Mt. San Antonio College to UCSD
Business Administration 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
GPA Reality Check
The UC minimum to apply is a 3.0, but the average GPA among admitted UCSD transfer students sits around 3.9 — and Business Economics is explicitly listed by UCSD as one of its most selective majors. Your calculus and economics courses carry the most weight here: UCSD's Economics department screens heavily on how you performed in MATH 260, MATH 265, MATH 270, ECON 1, and ECON 2. A B in Calculus I hurts more than a B in a non-major elective — treat every math and econ course like it decides your admission, because for this major, it basically does.
Major Requirements
Business Economics (B.S.) Major Preparation
Business Economics (B.S.) at UC San Diego
Courses at Mt. San Antonio College that satisfy UC San Diego's Business Administration major preparation, verified via ASSIST.org.
UC San Diego does not offer a Business Administration degree. The closest program is the B.S. in Business Economics (EN30), a joint degree between the Rady School of Management and the Department of Economics. Students sometimes confuse this with the Economics B.A. (EN25) or Management Science (EN26) — Business Economics is the most business-oriented of the three, blending econ theory with accounting, finance, marketing, and operations coursework through Rady.
| Course at Mt. San Antonio College | Satisfies at UCSD | Units |
|---|---|---|
| ECON 1 — Principles of Economics-Micro | ECON 1 — Principles of Microeconomics | 3 |
| ECON 2 — Principles of Economics-Macro | ECON 3 — Principles of Macroeconomics | 3 |
| ACCT 1A — Financial Accounting | ECON 4 / MGT 4 — Financial Accounting | 4 |
| MATH 260 — Calculus with Analytic Geometry I | MATH 20A — Calculus for Science and Engineering | 5 |
| MATH 265 — Calculus with Analytic Geometry II | MATH 20B — Calculus for Science and Engineering | 5 |
| MATH 270 — Calculus with Analytic Geometry III | MATH 20C — Calculus and Analytic Geometry for Science and Engineering | 5 |
| MATH 245 — Introduction to Linear Algebra | MATH 18 — Linear Algebra | 3 |
General Education
IGETC at Mt. San Antonio College
Complete IGETC at Mt. San Antonio College to satisfy UC San Diego's lower-division GE requirements before transferring.
ENGL 1A
4 unitsENGL 1C, PHIL 9
3-4 unitsSPCH 1A
3 unitsMATH 260 (Calculus I) or MATH 110 (Statistics)
3-5 unitsART 1, MUS 20, THTR 10
3 unitsENGL 5, HIST 1, PHIL 1
3 unitsECON 1, ECON 2, PSYC 1A, SOC 1
3 unitsCHEM 50, PHYS 4A, ASTR 1
3-5 unitsBIOL 1, BIOL 5
3-4 unitsSPAN 1, FREN 1, JAPN 1, CHIN 1
5 units| Area | Course options at Mt. San Antonio College | Units |
|---|---|---|
| 1A: English Composition | ENGL 1A | 4 |
| 1B: Critical Thinking and Composition | ENGL 1C, PHIL 9 | 3-4 |
| 1C: Oral Communication (CSU only — not required for UC) | SPCH 1A | 3 |
| 2: Mathematical Concepts and Quantitative Reasoning | MATH 260 (Calculus I) or MATH 110 (Statistics) | 3-5 |
| 3A: Arts | ART 1, MUS 20, THTR 10 | 3 |
| 3B: Humanities | ENGL 5, HIST 1, PHIL 1 | 3 |
| 4: Social and Behavioral Sciences | ECON 1, ECON 2, PSYC 1A, SOC 1 | 3 |
| 5A: Physical Science | CHEM 50, PHYS 4A, ASTR 1 | 3-5 |
| 5B: Biological Science | BIOL 1, BIOL 5 | 3-4 |
| 6: Language Other Than English | SPAN 1, FREN 1, JAPN 1, CHIN 1 | 5 |
MATH 260 → MATH 265 → MATH 270: All Three Required Before Transfer
The three-course calculus sequence at Mt. SAC — MATH 260, MATH 265, and MATH 270 — must all be completed before you arrive at UCSD, because every upper-division Economics core course requires the equivalent of MATH 20C (MATH 270) as a prerequisite. Miss one course in the chain and UCSD will block you from your entire major sequence on day one.
UCSD runs on quarters — Mt. SAC runs on semesters
A semester at Mt. SAC is about 17 weeks; a quarter at UCSD is only 10 — the pace is faster, the exams come sooner, and you'll be juggling three or four subjects that rotate every ten weeks, so front-load your hardest prep courses at Mt. SAC while you still have time to absorb them.
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
UCSD Has No Business Administration Degree
Students targeting 'Business Administration' at UCSD often don't realize the degree doesn't exist there. The actual program is the B.S. in Business Economics (EN30), a joint major between the Rady School of Management and the Department of Economics. If you apply without knowing this, you may list the wrong major entirely — confirm you're applying to Business Economics and that your ASSIST articulation is mapped to the right program.
Start Calculus Your Very First Semester
MATH 260 (Calculus I) is the first link in a three-course chain: 260 → 265 → 270. You need all three done before you transfer, because UCSD will not let you enroll in upper-division Economics courses without completing the equivalent of MATH 20C. If you wait until your second semester to start MATH 260, you risk not finishing MATH 270 in time for transfer.
IGETC Won't Cover Your Major Prep
Completing IGETC is great for knocking out GE requirements, but it is not the same as finishing your major prep. Your ECON 1, ECON 2, ACCT 1A, and the full calculus sequence at Mt. SAC are separate from IGETC — and UCSD's Economics department explicitly reminds students of this. You need both, and the math sequence alone takes three semesters, so plan your schedule accordingly from day one.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Mt. San Antonio College have an articulation agreement with UCSD for Business Economics?
Yes — ASSIST.org lists the articulation between Mt. SAC and UC San Diego for the Business Economics (EN30) major. The key courses are ECON 1 (Micro), ECON 2 (Macro), ACCT 1A (Financial Accounting), and the calculus sequence MATH 260, MATH 265, and MATH 270. Always verify the current year's agreement at assist.org before enrolling, since articulations can be updated.
What GPA do I need to transfer from Mt. SAC to UCSD for Business Economics?
The UC system requires a minimum 3.0 GPA to be eligible, but UCSD's overall admitted transfer GPA averages around 3.9, and Business Economics is explicitly flagged as one of UCSD's most selective majors. Your performance in quantitative courses — especially MATH 260 through MATH 270 and ECON 1 — carries disproportionate weight, so treat those as your top GPA priorities at Mt. SAC.
Is there a TAG or guaranteed admission agreement between Mt. San Antonio College and UC San Diego?
No — UC San Diego does not participate in the Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) program. TAG is only available at six UC campuses: Davis, Irvine, Merced, Riverside, Santa Barbara, and Santa Cruz. Mt. SAC's Transfer Center does offer TAG workshops for those six campuses, but UCSD transfers are evaluated through the standard competitive UC application process with a November 30 deadline.
Can I use IGETC to satisfy general education requirements when transferring from Mt. SAC to UCSD for Business Economics?
Yes, IGETC is accepted at UCSD for Business Economics students — it satisfies lower-division GE requirements at Muir, Marshall, Warren, Roosevelt, Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth Colleges. Just be aware that completing IGETC does not mean you've finished your major prep: ECON 1, ECON 2, ACCT 1A, and the calculus sequence (MATH 260, 265, 270) are separate requirements you must also complete at Mt. SAC.
How many students transfer from Mt. San Antonio College to UC San Diego each year?
UC San Diego consistently appears among the top destination UC campuses for Mt. SAC students — the college's own transfer reports identify UC San Diego alongside UCLA, UCI, and UCR as the primary UC destinations for Mt. SAC transfers. UCSD received over 23,400 total transfer applications for Fall 2025, admitting roughly 52.7% across all majors, though Business Economics is more selective than that campus-wide figure suggests.
Explore More
Related Transfer Plans
Students at Mt. San Antonio College (Mt. SAC) who are planning to transfer into a business-focused program at UC San Diego (UCSD) need to understand one crucial fact from the start: UCSD does not offer a Business Administration degree. The right target is the B.S. in Business Economics (EN30), a rigorous joint program between the Rady School of Management and the Department of Economics. Transfer planning for this path is more quantitatively demanding than most students expect. UCSD requires completion of major prerequisites — including ECON 1 (Principles of Economics-Micro), ECON 2 (Principles of Economics-Macro), ACCT 1A (Financial Accounting), and the full three-course calculus sequence (MATH 260, MATH 265, MATH 270) — before you arrive on campus, because every upper-division Economics core course enforces the equivalent of MATH 20C as a hard prerequisite. On top of that, IGETC certification through Mt. SAC satisfies lower-division general education requirements at most UCSD colleges, but it does not substitute for these major prerequisites. Students need both. UCSD admitted roughly 52.7% of the more than 23,400 transfer applicants for Fall 2025 campus-wide, but Business Economics is explicitly listed as one of UCSD's most selective majors, meaning competitive applicants should aim for a GPA well above 3.5 — with particular attention to grades in calculus and economics courses. There is no Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) between Mt. SAC and UCSD, so every application goes through the standard competitive review process. Tools like Pipeline help students map out a personalized semester-by-semester plan that accounts for prerequisite chains, IGETC completion, and the three-semester calculus sequence — making sure nothing falls through the cracks between now and transfer day.
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