Santa Monica College to UC Berkeley
Computer Science Transfer Plan
Semester-by-semester courses, IGETC requirements, and major prerequisites — verified from real articulation data.
From
Santa Monica College
To
UC Berkeley
Computer ScienceGPA Reality Check
UC Berkeley's published minimum GPA for transfer admission is 3.0, but that floor gets you nowhere near competitive for CS. Admitted transfer students in 2024 had a mid-50th percentile GPA range of 3.61–3.96 — and CS is one of Berkeley's highest-demand majors, so expect the effective bar to sit at the upper end of that range. Your grades in MATH 7, MATH 8, CS 17, and CS 20 carry the most weight — those are the courses Berkeley uses to judge whether you're ready for their curriculum. Anything below an A in those courses hurts your application more than a B in an elective ever could.
Major Requirements
Computer Science B.A. (College of Computing, Data Science, and Society — CDSS) Major Preparation
Computer Science B.A. (College of Computing, Data Science, and Society — CDSS) at UC Berkeley
Courses at Santa Monica College that satisfy UC Berkeley's Computer Science major preparation, verified via ASSIST.org.
UC Berkeley has two distinct CS pathways that confuse a lot of applicants. The CS B.A. lives in CDSS and is what most transfer students apply to. The EECS B.S. (Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences) lives in the College of Engineering, requires a 3.5 minimum GPA for admission consideration, and has a separate — and even more demanding — prep sequence. There's also a Data Science B.A. in CDSS that shares some coursework with CS but is a different major. Make sure your application clearly targets the right one.
| Course at Santa Monica College | Satisfies at UC Berkeley | Units |
|---|---|---|
| MATH 7 — Calculus 1 | MATH 1A — Calculus | 5 |
| MATH 8 — Calculus 2 | MATH 1B — Calculus | 5 |
| MATH 13 — Linear Algebra | MATH 54 — Linear Algebra and Differential Equations (partial) | 3 |
| CS 17 — Introduction to Computer Science | COMPSCI 61A — Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs | 3 |
| CS 20 — Data Structures | COMPSCI 61B — Data Structures | 3 |
| No equivalent at Santa Monica College | COMPSCI 61C — Great Ideas in Computer Architecture | — |
| No equivalent at Santa Monica College | COMPSCI 70 — Discrete Mathematics and Probability Theory | — |
Courses with no equivalent must be taken at UC Berkeley after transfer. Factor this into your first-year course plan.
General Education
Foundation GE at Santa Monica College
UC Berkeley's Computer Science B.A. (College of Computing, Data Science, and Society — CDSS) program uses its own GE pattern (see note below), but these five Santa Monica College courses cover foundation requirements every UC accepts. Start here.
BIOL 10
Applied Ecology and Conservation Biology
CHEM 10
Introductory General Chemistry
ENGL C1001
Critical Thinking and Writing
ENGL C1000
Academic Reading and Writing
COMM C1000
Introduction to Public Speaking
| Area | Course at Santa Monica College | Units |
|---|---|---|
Life Science | BIOL 10 — Applied Ecology and Conservation Biology | 4 |
Physical Science | CHEM 10 — Introductory General Chemistry | 5 |
HumanitiesCCN | ENGL C1001 — Critical Thinking and Writing | 3 |
English CompositionCCN | ENGL C1000 — Academic Reading and Writing | 3 |
Oral CommunicationCCN | COMM C1000 — Introduction to Public Speaking | 3 |
UC Berkeley Computer Science B.A. (College of Computing, Data Science, and Society — CDSS): full GE notes
UC Berkeley's College of Engineering does not accept IGETC/Cal-GETC as completion of breadth requirements. Engineering students fulfill Berkeley's own Humanities & Social Sciences breadth after transfer. Focus your CC time on major prep — math, physics, and CS courses — rather than chasing full IGETC certification.
MATH 7 → MATH 8 → MATH 13: A Three-Semester Chain
At SMC, completing the full math sequence required for Berkeley CS — Calculus 1, Calculus 2, and Linear Algebra — takes a minimum of three consecutive semesters. If you don't start MATH 7 in your very first semester, this chain alone can force you to delay your transfer by an entire 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
Start MATH 7 Your Very First Semester
The math chain at SMC — MATH 7 → MATH 8 → MATH 13 — takes a minimum of three semesters to complete. That means if you don't start Calculus 1 in your very first semester at SMC, you physically cannot finish Linear Algebra before you apply. There's no shortcut: start MATH 7 on Day 1 or push your transfer back a full year.
SMC Has No Equivalent for 61C or CS 70
Two of Berkeley's most important CS prep courses — COMPSCI 61C (Computer Architecture) and COMPSCI 70 (Discrete Math and Probability) — have no articulated equivalent at Santa Monica College. Berkeley specifically recommends taking COMPSCI 70 during Berkeley's summer session before your transfer semester, and notes that the full 61 series is available in summer as well. Plan for this cost and schedule it in advance — these are required lower-division courses, not electives.
Skip IGETC — It Does Not Help You Here
IGETC is not accepted, not required, and not recommended for the CS B.A. in CDSS at UC Berkeley. Spending time on IGETC courses instead of knocking out CS 17, CS 20, MATH 7, MATH 8, and MATH 13 is a direct trade-off — and not a good one. Focus your elective bandwidth on completing as much major prep as possible.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What GPA do I need to transfer from Santa Monica College to UC Berkeley for Computer Science?
The official minimum is 3.0, but that won't make you competitive for CS. Admitted Berkeley transfer students in 2024 had a mid-50th percentile GPA range of 3.61–3.96, and CS is one of Berkeley's highest-demand majors. Aim for straight A's in your major prep courses — especially MATH 7, MATH 8, and CS 17.
Does UC Berkeley have a TAG or guaranteed transfer program for Santa Monica College students?
No. UC Berkeley does not participate in the Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) program — it's one of only three UC campuses that opts out. SMC does offer TAG agreements with six other UC campuses, but Berkeley is not among them. There is no guaranteed admission pathway to Berkeley CS from any California community college.
What courses do I take at Santa Monica College to prepare for UC Berkeley Computer Science?
The core prep sequence is MATH 7 (Calculus 1), MATH 8 (Calculus 2), MATH 13 (Linear Algebra), CS 17 (Introduction to Computer Science), and CS 20 (Data Structures). Note that COMPSCI 61C and COMPSCI 70 — two additional Berkeley CS requirements — have no equivalent at SMC, so you'll need to take those at Berkeley, ideally during a summer session before your first official semester.
Is the UC Berkeley Computer Science major a B.A. or a B.S.? Which college is it in?
Berkeley offers two distinct CS pathways. The CS B.A. is housed in the College of Computing, Data Science, and Society (CDSS) — this is the one most community college transfer students apply to. There's also an EECS B.S. in the College of Engineering, which requires a higher minimum GPA of 3.5 and a more intensive prep sequence focused on both electrical engineering and computer science.
Does IGETC count toward UC Berkeley Computer Science transfer requirements?
No — and this is one of the most common planning mistakes SMC students make. IGETC is neither required nor recommended for the CS B.A. in CDSS. Spending time completing IGETC instead of finishing CS 17, CS 20, MATH 7, MATH 8, and MATH 13 leaves your major prep weaker and your application less competitive.
Explore More
Related Transfer Plans
Transferring from Santa Monica College (SMC) to UC Berkeley as a Computer Science major is one of the most competitive pathways in the California community college system. The overall UC Berkeley transfer admit rate for Fall 2025 was 24%, but CS is a high-demand major at Berkeley, and the effective bar is significantly higher — admitted transfer students that year had a mid-50th percentile GPA range of 3.61 to 3.96. SMC sends roughly 133 students per year to UC Berkeley across all majors, making it one of Berkeley's top feeder schools, but transfer planning for Computer Science requires a precise, semester-by-semester strategy that begins on your very first day at Santa Monica College. The major lives in Berkeley's College of Computing, Data Science, and Society (CDSS) as a B.A. — not in the College of Engineering — and IGETC is not accepted or recommended for this program. Instead, your entire course-selection focus should be on major prerequisites: MATH 7 (Calculus 1), MATH 8 (Calculus 2), MATH 13 (Linear Algebra), CS 17 (Introduction to Computer Science), and CS 20 (Data Structures). The math chain alone spans three consecutive semesters, which means a single delayed start can push your transfer date back by a full year. Importantly, two of Berkeley's required lower-division CS courses — COMPSCI 61C and COMPSCI 70 — have no articulated equivalent at SMC, so you'll need to complete those at Berkeley, ideally during a summer session before your first enrolled semester. Tools like Pipeline help students map out this kind of personalized transfer plan, flagging prerequisite chains and no-equivalent courses before they become problems. Transfer admission to UC Berkeley is based primarily on academic preparation, and for Computer Science, that means your MATH and CS course grades matter more than almost anything else on your application.
Build your Santa Monica College → UC Berkeley plan
Personalized, semester-by-semester. Free to start.
Get My Transfer Plan