Santa Monica College to UCSD
Biology Transfer Plan
Semester-by-semester courses, IGETC requirements, and major prerequisites — verified from real articulation data.
From
Santa Monica College
To
UC San Diego
BiologyGPA Reality Check
UCSD's published minimum GPA is 3.0, but the middle 50% of admitted transfer students lands between 3.45 and 3.92 — and Biology has historically been one of the most competitive majors on campus. Your science prep GPA matters most: admissions readers pay close attention to how you performed in CHEM 11, CHEM 12, CHEM 21, CHEM 22, BIOL 21, and BIOL 22 specifically. A 3.0 gets your application opened; a 3.7 or higher in those courses is what actually gets you in.
Major Requirements
Biology (School of Biological Sciences B.S.) Major Preparation
Biology (School of Biological Sciences B.S.) at UC San Diego
Courses at Santa Monica College that satisfy UC San Diego's Biology major preparation, verified via ASSIST.org.
UCSD's School of Biological Sciences offers several related degrees that students often confuse with Biology B.S.: Human Biology B.S. focuses on medicine and society; Marine Biology B.S. emphasizes ocean-based life sciences; and Biochemistry B.S. sits at the chemistry-biology intersection. Each has its own lower-division prep requirements, so confirm which degree you're targeting before mapping your courses at SMC.
| Course at Santa Monica College | Satisfies at UCSD | Units |
|---|---|---|
| BIOL 21 — General Biology I | BILD 1 — The Cell | 4 |
| BIOL 22 — General Biology II | BILD 2 — Multicellular Life | 4 |
| CHEM 11 — General Chemistry I | CHEM 6A — General Chemistry I | 5 |
| CHEM 12 — General Chemistry II | CHEM 6B — General Chemistry II | 5 |
| CHEM 21 — Organic Chemistry I | CHEM 140A — Organic Chemistry I | 5 |
| CHEM 22 — Organic Chemistry II | CHEM 140B — Organic Chemistry II | 5 |
| MATH 7 — Calculus 1 | MATH 20A — Calculus for Science and Engineering | 5 |
| MATH 8 — Calculus 2 | MATH 20B — Calculus for Science and Engineering | 5 |
| PHYS 21 — General Physics I | PHYS 1A — Mechanics | 4 |
| PHYS 22 — General Physics II | PHYS 1B — Electricity and Magnetism | 4 |
General Education
Foundation GE at Santa Monica College
Complete these five courses at Santa Monica College to start your UCSD 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
Chemistry at SMC is a four-semester chain where each course requires the one before it — you cannot skip or overlap any step. Miss the start of this sequence by even one semester and you will almost certainly miss your transfer window or arrive at UCSD without required prep.
SMC runs on semesters — UCSD runs on quarters
Once you transfer, UCSD's 10-week quarter terms move significantly faster than SMC's 18-week semesters, so plan to front-load your reading habits and time management skills before you arrive.
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 Chemistry in Your Very First Semester
The chemistry sequence at SMC spans four courses — CHEM 11, CHEM 12, CHEM 21, and CHEM 22 — which takes a minimum of four semesters if you start day one. If you wait even one semester to begin, you will either run out of time or be trying to finish Organic Chemistry II (CHEM 22) while simultaneously submitting your UC application. Start CHEM 11 in your very first fall semester, no exceptions.
Biology at UCSD Is No Longer Capped — But Prep Still Is
As of Spring 2025, UCSD officially removed the selective/capped status from its Biology B.S. program, meaning you no longer have to compete for a seat within the major after enrolling. That's genuinely good news. But Transfer Major Preparation is still required and strictly enforced — arriving without BIOL 21, BIOL 22, and the full chemistry series completed will delay your ability to declare and progress through upper-division coursework.
SMC's Semester Calendar Means Fewer Attempts Before the Deadline
UCSD runs on quarters, but you're completing your prep on SMC's semester system. That sounds fine until you do the math: SMC students have roughly four semesters (two academic years) to finish major prep before the November UC application deadline, while quarter-system students get six terms. Every semester counts double — missing CHEM 11 in your first fall isn't a small slip, it's a chain reaction that can push your transfer date back by a full year.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
How hard is it to transfer from Santa Monica College to UC San Diego for Biology?
Biology has historically been one of UCSD's most competitive majors — in 2019, only about 237 of 900 transfer applicants to Biology were admitted, a 26% admit rate. The middle 50% GPA of admitted UCSD transfers overall is 3.45–3.92, and Biology applicants should aim toward the higher end of that range. Completing all of SMC's major prep courses — including the full CHEM 11 through CHEM 22 sequence — with strong grades is the single biggest factor in your favor.
What courses do I need to take at Santa Monica College to transfer to UCSD as a Biology major?
The core lower-division prep includes BIOL 21 and BIOL 22 (General Biology I and II), CHEM 11 and CHEM 12 (General Chemistry I and II), CHEM 21 and CHEM 22 (Organic Chemistry I and II), MATH 7 and MATH 8 (Calculus 1 and 2), and PHYS 21 and PHYS 22 (General Physics I and II). All of these must be completed with a C or better. Always verify the current requirements on ASSIST.org since articulation agreements can update each academic year.
Does UC San Diego accept IGETC from Santa Monica College for Biology?
Yes — UCSD accepts IGETC from SMC for Biology majors. Completing IGETC covers your lower-division general education requirements so you can focus your remaining semesters at SMC on knocking out major prep courses like CHEM 11 through CHEM 22. Keep in mind that some of your major prep science courses (like BIOL 21 and CHEM 11) may simultaneously satisfy IGETC Area 5, so overlap is possible and worth mapping out with a counselor.
Does UC San Diego offer a TAG agreement with Santa Monica College for Biology?
No — UC San Diego does not participate in the UC Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) program. TAG is available at six UC campuses (Davis, Irvine, Merced, Riverside, Santa Barbara, and Santa Cruz), but UCSD is not one of them. SMC students applying to UCSD for Biology go through the standard competitive transfer admissions process, which makes starting your science prep early and earning strong grades even more important.
Is Biology at UC San Diego still a capped major for transfer students?
As of Spring 2025, UCSD officially removed the capped/selective status from its Biology B.S. program — it is now open to all students who wish to declare it after enrolling. However, Transfer Major Preparation is still required: arriving without completed lower-division prep like BIOL 21, BIOL 22, and the chemistry series can delay your ability to progress into upper-division coursework. Completing your prep at SMC before transfer remains just as important as ever.
Explore More
Related Transfer Plans
Transferring from Santa Monica College (SMC) to UC San Diego (UCSD) as a Biology major is one of the most rigorous pathways in the California community college transfer system, and it rewards students who start planning early. UCSD's School of Biological Sciences houses the Biology B.S. program, and while the major was removed from the capped list as of Spring 2025, Transfer Major Preparation remains a firm requirement — meaning you need to arrive with the right courses done. The lower-division major prerequisites include a demanding science sequence: BIOL 21 (General Biology I), BIOL 22 (General Biology II), four semesters of chemistry from CHEM 11 through CHEM 22, two semesters of calculus, and two semesters of physics. That adds up to roughly ten prep courses, all requiring a C or better. The middle 50% GPA range for admitted UCSD transfer students is 3.45–3.92, and with Biology historically drawing about a 26% admit rate for transfer applicants, your science prep GPA carries enormous weight. The good news is that IGETC is accepted for Biology at UCSD, and Santa Monica College's IGETC-approved courses — including ENGL 1 for Area 1A — can often double-count with science requirements, reducing your total unit load. UC San Diego does not participate in the UC TAG program, so SMC students compete through the standard transfer process without a guaranteed admission pathway. Careful transfer planning from day one is essential, and that's exactly what a tool like Pipeline is built for — helping students at Santa Monica College map out a personalized semester-by-semester plan that sequences CHEM 11 before CHEM 12, MATH 7 before PHYS 21, and every other prerequisite chain correctly, so nothing stands between you and a spot in La Jolla.
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