El Camino College to UCI
Mechanical Engineering Transfer Plan
El Camino covers 17 of UC Irvine's 22 Mechanical Engineering requirements, including every course UCI requires for admission. Materials Science, Dynamics, Thermodynamics, and both intro engineering courses have no El Camino match, and none of those five is an admission requirement.
From
El Camino College
To
UC Irvine
Mechanical EngineeringUC Irvine TAG
El Camino students can use TAG for Mechanical Engineering at a 3.4 GPA if applying for fall 2027. UCI removes the major from TAG eligibility starting with fall 2028 applicants.
Major Requirements
Mechanical Engineering Major Preparation
Courses at El Camino College that satisfy UC Irvine's Mechanical Engineering major preparation, mapped and verified by Transfermatic's transfer engine.
| Course at El Camino College | Satisfies at UCI | Units |
|---|---|---|
| CSCI 1 or CSCI 2 or CSCI 3 or CSCI 14 or CSCI 17 or CSCI 30 — Problem Solving and Program Design Using C++ | ENGRMAE 10 — Introduction to Engineering Computations | 4 |
| MATH 190 — Single Variable Calculus and Analytic Geometry I | MATH 2A — Single-Variable Calculus | 5 |
| MATH 191 — Single Variable Calculus and Analytic Geometry II | MATH 2B — Single-Variable Calculus | 5 |
| MATH 220 — Multi-Variable Calculus | MATH 2D — Multivariable Calculus | 5 |
| MATH 220 — Multi-Variable Calculus | MATH 2E — Multivariable Calculus | 5 |
| MATH 270 — Differential Equations with Linear Algebra | MATH 3A — Introduction to Linear Algebra | 5 |
| MATH 270 — Differential Equations with Linear Algebra | MATH 3D — Elementary Differential Equations | 5 |
| PHYS 1A — Mechanics of Solids | PHYSICS 7C, PHYSICS 7LC | 4 |
| PHYS 1C — Electricity and Magnetism | PHYSICS 7D, PHYSICS 7LD | 4 |
| PHYS 1D + PHYS 1B — Optics and Modern Physics + Fluids, Heat and Sound | PHYSICS 7E — Classical Physics | 7 |
| CHEM 1A — General Chemistry I | ENGR 1A, CHEM 1LE (choose 1) | 5 |
| CHEM 1A — General Chemistry I | CHEM 1A, CHEM 1LE (choose 1) | 5 |
| ENGR 9 — Engineering Mechanics - Statics | ENGRCEE 30 — Statics | 3 |
| ENGR 15 — Engineering Graphics | ENGRMAE 52 — Computer-Aided Design | 3 |
| ENGR 11 — Circuit Analysis | ENGRMAE 60 — Electric Circuits (choose 1) | 3 |
| ENGR 11 — Circuit Analysis | EECS 70A — NETWORK ANALYSIS I (choose 1) | 3 |
| No El Camino match | ENGR 54 — Principles of Materials Science and Engineering | — |
| PHYS 1B + PHYS 1D — Fluids, Heat and Sound + Optics and Modern Physics | PHYSICS 52A — Fundamentals of Experimental Physics | 7 |
| ECON 102 — Principles of Economics: Microeconomics Theory | ECON 20A — Basic Economics I (choose 1) | 3 |
| No El Camino match | ENGRMAE 80 — Dynamics | — |
| No El Camino match | ENGRMAE 91 — Introduction to Thermodynamics | — |
| APHY 34A (or another listed option) — Anatomy and Physiology I | Science courses (or lecture/lab combination) for Mechanical Engineering (choose 1) | 4 |
| No El Camino match | ENGR 7A — Introduction to Engineering I | — |
| No El Camino match | ENGR 7B — Introduction to Engineering II | — |
Courses with no equivalent must be taken at UC Irvine after transfer. Factor this into your first-year course plan.
General Education
Foundation GE at El Camino College
UCI's Mechanical Engineering program uses its own GE pattern (see note below), but these five El Camino College courses cover foundation requirements every UC accepts. Start here.
BIOL 10
Fundamentals of Biology
CHEM 1A
General Chemistry I
HIST 101
United States History to 1877
ENGL C1000
Academic Reading and Writing
ENGL C1001
Critical Thinking and Writing
| Area | Course at El Camino College | Units |
|---|---|---|
Life Science | BIOL 10 — Fundamentals of Biology | 4 |
Physical Science | CHEM 1A — General Chemistry I | 5 |
Humanities | HIST 101 — United States History to 1877 | 3 |
English CompositionCCN | ENGL C1000 — Academic Reading and Writing | 4 |
Critical ThinkingCCN | ENGL C1001 — Critical Thinking and Writing | 4 |
UCI Mechanical Engineering: full GE notes
The engineering school at UCI wants math, science, and engineering courses done before Cal-GETC or its own GE, and it doesn't count IGETC toward transfer admission.
Seven semesters from MATH 170
MATH 170 leads into MATH 180, MATH 190, MATH 191, MATH 220, then PHYS 1C and PHYS 1D: seven semesters minimum. Start math immediately; any delay stretches an already-long sequence further.
El Camino semesters, UCI quarters
El Camino runs semesters and UCI runs quarters, so one El Camino course can stand in for two UCI courses. MATH 220 covers both MATH 2D and MATH 2E.
Preview
Your First Semester
A preview of what Transfermatic generates — exact courses, in the right order, every semester.
Watch Out
Common Mistakes for This Transfer Path
One course clears linear algebra and diff eq
MATH 270 satisfies both MATH 3A and MATH 3D at UCI. That's a single El Camino course covering two of the math courses on UCI's admission list.
UCI's third physics course takes two here
PHYSICS 7E needs both PHYS 1B and PHYS 1D, so the physics sequence is four El Camino courses: PHYS 1A, PHYS 1B, PHYS 1C and PHYS 1D. All of it is on the admission list.
Five requirements have no El Camino match
Materials Science, Dynamics, Thermodynamics, and both Introduction to Engineering courses have no El Camino course on ASSIST. They aren't required for admission, so they wait until after you transfer.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Does El Camino MATH 190 transfer to UCI Mechanical Engineering?
Yes. MATH 190 clears UCI's MATH 2A, continuing into MATH 191 and MATH 220 for the rest of the calculus sequence.
What doesn't El Camino cover for UCI Mechanical Engineering?
El Camino's five open requirements are Materials Science, Dynamics, Thermodynamics, and ENGR 7A and ENGR 7B. No El Camino course maps to any of the five on ASSIST, and UCI doesn't require them for admission.
How long is the prereq chain from El Camino to UCI Mechanical Engineering?
Seven semesters if you start at MATH 170. The chain runs MATH 180, MATH 190, MATH 191 and MATH 220, then finishes with PHYS 1C and PHYS 1D.
Is circuit analysis covered by El Camino for UCI Mechanical Engineering?
Yes, ENGR 11 covers it on its own. It needs PHYS 1C and MATH 270 first, so it lands late in your plan. UCI lists circuits as needed to graduate in two years, not for admission.
Explore More
Related Transfer Plans
El Camino College students transferring into UC Irvine's Mechanical Engineering, B.S. program clear 17 of 22 required courses, working through a prerequisite chain that runs seven semesters from MATH 170 through PHYS 1D. Materials Science, Dynamics, Thermodynamics, and both Introduction to Engineering courses remain open and get taken at UCI. On our platform, put in your CC and your transfer university and Transfermatic tracks El Camino's course list against UCI's Mechanical Engineering requirements, seven-semester chain and all.
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