Pasadena City College to UC Berkeley
Computer Science Transfer Plan
Semester-by-semester courses, IGETC requirements, and major prerequisites — verified from real articulation data.
From
Pasadena City College
To
UC Berkeley
Computer ScienceGPA Reality Check
Berkeley's official minimum GPA is 3.0, but admitted CS transfers in 2024 had a mid-50% GPA range of 3.61–3.96 — and that's across all majors. CS is one of the most competitive majors on campus, with estimates putting the CS-specific transfer admit rate around 7%. The courses that matter most for your application are your CS and math grades: CS 1, CS 2, MATH 5A, MATH 5B, MATH 5C, and MATH 5E. A single B in a core technical course won't kill your chances, but a pattern of Bs will. Aim for straight As in every course on this list.
Major Requirements
Computer Science (L&S B.A.) Major Preparation
Computer Science (L&S B.A.) at UC Berkeley
Courses at Pasadena City College that satisfy UC Berkeley's Computer Science major preparation, verified via ASSIST.org.
UC Berkeley has two distinct CS pathways that students frequently confuse. The CS B.A. lives in the College of Letters and Science — that's this major. The EECS B.S. (Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences) sits in the College of Engineering, carries a minimum 3.5 GPA requirement for transfer eligibility, does NOT accept IGETC, and requires five semesters to graduate. They are separate admissions pools with separate requirements. There is also a Data Science B.A. in the College of Computing, Data Science, and Society (CDSS), which some students confuse with CS.
| Course at Pasadena City College | Satisfies at UC Berkeley | Units |
|---|---|---|
| CS 1 — Introduction to Computer Science I | COMPSCI 61A — Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs | 4 |
| CS 2 — Introduction to Computer Science II | COMPSCI 61B — Data Structures | 4 |
| No equivalent at Pasadena City College | COMPSCI 61C — Machine Structures | — |
| MATH 56 — Discrete Mathematics | COMPSCI 70 — Discrete Mathematics and Probability Theory | 3 |
| MATH 5A — Calculus I | MATH 1A — Calculus | 5 |
| MATH 5B — Calculus II | MATH 1B — Calculus | 5 |
| MATH 5C — Calculus III | MATH 53 — Multivariable Calculus | 5 |
| MATH 5E — Linear Algebra | MATH 54 — Linear Algebra and Differential Equations (linear algebra component only; CS accepts LA course alone) | 4 |
| PHYS 1A — Physics for Scientists and Engineers I | Natural science elective (one course from PHYS 7A/B/C, CHEM 1A/1B, or BIO 1A/1B) | 4 |
Courses with no equivalent must be taken at UC Berkeley after transfer. Factor this into your first-year course plan.
General Education
Foundation GE at Pasadena City College
UC Berkeley's Computer Science (L&S B.A.) 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 Computer Science (L&S B.A.): full GE notes
UC Berkeley's College of Engineering does not accept IGETC/Cal-GETC as completion of breadth requirements. Engineering students fulfill Berkeley's own Humanities & Social Sciences breadth after transfer. Focus your CC time on major prep — math, physics, and CS courses — rather than chasing full IGETC certification.
CS 1 → CS 2
CS 2 requires CS 1 as a prerequisite — you can't take them simultaneously. If you don't start CS 1 in your first semester at PCC, you risk reaching application time without CS 2 completed, which is a required prep course that directly maps to Berkeley's COMPSCI 61B.
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 Save You Time Here
UC Berkeley no longer requires IGETC or Cal-GETC for the CS B.A. admissions as of fall 2025 — and completing a full IGETC certification won't substitute for your major prep courses. Your time at PCC is better spent finishing the CS and math sequence (CS 1, CS 2, MATH 5A through 5C, MATH 5E) rather than chasing a GE certification that Berkeley won't use for admission. Cal-GETC can still help with breadth requirements after you enroll, so don't skip English Composition, but don't let GE courses crowd out your technical prep.
PCC Has No Equivalent for COMPSCI 61C
COMPSCI 61C (Machine Structures) is a required lower-division prep course for the CS B.A. at Berkeley — and Pasadena City College has no articulated equivalent for it on ASSIST. That means you'll need to address this gap proactively: Berkeley recommends taking 61C via Berkeley Summer Session or Concurrent Enrollment before or after you transfer. Factor this into your plan early so it doesn't delay your graduation.
CS B.A. and EECS B.S. Are Completely Separate Applications
Many PCC students apply to what they think is 'Berkeley CS' without realizing there are two separate programs. The CS B.A. (College of Letters and Science) and the EECS B.S. (College of Engineering) are different colleges with different admission pools, different GPA minimums (3.0 vs. 3.5), and different course requirements. If you intend to apply to EECS, be aware that IGETC is explicitly not accepted by the College of Engineering, and you must complete 100% of the core prep courses — with no incomplete grades — by the end of the spring before you transfer.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What GPA do I need to transfer from Pasadena City College to UC Berkeley for Computer Science?
Berkeley's official minimum is 3.0, but that number is essentially a floor, not a target. Admitted transfer students across all majors in fall 2024 had a mid-50% GPA of 3.61–3.96, and CS is among the most selective majors on campus. You should aim to earn As in your core technical prep courses at PCC — especially CS 1, CS 2, MATH 5A, and MATH 5B — since those grades are weighted heavily in the review.
Does UC Berkeley accept IGETC from Pasadena City College for the Computer Science major?
Effective for the fall 2025 application cycle, Berkeley no longer requires IGETC or Cal-GETC for admission to the CS B.A. in the College of Letters and Science. PCC students should focus their energy on completing the required major prep courses — CS 1, CS 2, MATH 5A–5C, MATH 5E, and MATH 56 — rather than prioritizing full IGETC certification for admissions purposes. A completed Cal-GETC can still help satisfy breadth requirements after you enroll at Berkeley.
Does UC Berkeley have a TAG program for Pasadena City College students?
No — UC Berkeley does not participate in the Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) program. TAG is available at six other UC campuses (Davis, Irvine, Merced, Riverside, Santa Barbara, and Santa Cruz), but not Berkeley. PCC students applying to Berkeley go through the standard comprehensive review process, with no guaranteed admission pathway.
What courses does Pasadena City College offer that count toward UC Berkeley Computer Science prep?
PCC's CS 1 (Introduction to Computer Science I) and CS 2 (Introduction to Computer Science II) articulate to Berkeley's COMPSCI 61A and 61B respectively. For math, MATH 5A, 5B, 5C, and 5E satisfy Berkeley's calculus and linear algebra requirements, and MATH 56 (Discrete Mathematics) articulates to COMPSCI 70. One important gap: PCC has no articulated equivalent for COMPSCI 61C (Machine Structures), which you'll need to address separately.
What is the difference between the UC Berkeley CS B.A. and the EECS B.S. for transfer students from PCC?
The CS B.A. is offered through the College of Letters and Science and has a minimum 3.0 GPA requirement for transfer eligibility. The EECS B.S. is in the College of Engineering, requires a minimum 3.5 GPA, does not accept IGETC, and requires completing 100% of core prep courses before transfer. They are separate admissions pools — applying to one does not affect the other, and students admitted to Engineering cannot change their major within the college.
Explore More
Related Transfer Plans
Students at Pasadena City College (PCC) targeting the Computer Science B.A. at UC Berkeley are taking on one of the most competitive transfer pathways in the California community college system. Transfer planning for this path starts with understanding that Berkeley's CS program sits in the College of Letters and Science — not the College of Engineering — and that the admitted transfer GPA range runs from 3.61 to 3.96 across all majors, with CS admit rates estimated significantly lower than the campus-wide 24% figure for fall 2025. Major prerequisites are non-negotiable here: the ASSIST articulation agreement between Pasadena City College and UC Berkeley maps PCC's CS 1 (Introduction to Computer Science I) to Berkeley's COMPSCI 61A, CS 2 to COMPSCI 61B, and MATH 5A through MATH 5C to Berkeley's calculus sequence. One critical gap in PCC's articulation is COMPSCI 61C (Machine Structures), for which Pasadena City College has no equivalent course — students must plan to complete this via Berkeley Summer Session or concurrent enrollment. On the IGETC question, Berkeley no longer requires IGETC or Cal-GETC for admission to the CS B.A. as of the fall 2025 cycle, which changes the calculus for how PCC students should allocate their units. There is no TAG program at Berkeley, so every applicant goes through the standard comprehensive review. Tools like Pipeline help PCC students build personalized semester-by-semester plans that sequence MATH 56 (Discrete Mathematics) and the CS prerequisites correctly — so that nothing falls through the cracks before the December application deadline.
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