Pasadena City College to UCSB
Nursing Transfer Plan
Semester-by-semester courses, IGETC requirements, and major prerequisites — verified from real articulation data.
From
Pasadena City College
To
UC Santa Barbara
NursingGPA Reality Check
UCSB's minimum transfer GPA is 3.0 for California residents, but admitted students in 2024 landed in the 3.46–3.91 mid-50th percentile range — that floor is the realistic minimum, not 3.0. For a pre-nursing path, your science GPA matters even more: accelerated BSN programs you'll apply to after UCSB typically want a 3.2 or higher in your science prerequisites, and many competitive programs want closer to 3.5. Every grade in CHEM 1A, BIOL 1A, ANAT 25, and PHYSIO 1 at PCC is building the transcript that those nursing programs will scrutinize.
Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG)
UCSB participates in the UC Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) program, which gives eligible PCC students a guaranteed admission offer before the regular application cycle. To get certified, you apply through the UC TAG portal each September — the fall before your intended transfer date. Because UCSB does not have a Nursing major, TAG-eligible pre-nursing students should select a related science major such as Biology; confirm which majors are TAG-eligible at UCSB with a PCC counselor before you apply.
Major Requirements
Pre-Nursing Pathway (Biology or Biochemistry B.S.) — UCSB does not offer a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) Major Preparation
Pre-Nursing Pathway (Biology or Biochemistry B.S.) — UCSB does not offer a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) at UC Santa Barbara
Courses at Pasadena City College that satisfy UC Santa Barbara's Nursing major preparation, verified via ASSIST.org.
Students frequently confuse 'Nursing' with UCSB's existing degree programs. UCSB does not award a BSN. Pre-nursing students typically enroll in Biology, Biochemistry, or a related science major and complete nursing prerequisite coursework at UCSB, then apply to external accelerated BSN programs after earning their bachelor's degree. This is a fundamentally different path than transferring into a nursing program directly — plan accordingly.
| Course at Pasadena City College | Satisfies at UCSB | Units |
|---|---|---|
| BIOL 1A — General Biology I | MCDB 1A — Cell and Molecular Biology | 4 |
| BIOL 1B — General Biology II | MCDB 1B — Genetics and Evolution | 4 |
| BIOL 11 — Ecology and Evolution | EEMB 2 — Introduction to Biology: Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology | 4 |
| 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 |
| ANAT 25 — Human Anatomy | Human Anatomy — community college completion recommended; not offered at UCSB | 4 |
| PHYSIO 1 — Introduction to Human Physiology | Human Physiology — community college completion recommended; not offered at UCSB | 4 |
| MICR 1 — Microbiology | Microbiology with lab — community college completion recommended for nursing prerequisite | 4 |
| MATH 35 — Elementary Statistics | Statistics — pre-nursing support course required by most accelerated BSN programs | 3 |
General Education
Foundation GE at Pasadena City College
Complete these five courses at Pasadena City College to start your UCSB 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
PCC's general chemistry is a three-semester locked sequence — you cannot skip ahead, and each course requires the prior one. If you start even one semester late, you will miss your transfer window with an incomplete chemistry record, which is disqualifying for both UCSB biology/biochemistry admission and for downstream BSN applications.
PCC runs on semesters — UCSB runs on quarters
Your two PCC semesters of biology or chemistry map onto three UCSB quarters, so build extra buffer time into your study habits — the pace of 10-week quarter courses at UCSB hits harder than what you're used to at PCC.
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 Helps, But Don't Over-Rely On It
IGETC is accepted for most majors at UCSB and can satisfy your lower-division GE requirements — but completing it should never come at the expense of your science prerequisites. CHEM 1A, BIOL 1A, ANAT 25, and PHYSIO 1 are the courses that determine your nursing school competitiveness, and they won't be covered by IGETC. Front-load your science sequence; use IGETC courses to fill your schedule around it, not as the centerpiece of your plan.
UCSB Has No Nursing Degree — Plan Around That
This is the one thing students most often miss: UCSB does not offer a BSN. You're transferring to UCSB to complete a science degree and knock out nursing prerequisites like ANAT 25 and PHYSIO 1 at PCC before transfer, then apply to external accelerated BSN programs afterward. That's an extra application cycle and an extra degree to plan for — factor the time and cost into your decision before you commit to this path.
PCC's Chemistry Sequence Is Three Semesters — Start Immediately
Unlike some community colleges that offer a two-semester general chemistry track, PCC's pre-transfer chemistry runs across three full semesters: CHEM 1A, 1B, and 1C. If you don't start CHEM 1A in your very first semester at PCC, you will almost certainly be unable to complete the full sequence before your transfer date. Missing CHEM 1C at transfer weakens your UCSB application and leaves a gap that accelerated BSN programs will notice.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Does UC Santa Barbara have a nursing major for transfer students from Pasadena City College?
No — UCSB does not offer a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree. PCC students who want to pursue nursing typically transfer to UCSB under a science major like Biology, complete nursing prerequisites such as ANAT 25 and PHYSIO 1 at PCC beforehand, then apply to accelerated BSN programs after earning their UCSB degree. Confirming this distinction early saves you from planning around a degree that doesn't exist.
What GPA do I need to transfer from Pasadena City College to UCSB for a pre-nursing path?
The UC minimum is 3.0 for California residents, but the mid-50th percentile GPA range for admitted UCSB transfer students in 2024 was 3.46–3.91. For a pre-nursing path, aim higher: accelerated BSN programs that you'll apply to after UCSB typically require a 3.2 minimum science GPA, and competitive programs look for 3.4 or above in courses like CHEM 1A and ANAT 25.
Can I use TAG to guarantee transfer from PCC to UCSB for nursing?
The Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) program is available between PCC and UCSB, but only for specific eligible majors — and Nursing is not one of them because UCSB has no Nursing degree. Pre-nursing students should explore TAGging into Biology or a related science major and confirm eligibility with a PCC transfer counselor each September, which is when TAG applications open.
Does IGETC work for transferring from Pasadena City College to UCSB?
Yes, IGETC is accepted at UCSB for most science majors and can satisfy your lower-division general education requirements. However, IGETC does not cover major prep courses like BIOL 1A, CHEM 1A, ANAT 25, or PHYSIO 1 — those must be completed separately. At PCC, students who began before Fall 2025 may have rights to follow the IGETC pattern; check with a counselor to confirm your catalog rights.
What science courses should I take at Pasadena City College to prepare for nursing school after UCSB?
The core pre-nursing science sequence at PCC includes BIOL 1A and 1B (General Biology), CHEM 1A through 1C (General Chemistry — three semesters), ANAT 25 (Human Anatomy), PHYSIO 1 (Introduction to Human Physiology), MICR 1 (Microbiology), and MATH 35 (Elementary Statistics). Human Anatomy and Physiology are especially important to complete at PCC because UCSB does not offer those courses on its own campus, making PCC one of the primary places to check them off before or alongside your UCSB degree.
Explore More
Related Transfer Plans
Planning to transfer from Pasadena City College (PCC) to UC Santa Barbara (UCSB) with the goal of becoming a nurse takes careful, eyes-open planning — starting with a fact most students don't find until it's too late: UCSB does not offer a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). Students pursuing nursing from PCC typically transfer to UCSB under a Biology or Biochemistry major, complete pre-nursing major prerequisites like CHEM 1A and Human Anatomy (ANAT 25) at Pasadena City College before transfer, and then apply to external accelerated BSN programs after earning their UCSB degree. UCSB admitted roughly 62% of transfer applicants in 2024, with a mid-50th percentile GPA range of 3.46–3.91 among those admitted — so the stated 3.0 minimum is far from the real competitive floor. IGETC is accepted at UCSB and can satisfy lower-division GE requirements, but it will not cover your science prerequisites; those must be planned independently and started in your very first semester at PCC. The Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) program is available for PCC students applying to UCSB each September, though eligible majors are specific and Nursing is not among them. Because PCC runs on semesters and UCSB runs on quarters, the pacing shift after transfer is real — a 10-week quarter course covers material faster than what most PCC students are accustomed to. Tools like Pipeline help students at Pasadena City College map out a personalized transfer plan that accounts for prerequisite chains, GE requirements, and the unique two-step nature of a pre-nursing pathway, so nothing falls through the cracks between PCC and the UCSB degree that leads to nursing school admission.
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