Mt. San Antonio College to UCSD
Biology Transfer Plan
Semester-by-semester courses, IGETC requirements, and major prerequisites — verified from real articulation data.
From
Mt. San Antonio College
To
UC San Diego
BiologyGPA Reality Check
UCSD's published minimum GPA for transfer eligibility is 2.4, but the middle 50% of admitted transfer students campus-wide shows a GPA range of 3.46–3.92 — and Biology is explicitly identified by UCSD as one of its most selective majors, meaning admitted Biology students are concentrated at the top of that range. Your science GPA matters most: UCSD screens Biology applicants on the grades in BILD-equivalent courses (your BIOL 1, 2, 3 sequence) and your full chemistry series. A B in General Chemistry I won't disqualify you, but a pattern of Bs across multiple science courses puts you in a risky spot for a capped major with limited seats.
Major Requirements
Biology, B.S. (Division of Biological Sciences) Major Preparation
Biology, B.S. (Division of Biological Sciences) at UC San Diego
Courses at Mt. San Antonio College that satisfy UC San Diego's Biology major preparation, verified via ASSIST.org.
UCSD offers several biology-adjacent B.S. degrees that students frequently confuse with Biology: Human Biology, Marine Biology, Microbiology and Immunology, and Ecology, Behavior, and Evolution. Each is a separate, capped major with its own lower-division prep requirements and admission screening. If you're pre-med or interested in cells and genetics, double-check whether Human Biology or Microbiology is actually a better fit — they are not interchangeable with the Biology B.S. at the application stage.
| Course at Mt. San Antonio College | Satisfies at UCSD | Units |
|---|---|---|
| BIOL 1 — General Biology I | BILD 1 — The Cell | 4 |
| BIOL 2 — General Biology II | BILD 2 — Multicellular Life | 4 |
| BIOL 3 — General Biology III | BILD 3 — Organismic and Evolutionary Biology | 4 |
| CHEM 10 — General Chemistry I | CHEM 6A — General Chemistry I | 5 |
| CHEM 11 — General Chemistry II | CHEM 6B — General Chemistry II | 5 |
| CHEM 12 — Organic Chemistry I | CHEM 140A — Organic Chemistry I | 5 |
| MATH 181 — Calculus I | MATH 20A — Calculus for Science and Engineering | 4 |
| MATH 182 — Calculus II | MATH 20B — Calculus for Science and Engineering | 4 |
| PHYS 4A — General Physics I | PHYS 1A — Mechanics | 4 |
General Education
Foundation GE at Mt. San Antonio College
Complete these five courses at Mt. San Antonio College to start your UCSD 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.
BIOL 1
General Biology
CHEM 10
Chemistry for Allied Health Majors
HIST 1
History of the United States
ENGL C1000
Academic Reading and Writing
ENGL C1001
Critical Thinking and Writing
| Area | Course at Mt. San Antonio College | Units |
|---|---|---|
Life Science | BIOL 1 — General Biology | 4 |
Physical Science | CHEM 10 — Chemistry for Allied Health Majors | 5 |
Humanities | HIST 1 — History of the United States | 3 |
English CompositionCCN | ENGL C1000 — Academic Reading and Writing | 4 |
Critical ThinkingCCN | ENGL C1001 — Critical Thinking and Writing | 4 |
CHEM 10 → CHEM 11 → CHEM 12
The full chemistry chain — General Chemistry I, then II, then Organic Chemistry I — is a three-semester locked sequence at Mt. SAC. If you don't start CHEM 10 in your first semester, you almost certainly won't finish Organic Chemistry before your transfer application deadline, which is a disqualifying gap for Biology at UCSD.
UCSD runs on quarters — Mt. SAC runs on semesters
Each quarter at UCSD moves about 30% faster than a semester at Mt. SAC, so build your study habits around higher pace now — courses you spent 18 weeks on at Mt. SAC will cover the same ground in 10 weeks once you transfer.
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
UC San Diego Does Not Offer TAG
Unlike UC Davis, UC Santa Barbara, or UC Santa Cruz, UC San Diego does not participate in the UC Transfer Admission Guarantee program — there is no guaranteed admission path from Mt. SAC to UCSD for any major, including Biology. That means every seat is competitive, and your preparation, GPA, and personal insight questions all count. Your best move is to treat UCSD as a reach, apply to one TAG-eligible UC as your safety net, and use the full UC application to make your case.
Mt. SAC's Three-Course Biology Sequence Is A Tight Fit
UCSD requires equivalents to all three of its BILD intro courses (BILD 1, 2, and 3), and Mt. SAC meets this through BIOL 1, BIOL 2, and BIOL 3 — a three-semester chain that can't be rushed. Unlike some CCs where a two-semester bio sequence covers UCSD's prep, Mt. SAC students need all three consecutive semesters of biology, which means starting BIOL 1 in your very first semester at Mt. SAC is non-negotiable if you want to transfer on a two-year timeline.
IGETC Works Here, But Revelle College Adds Extra Steps
IGETC is accepted for Biology at UCSD and will satisfy lower-division GE requirements at six of UCSD's eight residential colleges — but if you're placed in Revelle College, you'll need to complete additional math and natural science requirements either before or after transfer. Complete IGETC at Mt. SAC to give yourself maximum flexibility, then research Revelle's specific add-on requirements so you're not blindsided after you arrive.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What GPA do I need to transfer from Mt. San Antonio College to UC San Diego for Biology?
The UC system minimum is 2.4, but that won't get you into Biology at UCSD. Biology is one of UCSD's most selective capped majors — admitted transfer students campus-wide fall in the 3.46–3.92 GPA range, and Biology admits trend toward the upper end. Your grades in BIOL 1, BIOL 2, and BIOL 3 at Mt. SAC carry the most weight in the screening process.
Does Mt. San Antonio College have a TAG agreement with UC San Diego?
No — UC San Diego does not participate in the Transfer Admission Guarantee program at all. TAG is only available at UC Davis, UC Irvine, UC Merced, UC Riverside, UC Santa Barbara, and UC Santa Cruz. If you want a guaranteed admission option, you'll need to apply to one of those six campuses through TAG while also applying to UCSD in the regular cycle.
Which Mt. SAC courses count toward Biology major prep at UCSD?
The core lower-division prep you need to complete at Mt. SAC includes BIOL 1, BIOL 2, and BIOL 3 (the full general biology sequence), CHEM 10 and CHEM 11 (general chemistry), CHEM 12 (organic chemistry), MATH 181 and MATH 182 (calculus I and II), and PHYS 4A (general physics). Verify each one against the current ASSIST.org articulation agreement for the Mt. SAC → UCSD Biology pathway, as agreements are updated annually.
Is IGETC accepted for Biology at UC San Diego if I transfer from Mt. SAC?
Yes — IGETC is accepted for Biology at UCSD and will satisfy lower-division GE requirements at most of UCSD's colleges. The one exception is Revelle College, which requires IGETC students to complete additional math and natural science coursework. Complete your IGETC certification at Mt. SAC before you transfer so you can focus entirely on upper-division Biology coursework once you arrive.
Is Biology a capped or impacted major at UC San Diego?
Yes, Biology is a selective (capped) major at UCSD with limited enrollment. Transfer applicants to Biology are screened on the number of required prep courses completed, the grades earned in those courses, and overall GPA. In 2019, roughly 900 transfer students applied to Biology at UCSD and only 237 were admitted — a 26% admit rate — making it significantly more competitive than UCSD's overall transfer admit rate of around 52–55%.
Explore More
Related Transfer Plans
Students at Mt. San Antonio College who are planning to transfer to UC San Diego as Biology majors face one of the more demanding transfer pathways in the California community college system. Mt. SAC — consistently ranked a top-10 California community college for transfers to UC and CSU campuses — gives students a strong foundation, but transfer planning for UCSD's Biology B.S. requires careful, early preparation. Biology is a capped, selective major at UC San Diego, housed in the Division of Biological Sciences, meaning students are screened on specific lower-division prerequisites before admission is even considered. In 2019, roughly 900 transfer applicants competed for about 237 Biology seats at UCSD — a 26% admit rate that reflects how far below the campus-wide transfer rate of roughly 52% a selective major can fall. Students need to work through a demanding sequence of major prerequisites, including BIOL 1, BIOL 2, and BIOL 3 at Mt. SAC (equivalent to UCSD's BILD 1, 2, and 3), plus a three-semester chemistry chain from General Chemistry I through Organic Chemistry I, two semesters of calculus, and a physics course. All of these must be completed before transfer — upper-division UCSD courses are taken after you arrive on campus. Completing IGETC at Mt. SAC is strongly recommended, as it satisfies lower-division GE requirements at six of UCSD's eight colleges and frees you to focus on upper-division work after transfer. Unlike some UC campuses, UCSD does not participate in the UC Transfer Admission Guarantee program, so there is no guaranteed admission path — every seat is earned through the regular application process. Tools like Pipeline help Mt. SAC students map out their full semester-by-semester course plan, track which major prerequisites are complete, and flag prerequisite chains before they become scheduling crises. Given how tightly sequenced Biology transfer prep is at Mt. SAC, starting that planning conversation in your first semester — not your second year — is the difference between a competitive application and a delayed transfer.
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