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Finish in Two Curriculum for Transfer Students

Updated: 4/23/2025

Important Notes

The plans below do not include any college or university requirements. Students should consult with their college advising office to add any missing coursework such as general education and university requirements. Students may be able to overlap gen ed/universitity and major requirements.

Lower division stats/research methods course: If you do not have transfer credit for the USP Statistics requirement, please plan to take USP 60 your first year at UCSD. If you completed the lower division statistics requirement (POLI 30D or PSYC 60 or SOCI 60 equivalents) before transferring to UC San Diego please send us a VAC message so we can update your degree audit.

All courses taken to satisfy USP major requirements must be taken for a letter grade and a C- or better must be earned for major credit. *Only USP 30, which is a 2-unit lower division course can be completed with Pass/No Pass grading.

USP 186 and USP 187 should be taken the last consecutive fall and winter quarter enrolled. There are five prerequisite courses for the senior sequence (USP 186 & 187): USP 30, USP 60, USP 124, Research Methods, and Technical Elective. It is recommended that students prioritize these prerequisites in their junior year.

Lower division courses should generally be taken before upper division courses, but overlapping is allowed. It is also recommended that students complete one foundation course before taking upper division electives. Options for major requirements with options to choose from can be found on the USP Major Requirements pages:

Students should review major requirements and academic plans on the DUSP website each quarter for potential changes and updates. Customizable Academic Plans with a major requirement checklist can be found on the DUSP Academic Advising page of the DUSP website under Class Planning Tools.

While Summer Session is not a requirement for UCSD students, major courses may be available during summer terms. Students wishing to graduate early or who have missed a prerequisite course during the academic year are encouraged to consider summer courses.


Academic Plan for Students that Enter UCSD Fall 2024 and Later

The USP Major consists of 18 courses:

  • Six (6) lower division courses
  • Twelve (12) upper division courses

The following chart is a helpful guide to ensure successful completion of all required courses in time to graduate at the end of one's 2nd year at UCSD as a junior transfer. 

Courses in blue are prerequisities for the USP Senior Capstone (USP 186/187).

Plan A:

Year

Fall

Winter

Spring

Junior
  • USP 1: History of US Urban Communities
  • USP 4: Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
  • USP 60: The Practice of Planning Research (for students that have not completed eqivalent of POLI 30D or PSYC 60 or SOCI 60 at a community college prior to starting at UCSD)
  • USP 124: Land Use Planning
  • USP 2: Urban World System or USP 6: Introduction to Global Architecture
  • USP 30: Urban Studies and Planning Colloquium (2 units)
  • USP Research Methods
  • USP Technical Elective
  • USP 3: The City and Social Theory or USP 5: Introduction to Real Estate and Development Process
  • USP Upper Division Elective
Senior
  • USP 186: Senior Sequence Research Proposal (Fall Only)
  • USP Third Foundation Course
  • USP Upper Division Elective
  • USP 187: Senior Sequence Research Project (Winter Only)
  • USP 173: History of Urban Planning and Design
  • USP Upper Division Elective
  • USP Upper Division Elective
  • USP Upper Division Elective

Plan B:

If you aren't able to enroll in the planned USP courses above for your first Fall at UC San Diego, we suggest the following plan for remaining on track with your major requirements:

Year

Fall

Winter

Spring

Junior
  • USP 1: History of US Urban Communities
  • USP 2: Urban World System or USP 6: Introduction to Global Architecture
  • USP Third Foundation Course
  • USP Research Methods
  • USP 4: Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
  • USP 30: Urban Studies and Planning Colloquium (2 units)
  • USP 124: Land Use Planning
  • USP Technical Elective
  • USP 3: The City and Social Theory or USP 5: Introduction to Real Estate and Development Process
  • USP Upper Division Elective
  • USP 186: Senior Sequence Research Proposal (Fall Only)
  • USP Upper Division Elective
  • USP Upper Division Elective
  • USP 187: Senior Sequence Research Project (Winter Only)
  • USP 173: History of Urban Planning and Design
  • USP Upper Division Elective
  • USP Upper Division Elective

 

Additional Resources for Transfer Students: