In Fall 2012 the department established a Qualification Policy that limits access to the program to those students who have completed a subset of foundational coursework and met a specific grade point average (GPA) in that coursework. Transfer students are held to similar criteria for accessing the major.

To be considered for Fall admission to UCSC as an MCD Biology BS, Biology BS or Neuroscience BS major, transfer students MUST pass equivalents of the following courses with a C (2.0) or better in these preparatory courses:

• BIOL 20A: Cell & Molecular Biology
• BIOE 20B: Development & Physiology
• CHEM 3A: General Chemistry
• CHEM 3B: General Chemistry
• CHEM 3C: General Chemistry
• MATH 11A or MATH 19A: Calculus
• CHEM 8A: Organic Chemistry

Students missing any of this coursework or not meeting the required GPA will not be admitted. Advanced Placement (AP) credit is accepted in lieu of coursework, see our Advanced Placement Credit for more information.  

Students planning to transfer from a California Community College should reference assist.org to determine equivalents for these required courses.

Students transferring from other institutions – other universities, out-of-state or international – should contact Admissions for assistance.

In addition to this required coursework, all transfer students are strongly encouraged to complete the courses outlined in our Transfer Preparation information below.

In addition to the courses required for admission, we strongly recommend transfer students complete equivalents of the following courses prior to transfer:

• MATH 11B/19B: Calculus
• BIOE 20C: Ecology & Evolution (not a requirement for Neuroscience, BS majors)
• CHEM 8A/L: Organic Chemistry with Lab

To be fully prepared, these additional courses can be completed prior to transfer:

• CHEM 8B: Organic Chemistry*
• PHYS 6A: Introductory Physics I
• PHYS 6B: Introductory Physics II
• PHYS 6C: Introductory Physics III
• 1 Physics Lab: PHYS 6L or PHYS 6M or PHYS 6N
• STAT 5: Statistics or STAT 7&7L: Statistical Methods for the Biological, Environmental, and Health Sciences with Lab

* Students looking to transfer to UCSC for Winter 2027 Admission must also have completed CHEM 8B prior to transfer to UCSC.

Students planning to transfer from a California Community College should reference assist.org to determine equivalents for these required courses.

Students transferring from other institutions – other universities, out-of-state or international – should contact Admissions for assistance.

Entering with these preparatory courses complete allows you more time to take advantage of the excellence our programs offer: specialized upper-division coursework tailored to your interests, lab and field courses that teach research techniques that can help you both start a career or continue your education, and opportunities to participate in community internships, and faculty-mentored independent research.

Students who do NOT complete these preparatory courses prior to transfer…

• May take longer to complete their intended degree. 
  Many of our degrees have a large number of requirements. Transfer students are expected to complete their degree in two years, or six quarters, and are not allowed to enroll beyond three years or nine quarters. Entering under-prepared may preclude your ability to complete one of our requirement-intensive majors, such as Human Biology, which includes a language and internship requirement.
• May have difficulty enrolling in these introductory courses here at UCSC.
  At UCSC, enrollment in these introductory courses is targeted at freshmen and sophomores – seats are not reserved for transfer students. We do, however, reserve space in our upper-division courses for adequately-prepared transfer students. That being said, some of the preparatory courses listed, such as CHEM 8B, are a prerequisite to upper-division courses like BIOL 100. 
• May pay significantly more for their education.
  An additional year to complete these preparatory courses will cost significantly more in tuition at UCSC. Students considering entering without their preparatory courses completed may have to pay additional tuition. Students receiving financial support should check with Financial Aid to be sure their support can be extended beyond the standard six quarters as aid packages are often reduced when students extend beyond normative time. We encourage students to compare the cost of completing coursework at a community college with the cost of attending UCSC.

We are eager to help you succeed! Entering prepared for our programs is the best way to assure your success.