Santa Monica College to UCLA
Business Administration Transfer Plan
Semester-by-semester courses, IGETC requirements, and major prerequisites — verified from real articulation data.
From
Santa Monica College
To
UCLA
Business AdministrationGPA Reality Check
UCLA officially requires a 3.2 GPA to apply as a transfer, but the average admitted student carries a 3.5 or above — and Business Economics is flagged as a highly selective major where competition pushes that bar even higher in practice. Your grades in ECON 1, ECON 2, MATH 7, MATH 8, and MATH 54 carry the most weight because they map directly to the pre-major courses UCLA's Department of Economics will scrutinize. A B in calculus is survivable; a C is a red flag for a major that requires a 3.0 GPA in ALL pre-major courses just to declare.
Transfer Alliance Program (TAP)
SMC's Transfer Alliance Program (TAP) is one of the most direct advantages available to you here. By completing the SMC Scholars Program — a cohort-based honors experience that emphasizes research, writing, and critical thinking — and getting certified by an SMC TAP counselor, you receive priority consideration for admission to majors in the UCLA College, including Business Economics. TAP-certified students made up 31% of all SMC admits to UCLA in the most recent data cycle, so if you're targeting a highly selective major like Business Economics, enrollment in the Scholars Program early in your time at SMC is one of the smartest moves you can make.
Major Requirements
Business Economics (College B.A.) Major Preparation
Business Economics (College B.A.) at UCLA
Courses at Santa Monica College that satisfy UCLA's Business Administration major preparation, verified via ASSIST.org.
Business Economics lives in the UCLA College (Letters & Science) and leads to a B.A. — it is NOT the same as UCLA Anderson's MBA or any other Anderson program, which is graduate-only. Students sometimes confuse it with the plain Economics B.A. (also in the College) or with Economics/Mathematics B.S. Business Economics is the most career-focused of the three undergraduate options, blending accounting, management, and economics coursework.
| Course at Santa Monica College | Satisfies at UCLA | Units |
|---|---|---|
| MATH 7 — Calculus 1 | MATH 31A — Differential Calculus | 5 |
| MATH 8 — Calculus 2 | MATH 31B — Integral Calculus | 5 |
| ECON 1 — Principles of Microeconomics | ECON 1 — Principles of Economics (Micro) | 3 |
| ECON 2 — Principles of Macroeconomics | ECON 2 — Principles of Economics (Macro) | 3 |
| MATH 54 — Elementary Statistics | ECON 41 — Statistics for Economists | 4 |
| ACCTG 1 — Financial Accounting | MGMT 1A — Financial Accounting | 4 |
| No equivalent at Santa Monica College | ECON 11 — Microeconomic Theory (completed at UCLA) | — |
Courses with no equivalent must be taken at UCLA after transfer. Factor this into your first-year course plan.
General Education
Foundation GE at Santa Monica College
Complete these five courses at Santa Monica 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 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 |
MATH 7 → MATH 8 → Transfer Ready
MATH 8 (Calculus 2) cannot be taken until you complete MATH 7 (Calculus 1), and both are required before you transfer — meaning this two-course chain locks in a minimum two-semester timeline. Delay the start by one semester and you may not finish both before your application deadline.
UCLA runs on quarters — SMC runs on semesters
When you transfer, each UCLA quarter moves roughly 40% faster than an SMC semester, so build the habit of staying ahead on reading and assignments from day one — the pace at Westwood will feel noticeably more compressed than anything you experienced at SMC.
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 Calculus First Semester, No Exceptions
The math chain for Business Economics — MATH 7 then MATH 8 — takes two full semesters at SMC, and both must be done before you transfer. If you push MATH 7 to your second semester, you'll be finishing MATH 8 in your final semester while also trying to complete ECON 1, ECON 2, MATH 54, and ACCTG 1. That's a brutal final stretch. Place into calculus-ready math as early as possible, and if you need a refresher, use SMC's free tutoring center before the semester begins.
Econ 11 Has No Equivalent at SMC — Plan for It at UCLA
Unlike many other CCs, Santa Monica College has no articulated course that satisfies UCLA's ECON 11 (Microeconomic Theory). This means you will arrive at UCLA with this required pre-major course still on your plate, alongside ECON 101 and ECON 41 (if not already satisfied). Transfer students must apply to the Business Economics major after completing ECON 11 and 101 at UCLA with grades high enough to meet the 3.3–3.5 GPA thresholds — so plan your first two quarters at Westwood strategically and do not overload yourself.
TAP Certification Requires the Scholars Program — Apply Early
The SMC Scholars Program that leads to TAP certification has limited enrollment and works best if you start it in your first or second semester. The program wraps enriched coursework, honors sections, and counseling into a structured pathway — students who complete it and earn TAP certification receive priority consideration at UCLA. With 93% of TAP-certified SMC Scholars admitted to their first-choice major in fall 2023, it is arguably the single highest-leverage thing you can do to improve your odds of getting into a competitive major like Business Economics.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What GPA do I need to transfer from Santa Monica College to UCLA for Business Economics?
UCLA's official minimum is 3.2, but the average GPA of admitted transfer students is above 3.5 — and Business Economics is one of UCLA's explicitly highly selective majors, meaning competitive applicants typically exceed that average. Your grades in MATH 7, MATH 8, ECON 1, ECON 2, and MATH 54 at SMC are especially important because they feed directly into the pre-major coursework UCLA evaluates.
Does SMC have a direct path or special program for transferring to UCLA?
Yes — the UCLA Transfer Alliance Program (TAP) is available through the SMC Scholars Program. Students who complete the Scholars Program and earn TAP certification receive priority consideration for admission to majors in the UCLA College, which includes Business Economics. TAP-certified SMC students represented 31% of all SMC admits to UCLA in the most recent data year.
What courses do I need to take at Santa Monica College to prepare for UCLA Business Economics?
Your core prep courses at SMC are MATH 7 (Calculus 1), MATH 8 (Calculus 2), ECON 1 (Microeconomics), ECON 2 (Macroeconomics), MATH 54 (Statistics, which articulates to UCLA's ECON 41), and ACCTG 1 (Financial Accounting). Be aware that ECON 11 — UCLA's Microeconomic Theory course — has no SMC equivalent, so you'll complete that one after you arrive on campus.
Is IGETC accepted for Business Economics at UCLA, and should I do it?
Yes, IGETC is accepted for Business Economics at UCLA and is strongly recommended — it allows you to complete most of UCLA's general education requirements before you transfer, so you can focus on upper-division major coursework once on campus. The one caveat is that Business Economics has a demanding pre-major sequence, so don't let IGETC courses crowd out MATH 7, MATH 8, or ECON 1 and ECON 2 in your early semesters at SMC.
How many SMC students transfer to UCLA, and how competitive is it?
In the 2023–2024 academic year, 451 Santa Monica College students enrolled at UCLA — more than any other community college destination for SMC transfers. UCLA's overall transfer admit rate for fall 2024 was 22.3% across 27,167 applicants, but Business Economics is flagged as a highly selective major where admit rates are considerably lower and completion of all prep coursework is strongly encouraged by the fall semester before you apply.
Explore More
Related Transfer Plans
Students at Santa Monica College (SMC) pursuing a transfer to UCLA for Business Economics are navigating one of the most competitive pathways in the California community college system. The Business Economics B.A. lives in the UCLA College — not the Anderson School of Management — and it draws a large, well-prepared applicant pool every fall. Transfer planning for this major starts with understanding that UCLA's overall transfer admit rate was 22.3% for fall 2024, and Business Economics is explicitly designated as a highly selective major, meaning the most competitive applicants complete all major prerequisites before the fall semester prior to applying. At SMC, that means beginning MATH 7 (Calculus 1) in your very first semester, since the two-course calculus sequence — MATH 7 followed by MATH 8 — forms the backbone of your major prerequisites and cannot be rushed. Additional major prep includes ECON 1, ECON 2, MATH 54 (which satisfies UCLA's statistics requirement, ECON 41), and ACCTG 1 for Financial Accounting. One important note specific to Santa Monica College: there is no SMC course that articulates to UCLA's ECON 11, so transfer students will need to complete Microeconomic Theory after arriving on campus. On top of completing IGETC and major prerequisites, SMC students have access to the UCLA Transfer Alliance Program (TAP) through the SMC Scholars Program — TAP-certified students received priority consideration and represented 31% of SMC's total admits to UCLA. Tools like Pipeline help students build personalized plans that sequence these courses correctly, flag the ECON 11 gap, and keep the calculus chain on track from day one. If you're an SMC student with your sights on UCLA Business Economics, early planning and a strong performance in your quantitative coursework are the two variables most within your control.
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