Political Science at UC San Diego
What UC San Diego expects political science transfers to finish before fall 2027. Below are San Diego’s own preparation and selection rules, UC’s shared course list, the programs that give priority and your odds.
Checked against official UC and campus sources in November 2026.
At a glance
- Fall 2025 campus admit rate
- 57.7%
- Screens applicants
- No
- TAG at San Diego
- No TAG
- Admits transfers
- Yes
UC San Diego admitted 57.7% of community college applicants for fall 2025, and it doesn’t publish admit rates by major. The middle half of admitted transfers had GPAs from 3.55 to 3.94 for fall 2025.
What San Diego expects
Political Science B.A.
- Courses to finish
The Political Science B.A. requires three of POLI 10, 11, 12 and 13 (or the D versions) plus POLI 30 Political Inquiry. Community college equivalents are listed on ASSIST. Source
- Also note
At most six courses taken elsewhere can count toward the major, and at least ten political science courses must be taken at UC San Diego. Source
- Every San Diego major
UC San Diego admits transfers at the junior level only, and every transfer must be admitted to a major. Source
Applicants to screened majors are screened on the number of preparation courses completed, the grades in them and the cumulative GPA. Required preparation must be done by the end of the spring term before fall admission with a C (2.0) or better unless the major states otherwise. Source
Data Science, Engineering and Public Health are selective majors with limited enrollment due to capacity. UC San Diego strongly recommends listing an alternate non-selective major, and applicants not admitted to the first choice may be admitted to the alternate if space is available. Source
UC’s shared course list
UC’s Political science Transfer Pathway lists the courses that prepare you for this major at every campus, UC San Diego included. Where San Diego’s own list above asks for more, follow the campus.
| 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 |
Paste your course titles to see which items they cover.
No TAG at UC San Diego
UC San Diego doesn’t offer TAG. Its UniversityLink program guarantees admission to the campus, though not to a selective major, for eligible students at nine San Diego-area colleges.
Your odds
Move the GPA to see a regular-review range at UC San Diego for political science.
The same major at other campuses
| Campus | Screens applicants | TAG |
|---|---|---|
| UC Berkeley | Not stated | No TAG |
| UCLA | Yes | No TAG |
| UC Irvine | Yes | 3.40 |
| UC Davis | No | 3.20 |
| UC Santa Barbara | No | 3.40 |
| UC Santa Cruz | No | 3.00 |
| UC Riverside | Not stated | 2.80 |
| UC Merced | No | 2.80 |
Other majors at UC San Diego
- Aerospace Engineering
- Anthropology
- Bioengineering
- Biological Sciences
- Business Economics
- Chemical Engineering
- Chemistry
- Civil Engineering
- Cognitive Science
- Communication
- Computer Engineering
- Computer Science
- Data Science
- Earth Science / Geology
- Economics
- Electrical Engineering
- English
- Environmental Science
- Film and Media Studies
- Global and International Studies
- History
- Linguistics
- Materials Science and Engineering
- Mathematics
- Mechanical Engineering
- Neuroscience
- Philosophy
- Physics
- Psychology
- Public Health
- Sociology
- Statistics
Official links
- UC San Diego transfer admissionsadmissions.ucsd.edu
- ASSIST: course agreements to UC San Diegoassist.org
Questions
What GPA do you need to transfer to UC San Diego for political science?
UC San Diego doesn’t publish a GPA for this major. The middle half of admitted transfers had GPAs from 3.55 to 3.94 for fall 2025.
What classes do I need to transfer to UC San Diego for political science?
The Political Science B.A. requires three of POLI 10, 11, 12 and 13 (or the D versions) plus POLI 30 Political Inquiry. Community college equivalents are listed on ASSIST. Check each course on ASSIST for your college.
Is political science selective or screened at UC San Diego?
UC San Diego’s pages don’t list extra screening for it. Admission still depends on your whole application.
Can I get a TAG for political science at UC San Diego?
UC San Diego doesn’t offer TAG. Its UniversityLink program guarantees admission to the campus, though not to a selective major, for eligible students at nine San Diego-area colleges.