative Reasoning requirement) | 4 |
| PSYC 1A — Introduction to Psychology | PSYCH 1 — General Psychology | 3 |
| SOCIO 1 — Introduction to Sociology | SOCIOL 1 — Introduction to Sociology (Social Science prerequisite for Public Health major) | 3 |
General Education
IGETC at Mt. San Antonio College
Complete IGETC at Mt. San Antonio College to satisfy UC Berkeley's lower-division GE requirements before transferring.
ENGL 1A
4 unitsENGL 1C
4 unitsMATH 110 (Statistics) or MATH 71 (Calculus I)
4 unitsART 1 (Art History Survey I) or MUS 20 (Music Appreciation)
3 unitsENGL 5 (Introduction to Literature) or PHIL 1 (Introduction to Philosophy)
3 unitsPSYC 1A (Introduction to Psychology) or SOCIO 1 (Introduction to Sociology) or HIST 7A (U.S. History)
3 unitsCHEM 10 (Introductory General Chemistry) or PHYS 4A (Physics for Scientists and Engineers)
3-4 unitsBIOL 5 (Principles of Biology I) or BIOL 10 (Introduction to Biology)
3-4 unitsSPAN 1 (Elementary Spanish I), ASL 1 (American Sign Language I), or JAPN 1 (Elementary Japanese I)
5 units| Area | Course options at Mt. San Antonio College | Units |
|---|---|---|
| 1A: English Composition | ENGL 1A | 4 |
| 1B: Critical Thinking and Composition | ENGL 1C | 4 |
| 2: Mathematical Concepts and Quantitative Reasoning | MATH 110 (Statistics) or MATH 71 (Calculus I) | 4 |
| 3A: Arts | ART 1 (Art History Survey I) or MUS 20 (Music Appreciation) | 3 |
| 3B: Humanities | ENGL 5 (Introduction to Literature) or PHIL 1 (Introduction to Philosophy) | 3 |
| 4: Social and Behavioral Sciences | PSYC 1A (Introduction to Psychology) or SOCIO 1 (Introduction to Sociology) or HIST 7A (U.S. History) | 3 |
| 5A: Physical Science | CHEM 10 (Introductory General Chemistry) or PHYS 4A (Physics for Scientists and Engineers) | 3-4 |
| 5B: Biological Science | BIOL 5 (Principles of Biology I) or BIOL 10 (Introduction to Biology) | 3-4 |
| 6: Language Other Than English | SPAN 1 (Elementary Spanish I), ASL 1 (American Sign Language I), or JAPN 1 (Elementary Japanese I) | 5 |
BIOL 5 → BIOL 6: Don't Take These Simultaneously
BIOL 6 (Principles of Biology II) requires BIOL 5 (Principles of Biology I) as a prerequisite — they must be taken in separate semesters, in order. If you try to shortcut this or register for BIOL 6 first, you'll be dropped from the class, and your entire science prep timeline shifts back by a semester.
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
Berkeley Has No Undergraduate Nursing Degree
This is the most important thing to understand about this pathway: UC Berkeley does not offer a B.S. in Nursing as an undergraduate major you can transfer into. The plan is to transfer as a Public Health (B.A.) major — or another life science — complete your bachelor's degree at Berkeley, then apply to a graduate-entry BSN or Master's-entry nursing program. Skipping this step in your planning leads to a completely broken transfer strategy.
Don't Skip CHEM 10 Because It Feels Optional
Some Mt. SAC students eyeing a health-sciences path assume that chemistry is only required for pre-med. It isn't — CHEM 10 satisfies the IGETC Area 5A physical science requirement and positions you for upper-division biology at Berkeley. More practically, virtually every BSN program you'll apply to after Berkeley requires it, and admissions committees notice when it's missing.
No TAG at Berkeley — Plan Your Application Carefully
UC Berkeley does not participate in the Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) program that Mt. SAC offers with six other UC campuses. There is no guaranteed admission, no matter your GPA. That means your application — especially your Personal Insight Questions about why you're drawn to public health and nursing — has to work harder than it would for a TAG school. Start drafting those essays early and have Mt. SAC's Transfer Center review them.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I transfer from Mt. San Antonio College to UC Berkeley as a Nursing major?
UC Berkeley does not offer an undergraduate Nursing degree — there is no B.S. in Nursing to transfer into. Mt. SAC students pursuing a nursing career typically transfer to Berkeley as Public Health (B.A.) majors through the College of Letters & Science, complete their bachelor's degree, and then apply to graduate-entry BSN or Master's-level nursing programs. Courses like BIOL 5 and CHEM 10 at Mt. SAC build the science foundation for both the Berkeley major and future nursing school applications.
What GPA do I need to transfer from Mt. SAC to UC Berkeley for a health-related major?
Berkeley's published minimum is 3.0, but that bar is far below what actually gets people in. For Fall 2025 transfers across all majors, the mid-50th percentile GPA range was 3.61–3.96, meaning a strong applicant typically holds a 3.7 or above. For a competitive health-sciences pathway, you should aim for as close to a 4.0 as possible in your science courses — BIOL 5, BIOL 6, and CHEM 10 are the courses admissions reviewers look at most closely.
Does UC Berkeley accept IGETC for transfer students in the College of Letters & Science?
Yes — completing IGETC is accepted and recommended for students transferring into the College of Letters & Science, which houses the Public Health major. A certified IGETC clears Berkeley's lower-division breadth requirements so you can focus on upper-division Public Health coursework once you arrive on campus. Mt. SAC courses like ENGL 1A (Area 1A), MATH 110 (Area 2), and BIOL 5 (Area 5B) all count toward IGETC certification.
Does UC Berkeley have a Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) for Mt. San Antonio College students?
No — UC Berkeley is one of two UC campuses (along with UCLA) that does not participate in the TAG program. Mt. SAC students can pursue TAGs at UC Davis, UC Irvine, UC Merced, UC Riverside, UC Santa Barbara, and UC Santa Cruz, but Berkeley admission requires a standard competitive application with no guarantee. Given that 23,322 students applied for transfer in Fall 2025, your academic record and Personal Insight Questions both need to be strong.
What courses should I take at Mt. SAC to prepare for a pre-nursing path at UC Berkeley?
The core science sequence is your priority: start with CHEM 10 (Introductory General Chemistry) in your first semester, then take BIOL 5 (Principles of Biology I) and BIOL 6 (Principles of Biology II) in sequence across your first two semesters. Add MATH 110 (Statistics) early because it satisfies both the IGETC Area 2 requirement and Berkeley's Public Health major quantitative prerequisite. PSYC 1A and SOCIO 1 round out the social science prerequisites and both count toward IGETC Area 4.
Explore More
Related Transfer Plans
Students at Mt. San Antonio College (Mt. SAC) who want to pursue a nursing career through UC Berkeley face a transfer planning reality that surprises many: UC Berkeley does not offer an undergraduate Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Instead, the pathway runs through the Public Health B.A. in the College of Letters & Science — a rigorous, health-focused major that prepares students for graduate nursing programs, public health careers, and health policy roles after graduation. Transfer planning for this route means treating your two years at Mt. San Antonio College as high-stakes preparation, not just a waiting room. The overall UC Berkeley transfer admit rate for Fall 2025 was 24%, with a mid-50th percentile GPA range of 3.61–3.96 across all majors — and competitive health-sciences applicants typically sit at the higher end of that range. Major prerequisites include a full introductory biology sequence (BIOL 5 and BIOL 6 at Mt. SAC), Introductory General Chemistry (CHEM 10), Statistics (MATH 110), Introduction to Psychology (PSYC 1A), and Introduction to Sociology (SOCIO 1). IGETC is accepted for students entering the College of Letters & Science, and completing a certified IGETC at Mt. SAC can satisfy Berkeley's lower-division breadth requirements before you even set foot on campus. Because Berkeley does not offer a Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG), every element of your application — especially your grades in science courses and your Personal Insight Questions — has to be intentional and competitive. Tools like Pipeline can help Mt. SAC students map this multi-step pathway into a semester-by-semester plan that accounts for prerequisite chains, IGETC sequencing, and application deadlines all at once.
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