Mt. San Antonio College to UCSB
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 Santa Barbara
GPA Reality Check
The UC minimum GPA for transfer is 3.0, but UCSB's own guidance says you should be at 3.6 or above for engineering majors — and the actual mid-50th percentile of admitted transfers campus-wide ran from 3.46 to 3.91. For CS specifically, housed in the College of Engineering, you're competing against applicants who finished tough calculus and programming sequences with near-perfect grades. The courses that matter most for your major prep GPA are CSCI 110, CSCI 220, and your entire MATH 181–182–283 calculus chain — those are the grades UCSB's engineering reviewers look at hardest.
Major Requirements
Computer Science (B.S., College of Engineering) Major Preparation
Computer Science (B.S., College of Engineering) at UC Santa Barbara
Courses at Mt. San Antonio College that satisfy UC Santa Barbara's Computer Science major preparation, verified via ASSIST.org.
UCSB also offers Computer Engineering (B.S.) and a Computing B.S. through the College of Creative Studies — both are distinct admissions paths. Computer Engineering blends hardware and software; Computing (CCS) is a self-designed research-oriented track with a separate application. Make sure you apply directly to Computer Science in the College of Engineering if that's your goal — you cannot switch into a College of Engineering major after transferring.
| Course at Mt. San Antonio College | Satisfies at UCSB | Units |
|---|---|---|
| CSCI 110 — Introduction to Computer Science | CMPSC 16 — Problem Solving with Computers I | 3.5 |
| CSCI 220 — Data Structures | CMPSC 24 — Problem Solving with Computers II | 3.5 |
| CSCI 230 — Discrete Mathematics and Its Applications | CMPSC 40 — Foundations of Computer Science | 3 |
| MATH 181 — Calculus and Analytic Geometry I | MATH 3A — Calculus with Applications I | 5 |
| MATH 182 — Calculus and Analytic Geometry II | MATH 3B — Calculus with Applications II | 5 |
| MATH 283 — Calculus and Analytic Geometry III | MATH 4A — Linear Algebra with Applications | 5 |
| No equivalent at Mt. San Antonio College | MATH 4B — Differential Equations | — |
Courses with no equivalent must be taken at UC Santa Barbara after transfer. Factor this into your first-year course plan.
General Education
IGETC at Mt. San Antonio College
Complete IGETC at Mt. San Antonio College to satisfy UC Santa Barbara's lower-division GE requirements before transferring.
ENGL 1A
3 unitsENGL 1B, CRT 101
3 unitsMATH 110, MATH 181
3-5 unitsART 101, MUS 20, THTR 101
3 unitsENGL 5, HIST 11, PHIL 10
3 unitsANTH 1, PSYC 1A, SOC 1
3 unitsCHEM 50, PHYS 101
3-4 unitsBIOL 1, BIOL 2
3-4 unitsSPAN 1, FREN 1, ASL 1
3-5 units| Area | Course options at Mt. San Antonio College | Units |
|---|---|---|
| 1A: English Composition | ENGL 1A | 3 |
| 1B: Critical Thinking and Composition | ENGL 1B, CRT 101 | 3 |
| 2: Mathematical Concepts and Quantitative Reasoning | MATH 110, MATH 181 | 3-5 |
| 3A: Arts | ART 101, MUS 20, THTR 101 | 3 |
| 3B: Humanities | ENGL 5, HIST 11, PHIL 10 | 3 |
| 4: Social and Behavioral Sciences | ANTH 1, PSYC 1A, SOC 1 | 3 |
| 5A: Physical Sciences | CHEM 50, PHYS 101 | 3-4 |
| 5B: Biological Sciences | BIOL 1, BIOL 2 | 3-4 |
| 6: Language Other Than English | SPAN 1, FREN 1, ASL 1 | 3-5 |
CSCI 110 → CSCI 220 → CSCI 230
CSCI 220 (Data Structures) requires CSCI 110 as a prerequisite, and both need to be done before you have a complete CS prep package for UCSB's CMPSC equivalencies. If you take CSCI 110 even one semester late, the whole chain shifts — and you risk arriving at UCSB with incomplete major prep, which directly weakens your application.
UCSB runs on quarters — Mt. SAC runs on semesters
You'll go from 18-week semesters at Mt. SAC to 10-week quarters at UCSB, so expect the same amount of material to hit you in almost half the time — build strong study habits now, before you get there.
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
CS Is Engineering — TAG Won't Save You
A lot of Mt. SAC students assume they can use the UC Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) to lock in a spot at UCSB for Computer Science. They can't — UCSB explicitly excludes all College of Engineering majors from TAG eligibility. There's no backdoor here: you compete through the regular transfer process like everyone else, which means your GPA and completed prep courses are everything.
Don't Skip IGETC — But Don't Let It Crowd Out CS Prep
UCSB technically accepts IGETC for CS Engineering students, but the College of Engineering advises that finishing your engineering prep courses should come first. If you're short on semesters, prioritize CSCI 110, CSCI 220, and your calculus sequence over knocking out Area 3 humanities electives. You can finish GE requirements after you arrive at UCSB; you can't easily make up a missing CMPSC 24 equivalent once you're there.
Start Calculus in Your Very First Semester
The MATH 181 → MATH 182 → MATH 283 chain takes three full semesters in sequence, with no way to compress it. If you wait until your second semester to start MATH 181, you'll arrive at UCSB missing Calculus III (MATH 283) — a strongly recommended prep course for the CS B.S. that sets you up for linear algebra and beyond. Get into MATH 181 on day one at Mt. SAC.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use the TAG program to guarantee admission to UCSB for Computer Science from Mt. San Antonio College?
No — UCSB's Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) explicitly excludes all College of Engineering majors, and Computer Science at UCSB is a B.S. in the College of Engineering. Mt. SAC students applying to CS must go through the standard transfer application process. Your best move is to have CSCI 110 and CSCI 220 completed and a cumulative GPA of 3.6 or higher by the time you apply.
What courses do I need to take at Mt. San Antonio College to transfer to UCSB for Computer Science?
The core lower-division prep you need to complete at Mt. SAC includes CSCI 110 (Introduction to Computer Science), CSCI 220 (Data Structures), CSCI 230 (Discrete Mathematics and Its Applications), and the calculus sequence MATH 181, MATH 182, and MATH 283. These articulate directly to UCSB's required CMPSC and MATH courses per the ASSIST agreement. Note that Mt. SAC has no articulated equivalent for UCSB's MATH 4B (Differential Equations), so that one gets taken after you transfer.
Is IGETC accepted for Computer Science at UCSB?
UCSB officially accepts IGETC for transfer students in all three of its colleges, including the College of Engineering. That said, the College of Engineering strongly advises CS-bound transfer students to focus their time at Mt. SAC on completing engineering prep courses — CSCI 110, CSCI 220, and the full calculus sequence — rather than optimizing for IGETC completion. If you have room in your schedule after finishing major prep, IGETC can lighten your GE load at UCSB, especially if you're aiming to finish in two years.
What GPA do I need to transfer from Mt. San Antonio College to UCSB for Computer Science?
The UC system minimum is a 3.0 GPA, but UCSB specifically recommends a 3.6 or higher for engineering majors — and the actual mid-50th percentile of all admitted UCSB transfers was 3.46 to 3.91. For CS in the College of Engineering, aim for 3.6 or above across all UC-transferable coursework, with no grades below a C in your CSCI and MATH courses. Your GPA in CSCI 110, CSCI 220, and MATH 181–182–283 carries the most weight.
How many applicants does UCSB get for transfer and what are my chances from Mt. SAC?
For fall 2024, UCSB received 18,421 total transfer applications and admitted 11,386 students — an overall transfer admit rate of about 61.8%. California community college students like those from Mt. San Antonio College receive preferential consideration, with CCC applicants admitted at roughly a 92.1% rate campus-wide. However, Computer Science in the College of Engineering is a selective major with a more competitive admit process than the campus average, so treating that 92.1% number as your personal odds would be a mistake.
Explore More
Related Transfer Plans
Planning to transfer from Mt. San Antonio College (Mt. SAC) to UC Santa Barbara (UCSB) for Computer Science is one of the most structured and high-stakes transfer pathways in the California community college system. The UCSB Computer Science B.S. sits inside the Robert Mehrabian College of Engineering, which means the admission process is more competitive than the campus-wide transfer admit rate of 61.8% might suggest — and the school's own guidance recommends a 3.6 GPA or higher for engineering applicants, well above the UC system's 3.0 minimum. Effective transfer planning starts with ASSIST.org, the official articulation database that maps Mt. SAC courses directly to UCSB requirements. For CS, the critical lower-division major prerequisites include CSCI 110 (Introduction to Computer Science), CSCI 220 (Data Structures), CSCI 230 (Discrete Mathematics and Its Applications), and a three-course calculus chain — MATH 181, MATH 182, and MATH 283 — all of which need to be completed before you arrive at UCSB. Because these courses form strict prerequisite chains, starting MATH 181 and CSCI 110 in your very first semester at Mt. SAC is not optional if you want to transfer in two years with a complete prep package. While IGETC is technically accepted at UCSB, the College of Engineering advises CS-bound transfer students to prioritize major prerequisites over general education coursework whenever there's a scheduling conflict. Tools like Pipeline help students at Mt. San Antonio College build a personalized, semester-by-semester plan that accounts for prerequisite chains, IGETC requirements, and the 60-unit minimum needed for UC transfer eligibility — so nothing falls through the cracks on the way to UCSB.
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