Santa Monica College to UCSB
Biology Transfer Plan
Semester-by-semester courses, IGETC requirements, and major prerequisites — verified from real articulation data.
From
Santa Monica College
To
UC Santa Barbara
BiologyGPA Reality Check
UCSB's published minimum GPA for transfer is 3.0, but the mid-50% of admitted students landed between 3.46 and 3.91 — and Biology is explicitly listed as a selective major where competition runs even tighter. The courses that will make or break your GPA are CHEM 11, CHEM 12, BIOL 21, and BIOL 22, since UCSB calculates a separate prep-science GPA (minimum 2.7 required, but realistically you need to be well above that). Don't take these as 'get through it' classes — an A in General Chemistry is worth more to your application than an A in almost anything else.
Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG)
SMC has an active TAG agreement with UCSB, meaning you can lock in your admission before the regular cycle even opens. To qualify for Biology TAG, you need at least a 2.70 cumulative GPA in your required prep science courses — General Chemistry, General Biology, and Calculus — with no individual grade below a 'C.' Submit your TAG through UC TAP in late September of the year before you plan to transfer, then complete the full UC application by the November 30 deadline.
Major Requirements
Biological Sciences (B.A. or B.S.) — College of Letters and Science Major Preparation
Biological Sciences (B.A. or B.S.) — College of Letters and Science at UC Santa Barbara
Courses at Santa Monica College that satisfy UC Santa Barbara's Biology major preparation, verified via ASSIST.org.
UCSB splits its biology programs across two departments: EEMB (Ecology, Evolution & Marine Biology) and MCDB (Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology). Both fall under the Biology umbrella and share the same transfer admission requirements and Pre-Biology entry point, but they lead to very different upper-division coursework. Decide which direction fits your goals before you arrive — it affects which upper-division courses you prioritize in your first quarters.
| Course at Santa Monica College | Satisfies at UCSB | Units |
|---|---|---|
| CHEM 11 — General Chemistry 1 | CHEM 1A / 1AL — General Chemistry | 5 |
| CHEM 12 — General Chemistry 2 | CHEM 1B / 1BL — General Chemistry | 5 |
| CHEM 21 — Organic Chemistry 1 | CHEM 1C / 1CL — General Chemistry (3rd term) | 5 |
| BIOL 21 — Cell Biology and Evolution | MCDB 1A / EEMB 2 — Introductory Biology sequence (first term) | 4 |
| BIOL 22 — Multicellular Life | MCDB 1B / EEMB 3 — Introductory Biology sequence (second term) | 4 |
| MATH 7 — Calculus 1 | MATH 3A — Calculus with Applications | 5 |
| MATH 8 — Calculus 2 | MATH 3B — Calculus with Applications | 5 |
| PHYSCS 21 — Mechanics and Heat | PHYS 7A — Physics for Scientists and Engineers | 4 |
| PHYSCS 22 — Electricity, Magnetism, and Optics | PHYS 7B — Physics for Scientists and Engineers | 4 |
| MATH 54 — Elementary Statistics | PSTAT 5A or PSTAT 10 — Introduction to Statistics | 4 |
General Education
Foundation GE at Santa Monica College
Complete these five courses at Santa Monica 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 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 → BIOL 21 → BIOL 22
All four of these courses are chained — each one requires the prior, and UCSB's selective major requires all four completed before transfer. If you don't start CHEM 11 in your very first semester at SMC, you almost certainly cannot finish the full sequence in two years.
SMC runs on semesters — UCSB runs on quarters
When you arrive at UCSB, your courses will be 10 weeks long instead of 18, so the pace picks up significantly — plan to hit the ground running rather than using Fall quarter as a warm-up.
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 and Calculus in Semester One
UCSB's Biology selective major requires Calculus 1 (MATH 7 at SMC) to be done by the fall before you transfer — and your General Chemistry sequence (CHEM 11 → CHEM 12) has to be fully completed by transfer. SMC runs on semesters while UCSB runs on quarters, which means you have fewer total terms to stack these sequences than you might think. If you push either chain to your second semester, you risk having an incomplete transcript when UCSB evaluates your application.
AP Credit Won't Save You Here — Take the Courses
UCSB Biology explicitly states that AP Chemistry and AP Biology do not allow students to place out of required Biology or Chemistry courses. Even if you scored a 5 on AP Chemistry, you still need to complete CHEM 11 and CHEM 12 at SMC to satisfy the selective major requirement. Don't assume your high school AP credits will substitute — they won't for this pathway.
TAG Locks In Your Spot — But You Still File the UC Application
One thing that trips up SMC students every year: getting your TAG certified does not replace the UC application. Per UCSB's own guidance, you must also submit a full UC application to UCSB under the same Biology major by November 30. Skipping the UC application after receiving TAG confirmation will void your guarantee entirely.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What GPA do I need to transfer from Santa Monica College to UCSB Biology?
UCSB requires a minimum 2.70 GPA in your prep science courses — that means CHEM 11, CHEM 12, BIOL 21, BIOL 22, and your Calculus courses — with no grade below a 'C' in any of them. In practice, the mid-50% of all admitted UCSB transfers had GPAs between 3.46 and 3.91, and Biology is a selective major, so being near the bottom of that range makes your application a tough sell.
Does UCSB have a TAG program for SMC Biology students?
Yes — SMC has a Transfer Admission Guarantee agreement with UCSB, and Biology is covered under it as a selective major. You need at least a 2.70 cumulative GPA in your required prep courses (including CHEM 11, CHEM 12, and your biology sequence) with no grade below 'C.' The TAG application window opens in late September; submit it through UC TAP and then still file the full UC application by November 30.
What classes do I need to take at Santa Monica College before transferring to UCSB Biology?
The core required prep is a full two-semester General Chemistry sequence (CHEM 11 and CHEM 12 at SMC), a two-semester majors Biology sequence (BIOL 21 and BIOL 22), and at least two semesters of Calculus (MATH 7 and MATH 8). For normal progress after transfer you should also finish PHYSCS 21 and PHYSCS 22 (calculus-based physics) and MATH 54 (Statistics) before you arrive.
How many SMC students transfer to UC Santa Barbara each year?
In the 2024–25 academic year, 112 SMC students enrolled at UCSB — making it the third most popular UC destination for SMC transfers after UCLA (437 students) and UC San Diego (162 students). SMC has held the title of California's #1 community college feeder to the UC system for 35 consecutive years.
Can I switch into Biology after I arrive at UCSB if I transfer in a different major?
No — UCSB's Biology program is impacted, and only students admitted as Pre-Biology transfers can major in Biology. If you arrive as a non-biology transfer, you will not be allowed to switch into any Biology major. Make sure you apply to the Biology major in your original UC application and TAG — there is no backdoor in once you're on campus.
Explore More
Related Transfer Plans
Planning to transfer from Santa Monica College (SMC) to UC Santa Barbara (UCSB) as a Biology major takes more advance planning than most students expect. The pathway is well-established — SMC has been California's #1 community college feeder to the UC system for 35 consecutive years, and 112 SMC students enrolled at UCSB in the most recent academic year — but Biology is a selective major that demands serious coursework before you ever submit your application. UCSB's transfer admit rate overall hovers around 61.8%, with a mid-50% GPA range of 3.46 to 3.91 among admitted students. For Biology specifically, UCSB requires completion of a full General Chemistry sequence (CHEM 11 and CHEM 12 at SMC), a major-applicable General Biology series (BIOL 21 and BIOL 22), and Calculus courses articulating with UCSB's MATH 3A and 3B — all as major prerequisites before transfer. Physics and Statistics round out the recommended preparation. IGETC is accepted for Biology at UCSB, meaning you can satisfy lower-division general education requirements through SMC's IGETC-approved courses while simultaneously knocking out major prerequisites. SMC students also have access to the Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) program, which can lock in your UCSB admission before the main application cycle if you meet the prep-science GPA threshold of 2.70 or better with no grade below a 'C.' Getting the sequence right — starting CHEM 11 and MATH 7 in your very first semester — is the single most important decision in your transfer planning. Tools like Pipeline help students map out a personalized semester-by-semester plan that accounts for prerequisite chains, IGETC completion, and TAG deadlines all at once, so nothing slips through the cracks on the way to UCSB.
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