Political Science at UC Santa Cruz
What UC Santa Cruz expects political science transfers to finish before fall 2027. Below are Santa Cruz’s own preparation and selection rules, UC’s shared course list, the TAG terms and your odds.
Checked against official UC and campus sources in November 2026.
At a glance
- Fall 2025 campus admit rate
- 70.4%
- Screens applicants
- No
- TAG GPA line
- 3.00
- Admits transfers
- Yes
UC Santa Cruz admitted 70.4% of all transfer applicants for fall 2025, and it doesn’t publish admit rates by major. UC Santa Cruz reported an average GPA of 3.47 for admitted fall 2025 transfers and no range. The calculator’s range is an estimate around that average.
What Santa Cruz expects
Politics B.A.
- Courses to finish
For the 2026-27 catalog, no preparation courses are required, but one or two of POLI 1, 3, 4, 17, 20, 21, 60, 61 or 70 or equivalents are recommended before transfer. Source
- Also note
Politics is a Fall 2026 non-screening major. Source
Declaring normally requires two lower-division politics courses with C/P or better, and transfers must declare by their second quarter of enrollment. Source
- Every Santa Cruz major
For Fall 2026, UCSC screens transfer applicants for completion of major preparation courses in a published list of screening majors, with criteria given in each major's General Catalog entry. Source
Required major preparation must be completed by the end of the spring term before fall transfer, or by the end of the fall term before winter transfer. 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 Santa Cruz included. Where Santa Cruz’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.
TAG for this major
UC Santa Cruz’s TAG covers political science for fall 2027 at a 3.00 UC-transferable GPA. TAG filing runs September 1–30 of the year before you transfer.
Your odds
Move the GPA to see a regular-review range at UC Santa Cruz for political science.
The same major at other campuses
| Campus | Screens applicants | TAG |
|---|---|---|
| UC Berkeley | Not stated | No TAG |
| UCLA | Yes | No TAG |
| UC San Diego | No | No TAG |
| UC Irvine | Yes | 3.40 |
| UC Davis | No | 3.20 |
| UC Santa Barbara | No | 3.40 |
| UC Riverside | Not stated | 2.80 |
| UC Merced | No | 2.80 |
Other majors at UC Santa Cruz
- Anthropology
- Bioengineering
- Biological Sciences
- Business Administration
- Business Economics
- Chemistry
- Cognitive Science
- Computer Engineering
- Computer Science
- Earth Science / Geology
- Economics
- Electrical Engineering
- English
- Environmental Science
- Film and Media Studies
- History
- Linguistics
- Mathematics
- Neuroscience
- Philosophy
- Physics
- Psychology
- Public Health
- Sociology
Official links
- UC Santa Cruz transfer admissionsadmissions.ucsc.edu
- ASSIST: course agreements to UC Santa Cruzassist.org
Questions
What GPA do you need to transfer to UC Santa Cruz for political science?
UC Santa Cruz doesn’t publish a GPA for this major. UC Santa Cruz reported an average GPA of 3.47 for admitted fall 2025 transfers and no range. The calculator’s range is an estimate around that average. A TAG needs at least a 3.00.
What classes do I need to transfer to UC Santa Cruz for political science?
For the 2026-27 catalog, no preparation courses are required, but one or two of POLI 1, 3, 4, 17, 20, 21, 60, 61 or 70 or equivalents are recommended before transfer. Check each course on ASSIST for your college.
Is political science selective or screened at UC Santa Cruz?
UC Santa Cruz’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 Santa Cruz?
Yes, for fall 2027, with at least a 3.00 GPA. TAG filing runs September 1–30 of the year before you transfer.