Mt. San Antonio College to UCSB
Nursing 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
NursingGPA Reality Check
UCSB's minimum transfer GPA is 2.4 for California residents, but the middle 50% of admitted transfer students came in with GPAs between 3.46 and 3.91 — that's the real playing field. For Nursing specifically, your science courses (CHEM 40, CHEM 41, ANAT 10, PHYSIO 1, and MICRO 1) carry the most weight because UCSB looks at your major prep GPA, not just your overall GPA. A 3.2 in English and humanities won't save you if your science grades are shaky.
Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG)
UCSB offers a Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) that locks in your admission before the regular application cycle opens. To get certified, you'll use the UC Transfer Admission Planner at uctap.universityofcalifornia.edu and submit your TAG application between September 1–30 in the fall before your planned transfer year. You need at least 30 UC-transferable semester units completed at that point and a minimum 3.2 cumulative GPA in all UC-transferable coursework — then maintain that GPA through your final spring semester at Mt. SAC.
Major Requirements
Nursing (B.S.) — School of Nursing Major Preparation
Nursing (B.S.) — School of Nursing at UC Santa Barbara
Courses at Mt. San Antonio College that satisfy UC Santa Barbara's Nursing major preparation, verified via ASSIST.org.
Some students confuse UCSB's Nursing B.S. with the Biopsychology or Public Health majors, both of which share some science prerequisites but lead to very different careers. Nursing at UCSB is a clinical degree housed in the School of Nursing and is distinct from pre-health tracks in Letters and Science.
| Course at Mt. San Antonio College | Satisfies at UCSB | Units |
|---|---|---|
| ENGL 1A — Reading and Composition | Writing requirement (UC-E) | 4 |
| MATH 110 — Elementary Statistics | Statistics requirement (UC-M) | 4 |
| CHEM 40 — General Chemistry I | General Chemistry I (with lab) | 5 |
| CHEM 41 — General Chemistry II | General Chemistry II (with lab) | 5 |
| ANAT 10 — Human Anatomy | Human Anatomy (lower-division science requirement) | 4 |
| PHYSIO 1 — Human Physiology | Human Physiology (lower-division science requirement) | 4 |
| MICRO 1 — General Microbiology | Microbiology (lower-division science requirement) | 4 |
| PSY 1A — Introduction to Psychology | Introductory Psychology requirement | 3 |
General Education
Foundation GE at Mt. San Antonio College
Complete these five courses at Mt. San Antonio College to start your UCSB 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 40 → CHEM 41
General Chemistry I (CHEM 40) is a hard prerequisite for General Chemistry II (CHEM 41) — you cannot enroll in CHEM 41 until you pass CHEM 40. Getting this order wrong at Mt. SAC means a full semester delay in your science sequence, which can push your transfer date back by an entire year.
Mt. SAC runs semesters — UCSB runs quarters
You'll go from 16-week semesters at Mt. SAC to 10-week quarters at UCSB, so expect your first quarter to feel fast — especially in the sciences — and plan your study habits accordingly before you arrive.
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
File Your TAG in September — Not Later
The TAG application window is only 30 days: September 1–30, submitted through the UC Transfer Admission Planner. Missing it means you lose your guaranteed admission slot and have to compete in the regular applicant pool — a much tougher position for a high-demand major like Nursing. Mt. SAC students can get help with the TAG process through the Transfer Center in Building 9B.
Science Courses Expire — Watch the Clock
UCSB's Nursing program requires that science prerequisites be reasonably current, and Mt. SAC's own ADN program explicitly states that science courses cannot be older than 7 years at time of entry. If you took ANAT 10 or MICRO 1 a few years ago and are now restarting your transfer path, verify recency requirements with UCSB's School of Nursing directly before you plan your final semester sequence.
CHEM 40 Before Everything — Don't Skip Ahead
Mt. SAC requires CHEM 40 (General Chemistry I) before you can enroll in CHEM 41, and both are required for UCSB Nursing transfer prep. Students who try to compress their timeline by taking chemistry and anatomy in the same first semester — without any college chemistry background — frequently end up with grades that hurt their major prep GPA. Start CHEM 40 in your very first semester, and treat that grade as your foundation.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get a TAG from Mt. San Antonio College to UCSB for Nursing?
Yes — UCSB participates in the UC Transfer Admission Guarantee program and Nursing is an eligible major. You need to submit your TAG application through the UC Transfer Admission Planner between September 1–30 and maintain at least a 3.2 cumulative GPA in all UC-transferable coursework. Mt. SAC students can get TAG advising at the Transfer Center in Building 9B.
What science classes do I need at Mt. SAC to transfer to UCSB Nursing?
The core science requirements for UCSB Nursing transfer prep include Human Anatomy (ANAT 10), Human Physiology (PHYSIO 1), General Microbiology (MICRO 1), General Chemistry I (CHEM 40), and General Chemistry II (CHEM 41) — all with labs. You'll also need statistics (MATH 110) and an intro psychology course (PSY 1A). These courses form the heart of your major prep GPA.
What GPA do I need to transfer from Mt. SAC to UCSB?
The minimum GPA to be eligible for UC transfer is 2.4 for California residents, but that won't get you into Nursing. The middle 50% of admitted UCSB transfer students had GPAs between 3.46 and 3.91, and UCSB itself recommends a 3.4 or higher for competitive consideration in most majors. Your science course grades — especially CHEM 40, ANAT 10, and PHYSIO 1 — carry the most weight for Nursing specifically.
Does IGETC apply to UCSB Nursing?
Yes, IGETC is accepted for the UCSB Nursing B.S. and covers your lower-division general education requirements across all three UCSB colleges. Completing IGETC at Mt. SAC before transfer is a smart move because it lets you focus entirely on upper-division Nursing coursework once you arrive. Make sure to get your IGETC officially certified by Mt. SAC's counseling office before your final transcript is sent.
How many Mt. SAC students transfer to UCSB each year?
According to Mt. SAC's State of Transfer Report, 912 Mt. SAC students applied to UC campuses in Fall 2023, with 678 admitted — an overall UC admit rate of about 74%. Mt. SAC ranks among the top 10 community colleges in California for UC transfers, which means UCSB admissions readers are familiar with the rigor of your coursework and your transcripts.
Explore More
Related Transfer Plans
Students planning to transfer from Mt. San Antonio College (Mt. SAC) to UC Santa Barbara (UCSB) to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Nursing face one of the most science-intensive transfer pathways in the California community college system. Effective transfer planning starts early — ideally in your very first semester at Mt. SAC — because the major prerequisites form a strict sequence: CHEM 40 (General Chemistry I) must come before CHEM 41, and Human Anatomy (ANAT 10) should precede Human Physiology (PHYSIO 1) to give you the best shot at strong grades in both. The middle 50% of admitted UCSB transfer students arrived with GPAs between 3.46 and 3.91, so while the UC minimum is 2.4, competitive applicants aim considerably higher. UCSB's Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) program is one of the biggest advantages available to Mt. SAC students — by submitting a TAG application through the UC Transfer Admission Planner in September, you can lock in guaranteed admission before the regular application cycle opens. IGETC, the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum, is accepted for the UCSB Nursing B.S. and is worth completing at Mt. SAC to clear your lower-division general education requirements before you arrive on campus. Articulation agreements on ASSIST.org show which Mt. SAC courses satisfy each UCSB lower-division Nursing requirement, making it possible to map every course before you enroll in your first class. Tools like Pipeline help students at Mt. SAC build personalized transfer plans that account for prerequisite chains, IGETC completion, and TAG eligibility all at once — so you're not piecing together advice from five different websites. With 912 Mt. SAC students applying to UC campuses in a single year and a 74% overall admit rate, the transfer pathway is well-worn, but Nursing requires more deliberate sequencing than most majors.
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