Mt. San Antonio College to UCSD
Computer Science 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 admitted UCSD transfer students landed in the 3.45–3.92 mid-50% GPA range — and Computer Science is one of the most competitive majors on campus. What matters most isn't just your overall GPA: UCSD screens CS applicants specifically on their major prep GPA, so the grades you earn in CSCI 110, CSCI 220, MATH 181, and MATH 285 carry disproportionate weight. A 3.0 overall with B's in your CS courses puts you well outside the competitive window — you want A's in those classes specifically.
Major Requirements
Computer Science B.S. (Jacobs School of Engineering — CSE Department) Major Preparation
Computer Science B.S. (Jacobs School of Engineering — CSE Department) at UC San Diego
Courses at Mt. San Antonio College that satisfy UC San Diego's Computer Science major preparation, verified via ASSIST.org.
UCSD offers several CS-adjacent degrees that students often confuse. The CSE department's Computer Science B.S. (this major) is engineering-focused and impacted. Math-Computer Science B.S. lives in the math department and has different prep requirements. Data Science B.S. (Halıcıoğlu Data Science Institute) uses a separate prep pathway through DSC courses. Cognitive Science B.S. overlaps with AI topics but is a social-science-rooted degree. Each has distinct articulation agreements on ASSIST — don't assume courses prep for all four at once.
| Course at Mt. San Antonio College | Satisfies at UCSD | Units |
|---|---|---|
| CSCI 110 — Introduction to Computer Science | CSE 11 — Introduction to Programming and Computational Problem-Solving (Accelerated) | 3.5 |
| CSCI 220 — Data Structures | CSE 12 — Basic Data Structures and Object-Oriented Design | 3.5 |
| MATH 285 — Discrete Mathematics | CSE 20 — Discrete Mathematics | 3 |
| MATH 181 — Calculus I | MATH 20A — Calculus for Science and Engineering | 5 |
| MATH 182 — Calculus II | MATH 20B — Calculus for Science and Engineering | 4 |
| MATH 280 — Calculus III | MATH 20C — Calculus and Analytic Geometry for Science and Engineering | 4 |
| MATH 260 — Linear Algebra | MATH 18 — Linear Algebra | 3 |
| PHYS 4A — Physics for Scientists and Engineers: Mechanics | PHYS 2A — Physics — Mechanics (one approved science course for CS screening) | 4 |
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 — College Composition
4 unitsENGL 1C — Critical Thinking and Composition
4 unitsMATH 181 — Calculus I (also satisfies major prep); MATH 71 — Statistics
3–5 unitsART 101 — Art Appreciation; MUS 20 — Introduction to Music
3 unitsENGL 5 — Introduction to Literature; PHIL 1 — Introduction to Philosophy
3 unitsPSYC 1A — General Psychology; SOC 1 — Introduction to Sociology; HIST 11 — History of the United States to 1877
3 unitsCHEM 50 — Survey of General Chemistry; PHYS 4A — Physics for Scientists and Engineers: Mechanics (with lab)
3–4 unitsBIOL 1 — Principles of Biology I; BIOL 2 — Principles of Biology II
3–4 unitsSPAN 1 — Elementary Spanish I; ASL 1 — American Sign Language I; CHIN 1 — Elementary Chinese I
5 units| Area | Course options at Mt. San Antonio College | Units |
|---|---|---|
| 1A: English Composition | ENGL 1A — College Composition | 4 |
| 1B: Critical Thinking and Composition | ENGL 1C — Critical Thinking and Composition | 4 |
| 2: Mathematical Concepts and Quantitative Reasoning | MATH 181 — Calculus I (also satisfies major prep); MATH 71 — Statistics | 3–5 |
| 3A: Arts | ART 101 — Art Appreciation; MUS 20 — Introduction to Music | 3 |
| 3B: Humanities | ENGL 5 — Introduction to Literature; PHIL 1 — Introduction to Philosophy | 3 |
| 4: Social and Behavioral Sciences | PSYC 1A — General Psychology; SOC 1 — Introduction to Sociology; HIST 11 — History of the United States to 1877 | 3 |
| 5A: Physical Sciences | CHEM 50 — Survey of General Chemistry; PHYS 4A — Physics for Scientists and Engineers: Mechanics (with lab) | 3–4 |
| 5B: Biological Sciences | BIOL 1 — Principles of Biology I; BIOL 2 — Principles of Biology II | 3–4 |
| 6: Language Other Than English | SPAN 1 — Elementary Spanish I; ASL 1 — American Sign Language I; CHIN 1 — Elementary Chinese I | 5 |
CSCI 110 → CSCI 220 (and the Calculus Chain)
CSCI 220 (Data Structures) requires completing CSCI 110 first — that's two consecutive semesters of CS alone, before you've even finished the three-semester calculus sequence. Start both chains in your first semester at Mt. SAC or you risk missing the spring prep deadline for fall transfer admission.
Mt. SAC runs on semesters — UCSD runs on quarters
Once you transfer, your academic year shrinks from two 16-week semesters to three 10-week quarters — courses move faster, exams come sooner, and having solid foundations in CSE 11 and CSE 12 equivalents before you arrive will make that adjustment much less brutal.
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
Don't Wait to Start the Calculus Chain
MATH 181 → MATH 182 → MATH 280 is a three-course sequence that takes at minimum three semesters. If you don't start MATH 181 in your very first semester at Mt. SAC, you mathematically cannot finish the full calculus prep before the spring deadline of your transfer year. Students who put off math 'until they're ready' frequently discover they need an extra year.
TAG Doesn't Apply Here — Plan Accordingly
UC San Diego does not participate in the UC Transfer Admission Guarantee program — only UC Davis, UC Irvine, UC Merced, UC Riverside, UC Santa Barbara, and UC Santa Cruz offer TAG. There is no guaranteed admission shortcut to UCSD, which means your GPA and major prep completeness have to speak for themselves. Apply to a TAG-eligible UC as a safety alongside UCSD.
IGETC Helps, But Do Your Major Prep First
IGETC is accepted at UCSD for CS majors assigned to Muir, Marshall, Warren, Roosevelt, Sixth, Seventh, or Eighth College — but if you get placed in Revelle College, you'll need additional math and science courses on top of IGETC. More importantly, never fill IGETC with fun electives at the expense of CSCI 110 or CSCI 220 — major prep completion is what gets you admitted, and IGETC just makes post-transfer GE easier.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What GPA do I need to transfer from Mt. San Antonio College to UCSD for Computer Science?
The UC system minimum is a 3.0, but admitted UCSD transfer students for fall 2025 had a mid-50% GPA range of 3.45–3.92 across all majors — and CS is one of the most selective. Your major prep GPA in courses like CSCI 110, CSCI 220, and MATH 181 will be scrutinized separately from your overall GPA, so aim for A's in those specifically.
Does Mt. San Antonio College have a TAG agreement with UC San Diego for Computer Science?
No — UC San Diego does not participate in the UC Transfer Admission Guarantee program. TAG is only offered at UC Davis, UC Irvine, UC Merced, UC Riverside, UC Santa Barbara, and UC Santa Cruz. Mt. SAC students applying to UCSD Computer Science are evaluated through the standard competitive transfer process, with no guaranteed admission pathway.
Which Mt. SAC courses satisfy the UCSD Computer Science major prep requirements?
The three core CS screening courses at UCSD are CSE 11, CSE 12, and CSE 20. At Mt. SAC, CSCI 110 articulates toward CSE 11 (intro programming), CSCI 220 articulates toward CSE 12 (data structures), and MATH 285 (Discrete Mathematics) satisfies CSE 20. You also need to complete the calculus sequence through MATH 181, MATH 182, and MATH 280. Always verify current articulation at assist.org before enrolling.
Is IGETC accepted for Computer Science at UC San Diego?
Yes, IGETC is accepted at UCSD for CS majors — it satisfies lower-division GE requirements at Muir, Marshall, Warren, Roosevelt, Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth Colleges. The one exception is Revelle College, which requires additional math and natural science coursework on top of IGETC. Since college placement at UCSD is assigned, not chosen, complete your major prep before banking on IGETC clearing all your GE obligations.
How competitive is the UCSD Computer Science transfer from Mt. SAC — what are my real chances?
The overall UCSD transfer admit rate for fall 2025 was about 52.7% across 23,441 applicants, but Computer Science is a selective, impacted major at UCSD with significantly tighter odds. UCSD does not publicly report CS-specific admit rates, but the department screens all CS applicants on the number of prep courses completed, grades earned, and cumulative GPA — students with incomplete prep or a sub-3.5 GPA in CSCI and math courses face an uphill battle. Complete all screening courses — CSCI 110, CSCI 220, MATH 285, and the calculus sequence — with strong grades before you apply.
Explore More
Related Transfer Plans
Planning to transfer from Mt. San Antonio College (Mt. SAC) to UC San Diego for Computer Science is one of the most ambitious transfer pathways in the California community college system — and one of the most rewarding if you execute it right. The UCSD Computer Science B.S., housed in the Jacobs School of Engineering's CSE department, is a selective, impacted major that screens applicants on major prerequisite completion and GPA before they're even considered for admission. For fall 2025, UCSD admitted roughly 52.7% of its 23,441 total transfer applicants, but CS admits from all sources sit at the competitive end of that distribution, with the mid-50% enrolled transfer GPA running 3.45–3.92. At Mt. SAC, transfer planning starts in your very first semester: the major prep sequence requires completing CSCI 110 (Introduction to Computer Science), CSCI 220 (Data Structures), and MATH 285 (Discrete Mathematics), along with the full three-course calculus chain of MATH 181, MATH 182, and MATH 280, all before your spring semester of transfer year. Because CSCI 110 is a prerequisite for CSCI 220, students who delay starting that chain by even one semester often lose an entire year. IGETC — the standardized general education certification accepted by the UC system — is accepted for CS majors at UCSD's non-Revelle colleges, and Mt. SAC students can satisfy it with courses like ENGL 1A, ENGL 1C, PSYC 1A, and others. Unlike UC Santa Barbara or UC Davis, UC San Diego does not offer a Transfer Admission Guarantee, so there is no shortcut: your ASSIST.org articulation, your prep GPA, and your application narrative are what carry you across the finish line. Tools like Pipeline help Mt. SAC students build personalized, semester-by-semester transfer plans that account for prerequisite chains, IGETC requirements, and major prep deadlines — so nothing falls through the cracks between now and your application to UCSD.
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