Pasadena City College to UC Berkeley
Psychology 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
UC Berkeley's minimum transfer GPA is 3.0, but admitted transfers in 2024 had a mid-50% range of 3.61–3.96. Psychology is one of the more popular and competitive majors in the College of Letters & Science, so assume the realistic floor is closer to 3.7. Your major prep courses — PSYC C1000, STAT C1000, and PSYC 002 — are the ones Berkeley pays the most attention to. An A in those signals you can handle upper-division psych work; a C will raise real doubts.
Major Requirements
Psychology (B.A., College of Letters & Science) Major Preparation
Psychology (B.A., College of Letters & Science) at UC Berkeley
Courses at Pasadena City College that satisfy UC Berkeley's Psychology major preparation, verified via ASSIST.org.
UC Berkeley also offers Cognitive Science (a separate major blending psych, linguistics, philosophy, and computer science) and a Social Welfare major through the School of Social Welfare — both attract students with similar interests. If your goal is clinical or social work, Social Welfare may be the better fit. If you're drawn to perception, language, or AI-adjacent research, look at Cognitive Science. The Psychology B.A. is the general scientific study of mind and behavior.
| Course at Pasadena City College | Satisfies at UC Berkeley | Units |
|---|---|---|
| PSYC C1000 — Introduction to Psychology | PSYCH 1 — Introduction to Psychology | 3 |
| STAT C1000 — Elementary Statistics | PSYCH 101 lower-division statistics requirement (Statistical Methods in Psychology) | 4 |
| PSYC 002 — Biological Psychology | PSYCH 110 — Biological Psychology / Biopsychology preparation | 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 C1000 (formerly ENGL 001A) — Reading and Composition
3 unitsENGL C1500 (formerly ENGL 001C) — Critical Thinking and Writing
3 unitsSTAT C1000 — Elementary Statistics; MATH C1000 — College Algebra also accepted
3-4 unitsART 001A — History of Art: Prehistoric to Gothic; MUSIC 007A — Music Fundamentals; THTR 001 — Introduction to Theater
3 unitsENGL 001B — Introduction to Literature; HIST 001A — Western Civilization I; PHIL 001 — Introduction to Philosophy
3 unitsPSYC C1000 — Introduction to Psychology (doubles as major prep); SOC C1000 — Introduction to Sociology; ANTH 001 — Physical Anthropology
3 unitsCHEM 001A — General Chemistry I; PHYS 001A — Mechanics; ASTR 001 — Elementary Astronomy
3-4 unitsBIOL 003 — Introduction to Biology; PSYC 002 — Biological Psychology (doubles as major prep); ANAT 025 — Human Anatomy
3-4 unitsSPAN 001A — Elementary Spanish I; FREN 001A — Elementary French I; ASL 010A — American Sign Language I; or demonstrated proficiency equivalent to two years of high school study in one language
3 units| Area | Course options at Pasadena City College | Units |
|---|---|---|
| 1A: English Composition | ENGL C1000 (formerly ENGL 001A) — Reading and Composition | 3 |
| 1B: Critical Thinking and Composition | ENGL C1500 (formerly ENGL 001C) — Critical Thinking and Writing | 3 |
| 2: Mathematical Concepts and Quantitative Reasoning | STAT C1000 — Elementary Statistics; MATH C1000 — College Algebra also accepted | 3-4 |
| 3A: Arts | ART 001A — History of Art: Prehistoric to Gothic; MUSIC 007A — Music Fundamentals; THTR 001 — Introduction to Theater | 3 |
| 3B: Humanities | ENGL 001B — Introduction to Literature; HIST 001A — Western Civilization I; PHIL 001 — Introduction to Philosophy | 3 |
| 4: Social and Behavioral Sciences | PSYC C1000 — Introduction to Psychology (doubles as major prep); SOC C1000 — Introduction to Sociology; ANTH 001 — Physical Anthropology | 3 |
| 5A: Physical Sciences | CHEM 001A — General Chemistry I; PHYS 001A — Mechanics; ASTR 001 — Elementary Astronomy | 3-4 |
| 5B: Biological Sciences | BIOL 003 — Introduction to Biology; PSYC 002 — Biological Psychology (doubles as major prep); ANAT 025 — Human Anatomy | 3-4 |
| 6: Language Other Than English | SPAN 001A — Elementary Spanish I; FREN 001A — Elementary French I; ASL 010A — American Sign Language I; or demonstrated proficiency equivalent to two years of high school study in one language | 3 |
PSYC C1000 + STAT C1000 → Research Methods (PSYC 110)
Both Introduction to Psychology and Elementary Statistics are prerequisites for Research Methods (PSYC 110) — you need both done before you can enroll. Take PSYC C1000 and STAT C1000 in your very first semester so Research Methods is available in your second year.
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
Don't Skip Research Methods Before Transfer
PSYC 110 (Research Methods in Psychology) at PCC is not explicitly required by Berkeley for admission, but it signals serious preparation and makes your upper-division coursework far more manageable. The catch: it requires both PSYC C1000 and STAT C1000 as prerequisites, so you need to sequence those in your first semester. If you leave PSYC 110 to your final semester and something goes wrong, you'll transfer without it.
PSYC C1000 Doubles as IGETC Area 4 Credit
Introduction to Psychology (PSYC C1000) satisfies both your major prep requirement and IGETC Area 4 (Social and Behavioral Sciences). That's one course doing two jobs — meaning you can use a free elective slot on something that strengthens your application, like PSYC 002 (Biological Psychology). Don't take a redundant Area 4 course when PSYC C1000 already covers it.
UC Berkeley Does Not Offer TAG — Plan Accordingly
Unlike UC Davis, UC Santa Barbara, and four other UC campuses, Berkeley does not participate in the Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) program. That means there is no guaranteed admission path from PCC to Berkeley — every application is competitive. Build a balanced UC list and make sure at least one campus on your list is a TAG school.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What GPA do I need to transfer from Pasadena City College to UC Berkeley for Psychology?
Berkeley's minimum is 3.0, but admitted transfers in 2024 had a mid-50% GPA range of 3.61–3.96. Psychology is a competitive major within the College of Letters & Science, so targeting a 3.7 or higher — especially in major prep courses like PSYC C1000 and STAT C1000 — is your realistic goal. Think of 3.0 as the eligibility floor, not the actual bar.
Does Pasadena City College have a TAG agreement with UC Berkeley?
No — UC Berkeley does not participate in the Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) program at all. TAG is available at six other UC campuses (Davis, Irvine, Merced, Riverside, Santa Barbara, and Santa Cruz), but not Berkeley or UCLA. PCC students can absolutely transfer to Berkeley, but admission is competitive with no guarantees.
Which PCC courses count as major prep for UC Berkeley Psychology?
The core lower-division prep includes PSYC C1000 (Introduction to Psychology), STAT C1000 (Elementary Statistics), and PSYC 002 (Biological Psychology). You should also strongly consider PSYC 110 (Research Methods in Psychology) — it requires PSYC C1000 and STAT C1000 as prerequisites, so plan those early. Always verify current requirements on ASSIST.org since articulation agreements can change.
Can I use IGETC to satisfy Berkeley's general education requirements if I transfer from PCC?
Yes — UC Berkeley's Psychology B.A. (College of Letters & Science) accepts IGETC certification to fulfill lower-division breadth requirements. If you started at PCC in Summer 2025 or earlier, you're eligible to follow IGETC. Students who started Fall 2025 or later follow the new Cal-GETC pattern instead. Either way, meet with a PCC counselor to confirm which pattern applies to you.
How many applicants transfer to UC Berkeley each year and what are my odds as a PCC student?
For Fall 2025, UC Berkeley received approximately 23,322 transfer applications and admitted about 5,603 students — an overall transfer admit rate of roughly 24%. Over 91% of admitted transfers came from California community colleges, so PCC is a strong launching pad. Psychology is one of Berkeley's more popular majors, which means competition within that pool is higher than the campus-wide average.
Explore More
Related Transfer Plans
Planning to transfer from Pasadena City College (PCC) to UC Berkeley to study Psychology is a genuinely competitive path — and one that rewards students who start planning early. The Psychology B.A. at UC Berkeley sits within the College of Letters & Science, and while Berkeley's overall transfer admit rate for Fall 2025 was approximately 24%, Psychology is among the more popular majors in the college, meaning the realistic GPA target for serious applicants is closer to 3.7 or above. Transfer planning for this pathway means working through two tracks simultaneously: completing major prerequisites at PCC and knocking out general education through IGETC. The good news is that IGETC is accepted for the Berkeley Psychology B.A., and a course like PSYC C1000 (Introduction to Psychology) does double duty — satisfying both IGETC Area 4 and your core major prep requirement. Other essential major prerequisites include STAT C1000 (Elementary Statistics) and PSYC 002 (Biological Psychology). What many students miss is that Research Methods — which requires both PSYC C1000 and STAT C1000 as prerequisites — needs to be planned for early, or you run out of semesters before transfer. Unlike six other UC campuses, UC Berkeley does not offer a Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG), so every application is evaluated competitively. Students navigating this process benefit enormously from having a structured, personalized plan. That's exactly what Pipeline is built for — helping PCC students map out their major prerequisites, track IGETC completion, and build a realistic semester-by-semester plan to make the Pasadena City College to UC Berkeley Psychology transfer path as clear as possible.
Build your Pasadena City College → UC Berkeley plan
Personalized, semester-by-semester. Free to start.
Get My Transfer Plan