Santa Monica College to UCI
Biology Transfer Plan
Semester-by-semester courses, IGETC requirements, and major prerequisites — verified from real articulation data.
From
Santa Monica College
To
UC Irvine
BiologyGPA Reality Check
UCI sets a 3.0 minimum GPA for transfer admission, but the median GPA of admitted community college transfers is 3.77 — and competitive applicants typically land between 3.7 and 4.0. For Biology specifically, your grades in CHEM 11, CHEM 12, CHEM 21, and both BIOL courses carry enormous weight, since those are the exact courses admissions reviewers look at. Anything below a B in your science sequence will put you in a tough spot, so do not rush through general chemistry just to get to orgo faster.
Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG)
UCI's Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) is the closest thing to a guaranteed ticket you'll find in the UC system. If you lock in a 3.4 UC GPA by the end of your fall semester before transfer and complete your required Biology major prep, UCI commits to admitting you. Submit your TAG application online at universityofcalifornia.edu between September 1 and 30 — missing that window means you lose the guarantee entirely and apply through the regular process.
Major Requirements
Biological Sciences, B.S. — School of Biological Sciences Major Preparation
Biological Sciences, B.S. — School of Biological Sciences at UC Irvine
Courses at Santa Monica College that satisfy UC Irvine's Biology major preparation, verified via ASSIST.org.
UCI's School of Biological Sciences houses several distinct B.S. programs that students often confuse: Human Biology, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Microbiology and Immunology, Developmental and Cell Biology, and Neurobiology all have separate ASSIST articulation agreements and different upper-division requirements. If your interests lean toward one of these sub-disciplines, check the specific ASSIST agreement for that major — the lower-division prep overlaps heavily but is not identical.
| Course at Santa Monica College | Satisfies at UCI | Units |
|---|---|---|
| BIOL 21 — General Biology I | BIO SCI 93 | 4 |
| BIOL 22 — General Biology II | BIO SCI 94 | 4 |
| CHEM 11 — General Chemistry I | CHEM 1A — General Chemistry | 5 |
| CHEM 12 — General Chemistry II | CHEM 1B / 1C — General Chemistry (year completion required) | 5 |
| CHEM 21 — Organic Chemistry I | CHEM 51A — Organic Chemistry | 5 |
| CHEM 22 — Organic Chemistry II | CHEM 51B / 51C — Organic Chemistry (with CHEM 24 lab) | 4 |
| MATH 7 — Calculus I | MATH 5A — Calculus (Mathematics Requirement, Option 1 or 2) | 5 |
| MATH 54 — Elementary Statistics | STATS 7 or STATS 8 — Statistics (Mathematics Requirement, Option 2 — recommended for pre-health) | 3 |
General Education
Foundation GE at Santa Monica College
Complete these five courses at Santa Monica 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 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 |
CHEM 11 → CHEM 12 → CHEM 21 → CHEM 22
General and organic chemistry form a four-course, four-semester chain where each course requires the one before it — and UCI won't accept partial credit for either year. If you don't start CHEM 11 in your first semester at SMC, you almost certainly won't finish the full sequence before your transfer application is reviewed.
UCI runs on quarters — SMC runs on semesters
When you arrive at UCI, your 16-week semester pace becomes a fast 10-week quarter, so course material that took half a year at SMC will hit you in roughly 10 weeks — budget more weekly study hours from day one.
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
Map Your Chemistry Sequence in Semester One
The biggest timing trap for SMC Biology students targeting UCI is underestimating how long the chemistry chain takes on a semester calendar. CHEM 11 → CHEM 12 → CHEM 21 → CHEM 22 is a four-semester sequence minimum, and UCI requires the full general chemistry year plus the full organic chemistry year before you transfer. Start CHEM 11 your very first semester — if you delay even one term, you likely won't finish orgo before your application deadline.
SMC Has No Third-Semester Organic Chemistry Equivalent
UCI requires organic chemistry equivalent to CHEM 51A, 51B, and 51C — three quarters of orgo. At SMC on a semester system, CHEM 21 covers 51A and CHEM 22 (with CHEM 24 lab) covers 51B and 51C together. This means your two-semester orgo sequence at SMC does fully articulate — but you must complete both CHEM 22 and CHEM 24 to get credit for the entire UCI requirement. Don't stop at CHEM 21 thinking one semester is enough.
TAG Deadline Is Separate From the UC Application Deadline
Many SMC students know the UC application opens October 1, but the TAG application has a different window: September 1–30, a full month earlier. If you miss the September TAG window, you lose the guaranteed admission benefit and compete in the regular pool — where Biology admit rates, while reasonable, are no longer guaranteed. Set a calendar reminder for September 1 of your transfer application year.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What GPA do I need to transfer from Santa Monica College to UC Irvine for Biology?
UCI requires a minimum 3.0 UC GPA for transfer admission, but the median GPA of admitted California community college students is 3.77. If you're pursuing the TAG program, you'll need at least a 3.4 GPA by the end of your fall semester before transfer. Your grades in CHEM 11, CHEM 12, and the biology sequence matter most to admissions reviewers.
Does UC Irvine Biology have a TAG program for Santa Monica College students?
Yes — UCI offers a Transfer Admission Guarantee for Biology majors, and SMC students are eligible. You need a minimum 3.4 UC GPA by the end of Fall semester before your transfer year, and you must complete the required major prep including the full general and organic chemistry sequences. The TAG application window is September 1–30, separate from the main UC application.
What courses do I need to take at Santa Monica College to prepare for UC Irvine Biology?
The required lower-division prep includes BIOL 21 and BIOL 22 (the two-semester majors biology sequence), CHEM 11 and CHEM 12 (general chemistry, full year), and CHEM 21 plus CHEM 22 with CHEM 24 (organic chemistry, full year). You also need to satisfy a math requirement — MATH 7 (Calculus I) plus MATH 54 (Elementary Statistics) is the option UCI recommends for pre-health students.
Can I use IGETC to satisfy general education requirements when transferring from SMC to UCI Biology?
Yes, IGETC is accepted for the Biological Sciences B.S. at UCI. Completing IGETC at SMC before you transfer clears your lower-division general education requirements, so you can focus entirely on upper-division major coursework once you arrive at Irvine. Note that IGETC completion does not count toward your major prep — courses like CHEM 11 and BIOL 21 are separate from GE.
How competitive is the Biology transfer to UC Irvine from a community college?
Biology at UCI has an approximate transfer admit rate of 44%, which is moderately competitive compared to high-demand majors like Computer Science (around 21%). That said, admitted students typically present GPAs between 3.7 and 4.0, so the pool is still very strong. Completing all required prep courses — including the full orgo sequence — before you apply significantly strengthens your application.
Explore More
Related Transfer Plans
Students at Santa Monica College (SMC) planning to transfer to UC Irvine (UCI) for Biological Sciences have one of the most well-defined — and demanding — transfer pathways in the California community college system. Careful transfer planning from your very first semester at SMC is not optional; it's the difference between finishing your science prerequisites on time and having to delay your application by a full year. The UCI Biological Sciences B.S., housed in the School of Biological Sciences, requires a full year of majors biology (satisfied at SMC by BIOL 21 and BIOL 22), a full year of general chemistry with lab (CHEM 11 and CHEM 12), and a full year of organic chemistry with lab (CHEM 21, CHEM 22, and CHEM 24) — all as conditions of admission. That's a minimum four-semester chemistry chain that must begin in your first term. UCI's major prerequisites are non-negotiable: per ASSIST, general chemistry articulation is only accepted when you complete the entire year, meaning a lone CHEM 11 on your transcript earns you nothing. Completing IGETC at SMC satisfies UCI's lower-division general education requirements and frees you to jump into upper-division coursework on day one at Irvine. The median GPA of admitted California community college transfers to UCI is 3.77, with competitive Biology applicants typically in the 3.7–4.0 range. SMC students also have access to UCI's Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG), which provides guaranteed admission if you secure a 3.4 UC GPA and finish your major prep — but the TAG application must be submitted between September 1 and 30, a full month before the main UC application window opens. Tools like Pipeline help students at Santa Monica College build personalized semester-by-semester plans that account for these prerequisite chains, TAG deadlines, and the semester-to-quarter calendar shift they'll face when they arrive at UC Irvine.
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