Mt. San Antonio College to UCSD
Nursing 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
UC San Diego's minimum transfer GPA is 2.4, but admitted transfer students for Fall 2025 came in with GPAs between 3.55 and 3.94 — that's the actual playing field. For pre-nursing and Human Biology applicants, your science GPA is everything: UCSD and graduate nursing programs will scrutinize your grades in BIOL 1, BIOL 2, BIOL 3, ANAT 10, PHYSIO 1, and Microbiology individually. A 'C' here doesn't just lower your GPA — it signals to admissions that you may struggle in the major's upper-division coursework.
Major Requirements
Human Biology B.S. (Pre-Nursing/Health Professions Track) Major Preparation
Human Biology B.S. (Pre-Nursing/Health Professions Track) at UC San Diego
Courses at Mt. San Antonio College that satisfy UC San Diego's Nursing major preparation, verified via ASSIST.org.
UC San Diego does not offer an undergraduate BSN degree. Students aiming for nursing careers typically transfer into the Human Biology B.S. or the Public Health B.S. — both serve as pre-nursing pathways to UCSD's graduate-entry nursing program or to BSN programs elsewhere. Don't confuse these with the graduate-level Master's Entry Program in Nursing (MEPN), which is applied to after earning a bachelor's degree.
| Course at Mt. San Antonio College | Satisfies at UCSD | Units |
|---|---|---|
| BIOL 1 — General Biology | BILD 1 — The Cell | 4 |
| BIOL 2 — Cellular and Molecular Biology | BILD 2 — Multicellular Life | 4 |
| BIOL 3 — Organismal Biology | BILD 3 — Organismic and Evolutionary Biology | 4 |
| ANAT 10 — Human Anatomy | Human Anatomy — lower-division preparation for health professions track | 4 |
| PHYSIO 1 — Human Physiology | Human Physiology — lower-division preparation for health professions track | 4 |
| CHEM 50 — Survey of General, Organic, and Biochemistry | CHEM 10 or equivalent introductory chemistry preparation | 5 |
| MATH 110 — Statistics | MATH 11 — Calculus-Based Introductory Probability and Statistics | 4 |
| MICRO 1 — General Microbiology | BICD 140 equivalent — Microbiology lower-division preparation | 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 — Reading and Composition
3 unitsENGL 1C — Critical Thinking and Writing About Literature
3 unitsMATH 110 — Statistics; MATH 71 — Calculus I
4 unitsART 101 — Survey of Western Art I; MUS 20 — Music Appreciation
3 unitsPHIL 1 — Introduction to Philosophy; ENGL 5 — Introduction to Literature
3 unitsSOC 1 — Introduction to Sociology; PSYCH 1A — General Psychology
3 unitsBIOL 1 — General Biology (with lab); CHEM 10 — Introduction to Chemistry (with lab)
4 unitsCHEM 10 — Introduction to Chemistry (with lab); PHYS 1A — Classical Mechanics (with lab)
4 unitsSPAN 1 — Elementary Spanish I (or demonstrated proficiency); FREN 1 — Elementary French I
5 units| Area | Course options at Mt. San Antonio College | Units |
|---|---|---|
| 1A: English Composition | ENGL 1A — Reading and Composition | 3 |
| 1B: Critical Thinking and Composition | ENGL 1C — Critical Thinking and Writing About Literature | 3 |
| 2: Mathematical Concepts and Quantitative Reasoning | MATH 110 — Statistics; MATH 71 — Calculus I | 4 |
| 3A: Arts | ART 101 — Survey of Western Art I; MUS 20 — Music Appreciation | 3 |
| 3B: Humanities | PHIL 1 — Introduction to Philosophy; ENGL 5 — Introduction to Literature | 3 |
| 4: Social and Behavioral Sciences | SOC 1 — Introduction to Sociology; PSYCH 1A — General Psychology | 3 |
| 5A: Physical and Biological Sciences (with lab) | BIOL 1 — General Biology (with lab); CHEM 10 — Introduction to Chemistry (with lab) | 4 |
| 5B: Physical Sciences (with lab) | CHEM 10 — Introduction to Chemistry (with lab); PHYS 1A — Classical Mechanics (with lab) | 4 |
| 6: Languages Other Than English | SPAN 1 — Elementary Spanish I (or demonstrated proficiency); FREN 1 — Elementary French I | 5 |
BIOL 1 → BIOL 2 → BIOL 3: Three Semesters, No Shortcuts
UCSD's ASSIST articulation requires all three Mt. SAC biology courses to be completed as a full sequence — completing only one or two earns you zero BILD credit at UCSD. If you don't start BIOL 1 in your very first semester at Mt. SAC, you will likely not finish in time to transfer on your target timeline.
UCSD Runs on Quarters — Mt. SAC Runs on Semesters
One Mt. SAC semester covers roughly the same material as 1.5 UCSD quarters, so expect your coursework pace to feel noticeably faster once you arrive on campus — build that adjustment into your planning from day one.
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 Undergraduate Nursing Degree
This is the most common misconception among Mt. SAC students pursuing this path. UC San Diego does not offer a Bachelor of Science in Nursing — instead, pre-nursing students transfer into the Human Biology B.S. or Public Health B.S. and then apply to graduate-entry nursing programs (like UCSD's own MEPN) after earning their bachelor's. Plan for a two-step path, not a direct BSN.
Start the Biology Sequence Immediately
BIOL 1 → BIOL 2 → BIOL 3 is a three-semester chain at Mt. SAC, and UCSD awards no articulation credit unless you complete all three courses. If you don't enroll in BIOL 1 your first semester, you risk not finishing the sequence before your transfer application. UCSD's ASSIST page is explicit: partial completion of the sequence earns zero credit.
Don't Ignore IGETC Just Because You're Science-Focused
It's tempting to spend every semester on science prerequisites, but completing IGETC — including ENGL 1A and ENGL 1C — before transfer clears your lower-division GE obligations at UCSD so you can focus entirely on upper-division Human Biology coursework from day one. ENGL 1C also double-counts toward IGETC Area 1B, so it's not wasted time.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Does UC San Diego have a nursing major for transfer students from Mt. San Antonio College?
UCSD does not offer an undergraduate BSN degree. Mt. SAC students aiming for nursing careers at UCSD typically transfer into the Human Biology B.S. or Public Health B.S. as pre-nursing pathways. From there, you apply to UCSD's graduate Master's Entry Program in Nursing (MEPN) or another graduate nursing program after completing your bachelor's degree.
What GPA do I need to transfer from Mt. SAC to UC San Diego for a nursing-related major?
UCSD's absolute minimum transfer GPA is 2.4 for California residents, but the middle 50% of admitted transfer students for Fall 2025 came in with GPAs between 3.55 and 3.94. For health professions tracks, aim for a science GPA above 3.5 — your grades in courses like BIOL 1, ANAT 10, and PHYSIO 1 at Mt. SAC will be evaluated closely.
Is there a TAG or guaranteed admission program from Mt. SAC to UC San Diego?
No — UC San Diego does not participate in the UC Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) program. The six UC campuses that offer TAG are UC Davis, UC Irvine, UC Merced, UC Riverside, UC Santa Barbara, and UC Santa Cruz. Mt. SAC's Transfer Center offers TAG advising for those campuses, but UCSD admission is entirely competitive with no guarantee program.
Can I use IGETC to satisfy general education requirements when transferring from Mt. SAC to UC San Diego?
Yes — IGETC is accepted at UCSD and satisfies lower-division GE requirements for most of UCSD's residential colleges. Mt. SAC courses like ENGL 1A (Area 1A), ENGL 1C (Area 1B), and MATH 110 (Area 2) all count toward IGETC certification. Note that Revelle College has additional math and science requirements on top of IGETC, so check your college assignment carefully after admission.
How many units do I need to transfer from Mt. SAC to UC San Diego?
You need a minimum of 60 UC-transferable semester units completed before transfer — and those 60 units must include the required English composition courses and your major preparation coursework. At Mt. SAC, between your biology sequence (BIOL 1, 2, 3), ANAT 10, PHYSIO 1, and IGETC courses, you'll reach 60 units naturally if you plan your semesters carefully.
Explore More
Related Transfer Plans
Planning your transfer from Mt. San Antonio College (Mt. SAC) to UC San Diego (UCSD) to pursue a nursing or pre-nursing path requires more upfront research than most students expect — and getting started early is the single most important thing you can do. UCSD does not offer a traditional undergraduate BSN, so students from Mt. San Antonio College who want to pursue nursing typically transfer into the Human Biology B.S. or Public Health B.S. as pre-nursing pathways, then apply to graduate nursing programs like UCSD's Master's Entry Program in Nursing after earning their bachelor's. Transfer planning for this pathway centers on two parallel tracks: completing IGETC to satisfy lower-division general education requirements at UCSD, and finishing the right major prerequisites at Mt. SAC before you apply. The IGETC track includes courses like ENGL 1A for Area 1A and MATH 110 (Statistics) for the quantitative reasoning requirement. On the major prerequisites side, the full biology sequence — BIOL 1, BIOL 2, and BIOL 3 — must be completed in its entirety at Mt. SAC, since UCSD's ASSIST articulation awards no credit for partial completion. Add Human Anatomy (ANAT 10), Human Physiology (PHYSIO 1), and General Microbiology (MICRO 1), and you're looking at a carefully sequenced four-semester plan. For Fall 2025, UCSD admitted transfer students with GPAs in the 3.55–3.94 range — a significant distance from the 2.4 minimum, making your science GPA at Mt. SAC the most consequential number in your application. Tools like Pipeline help students from Mt. San Antonio College map out exactly which semesters to take each course, identify prerequisite chains before they become problems, and build a personalized plan that gets them to UCSD on time and fully prepared.
Build your Mt. San Antonio College → UCSD plan
Personalized, semester-by-semester. Free to start.
Get My Transfer Plan