Pasadena City College to UCLA
Computer Science Transfer Plan
Semester-by-semester courses, IGETC requirements, and major prerequisites — verified from real articulation data.
From
Pasadena City College
To
UCLA
Computer ScienceGPA Reality Check
UCLA's minimum GPA to apply as a transfer is 3.0, but the admitted mid-50th percentile for Computer Science transfers sits at 3.96–4.00 — which means a near-perfect GPA is essentially the floor, not a ceiling. Your GPA in the CS major prep courses (CS 1, CS 2, MATH 5A–5C, Physics) carries the most weight; a B in any of these signals risk to a department that can afford to be selective at a 3% admit rate. Treat every major prep course like your GPA depends on it — because it does.
Transfer Alliance Program (TAP)
PCC is a participating campus in UCLA's Transfer Alliance Program (TAP), which gives Honors Program completers priority consideration during UCLA's admission review. To get certified, you need to complete PCC's Honors Program, submit a TAP Applicant Agreement Form alongside your UC Application, and be confirmed by your Honors counselor. Critical caveat: TAP priority consideration is limited to majors in UCLA's College of Letters and Science — Computer Science in the Samueli School of Engineering is explicitly excluded, so TAP will not give you a boost for this specific major.
Major Requirements
Computer Science (Samueli School of Engineering, B.S.) Major Preparation
Computer Science (Samueli School of Engineering, B.S.) at UCLA
Courses at Pasadena City College that satisfy UCLA's Computer Science major preparation, verified via ASSIST.org.
Students frequently confuse this with the Cognitive Science B.S. (also at UCLA), the Linguistics and Computer Science B.A. (College of Letters and Science), and the newer Data Theory or Statistics majors. The Engineering B.S. in CS is the most technically intensive, with required Physics and a rigorous math sequence. If you want more flexibility and a less physics-heavy prep, the Linguistics and CS B.A. is a separate ASSIST agreement — but it's a fundamentally different degree.
| Course at Pasadena City College | Satisfies at UCLA | Units |
|---|---|---|
| CS 1 — Introduction to Computer Science and Programming | CS 31 — Introduction to Computer Science I | 4 |
| CS 2 — Programming and Algorithms | CS 32 — Introduction to Computer Science II | 4 |
| CS 38 — Discrete Structures | CS 180 — Algorithms and Complexity | 3 |
| MATH 5A — Calculus with Analytic Geometry I | MATH 31A — Differential and Integral Calculus | 5 |
| MATH 5B — Calculus with Analytic Geometry II | MATH 31B — Integration and Infinite Series | 5 |
| MATH 5C — Calculus with Analytic Geometry III | MATH 32A — Calculus of Several Variables | 4 |
| MATH 8 — Linear Algebra | MATH 33A — Linear Algebra and Its Applications | 4 |
| PHYS 1A — Mechanics | PHYSICS 1A — Physics for Scientists and Engineers: Mechanics | 4 |
| PHYS 1B — Electricity and Magnetism | PHYSICS 1B — Physics for Scientists and Engineers: Oscillations, Waves, Electric and Magnetic Fields | 4 |
General Education
Foundation GE at Pasadena City College
Complete these five courses at Pasadena City College to start your UCLA 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 |
MATH 5A → MATH 5B → MATH 5C (3-Semester Chain)
These three calculus courses must be taken in strict order, and each is a prerequisite for the next — plus PHYS 1A depends on this chain too. If you don't start MATH 5A in your very first semester, you risk running out of time to complete all the required prep before your transfer application is reviewed.
UCLA runs on quarters — PCC runs on semesters
You'll go from 18-week semesters at PCC to 10-week quarters at UCLA, which means the pace of every course roughly doubles — build strong study habits and time-management skills at PCC, because the jump in tempo at UCLA catches a lot of transfer students off guard.
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 Work for Engineering CS
UCLA's Computer Science B.S. lives in the Samueli School of Engineering — and Engineering does not accept IGETC to satisfy its GE requirements. If you spend your semesters at PCC completing the full IGETC pattern thinking it will transfer over, you'll arrive at UCLA with GE credits that don't fulfill Engineering's specific requirements. Talk to a PCC counselor about UCLA Engineering's own GE breadth pattern and plan your GE courses accordingly from the start.
Start MATH 5A Your Very First Semester
The math sequence at PCC runs three full semesters — MATH 5A → MATH 5B → MATH 5C — and you can't skip any of it. If you wait until your second semester to start, you'll either be scrambling to compress your prep or you'll transfer a semester late. CS 1 can run parallel to MATH 5A, so there's no reason to delay either.
PCC's Course Numbers Are Changing — Double-Check ASSIST
Starting Fall 2025, Pasadena City College adopted a new Common Course Numbering (CCN) system that changes course codes across the catalog (for example, prefix formats and numbering structures are being updated). This means the course codes on older ASSIST printouts or unofficial guides may no longer match what's listed in PCC's current schedule of classes. Always verify your articulation directly on assist.org using the current year's agreement — don't rely on a screenshot from a year ago.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What GPA do I need to transfer from Pasadena City College to UCLA Computer Science?
The UC minimum GPA to apply is 3.0, but UCLA Computer Science transfer admits in Fall 2024 had a mid-50th percentile GPA of 3.96–4.00 — meaning nearly everyone admitted had close to a 4.0. Your grades in core prep courses like MATH 5A, CS 1, and CS 2 at PCC are the ones that matter most to the CS department.
What courses do I need to take at Pasadena City College to prepare for UCLA Computer Science?
The major prep at PCC includes the full calculus sequence (MATH 5A, 5B, 5C), Linear Algebra (MATH 8), Discrete Structures (CS 38), two programming courses (CS 1 and CS 2), and two semesters of Physics (PHYS 1A and 1B). These map to UCLA's lower-division CS requirements and should all be completed or nearly completed before you apply.
Does the UCLA Transfer Alliance Program (TAP) help PCC students get into Computer Science?
PCC participates in TAP through its Honors Program, and TAP certification does give you priority consideration at UCLA — but only for majors in the College of Letters and Science. Computer Science at UCLA is in the Samueli School of Engineering, which explicitly does not participate in TAP. Completing PCC's Honors Program is still valuable for strengthening your application, but don't count on TAP for a CS admit boost.
How competitive is the UCLA Computer Science transfer from Pasadena City College?
UCLA CS admitted just 3% of transfer applicants in Fall 2024 — making it one of the most selective transfer pathways at any UC campus. In Fall 2023, PCC sent 1,043 applicants to UCLA across all majors and about 35% were admitted overall, but CS-specific numbers are far lower. Completing all major prep courses with near-perfect grades and strong Personal Insight Questions are essential.
Can I use IGETC to satisfy GE requirements when transferring to UCLA Computer Science from PCC?
No — UCLA's Samueli School of Engineering, where Computer Science is housed, does not accept IGETC in place of its own GE breadth requirements. This is one of the most common planning mistakes PCC students make when targeting this major. Meet with a PCC counselor early to map out UCLA Engineering's specific GE pattern instead.
Explore More
Related Transfer Plans
Transferring from Pasadena City College (PCC) to UCLA as a Computer Science major is one of the most competitive pathways in the California community college system. The UCLA Computer Science B.S. — housed in the Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science — admitted just 3% of transfer applicants in Fall 2024, with admitted students reporting a mid-50th percentile GPA of 3.96 to 4.00. Effective transfer planning at PCC means starting major prerequisites immediately: the three-semester calculus sequence (MATH 5A, MATH 5B, and MATH 5C) needs to begin in your first semester, alongside CS 1 (Introduction to Computer Science and Programming). Additional major prerequisites include Linear Algebra (MATH 8), Discrete Structures (CS 38), Programming and Algorithms (CS 2), and two semesters of Physics. One of the trickiest parts of this pathway is the GE question: because UCLA Computer Science sits in the Engineering school rather than the College of Letters and Science, IGETC — the standard transfer general education pattern — is not accepted for this major. Students who complete IGETC at PCC without realizing this end up with GE credits that don't satisfy Engineering's requirements. PCC is a member of UCLA's Transfer Alliance Program (TAP), which gives Honors Program completers priority consideration, but TAP applies only to Letters and Science majors and won't directly boost a CS Engineering application. PCC also recently transitioned to a new Common Course Numbering system starting Fall 2025, which means course codes on older ASSIST printouts may no longer match current offerings — always verify articulation agreements on assist.org for the current year. Tools like Pipeline help students at Pasadena City College build personalized, semester-by-semester transfer plans that account for prerequisite chains, GE pathway choices, and application deadlines — so nothing slips through the cracks on the road to UCLA.
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