Political Science transfer to UC
What every UC campus expects political science transfers to finish before they apply, where TAG applies, and how selective UCLA is (34% for fall 2025).
Checked against official UC and campus sources in October 2026.
The shared course list
UC’s Political science 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 |
|---|---|
| Introduction to American government and politics | Choose 3 of 4: core |
| Introduction to political theory and thought | Choose 3 of 4: core |
| Introduction to comparative government and politics | Choose 3 of 4: core |
| Introduction to international relations | Choose 3 of 4: core |
| A fourth course from the core list | Recommended |
| Introduction to statistics (one course) | Recommended |
| One UC-transferable history or civilization course (e.g., Western civilization, U.S. history, East Asian civilization) | Recommended |
| Microeconomics or macroeconomics (one course) | Recommended |
The recommended courses count toward the major on some campuses, though the page does not say which.
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 | None listed | ASSIST |
| UC Irvine | 3.40 | None listed | ASSIST |
| UC Davis | 3.20 | None listed | 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 | 2.80 | None listed | ASSIST |
UCLA’s numbers for this major
- Fall 2025 admit rate
- 34%
- Applicants
- 1,517
- Admitted GPA, middle half
- 3.83–4.00
UCLA reports these for Political Science (pre-major), 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 Political Science at all nine campuses at the GPA you set.
Questions
What classes do I need to transfer to UC for political science?
UC’s Political science Transfer Pathway lists 8 items, including introduction to american government and politics, introduction to political theory and thought, introduction to comparative government and politics. Check each course on ASSIST for the campuses you apply to.
Can I get a TAG for political science?
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 political science?
UCLA admitted 34% of 1,517 transfer applicants to Political Science (pre-major) for fall 2025, and the middle half of admits had GPAs of 3.83–4.00.