Mt. San Antonio College to UCLA
Business Administration Transfer Plan
Semester-by-semester courses, IGETC requirements, and major prerequisites — verified from real articulation data.
From
Mt. San Antonio College
To
UCLA
Business AdministrationGPA Reality Check
UCLA's published minimum for UC eligibility is a 2.8 GPA, but the mid-50th percentile for admitted transfers was 3.77–4.00 in Fall 2024 — and Business Economics is flagged by UCLA itself as highly selective, alongside Communication and Psychology. Your major prep GPA is what admissions actually weighs most heavily: grades in MATH 180, MATH 185, BUSC 1B, BUSC 1A, BUS 1, and BUS 2 are the courses they're looking at. A 3.5 might get you into some majors at UCLA; for Business Economics, you realistically need to be aiming for 3.7 or higher across those courses.
Transfer Alliance Program (TAP)
Mt. SAC is an official TAP partner with UCLA, and the numbers are hard to ignore — TAP-certified Mt. SAC students are 2–3 times more likely to be admitted to UCLA than non-certified applicants from the same school. To get certified, you need 15 units of Honors coursework and a 3.2 GPA (in both your Honors courses and your overall UC-transferable GPA) by the end of spring semester before you transfer. Talk to the Mt. SAC Honors Program counselor early — your first semester, if possible — because building 15 Honors units takes time and some courses fill fast.
Major Requirements
Business Economics (College of Letters and Science, B.A.) Major Preparation
Business Economics (College of Letters and Science, B.A.) at UCLA
Courses at Mt. San Antonio College that satisfy UCLA's Business Administration major preparation, verified via ASSIST.org.
Students often search for 'Business Administration' at UCLA and don't realize the university doesn't offer that degree title. The closest match is Business Economics (B.A.) in the College of Letters and Science — a rigorous blend of economics theory and management coursework. It's separate from the standalone Economics (B.A.), which skips the management and accounting components. Neither is a traditional business school program; there is no undergraduate business school at UCLA.
| Course at Mt. San Antonio College | Satisfies at UCLA | Units |
|---|---|---|
| MATH 180 — Calculus I | MATH 31A — Differential Calculus | 4 |
| MATH 185 — Calculus II | MATH 31B — Integration and Infinite Series | 4 |
| BUSC 1B — Principles of Microeconomics | ECON 1 — Principles of Economics I (Microeconomics) | 3 |
| BUSC 1A — Principles of Macroeconomics | ECON 2 — Principles of Economics II (Macroeconomics) | 3 |
| BUS 1 — Financial Accounting | MGMT 1A — Financial Accounting | 3 |
| BUS 2 — Managerial Accounting | MGMT 1B — Managerial Accounting | 3 |
| No equivalent at Mt. SAC | ECON 41 — Statistics for Economists (taken at UCLA after transfer) | — |
Courses with no equivalent must be taken at UCLA after transfer. Factor this into your first-year course plan.
General Education
Foundation GE at Mt. San Antonio College
Complete these five courses at Mt. San Antonio College to start your UCLA 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 |
MATH 180 → MATH 185: Don't Skip the Line
MATH 185 (Calculus II) requires MATH 180 (Calculus I) as a prerequisite — they are a two-semester chain. If you don't start MATH 180 in your first semester at Mt. SAC, you won't finish the calculus sequence in time to have both courses graded before you apply, which is a serious disadvantage for a major as competitive as Business Economics.
Mt. SAC runs semesters — UCLA runs quarters
Mt. SAC's semester courses are longer and move at a different pace than UCLA's 10-week quarters, so expect the transition to feel faster and more compressed when you arrive at Westwood — budget extra time your first quarter to adjust to the rhythm.
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
Start TAP Honors Coursework Your First Semester
The TAP certification at Mt. SAC requires 15 units of Honors courses completed before transfer — that's typically five Honors classes spread across your time at Mt. SAC. If you wait until your second year to look into the Honors Program, you'll be scrambling to stack Honors sections on top of an already demanding calculus and economics sequence. See the Honors counselor during your first semester to map which Honors-eligible courses overlap with your major prep, like BUSC 1BH (Honors Principles of Microeconomics).
ECON 41 Cannot Be Done at Mt. SAC — Plan Ahead
UCLA's Business Economics pre-major list includes ECON 41 (Statistics for Economists), and there is no Mt. SAC course that articulates to it — UCLA's own Economics department confirms that only ECON 1, ECON 2, Math 31A, Math 31B, MGMT 1A, and MGMT 1B can be completed at a CC before transfer. This means you will take ECON 41 on campus after you arrive at UCLA, so don't let anyone tell you that BUSC 9 (Business Statistics) satisfies it. Knowing this gap in advance helps you sequence your first quarter at UCLA correctly.
Complete All Major Prep by Fall Semester Before Transfer
For highly selective majors like Business Economics, UCLA strongly encourages applicants to finish all prep by the fall term before transfer — not spring. That means finishing MATH 185 (Calculus II) and BUS 2 (Managerial Accounting) by the end of your fall semester in your transfer year, not squeezing them into spring while your application is under review. Courses still in progress at the time you apply carry less weight than courses already graded.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What GPA do I need to transfer from Mt. San Antonio College to UCLA for Business Economics?
The published UC minimum is 2.8, but admitted Business Economics transfer students at UCLA had a mid-50th percentile GPA of 3.77–4.00 in Fall 2024. For this specific major, UCLA explicitly calls it 'highly selective' and recommends completing all prep — including MATH 180 and MATH 185 at Mt. SAC — by fall of your transfer year. A 3.5 isn't enough to feel safe here; target 3.7 and above across your major prep courses.
Does UCLA have a Business Administration major I can transfer into from Mt. SAC?
UCLA does not offer an undergraduate Business Administration degree. Students searching for a business pathway should apply to Business Economics (B.A.) in the College of Letters and Science — it combines economics theory with management and accounting courses like MGMT 1A and MGMT 1B. There is no traditional business school at UCLA at the undergraduate level, so Business Economics is the closest match and is one of the most competitive transfer majors on campus.
What courses do I need to take at Mt. San Antonio College to prepare for UCLA Business Economics?
The lower-division prep courses you can complete at Mt. SAC include MATH 180 (Calculus I), MATH 185 (Calculus II), BUSC 1B (Principles of Microeconomics), BUSC 1A (Principles of Macroeconomics), BUS 1 (Financial Accounting), and BUS 2 (Managerial Accounting). Note that ECON 41 (Statistics for Economists) has no Mt. SAC equivalent and must be taken at UCLA after transfer — that's confirmed by UCLA's Economics Department.
Does the TAP program at Mt. SAC help with transfer to UCLA Business Economics?
Yes — Mt. SAC is an official Transfer Alliance Program (TAP) partner, and TAP-certified Mt. SAC students are 2–3 times more likely to be admitted to UCLA than non-certified applicants. TAP gives priority consideration for College of Letters and Science majors, which includes Business Economics. You need to complete 15 units of Honors coursework and maintain a 3.2 cumulative UC-transferable GPA to get certified — talk to the Mt. SAC Honors Program counselor as early as your first semester.
Can I use IGETC when transferring from Mt. San Antonio College to UCLA for Business Economics?
Yes — IGETC is accepted and strongly recommended for Business Economics transfers from Mt. SAC. UCLA's College of Letters and Science endorses IGETC for all its majors except Engineering, so completing IGETC at Mt. SAC means you won't have to knock out general education requirements during your already-intense first year at UCLA. Start with ENGL 1A (Reading and Composition) at Mt. SAC to satisfy IGETC Area 1A while building momentum toward your major prep.
Explore More
Related Transfer Plans
Students planning to transfer from Mt. San Antonio College (Mt. SAC) to UCLA to pursue Business Economics face one of the most competitive transfer pathways in California — and the earlier you start your transfer planning, the better your odds. UCLA does not offer an undergraduate Business Administration degree by that name; the program students are looking for is Business Economics (B.A.) in the College of Letters and Science, a rigorous major that blends economics theory with finance and accounting coursework. The overall UCLA transfer admit rate for Fall 2024 was 22%, with admitted students posting a mid-50th percentile GPA range of 3.77–4.00 — and Business Economics is specifically flagged by UCLA admissions as highly selective. At Mt. SAC, the key lower-division major prerequisites include MATH 180 (Calculus I), MATH 185 (Calculus II), BUSC 1B (Principles of Microeconomics), BUSC 1A (Principles of Macroeconomics), BUS 1 (Financial Accounting), and BUS 2 (Managerial Accounting). One critical detail unique to Mt. SAC students: ECON 41 (Statistics for Economists) has no Mt. SAC equivalent and must be taken on campus at UCLA after transfer. Completing IGETC at Mt. SAC is strongly recommended for Business Economics applicants, as it satisfies UCLA's general education requirements and frees up bandwidth for upper-division coursework once you arrive. Mt. SAC students also have access to the Transfer Alliance Program (TAP), which gives certified Honors students 2–3 times better odds of admission — making early enrollment in the Mt. SAC Honors Program a smart strategic move. Tools like Pipeline can help Mt. SAC students build a personalized semester-by-semester plan that accounts for prerequisite chains, IGETC requirements, and major prerequisites all in one place — so nothing slips through the cracks on the road to Westwood.
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