Pasadena City College to UC Berkeley
Biology Transfer Plan
Semester-by-semester courses, IGETC requirements, and major prerequisites — verified from real articulation data.
From
Pasadena City College
To
UC Berkeley
GPA Reality Check
The minimum GPA to apply is 3.0 — but admitted transfer students in 2024 had a mid-50% GPA range of 3.61 to 3.96. That gap is not small. For Biology specifically, the courses that define your competitiveness are CHEM 1A, CHEM 1B, and BIOL 11 — admissions readers look closely at how you performed in the prerequisite science sequence, not just your overall GPA. An A in English Composition won't offset a C in General Chemistry.
Transfer Alliance Project (TAP)
The Transfer Alliance Project (TAP) is UC Berkeley's own academic advising and enrichment program for community college students, and Pasadena City College students have historically been invited to participate. TAP participants who apply to UC Berkeley are admitted at roughly 80% — compared to the 24% overall transfer rate — making it one of the most powerful levers available to a PCC student. To get in, reach out to PCC's Transfer Center to ask about TAP eligibility and sign up for UC Berkeley's Center for Educational Partnerships intake form.
Major Requirements
Integrative Biology (L&S B.A.) Major Preparation
Integrative Biology (L&S B.A.) at UC Berkeley
Courses at Pasadena City College that satisfy UC Berkeley's Biology major preparation, verified via ASSIST.org.
Berkeley has three distinct biology-related majors that transfer students often confuse: Integrative Biology (L&S B.A.) focuses on organismal, evolutionary, and ecological biology; Molecular and Cell Biology (MCB, L&S B.A.) goes deeper into biochemistry and genetics; and Biochemistry (L&S B.A.) sits at the chemistry-biology intersection. Your ASSIST prep courses differ slightly depending on which you choose, so pick your target major before building your course plan.
| Course at Pasadena City College | Satisfies at UC Berkeley | Units |
|---|---|---|
| BIOL 3 — Organismal Biology | BIOLOGY 1B — Organisms, Evolution, Ecology | 3 |
| BIOL 3L — Organismal Biology Laboratory | BIOLOGY 1B Lab | 1 |
| BIOL 11 — Cell and Molecular Biology | BIOLOGY 1A — Molecular and Cell Biology | 3 |
| BIOL 11L — Cell and Molecular Biology Laboratory | BIOLOGY 1A Lab | 1 |
| CHEM 1A — General Chemistry I | CHEM 1A — General Chemistry | 5 |
| CHEM 1B — General Chemistry II | CHEM 1B — General Chemistry | 5 |
| CHEM 12 — Organic Chemistry I | CHEM 3A — Chemical Structure and Reactivity | 4 |
| CHEM 12L — Organic Chemistry I Laboratory | CHEM 3AL — Organic Chemistry Laboratory | 2 |
| CHEM 13 — Organic Chemistry II | CHEM 3B — Chemical Structure and Reactivity | 4 |
| MATH 5 — Calculus I | MATH 1A — Calculus | 4 |
| MATH 6 — Calculus II | MATH 1B — Calculus | 4 |
| PHYS 1A — General Physics I | PHYSICS 8A — Introductory Physics | 4 |
| PHYS 1B — General Physics II | PHYSICS 8B — Introductory Physics | 4 |
General Education
IGETC at Pasadena City College
Complete IGETC at Pasadena City College to satisfy UC Berkeley's lower-division GE requirements before transferring.
ENGL 1A (College Writing 1)
3 unitsENGL 1C (Argument, Research, and Literature) or PHIL 4 (Critical Thinking)
3 unitsMATH 5 (Calculus I) or MATH 50 (Elementary Statistics)
3–5 unitsART 1 (Art History: Prehistoric to Gothic) or MUSI 1 (Introduction to Music)
3 unitsENGL 4 (Introduction to Literature) or PHIL 1 (Introduction to Philosophy)
3 unitsPSYC 1A (General Psychology) or SOC 1 (Introduction to Sociology) or HIST 7A (History of the United States)
3 unitsCHEM 1A (General Chemistry I) or PHYS 1A (General Physics I)
3–5 unitsBIOL 11 (Cell and Molecular Biology) or BIOL 3 (Organismal Biology)
3 unitsSPAN 1 (Elementary Spanish I) or FREN 1 (Elementary French I) or CHIN 1 (Elementary Mandarin Chinese I)
5 units| Area | Course options at Pasadena City College | Units |
|---|---|---|
| 1A: English Composition | ENGL 1A (College Writing 1) | 3 |
| 1B: Critical Thinking and Composition | ENGL 1C (Argument, Research, and Literature) or PHIL 4 (Critical Thinking) | 3 |
| 2: Mathematical Concepts and Quantitative Reasoning | MATH 5 (Calculus I) or MATH 50 (Elementary Statistics) | 3–5 |
| 3A: Arts | ART 1 (Art History: Prehistoric to Gothic) or MUSI 1 (Introduction to Music) | 3 |
| 3B: Humanities | ENGL 4 (Introduction to Literature) or PHIL 1 (Introduction to Philosophy) | 3 |
| 4: Social and Behavioral Sciences | PSYC 1A (General Psychology) or SOC 1 (Introduction to Sociology) or HIST 7A (History of the United States) | 3 |
| 5A: Physical and Biological Sciences — Physical Science | CHEM 1A (General Chemistry I) or PHYS 1A (General Physics I) | 3–5 |
| 5B: Physical and Biological Sciences — Biological Science | BIOL 11 (Cell and Molecular Biology) or BIOL 3 (Organismal Biology) | 3 |
| 6: Language Other Than English | SPAN 1 (Elementary Spanish I) or FREN 1 (Elementary French I) or CHIN 1 (Elementary Mandarin Chinese I) | 5 |
CHEM 1A → CHEM 1B → Organic Chemistry
Every chemistry course in the Biology prep sequence is locked behind the one before it — CHEM 1A must come before CHEM 1B, which must come before CHEM 12 (Organic Chemistry I). Missing the first semester start means the entire chain shifts by a year, and you won't have Organic Chemistry done when you apply.
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
Starting Chemistry Late Kills Your Timeline
CHEM 1A, CHEM 1B, CHEM 12, and CHEM 13 are four sequential courses — and you can only take one per semester. If you don't start CHEM 1A in your very first semester at PCC, you mathematically cannot finish Organic Chemistry before you apply. Map out the full chemistry chain on day one.
Choosing the Wrong Biology Major Variant
UC Berkeley has Integrative Biology, Molecular and Cell Biology (MCB), and Biochemistry — and each has different prep requirements on ASSIST. If you prep for Integrative Biology but actually want MCB, some courses won't align and you may need to retake work after transfer. Decide on your target major early and confirm it on ASSIST.org.
Assuming IGETC Replaces Major Prep
IGETC takes care of Berkeley's lower-division general education requirements — but it does nothing for your major prep. CHEM 1A, BIOL 11, and MATH 5 must be completed on top of IGETC, which is why Biology is flagged by PCC as a high-unit major. Budget for 60+ units total and see a counselor early to build a realistic plan.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the major prep courses I need to take at Pasadena City College to transfer to UC Berkeley for Biology?
The core lower-division prep includes a two-semester General Biology sequence (BIOL 11/11L and BIOL 3/3L), two semesters of General Chemistry (CHEM 1A and CHEM 1B), two semesters of Organic Chemistry (CHEM 12/12L and CHEM 13), two semesters of Calculus (MATH 5 and MATH 6), and two semesters of Physics (PHYS 1A and PHYS 1B). Always verify the current articulation for Integrative Biology on ASSIST.org, since requirements can be updated each academic year. A PCC counselor can help you build a semester-by-semester plan around this sequence.
What GPA do I need to transfer from Pasadena City College to UC Berkeley for Biology?
The minimum GPA to apply is 3.0, but that number is misleading — admitted transfer students in the Fall 2024 cycle had a mid-50% GPA range of 3.61 to 3.96. For Biology specifically, your grades in science prerequisites like CHEM 1A and BIOL 11 carry serious weight. Aim for as close to a 4.0 as possible in your science courses.
Does Pasadena City College have a special transfer agreement with UC Berkeley?
PCC students are eligible to participate in UC Berkeley's Transfer Alliance Project (TAP), a free advising and enrichment program run by Berkeley's Center for Educational Partnerships. TAP participants who apply to UC Berkeley have historically been admitted at roughly 80%, compared to the 24% overall transfer admit rate. Contact PCC's Transfer Center to ask about eligibility and get connected to the program.
Should I complete IGETC at Pasadena City College before transferring to UC Berkeley for Biology?
Yes — for Biology (Integrative Biology B.A.) in the College of Letters and Science, completing IGETC is accepted and strongly recommended by Berkeley, because it satisfies lower-division general education requirements and helps you make faster progress toward your degree after transfer. Several of your major prep courses like CHEM 1A and BIOL 11 can double-count toward IGETC areas 5A and 5B, saving you units. The catch is that Biology is a high-unit major, so you'll need a counselor to help you stack IGETC and major prep efficiently within 60 transferable units.
How many students apply to transfer to UC Berkeley and how hard is it to get in?
For Fall 2025, UC Berkeley received 23,322 transfer applications and admitted 5,603 students — a 24% admit rate. That's much higher than Berkeley's freshman admit rate of around 11%, which makes the transfer pathway genuinely viable for well-prepared PCC students. Of those admitted, 91.5% came from California community colleges, so the deck is not stacked against you as long as your coursework and GPA are competitive.
Explore More
Related Transfer Plans
Transferring from Pasadena City College (PCC) to UC Berkeley as a Biology major is one of the most academically demanding transfer pathways in the California community college system — and one of the most rewarding. UC Berkeley's Integrative Biology program sits within the College of Letters and Science and grants a B.A. degree, making it distinct from the Molecular and Cell Biology (MCB) and Biochemistry tracks that many pre-med students confuse it with. Careful transfer planning at Pasadena City College starts with understanding the lower-division major prerequisites published on ASSIST.org: courses like CHEM 1A (General Chemistry I), BIOL 11 (Cell and Molecular Biology), MATH 5 (Calculus I), and the full Organic Chemistry sequence are all required before you arrive on campus in Berkeley. These courses form a rigid sequence — you cannot rush them — which is why PCC itself flags Biology as a high-unit major that often requires more than the standard 60 transferable units. On the general education side, IGETC is accepted for L&S Biology transfers and is strongly recommended by UC Berkeley to accelerate your degree progress after admission. For Fall 2025, UC Berkeley admitted 5,603 transfer students out of 23,322 applicants, an overall admit rate of 24%, with admitted students showing a mid-50% GPA range of 3.61 to 3.96. PCC students who qualify for UC Berkeley's Transfer Alliance Project (TAP) have seen historically much higher admit rates — roughly 80% — making TAP one of the best resources available to any Pasadena City College student planning this path. Tools like Pipeline help students build personalized, semester-by-semester course plans that layer IGETC completion on top of major prerequisites, surface prerequisite chain conflicts before they derail your timeline, and keep your transfer application on track from day one at PCC.
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