Irvine Valley College to UC Berkeley
Mechanical Engineering Transfer Plan
Irvine Valley College matches all ten UC Berkeley Mechanical Engineering admission requirements, and most are one-to-one, like MATH 3A for MATH 51 and PHYS 4A for PHYSICS 7A. The exception is Berkeley's MATH 54, which takes both MATH 24 and MATH 26 at IVC.
From
Irvine Valley College
To
UC Berkeley
Mechanical EngineeringMajor Requirements
Mechanical Engineering Major Preparation
Courses at Irvine Valley College that satisfy UC Berkeley's Mechanical Engineering major preparation, mapped and verified by Transfermatic's transfer engine.
| Course at Irvine Valley College | Satisfies at UC Berkeley | Units |
|---|---|---|
| CHEM 1A or CHEM 1AH — General Chemistry I | CHEM 1A, CHEM 1AL | 5 |
| MATH 3A or MATH 3AH — Analytic Geometry and Calculus I | MATH 51 — Calculus I | 5 |
| MATH 3B or MATH 3BH — Analytic Geometry and Calculus II | MATH 52 — Calculus II | 5 |
| MATH 4A — Analytic Geometry and Calculus III | MATH 53 — Multivariable Calculus | 5 |
| (MATH 26 and MATH 24) or (MATH 24H and MATH 26) — Introduction to Linear Algebra | MATH 54 — Linear Algebra and Differential Equations | 4 |
| PHYS 4A — General Physics | PHYSICS 7A — Physics for Scientists and Engineers | 4 |
| PHYS 4B — General Physics | PHYSICS 7B — Physics for Scientists and Engineers | 4 |
| ENGL C1000 or ENGL C1000H or ESL 1 — Academic Reading and Writing | Courses that satisfy Reading & Composition A | 4 |
| ENGL C1001 or ENGL C1001H or LIB 20 or LIB 20H — Critical Thinking and Writing | Courses that satisfy Reading & Composition B | 4 |
| BIO 81 or BIO 81H — Integrated Biology: From DNA to Organisms | BIOLOGY 1A, BIOLOGY 1AL (choose 1) | 4 |
| BIO 80 or BIO 80H — Integrated Biology: Organisms to Ecosystems | BIOLOGY 1B — General Biology (Plant Form & Function, Ecology, Evolution) (choose 1) | 4 |
| (BIO 51 and BIO 52) or (BIO 51H and BIO 52H) — Foundations of Biology I | BIOLOGY 1A, BIOLOGY 1AL, BIOLOGY 1B (choose 1) | 4 |
| CHEM 1B — General Chemistry II | CHEM 1B — General Chemistry (choose 1) | 5 |
| CHEM 12A — Organic Chemistry | CHEM 3A, CHEM 3AL (choose 1) | 5 |
| CHEM 12B — Organic Chemistry | CHEM 3B, CHEM 3BL (choose 1) | 5 |
| ENGR 20 — Introduction to Programming and Problem Solving with MATLAB | ENGIN 7 — Introduction to Computer Programming for Scientists and Engineers (MATLAB) (recommended) | 3 |
| ENGR 83 — Computer-Aided Design Techniques | ENGIN 26 — Three-Dimensional Modeling for Design (recommended) | 3 |
| No IVC match | ENGIN 29 — Manufacturing and Design Communication (recommended) | — |
| No IVC match | MEC ENG 40 — Thermodynamics (recommended) | — |
| ENGR 30 + ENGR 54 — Statics of Rigid Bodies and Structures + Principles of Materials Science and Engineering | MEC ENG C85 — Introduction to Solid Mechanics (recommended) | 6 |
Courses with no equivalent must be taken at UC Berkeley after transfer. Factor this into your first-year course plan.
General Education
Foundation GE at Irvine Valley College
UC Berkeley's Mechanical Engineering program uses its own GE pattern (see note below), but these five Irvine Valley College courses cover foundation requirements every UC accepts. Start here.
BIO 1
The Life Sciences
CHEM 12A
Organic Chemistry
HIST 1
The History of World Civilizations to 1500
ENGL C1000
Academic Reading and Writing
ENGL C1001
Critical Thinking and Writing
| Area | Course at Irvine Valley College | Units |
|---|---|---|
Life Science | BIO 1 — The Life Sciences | 3 |
Physical Science | CHEM 12A — Organic Chemistry | 5 |
Humanities | HIST 1 — The History of World Civilizations to 1500 | 3 |
English CompositionCCN | ENGL C1000 — Academic Reading and Writing | 4 |
Critical ThinkingCCN | ENGL C1001 — Critical Thinking and Writing | 4 |
UC Berkeley Mechanical Engineering: full GE notes
IGETC and Cal-GETC don't count for Berkeley's College of Engineering, so plan IVC's two composition courses instead of a full GE pattern.
Start math in your first semester
The longest chain is MATH 8, MATH C2210, MATH C2220, then MATH 4A: four semesters minimum. MATH 24, MATH 26 and PHYS 4B also wait on MATH C2220, so math sets your pace.
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
MATH 24 and MATH 26 make MATH 54
Berkeley's MATH 54 needs MATH 26 plus MATH 24 or MATH 24H. It's the one series Berkeley lets you split between colleges, but it would rather see both from IVC.
LIB 20 covers Reading and Composition B
Besides ENGL C1001, IVC's LIB 20 or LIB 20H satisfies Berkeley's second composition requirement. Engineering only considers applicants with both composition courses complete, so it's worth knowing LIB 20 is an option if ENGL C1001 sections fill.
IVC teaches three recommended ENGR classes
Berkeley strongly recommends ENGIN 7, ENGIN 26 and MEC ENG C85. IVC offers ENGR 20 (MATLAB), ENGR 83, and ENGR 30 with ENGR 54. They're optional for admission, and Berkeley says the more you finish, the stronger you look.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What classes do I need at IVC for UC Berkeley mechanical engineering?
CHEM 1A, MATH 3A, MATH 3B, MATH 4A, MATH 24 and MATH 26, PHYS 4A and PHYS 4B, ENGL C1000 and one of ENGL C1001 or LIB 20, plus one course from Berkeley's choice list. Honors versions such as MATH 3AH and CHEM 1AH count.
Is anything missing at IVC for Berkeley Mechanical Engineering?
No required course is missing. Among the one-course choice options, ASTRON 7A, ASTRON 7B, COMPSCI C8 and STAT 20 have no IVC match, and on the recommended list ENGIN 29 and MEC ENG 40 have none either.
Which choice course should IVC students take for Berkeley engineering?
CHEM 1B is the natural pick: it matches Berkeley's CHEM 1B and follows the CHEM 1A you already need. PHYS 4C, which matches PHYSICS 7C, is the other easy fit. You need only one accepted option.
What GPA does UC Berkeley want for IVC mechanical engineering transfers?
3.5 or higher. Berkeley's College of Engineering considers only applicants at that GPA who have completed every required course, and engineering transfers can't switch majors inside the college once admitted.
Explore More
Related Transfer Plans
Irvine Valley College students can finish every UC Berkeley Mechanical Engineering admission course at IVC. That means CHEM 1A, calculus from MATH 3A through MATH 4A, MATH 24 and MATH 26 for Berkeley's MATH 54, PHYS 4A and PHYS 4B, two composition courses, and one course from Berkeley's choice list. Berkeley reviews only applicants who complete all of it with a 3.5 GPA or better. Transfermatic can order these IVC classes term by term so the calculus chain doesn't hold up physics.
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