Transfer Major Preparation
Students planning to transfer must complete the minimum major preparation coursework to be considered for admission into the majors listed below. Any major not listed below does not require screening for minimum major preparation; however, applicants are encouraged to complete major preparation. Applicants for the following departments will be screened for the number of preparatory courses completed, the grades earned in that coursework and the cumulative GPA. All major preparation screening courses must be completed with a C (2.0) or better grade unless otherwise noted.
Visit assist.org to find the complete listing of major preparation and transferable courses at your California community college. Please note that the courses listed on assist.org are for preparation for your major. The courses for the majors listed below are the minimum screening requirements for admission into that major.
To find a listing of UC San Diego course descriptions, please visit the General Catalog.
Minimum transfer major preparation must be completed by the end of the spring term prior to fall admission.
Major Requirements
Select your department from the dropdown list below to more easily find your major.
Bioengineering
- MATH 20A, MATH 20B, MATH 20C, MATH 20D
- CHEM 6A, CHEM 6B
- PHYS 2A, PHYS 2B, PHYS 2BL, PHYS 2CL
- MATH 20A, MATH 20B, MATH 20C, MATH 20D
- CHEM 6A, CHEM 6B
- PHYS 2A, PHYS 2B
- MATH 20A, MATH 20B, MATH 20C, MATH 20D
- CHEM 6A, CHEM 6B
- PHYS 2A, PHYS 2B
- MATH 20A, MATH 20B, MATH 20C, MATH 20D
- CHEM 6A, CHEM 6B
- PHYS 2A, PHYS 2B, PHYS 2CL
Biology
- BILD 1, BILD 3
- CHEM 6A, CHEM 6B, CHEM 6C, CHEM 7L
- MATH 10A, MATH 10B
or
MATH 20A, MATH 20B - All courses must be completed with a letter grade of C- or higher
- Students must have a minimum GPA of 2.5 in these courses
- AP/IB credit will count toward course requirements but will not be factored into GPA calculation
- BILD 1, BILD 3
- CHEM 6A, CHEM 6B, CHEM 6C, CHEM 7L
- MATH 10A, MATH 10B
or
MATH 20A, MATH 20B - All courses must be completed with a letter grade of C- or higher
- Students must have a minimum GPA of 2.5 in these courses
- AP/IB credit will count toward course requirements but will not be factored into GPA calculation
- BILD 1, BILD 3
- CHEM 6A, CHEM 6B, CHEM 6C, CHEM 7L
- MATH 10A, MATH 10B
or
MATH 20A, MATH 20B - All courses must be completed with a letter grade of C- or higher
- Students must have a minimum GPA of 2.5 in these courses
- AP/IB credit will count toward course requirements but will not be factored into GPA calculation
- BILD 1, BILD 3
- CHEM 6A, CHEM 6B, CHEM 6C, CHEM 7L
- MATH 10A, MATH 10B
or
MATH 20A, MATH 20B - All courses must be completed with a letter grade of C- or higher
- Students must have a minimum GPA of 2.5 in these courses
- AP/IB credit will count toward course requirements but will not be factored into GPA calculation
- BILD 1, BILD 3
- CHEM 6A, CHEM 6B, CHEM 6C, CHEM 7L
- MATH 10A, MATH 10B
or
MATH 20A, MATH 20B - All courses must be completed with a letter grade of C- or higher
- Students must have a minimum GPA of 2.5 in these courses
- AP/IB credit will count toward course requirements but will not be factored into GPA calculation
- BILD 1, BILD 3
- CHEM 6A, CHEM 6B, CHEM 6C, CHEM 7L
- MATH 10A, MATH 10B
or
MATH 20A, MATH 20B - All courses must be completed with a letter grade of C- or higher
- Students must have a minimum GPA of 2.5 in these courses
- AP/IB credit will count toward course requirements but will not be factored into GPA calculation
- BILD 1, BILD 3
- CHEM 6A, CHEM 6B, CHEM 6C, CHEM 7L
- MATH 10A, MATH 10B
or
MATH 20A, MATH 20B - All courses must be completed with a letter grade of C- or higher
- Students must have a minimum GPA of 2.5 in these courses
- AP/IB credit will count toward course requirements but will not be factored into GPA calculation
Chemistry and Biochemistry
- CHEM 6A, CHEM 6B, CHEM 6C, CHEM 7L
- CHEM 40A (Formerly CHEM 140A), CHEM 40B (Formerly CHEM 140B), CHEM 40C (Formerly CHEM 140C), CHEM 43A (Formerly CHEM 143A)
- PHYS 1A & PHYS 1B or PHYS 2A & PHYS 2B
- MATH 10A & MATH 10B or MATH 20A & MATH 20B
- CHEM 6A, CHEM 6B, CHEM 6C, CHEM 7L
- CHEM 40A (Formerly CHEM 140A), CHEM 40B (Formerly CHEM 140B), CHEM 40C (Formerly CHEM 140C), CHEM 43A (Formerly CHEM 143A)
- PHYS 2A, PHYS 2B
- MATH 20A, MATH 20B
- CHEM 6A, CHEM 6B, CHEM 6C, CHEM 7L
- CHEM 40A (Formerly CHEM 140A), CHEM 40B (Formerly CHEM 140B), CHEM 40C (Formerly CHEM 140C), CHEM 43A (Formerly CHEM 143A)
- PHYS 2A, PHYS 2B
- MATH 20A, MATH 20B
- CHEM 6A, CHEM 6B, CHEM 6C, CHEM 7L
- CHEM 40A (Formerly CHEM 140A), CHEM 40B (Formerly CHEM 140B), CHEM 40C (Formerly CHEM 140C), CHEM 43A (Formerly CHEM 143A)
- PHYS 2A, PHYS 2B
- MATH 20A, MATH 20B
- CHEM 6A, CHEM 6B, CHEM 6C, CHEM 7L
- CHEM 40A (Formerly CHEM 140A), CHEM 40B (Formerly CHEM 140B), CHEM 40C (Formerly CHEM 140C), CHEM 43A (Formerly CHEM 143A)
- PHYS 1A & PHYS 1B or PHYS 2A & PHYS 2B
- MATH 10A & MATH 10B or MATH 20A & MATH 20B
Computer Science and Engineering
- MATH 18, MATH 20A, MATH 20B, MATH 20C, MATH 20D
- PHYS 2A, PHYS 2B, PHYS 2C
- Minimum of one programming course in Java, C, or C++. For colleges with ASSIST articulation agreements, the minimum will be CSE 8A, CSE 8B, or CSE 11.
- MATH 18, MATH 20A, MATH 20B, MATH 20C, MATH 20D
- PHYS 2A, PHYS 2B, PHYS 2C
- CSE 8B or 11 and, CSE 12 and, CSE 20
- MATH 18, MATH 20A, MATH 20B, MATH 20C
- Two courses chosen from PHYS 2A, PHYS 2B, CHEM 6A or CHEM 6AH, CHEM 6B or CHEM 6BH, BILD 1, BILD 2, BILD 3, and BICD 100
- Minimum of one programming course in Java, C, or C++. For colleges with ASSIST articulation agreements, the minimum will be CSE 8A, CSE 8B, or CSE 11.
- MATH 18, MATH 20A, MATH 20B, MATH 20C
- Two courses chosen from PHYS 2A, PHYS 2B, CHEM 6A or CHEM 6AH, CHEM 6B or CHEM 6BH, BILD 1, BILD 2, BILD 3, and BICD 100
- CSE 8B or 11 and, CSE 12 and, CSE 20
- MATH 18, MATH 20A, MATH 20B, MATH 20C
- BILD 1 or BILD 3
- CHEM 6A
- Minimum of one programming course in Java, C, or C++. For colleges with ASSIST articulation agreements, the minimum will be CSE 8A, CSE 8B, or CSE 11.
- MATH 18, MATH 20A, MATH 20B, MATH 20C
- BILD 1 or BILD 3
- CHEM 6A
- CSE 8B or 11 and, CSE 12 and, CSE 20
Data Science
- MATH 18 – Linear Algebra
- MATH 20A – Calculus I – for Science and Engineering
- MATH 20B – Calculus II – for Science and Engineering
- MATH 20C – Calculus and Analytic Geometry for Science and Engineering
- Minimum of one programming course in Java, C, C++, or Python. For colleges with ASSIST articulation agreements, the minimum will be CSE 8A, CSE 8B, or CSE 11.
Economics
- MATH 20A (or 10A)*, MATH 20B (or 10B)*
- ECON 1 or ECON 3
- MGT 45
or
ECON/MGT 4 and MGT 5 - Students must earn a C- or better in each class
- Students must have a minimum 2.3 overall GPA across the major preparation classes.
- MATH 20A (or 10A)*, MATH 20B (or 10B)*
- ECON 1 or ECON 3
- MGT 45
or
ECON/MGT 4 and MGT 5 - Students must earn a C- or better in each class
- Students must have a minimum 2.3 overall GPA across the major preparation classes.
*We recommend students take the math sequence required for the STEM majors if two math sequences are available at the community college (equivalent to UC San Diego's Math 20 series).
We recommend students also take MATH 20C (or 10C) as this class is a requirement for UC San Diego Business Economics majors.
- ECON 1, ECON 3
- MATH 20A (or 10A)*
- MATH 20B (or 10B)*
- All courses must be completed with a letter grade of C- or higher
- Students must have a minimum GPA of 2.3 in these courses
*We recommend students take the math sequence required for the STEM majors if two math sequences are available at the community college (equivalent to UC San Diego’s Math 20 series).
We recommend students also take MATH 20C (or 10C) as this class is a requirement for UC San Diego Economics majors.
- ECON 1, ECON 3
- MATH 18, MATH 20A, MATH 20B, MATH 20C, MATH 20D
- All courses must be completed with a letter grade of C- or higher
- Students must have a minimum GPA of 2.3 in these courses
- ECON 1, ECON 3
- MATH 20A, MATH 20B
- All courses must be completed with a letter grade of C- or higher
- Students must have a minimum GPA of 2.3 in these courses
We recommend students also take MATH 18, MATH 20C, and ECON 4 as these classes are also requirements for UC San Diego Management Science majors.
Electrical and Computer Engineering
- MATH 18, MATH 20A, MATH 20B, MATH 20C, MATH 20D
- PHYS 2A, PHYS 2B, PHYS 2C
- Minimum of one programming course in Java, C, or C++. For colleges with ASSIST articulation agreements, the minimum will be CSE 8A, CSE 8B, or CSE 11.
- MATH 18, MATH 20A, MATH 20B, MATH 20C, MATH 20D
- PHYS 2A, PHYS 2B, PHYS 2C
- CHEM 6A
- Minimum of one programming course in Java, C, or C++. For colleges with ASSIST articulation agreements, the minimum will be CSE 8A, CSE 8B, or CSE 11.
- MATH 18, MATH 20A, MATH 20B, MATH 20C, MATH 20D
- PHYS 2A, PHYS 2B, PHYS 2C
- CHEM 6A
- Minimum of one programming course in Java, C, or C++. For colleges with ASSIST articulation agreements, the minimum will be CSE 8A, CSE 8B, or CSE 11.
- MATH 18, MATH 20A, MATH 20B, MATH 20C, MATH 20D
- PHYS 2A, PHYS 2B, PHYS 2C
- CHEM 6A
- Minimum of one programming course in Java, C, or C++. For colleges with ASSIST articulation agreements, the minimum will be CSE 8A, CSE 8B, or CSE 11.
Environmental Systems
- BILD 1, BILD 3
- CHEM 6A, CHEM 6B, CHEM 6C
- MATH 10A, MATH 10B
or
MATH 20A, MATH 20B
- PHYS 2A
- ECON 1
- BILD 3
- CHEM 6A, CHEM 6B, CHEM 6C
- MATH 20A, MATH 20B
- PHYS 2A, PHYS 2B
- Math 20C
- PHYS 2C
- ECON 1
- BILD 3
- CHEM 6A, CHEM 6B, CHEM 6C, CHEM 7L
- MATH 20A, MATH 20B
- PHYS 2A, PHYS 2B
- Math 20C
- PHYS 2C, PHYS 2CL
- ECON 1
- ECON 1
- BILD 3
- CHEM 6A, CHEM 6B, CHEM 6C
- MATH 10A, MATH 10B
or
MATH 20A, MATH 20B
- ECON 2
- PHYS 1A
Mathematics
- MATH 18, MATH 20A, MATH 20B, MATH 20C, MATH 20D
- MATH 18, MATH 20A, MATH 20B, MATH 20C, MATH 20D
- MATH 18, MATH 20A, MATH 20B, MATH 20C, MATH 20D
- MATH 18, MATH 20A, MATH 20B, MATH 20C, MATH 20D
- MATH 18, MATH 20A, MATH 20B, MATH 20C, MATH 20D
- ECON 1, ECON 3
- MATH 18, MATH 20A, MATH 20B, MATH 20C, MATH 20D
- All courses must be completed with a letter grade of C- or higher
- Students must have a minimum GPA of 2.3 in these courses
- MATH 18, MATH 20A, MATH 20B, MATH 20C, MATH 20D
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
- MATH 18, MATH 20A, MATH 20B, MATH 20C, MATH 20D
- CHEM 6A
- PHYS 2A, PHYS 2B, PHYS 2C, PHYS 2CL
- MATH 18, MATH 20A, MATH 20B, MATH 20C, MATH 20D
- CHEM 6A
- PHYS 2A, PHYS 2B, PHYS 2C
NanoEngineering
- CHEM 6A, CHEM 6B, CHEM 6C, CHEM 7L
- MATH 20A, MATH 20B, MATH 20C, MATH 20D
- PHYS 2A, PHYS 2B
- CHEM 6A, CHEM 6B, CHEM 6C, CHEM 7L
- MATH 20A, MATH 20B, MATH 20C, MATH 20D
- PHYS 2A, PHYS 2B, PHYS 2C, PHYS 2CL
- CHEM 6A, CHEM 6B, CHEM 6C
- MATH 20A, MATH 20B, MATH 20C, MATH 20D
- PHYS 2A, PHYS 2B
- CHEM 6A, CHEM 6B, CHEM 6C
- MATH 20A, MATH 20B, MATH 20C, MATH 20D
- PHYS 2A, PHYS 2B, PHYS 2C
Public Health
- MATH 18, MATH 20A, MATH 20B, MATH 20C
- CHEM 6A, CHEM 6B, CHEM 6C
- MATH 10A/20A, MATH 10B/20B
- CHEM 6A, CHEM 6B, CHEM 6C, CHEM 7L
Physics
- MATH 18, MATH 20A, MATH 20B, MATH 20C, MATH 20D
- PHYS 2A, PHYS 2B, PHYS 2C
- MATH 18, MATH 20A, MATH 20B, MATH 20C, MATH 20D
- PHYS 2A, PHYS 2B, PHYS 2C
- Minimum GPA of 3.2 in minimum screening courses
- PHYS 2CL, PHYS 2D, PHYS 2DL, and one programming course
- MATH 18, MATH 20A, MATH 20B, MATH 20C, MATH 20D
- PHYS 2A, PHYS 2B, PHYS 2C
- MATH 18, MATH 20A, MATH 20B, MATH 20C, MATH 20D
- PHYS 2A, PHYS 2B, PHYS 2C
- Minimum GPA of 3.2 in minimum screening courses
- PHYS 2CL, PHYS 2D, PHYS 2DL, and one programming course
- MATH 18, MATH 20A, MATH 20B, MATH 20C, MATH 20D
- PHYS 2A, PHYS 2B, PHYS 2C
- MATH 18, MATH 20A, MATH 20B, MATH 20C, MATH 20D
- PHYS 2A, PHYS 2B, PHYS 2C
- Minimum GPA of 3.2 in minimum screening courses
- PHYS 2CL, PHYS 2D, PHYS 2DL, and one programming course
- MATH 18, MATH 20A, MATH 20B, MATH 20C, MATH 20D
- PHYS 2A, PHYS 2B, PHYS 2C
- MATH 18, MATH 20A, MATH 20B, MATH 20C, MATH 20D
- PHYS 2A, PHYS 2B, PHYS 2C
- Minimum GPA of 3.2 in minimum screening courses
- PHYS 2CL, PHYS 2D, PHYS 2DL, and one programming course
- Also CHEM 6A-B-C, 7L, 40A, and BILD 1-2 (Biophysics only)
- MATH 18, MATH 20A, MATH 20B, MATH 20C, MATH 20D
- PHYS 2A, PHYS 2B, PHYS 2C
- MATH 18, MATH 20A, MATH 20B, MATH 20C, MATH 20D
- PHYS 2A, PHYS 2B, PHYS 2C
- Minimum GPA of 3.2 in minimum screening courses
- PHYS 2CL, PHYS 2D, PHYS 2DL, and one programming course
- MATH 18, MATH 20A, MATH 20B, MATH 20C, MATH 20D
- PHYS 2A, PHYS 2B, PHYS 2C
- MATH 18, MATH 20A, MATH 20B, MATH 20C, MATH 20D
- PHYS 2A, PHYS 2B, PHYS 2C
- Minimum GPA of 3.2 in minimum screening courses
- PHYS 2CL, PHYS 2D, PHYS 2DL, and one programming course
- Also SIO 50 (Earth Sciences only)
- MATH 18, MATH 20A, MATH 20B, MATH 20C, MATH 20D
- PHYS 2A, PHYS 2B, PHYS 2C
- MATH 18, MATH 20A, MATH 20B, MATH 20C, MATH 20D
- PHYS 2A, PHYS 2B, PHYS 2C
- Minimum GPA of 3.2 in minimum screening courses
- PHYS 2CL, PHYS 2D, PHYS 2DL, and one programming course
- Also CHEM 6A-B (Materials only)
Rady School of Management
- MATH 20A (or 10A)*, MATH 20B (or 10B)*
- ECON 1 or ECON 3
- MGT 45
or
ECON/MGT 4 and MGT 5 - Students must earn a C- or better in each class
- Students must have a minimum 2.3 overall GPA across the major preparation classes.
- MATH 20A (or 10A)*, MATH 20B (or 10B)*
- ECON 1 or ECON 3
- MGT 45
or
ECON/MGT 4 and MGT 5 - Students must earn a C- or better in each class
- Students must have a minimum 2.3 overall GPA across the major preparation classes.
*We recommend students take the math sequence required for the STEM majors if two math sequences are available at the community college (equivalent to UC San Diego's Math 20 series).
We recommend students also take MATH 20C (or 10C) as this class is a requirement for UC San Diego Business Economics majors.
Scripps Institution of Oceanography
- Math 20A, Math 20B, Math 20C
- Phys 2A, Phys 2B, Phys 2C
- Chem 6A, Chem 6B, Chem 6C
- BILD 1, BILD 3
- CHEM 6A, CHEM 6B, CHEM 6C, CHEM 7L
- MATH 10A, MATH 10B
or
MATH 20A, MATH 20B - All courses must be completed with a letter grade of C- or higher
- Students must have a minimum GPA of 2.5 in these courses
- AP/IB credit will count toward course requirements but will not be factored into GPA calculation
- Math 20A, Math 20B, Math 20C, Math 20D and Math 18
- Phys 2A, Phys 2B, Phys 2C and Phys 2CL
- Chem 6A
- Phys 2BL, Chem 6B, Chem 6C, Chem 7L
Structural Engineering
- MATH 18, MATH 20A, MATH 20B, MATH 20C, MATH 20D
- CHEM 6A
- PHYS 2A, PHYS 2B, PHYS 2C, PHYS 2BL, PHYS 2CL
- SE 9, SE 101A
Urban Studies and Planning
- ECON/MGT 4
- MGT 5
- ECON 1
- MATH 10A or 20A
- POLI 30D or PSYC 60 or SOCI 60