Pasadena City College to UC Berkeley
Nursing 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 UC minimum GPA to transfer is 3.0, but admitted transfer students at UC Berkeley came in with a mid-50% GPA of 3.61–3.96 in Fall 2025. For pre-nursing students, your science GPA is scrutinized even more heavily — a B in ANAT 25 or PHYSIO 1 is noticed. If you're planning to apply to a BSN program after Berkeley, those programs have their own GPA cutoffs too, so weak grades in the health sciences can create a two-step problem.
Major Requirements
Public Health (B.A.) — College of Letters & Science Major Preparation
Public Health (B.A.) — College of Letters & Science at UC Berkeley
Courses at Pasadena City College that satisfy UC Berkeley's Nursing major preparation, verified via ASSIST.org.
UC Berkeley does not offer an undergraduate Nursing (BSN) degree through its main campus. Students who want to pursue nursing typically transfer into UC Berkeley's Public Health B.A. (College of Letters & Science) as their closest pre-nursing pathway, completing science prerequisites that keep BSN program doors open after graduation. UC Berkeley Extension separately offers a Nursing Preparatory Program with a linkage to Samuel Merritt University's BSN — this is a different route than standard CC transfer admission. Students sometimes confuse Public Health with the Molecular & Cell Biology (MCB) or Integrative Biology majors, both of which are also valid science-heavy options for pre-nursing students at UCB.
| Course at Pasadena City College | Satisfies at UC Berkeley | Units |
|---|---|---|
| BIOL 2 — Introduction to Animal Biology | Introductory Biology — satisfies life science prerequisite for Public Health major | 4 |
| ANAT 25 — Human Anatomy | Human Anatomy — recommended pre-nursing science prerequisite | 4 |
| PHYSIO 1 — Human Physiology | Human Physiology — recommended pre-nursing science prerequisite | 4 |
| MICRO 2 — Introduction to Microbiology | Microbiology — recommended pre-nursing science prerequisite | 4 |
| CHEM 1A — General Chemistry I | General Chemistry — recommended pre-nursing science prerequisite | 5 |
| SOC 1 — Introduction to Sociology | SOCIOL 1 — required prerequisite for Public Health major declaration | 3 |
| MATH 5 — Elementary Statistics | Statistics / Data C8 equivalent — required prerequisite for Public Health major declaration | 4 |
| PSYCH 1 — General Psychology | PSYCH 1 — recommended pre-nursing behavioral science prerequisite | 3 |
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
3 unitsENGL 1C
3 unitsMATH 5 (Elementary Statistics)
4 unitsART 1, MUSIC 4
3 unitsPHIL 1, ENGL 10
3 unitsPSYCH 1, SOC 1, ANTH 1
3 unitsCHEM 1A, CHEM 1B, PHYS 1A
3–5 unitsANAT 25, PHYSIO 1, MICRO 2, BIOL 3
4 unitsANAT 25, PHYSIO 1, MICRO 2, BIOL 1A — lab component embedded in most PCC science courses
0–1 unitsSPAN 2, FREN 2, CHIN 2, ASL 2
3–5 units| Area | Course options at Pasadena City College | Units |
|---|---|---|
| 1A: English Composition | ENGL 1A | 3 |
| 1B: Critical Thinking and Composition | ENGL 1C | 3 |
| 2: Mathematical Concepts and Quantitative Reasoning | MATH 5 (Elementary Statistics) | 4 |
| 3A: Arts | ART 1, MUSIC 4 | 3 |
| 3B: Humanities | PHIL 1, ENGL 10 | 3 |
| 4: Social and Behavioral Sciences | PSYCH 1, SOC 1, ANTH 1 | 3 |
| 5A: Physical Sciences | CHEM 1A, CHEM 1B, PHYS 1A | 3–5 |
| 5B: Biological Sciences | ANAT 25, PHYSIO 1, MICRO 2, BIOL 3 | 4 |
| 5C: Science Laboratory (if not embedded in 5A/5B) | ANAT 25, PHYSIO 1, MICRO 2, BIOL 1A — lab component embedded in most PCC science courses | 0–1 |
| 6: Language Other Than English (UC requirement only) | SPAN 2, FREN 2, CHIN 2, ASL 2 | 3–5 |
CHEM 1A → CHEM 1B
You must complete CHEM 1A before enrolling in CHEM 1B — they're a locked two-semester sequence. Starting chemistry late means your prereqs won't be done before your transfer application, which can turn a conditional admit into a rescinded one.
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
UC Berkeley Has No Undergraduate Nursing Major
This is the thing that surprises most PCC students: UC Berkeley does not offer a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) through its main campus. Students pursuing a nursing career at UCB typically major in Public Health (B.A.) or Molecular & Cell Biology and then apply to accelerated BSN programs post-graduation. Know this before you apply — and make sure your PCC coursework (ANAT 25, PHYSIO 1, MICRO 2) serves both your UCB major prereqs and your eventual BSN program requirements.
Don't Skip Statistics — It's a Declaration Requirement
UC Berkeley's Public Health major requires a statistics course before you can officially declare. MATH 5 (Elementary Statistics) at PCC transfers and satisfies this requirement. If you skip it at PCC, you'll arrive at Berkeley and need to fight for a seat in Data C8 among hundreds of other students — and you can't declare your major until it's done.
Start Chemistry in Your Very First Semester
CHEM 1A and CHEM 1B are a two-semester sequence — you can't take them at the same time. If you wait until spring to start CHEM 1A, you can't finish 1B until the following fall, which may leave your science prereqs incomplete at the time of your transfer application. Nursing programs at every level expect chemistry, so start it on day one at PCC.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I transfer from Pasadena City College to UC Berkeley for Nursing?
UC Berkeley does not offer an undergraduate Nursing (BSN) degree on its main campus — so there is no direct 'Nursing' transfer pathway from PCC to UCB. The most common route for pre-nursing students is to transfer into the Public Health B.A. (College of Letters & Science) or a biology-related major, completing science prerequisites like ANAT 25, PHYSIO 1, and MICRO 2 at PCC along the way. After graduating from Berkeley, students then apply to accelerated BSN programs.
What GPA do I need to transfer from Pasadena City College to UC Berkeley?
UC Berkeley requires a minimum 3.0 GPA to be eligible, but the mid-50% GPA range for admitted transfer students in Fall 2025 was 3.61–3.96 — meaning half of accepted students were above 3.96. For science-heavy pre-nursing pathways, admissions reviewers pay close attention to how you performed specifically in courses like CHEM 1A and PHYSIO 1, not just your overall GPA.
Does UC Berkeley accept IGETC from Pasadena City College for pre-nursing transfer students?
Yes — for students transferring into the College of Letters & Science (which houses the Public Health B.A.), completing IGETC at PCC is accepted and recommended. Courses like ENGL 1A (Area 1A), MATH 5 (Area 2), and SOC 1 (Area 4) all count toward IGETC certification at PCC. Just know that IGETC alone won't make you competitive — your science prereqs matter more for a pre-nursing path.
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 guarantees admission to six other UC campuses (UC Davis, UC Irvine, UC Merced, UC Riverside, UC Santa Barbara, and UC Santa Cruz), but UC Berkeley and UCLA opted out. There is no guaranteed pathway from PCC to UCB, so your application goes through the same competitive comprehensive review process as everyone else.
Which science courses should I take at Pasadena City College before transferring to UC Berkeley for pre-nursing?
The core science courses that matter most for a pre-nursing path are ANAT 25 (Human Anatomy), PHYSIO 1 (Human Physiology), MICRO 2 (Introduction to Microbiology), and CHEM 1A (General Chemistry I). These courses also satisfy IGETC science requirements in Areas 5A and 5B. Completing them at PCC before transfer keeps you on pace for both the UCB Public Health major and any accelerated BSN program you apply to afterward.
Explore More
Related Transfer Plans
Planning to transfer from Pasadena City College (PCC) to UC Berkeley with a goal of working in nursing is more nuanced than most students expect — and getting the details right early can be the difference between staying on track and losing a full year. UC Berkeley does not offer a traditional undergraduate Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree on its main campus, so PCC students aiming for a nursing career typically pursue the Public Health B.A. through UC Berkeley's College of Letters & Science as their transfer target, using it as a springboard to accelerated BSN programs afterward. Transfer planning for this pathway means building a strong science foundation at Pasadena City College before you ever submit your UC application. Courses like ANAT 25 (Human Anatomy), PHYSIO 1 (Human Physiology), MICRO 2 (Introduction to Microbiology), and CHEM 1A (General Chemistry I) are essential major prerequisites that admissions reviewers and future nursing schools will both scrutinize. UC Berkeley admitted Fall 2025 transfer students with a mid-50% GPA range of 3.61–3.96 across all applicants — and for science-heavy health programs, your grades in these specific courses carry extra weight. On the general education side, completing IGETC at PCC is accepted and beneficial for College of Letters & Science admits; courses like ENGL 1A, MATH 5, and SOC 1 cover multiple IGETC areas while also checking off Public Health major prerequisites. One thing no one tells you: UC Berkeley does not participate in the Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) program, so unlike some other UC campuses, there's no shortcut here. Tools like Pipeline help PCC students map out this entire multi-step journey — from sequencing CHEM 1A before CHEM 1B, to timing IGETC completion, to understanding how pre-nursing major prerequisites interact with your transfer application timeline.
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