Biological Sciences transfer to UC
What every UC campus expects biological sciences transfers to finish before they apply, where TAG applies, and how selective UCLA is (17% for fall 2025).
Checked against official UC and campus sources in October 2026.
The shared course list
UC’s Biological sciences Transfer Pathway lists the community college courses that prepare you for this major at every campus. Finishing it doesn’t guarantee admission, and campuses add their own rules below.
| Course | Status |
|---|---|
| General biology with lab (full introductory sequence) | Required |
| General chemistry with lab (one-year sequence) | Required |
| Calculus for STEM majors (one-year sequence) | Required |
| Organic chemistry with lab (one-year sequence) | Required |
| Calculus-based physics with lab (one year, not trigonometry-based) | Recommended |
| Statistics (one term) | Recommended |
This pathway replaces the Biochemistry, Biology, Cell Biology and Molecular Biology pathways, and the course expectations are unchanged.
Check your courses
Paste the course titles from your transcript or education plan and see which items on the list they cover.
Campus by campus
TAG lines come from UC’s TAG matrix for fall 2027. ASSIST shows which of your college’s courses count at each campus.
| Campus | TAG | Extra rule | Courses |
|---|---|---|---|
| UC Berkeley | No TAG | None listed | ASSIST |
| UCLA | No TAG | None listed | ASSIST |
| UC San Diego | No TAG | Biology needs intro biology, the general chemistry series with lab and calculus done by spring, with a C- or better in each and a 2.5 GPA across them. | ASSIST |
| UC Irvine | 3.40 | None listed | ASSIST |
| UC Davis | 3.20 | Biological Sciences is selective. Summer courses before transfer don’t count, and no prep grade can be below C. | ASSIST |
| UC Santa Barbara | 3.40 | None listed | ASSIST |
| UC Santa Cruz | 3.00 | None listed | ASSIST |
| UC Riverside | 2.80 | None listed | ASSIST |
| UC Merced | 2.90 | None listed | ASSIST |
UCLA’s numbers for this major
- Fall 2025 admit rate
- 17%
- Applicants
- 1,162
- Admitted GPA, middle half
- 3.82–4.00
UCLA reports these for Biology, against 26% for its community college applicants as a whole. UCLA reviews you for your first-choice major only, unless you’re a TAP student.
Your odds at every campus
Estimates for Biological Sciences at all nine campuses at the GPA you set.
Questions
What classes do I need to transfer to UC for biological sciences?
UC’s Biological sciences Transfer Pathway lists 6 items, including general biology with lab (full introductory sequence), general chemistry with lab (one-year sequence), calculus for stem majors (one-year sequence). Check each course on ASSIST for the campuses you apply to.
Can I get a TAG for biological sciences?
Yes, at all six TAG campuses: UC Davis, UC Irvine, UC Merced, UC Riverside, UC Santa Barbara, UC Santa Cruz.
What GPA do you need to transfer to UCLA for biological sciences?
UCLA admitted 17% of 1,162 transfer applicants to Biology for fall 2025, and the middle half of admits had GPAs of 3.82–4.00.
Is biological sciences a selective major at UC?
Several campuses add rules: San Diego, Davis. See the campus table above.