Pasadena City College to UCI
Nursing Transfer Plan
Semester-by-semester courses, IGETC requirements, and major prerequisites — verified from real articulation data.
From
Pasadena City College
To
UC Irvine
NursingGPA Reality Check
UC's published minimum GPA for transfer is 3.0, but admitted nursing students at UCI average around 3.77 — and that's the median, meaning half of admits had higher. The science prerequisite courses (chemistry, biology, anatomy, physiology, microbiology) carry the most weight; a single C in one of those can sink an otherwise strong application. Treat every lab science like it's your only chance to impress, because for this major, it essentially is.
Major Requirements
Nursing Science, B.S. (Sue & Bill Gross School of Nursing) Major Preparation
Nursing Science, B.S. (Sue & Bill Gross School of Nursing) at UC Irvine
Courses at Pasadena City College that satisfy UC Irvine's Nursing major preparation, verified via ASSIST.org.
UCI also offers a Master's Entry Program in Nursing (MEPN) — that's a graduate program for students who already hold a non-nursing bachelor's degree. If you're coming straight from a community college, the B.S. in Nursing Science is the right track. The MEPN is not a transfer pathway.
| Course at Pasadena City College | Satisfies at UCI | Units |
|---|---|---|
| CHEM 1A — General Chemistry I | CHEM 1A — General Chemistry | 5 |
| CHEM 1B — General Chemistry II | CHEM 1B — General Chemistry | 5 |
| CHEM 1C — General Chemistry III | CHEM 1C — General Chemistry | 5 |
| BIOL 3 — Fundamentals of Biology | BIO SCI 93 — Introductory Biology | 4 |
| No equivalent at Pasadena City College | BIO SCI 97 — Genetics | — |
| BIOL 25 — Human Anatomy | BIO SCI D170 — Human Anatomy with Lab | 4 |
| BIOL 26 — Human Physiology | PHRMSCI 120/120L — Human Physiology with Lab | 4 |
| BIOL 6 — Microbiology | BIO SCI M115 — Microbiology with Lab | 4 |
| PSYC 1A — General Psychology | PSCI 9 / COGS 7A — Introduction to Psychology | 3 |
| PHILOS 1 — Introduction to Philosophy | PHILOS 4 or PHILOS 5 — Ethics / Philosophy | 3 |
| SOCIOL 1 — Introduction to Sociology | SOCIOL 1 — Introduction to Sociology | 3 |
| No equivalent at Pasadena City College | PUBHLTH 1 — Introduction to Public Health | — |
| MATH 15 — Elementary Statistics | STATS 7 or STATS 8 — Introduction to Statistics | 4 |
Courses with no equivalent must be taken at UC Irvine after transfer. Factor this into your first-year course plan.
General Education
Foundation GE at Pasadena City College
Complete these five courses at Pasadena City College to start your UCI GE pattern. Finishing full IGETC/Cal-GETC at the CC is ideal — these five give you the broadest head start, and CCN-tagged courses stay portable if you switch community colleges.
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 |
CHEM 1A → CHEM 1B → CHEM 1C
General Chemistry at Pasadena City College is a three-semester chain — each course requires the one before it. If you don't start CHEM 1A in your very first semester at PCC, you mathematically cannot finish CHEM 1C before the UCI application is filed in November of your second year.
PCC runs on semesters — UCI runs on quarters
PCC's semester system means your three-course chemistry sequence actually maps cleanly onto UCI's three-quarter sequence, but once you arrive at UCI you'll be moving about 30% faster per course — plan for the pace jump.
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 Cover Everything Here
Full IGETC certification does satisfy UCI's general education requirement for nursing transfers — but it does NOT substitute for any of the required major prerequisites like CHEM 1A–1C, BIOL 25, or BIOL 6. Some students at PCC spend their first semester loading up on IGETC electives and delay chemistry, then discover they can't fit the full three-semester chemistry sequence before the application deadline. Start CHEM 1A in your very first semester at PCC.
No TAG for Nursing — Apply Strategically
Despite Pasadena City College participating in the UC Transfer Admission Guarantee program for several majors, Nursing Science at UCI explicitly does not participate in TAG. There is no guaranteed admission pathway for this major from any community college. That means your application competes in the general transfer pool against everyone else, and the program's goal is to graduate only about 50 students per year total.
PCC Has No Articulated Public Health or Genetics Course
Two of UCI's nursing prerequisites — PUBHLTH 1 (Introduction to Public Health) and BIO SCI 97 (Genetics) — have no articulated equivalent at Pasadena City College. This is a PCC-specific gap that students at some other feeder schools don't face. Talk to a PCC counselor early about whether these courses can be completed at UCI after admission or whether a nearby community college offers an articulated equivalent you could take concurrently.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
How competitive is it to transfer from Pasadena City College to UCI Nursing?
Very competitive. UCI's Sue & Bill Gross School of Nursing has an overall accept rate well under 10%, and the program's stated goal is to graduate only about 50 students per year across all entry types (freshman, transfer, and change-of-major combined). Admitted transfer students at UCI overall average around a 3.77 GPA — and nursing applicants need every prerequisite, including CHEM 1A through CHEM 1C, completed with a B or better.
Does PCC have a TAG agreement with UCI for Nursing?
No — and this surprises a lot of students. UCI's Nursing Science major explicitly does not participate in the Transfer Admission Guarantee program. PCC does have TAG agreements with UCI for other majors, but nursing is excluded. You will need to apply through the standard UC transfer application and compete in the open pool.
Can I use IGETC to satisfy general education requirements for UCI Nursing?
Yes — UCI's own transfer course planner confirms that incoming transfer students with full IGETC certification satisfy all GE requirements. The catch is that IGETC does not count toward any of the science prerequisites like BIOL 6 (Microbiology) or BIOL 25 (Human Anatomy). You need both: full IGETC certification AND all major science prereqs completed.
What science courses do I need to take at Pasadena City College before transferring to UCI Nursing?
The lower-division science prep includes a full year of general chemistry (CHEM 1A, CHEM 1B, CHEM 1C), introductory biology (BIOL 3), human anatomy (BIOL 25), human physiology (BIOL 26), and microbiology with lab (BIOL 6). All of these must be completed with a B or better. Note that there is no PCC-articulated equivalent for UCI's BIO SCI 97 (Genetics) — check with a PCC counselor about that gap.
If I transfer to UCI in a different major, can I switch to Nursing Science later?
Students admitted to UC Irvine in a non-nursing major are not eligible to apply for a change of major to Nursing Science as transfer students — that pathway is closed to you once you arrive as a non-nursing transfer. If you want to pursue Nursing Science at UCI, you must apply directly to that major when submitting your transfer application. Do not assume you can switch after arriving on campus.
Explore More
Related Transfer Plans
Transferring from Pasadena City College to UC Irvine's Nursing Science program is one of the most demanding pathways in California's community college transfer system. The Sue & Bill Gross School of Nursing at UCI admits a tiny cohort — with an overall accept rate well under 10% and a program goal of graduating roughly 50 students per year — making transfer planning at PCC a high-stakes, deadline-sensitive process. Unlike many UC transfer pathways, Nursing Science at UCI does not participate in the Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) program, meaning Pasadena City College students must compete in the general applicant pool with no guaranteed admission safety net. Major prerequisites are extensive: transfer applicants must complete a full year of general chemistry (starting with CHEM 1A at PCC in the very first semester), plus human anatomy, human physiology, microbiology with lab, introductory biology, and a suite of non-science courses including psychology, philosophy, sociology, and statistics. Admitted UCI transfer students campus-wide carry a median GPA around 3.77, and nursing's admitted cohort is even more selective. IGETC certification is accepted for nursing transfers at UCI and satisfies all general education requirements, but it does not substitute for any major prerequisite — students who prioritize IGETC electives over chemistry early on often find themselves unable to complete the three-semester CHEM 1A–1C chain before the November application deadline. PCC students should also be aware that two UCI nursing prerequisites — BIO SCI 97 (Genetics) and PUBHLTH 1 (Public Health) — have no articulated equivalent at Pasadena City College, a gap that requires early counseling to navigate. Tools like Pipeline help students map out a semester-by-semester plan that accounts for these prerequisite chains, IGETC requirements, and major prep courses simultaneously, reducing the risk of a costly planning mistake on a pathway where there is very little margin for error.
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