Pasadena City College to UC Berkeley
Business Administration Transfer Plan
Semester-by-semester courses, IGETC requirements, and major prerequisites — verified from real articulation data.
From
Pasadena City College
To
UC Berkeley
Business AdministrationGPA Reality Check
The UC minimum GPA to apply is 3.0, but admitted Haas transfer students in 2025 had a mid-50th percentile GPA range of 3.61–3.96 — and that's across all admitted transfers, not just Haas. Within Haas specifically, the program is among the most selective undergraduate business schools in the country, with an estimated admit rate in the 7–15% range. Your calculus, economics, and statistics grades carry enormous weight, because Haas wants to see that you can handle a quantitative curriculum — a B in MATH 005B will hurt you more than a B in an elective.
Major Requirements
Business Administration (Haas B.S.) Major Preparation
Business Administration (Haas B.S.) at UC Berkeley
Courses at Pasadena City College that satisfy UC Berkeley's Business Administration major preparation, verified via ASSIST.org.
Students sometimes confuse the Haas Business Administration B.S. with Berkeley's Economics major, Political Economy major, or Analytics major — all housed in different colleges. The key difference: you must apply directly to Haas at the time you apply to Berkeley. You cannot get in through Economics and switch later. Analytics (formerly Operations Research & Management Science) and Political Economy are separate degree programs with their own admissions and prep requirements.
| Course at Pasadena City College | Satisfies at UC Berkeley | Units |
|---|---|---|
| MATH 005A — Calculus with Analytic Geometry I | MATH 1A — Calculus | 5 |
| MATH 005B — Calculus with Analytic Geometry II | MATH 1B — Calculus | 5 |
| ECON 001A — Principles of Macroeconomics | ECON 1 or ECON 2 — Introduction to Economics (Macro) | 3 |
| ECON 001B — Principles of Microeconomics | ECON 1 or ECON 2 — Introduction to Economics (Micro) | 3 |
| STAT 050 — Elementary Statistics | Statistics prerequisite for Haas (equivalent to STAT 20 or STAT 21) | 4 |
| ENGL 001A — Reading and Composition | English R1A — Reading and Composition | 3 |
| ENGL 001B — Critical Thinking and Writing | English R1B — Reading and Composition | 3 |
General Education
Foundation GE at Pasadena City College
UC Berkeley's Business Administration (Haas B.S.) program uses its own GE pattern (see note below), but these five Pasadena City College courses cover foundation requirements every UC accepts. Start here.
BIOL 002
Animal Biology
CHEM 001A
General Chemistry and Chemical Analysis I
HIST 001A
History of European Civilization to 1715
ENGL C1000
Academic Reading and Writing
ENGL C1001
Critical Thinking and Writing
| Area | Course at Pasadena City College | Units |
|---|---|---|
Life Science | BIOL 002 — Animal Biology | 4 |
Physical Science | CHEM 001A — General Chemistry and Chemical Analysis I | 5 |
Humanities | HIST 001A — History of European Civilization to 1715 | 3 |
English CompositionCCN | ENGL C1000 — Academic Reading and Writing | 4 |
Critical ThinkingCCN | ENGL C1001 — Critical Thinking and Writing | 4 |
UC Berkeley Business Administration (Haas B.S.): full GE notes
UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business does not accept IGETC/Cal-GETC. Haas students must complete Berkeley's own breadth requirements. Focus on prerequisite business and math courses at your CC and complete breadth requirements after transfer.
MATH 005A → MATH 005B (Calculus Sequence)
MATH 005B requires MATH 005A as a prerequisite — they are a sequential two-semester chain. If you don't start MATH 005A in your very first semester at Pasadena City College, you risk not completing the full calculus sequence by your final spring semester, which makes you ineligible to apply to Haas.
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
IGETC Won't Work Here — Here's Why
Many PCC students default to IGETC because it satisfies GE for most UC majors. Haas does not accept IGETC. Instead, Berkeley uses a Seven-Course Breadth requirement from the College of Letters and Sciences, and you must complete it separately — and critically, none of your Haas prerequisite courses (like ECON 001A, ECON 001B, or MATH 005A) can double-count toward breadth. Don't spend your semesters completing an IGETC pattern that Haas won't recognize.
Start Calculus Semester One — No Exceptions
MATH 005A → MATH 005B is a two-semester chain, and both courses must be finished by the spring semester before you transfer. If you push MATH 005A to your second semester, you likely cannot finish MATH 005B in time, which makes you flat-out ineligible for Haas admission. Students at PCC on a semester calendar have less scheduling flex than quarter-school peers — there's no winter quarter to squeeze in a catch-up course.
The Haas Supplemental App Is a Second Application
After submitting the UC application in November, Haas requires a separate supplemental application due by January 31 — and if you miss that deadline, your admission is denied automatically, no appeals. The supplemental includes essays, a resume, and a video interview component. Budget real time for it in January; this is not a quick form you fill out the night before.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I transfer from Pasadena City College to UC Berkeley Haas for Business Administration?
Yes — PCC students regularly transfer to UC Berkeley, and the pathway is well-documented on ASSIST.org. You'll need to complete six core prerequisites at PCC including MATH 005A, MATH 005B, ECON 001A, ECON 001B, STAT 050, and both English composition courses. Haas is extremely competitive, with an estimated admit rate in the 7–15% range, so your GPA in those courses matters enormously.
Does Pasadena City College have a TAG or guaranteed admission agreement with UC Berkeley?
No. UC Berkeley does not participate in the Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) program — Berkeley and UCLA are the only two UC campuses that don't offer TAG. There is no guaranteed admission path from PCC to Berkeley for any major, including Business Administration at Haas. You'll need to submit a highly competitive full application.
Does IGETC count for the UC Berkeley Haas Business Administration major?
No — this is one of the most common and costly mistakes PCC students make. Haas does not accept IGETC to satisfy its breadth requirements; it uses Berkeley's Seven-Course Breadth requirement instead. Spending semesters completing IGETC courses that don't articulate to Haas breadth is wasted time on your transfer timeline.
What GPA do I need to transfer to UC Berkeley Haas from Pasadena City College?
The official minimum UC GPA is 3.0, but admitted Haas transfer students in 2025 showed a mid-50th percentile GPA range of 3.61–3.96 campus-wide. For Haas specifically, which is one of the most selective undergraduate business programs in the country, you should realistically be targeting a 3.8 or higher — especially in quantitative courses like MATH 005A, MATH 005B, STAT 050, and the ECON sequence.
What math class should I take at PCC to satisfy the Haas calculus prerequisite?
Haas requires a full single-variable calculus sequence, which at PCC means MATH 005A (Calculus with Analytic Geometry I) followed by MATH 005B (Calculus with Analytic Geometry II). These are two separate courses taken in sequence — you must complete both before the end of the spring semester prior to your transfer. Start MATH 005A in your very first semester at PCC, without exception.
Explore More
Related Transfer Plans
Transferring from Pasadena City College (PCC) to UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business for a B.S. in Business Administration is one of the most demanding transfer pathways in California — but PCC students do it every year with the right transfer planning. The Haas undergraduate program sits inside Berkeley's Haas School of Business and admits students directly from community colleges, but the admit rate is estimated at just 7–15% among eligible applicants, and admitted Berkeley transfer students overall had a mid-50th percentile GPA of 3.61–3.96 in 2025. Unlike most UC pathways, IGETC is not accepted for this major — Haas uses Berkeley's own Seven-Course Breadth requirement, which must be completed alongside a demanding set of major prerequisites. Those prerequisites include a full calculus sequence (MATH 005A and MATH 005B at PCC), both principles of economics courses (ECON 001A and ECON 001B), statistics (STAT 050), and two English composition courses (ENGL 001A and ENGL 001B). The calculus sequence alone spans two semesters, which means students on PCC's semester calendar need to start MATH 005A on day one — there is no buffer. After submitting the UC application in November, Haas also requires a separate supplemental application due January 31, and missing that deadline results in automatic denial. On top of all of this, PCC began adopting a new Common Course Numbering system in Fall 2025 — so always verify current course codes on ASSIST.org before finalizing your education plan. Tools like Pipeline help PCC students map out a personalized semester-by-semester plan that accounts for these prerequisite chains, the breadth requirement gap, and the Haas supplemental deadline — so nothing falls through the cracks on the way to Berkeley.
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