Mt. San Antonio College to UCI
Mechanical Engineering Transfer Plan
Mt. SAC clears 19 of UC Irvine's 22 Mechanical Engineering requirements, including every course UCI requires for admission and Dynamics through ENGR 41. Thermodynamics and the two Introduction to Engineering courses are what's left, and none of the three is an admission requirement.
From
Mt. San Antonio College
To
UC Irvine
Mechanical EngineeringUC Irvine TAG
Mechanical Engineering qualifies for TAG at a 3.4 GPA if you apply for fall 2027. UCI drops the major from TAG starting with fall 2028 applicants, so Mt. SAC students on the fence should move now.
Major Requirements
Mechanical Engineering Major Preparation
Courses at Mt. San Antonio College that satisfy UC Irvine's Mechanical Engineering major preparation, mapped and verified by Transfermatic's transfer engine.
| Course at Mt. San Antonio College | Satisfies at UCI | Units |
|---|---|---|
| CISP 31 or CSCI 140 or ENGR 6 or ENGR 7 — Programming in C++ | ENGRMAE 10 — Introduction to Engineering Computations | 3 |
| MATH 180 — Calculus and Analytic Geometry I | MATH 2A — Single-Variable Calculus | 4 |
| MATH 181 — Calculus and Analytic Geometry II | MATH 2B — Single-Variable Calculus | 4 |
| MATH 280 — Calculus and Analytic Geometry III | MATH 2D — Multivariable Calculus | 5 |
| MATH 280 — Calculus and Analytic Geometry III | MATH 2E — Multivariable Calculus | 5 |
| ENGR 285 or MATH 260 or MATH 285 — Differential Equations and Linear Algebra for Engineers | MATH 3A — Introduction to Linear Algebra | 4 |
| ENGR 285 or MATH 285 or MATH 290 — Differential Equations and Linear Algebra for Engineers | MATH 3D — Elementary Differential Equations | 4 |
| PHYS 4A — Engineering Physics | PHYSICS 7C, PHYSICS 7LC | 5 |
| PHYS 4B — Engineering Physics | PHYSICS 7D, PHYSICS 7LD | 5 |
| PHYS 4C — Engineering Physics | PHYSICS 7E — Classical Physics | 5 |
| CHEM 50 or CHEM 50H — General Chemistry I | ENGR 1A, CHEM 1LE (choose 1) | 5 |
| CHEM 50 or CHEM 50H or CHEM 55 — General Chemistry I | CHEM 1A, CHEM 1LE (choose 1) | 5 |
| ENGR 40 — Statics | ENGRCEE 30 — Statics | 3 |
| ENGR 24 or MFG 120 — Engineering Graphics | ENGRMAE 52 — Computer-Aided Design | 4 |
| ENGR 44 — Electrical Engineering | EECS 70A — NETWORK ANALYSIS I (choose 1) | 4 |
| ENGR 8 — Properties of Materials | ENGR 54 — Principles of Materials Science and Engineering | 4 |
| PHYS 4C — Engineering Physics | PHYSICS 52A — Fundamentals of Experimental Physics | 5 |
| BUSC 1B or BUSC 1BH — Principles of Microeconomics | ECON 20A — Basic Economics I (choose 1) | 3 |
| ENGR 41 — Dynamics | ENGRMAE 80 — Dynamics | 3 |
| No Mt. SAC match | ENGRMAE 91 — Introduction to Thermodynamics | — |
| ANAT 10A (or another listed option) — Introductory Human Anatomy | Science courses (or lecture/lab combination) for Mechanical Engineering (choose 1) | 4 |
| No Mt. SAC match | ENGR 7A — Introduction to Engineering I | — |
| No Mt. SAC 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 Mt. San Antonio College
UCI's Mechanical Engineering program uses its own GE pattern (see note below), but these five Mt. San Antonio College courses cover foundation requirements every UC accepts. Start here.
BIOL 1
General Biology
CHEM 10
Chemistry for Allied Health Majors
HIST 1
History of the United States
ENGL C1000
Academic Reading and Writing
ENGL C1001
Critical Thinking and Writing
| Area | Course at Mt. San Antonio College | Units |
|---|---|---|
Life Science | BIOL 1 — General Biology | 4 |
Physical Science | CHEM 10 — Chemistry for Allied Health Majors | 5 |
Humanities | HIST 1 — History of the United States | 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
Math, science, and engineering courses need to be done before Cal-GETC or UCI's own GE pattern, since IGETC doesn't factor into who the engineering school admits.
Six semesters of math before transfer
MATH 150 runs through MATH 160, MATH 180, MATH 181, MATH 280 and MATH 285: six semesters minimum. Start this chain your first term at Mt. SAC or you'll delay the physics and engineering courses behind it.
Mt. SAC semesters, UCI quarters
Mt. SAC operates on semesters while UCI runs quarters, so one Mt. SAC course can stand in for two UCI quarter courses. MATH 280 clears 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 can cover two math slots
MATH 285 or ENGR 285 covers both MATH 3A (linear algebra) and MATH 3D (differential equations). The two-course route is MATH 260 plus MATH 290. ENGR 285 needs only MATH 181; MATH 285 needs MATH 280.
CAD has two department options
ENGR 24 or MFG 120 both clear ENGRMAE 52 (Computer-Aided Design), one in engineering and one in manufacturing technology. Either satisfies UCI's requirement.
Thermodynamics has no Mt. SAC match
ASSIST lists no Mt. SAC course for ENGRMAE 91. It isn't on UCI's admission list, so it's one of three courses you'd take at UCI after clearing the rest of the engineering sequence.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Mt. SAC MATH 180 transfer to UCI Mechanical Engineering?
Yes. MATH 180 clears UCI's MATH 2A, and MATH 181 clears MATH 2B right after it, continuing into MATH 280 for the multivariable requirement.
What doesn't Mt. SAC cover for UCI Mechanical Engineering?
Mt. SAC leaves three of UCI's 22 requirements open: Thermodynamics (ENGRMAE 91) and both Introduction to Engineering courses, ENGR 7A and ENGR 7B. No Mt. SAC course maps to any of the three, and UCI doesn't require them for admission.
How long is the math chain from Mt. SAC to UCI Mechanical Engineering?
Six semesters if you start at MATH 150. It leads into MATH 160, MATH 180, MATH 181, MATH 280 and MATH 285. Placing higher than MATH 150 shortens it.
Is CAD required to transfer from Mt. SAC to UCI Mechanical Engineering?
Not for admission. UCI lists Computer-Aided Design as needed to finish the degree in two years, and Mt. SAC's ENGR 24 or MFG 120 already covers it.
Explore More
Related Transfer Plans
Mt. San Antonio College students transferring into UC Irvine's Mechanical Engineering, B.S. program clear 19 of 22 required courses, working through a math chain of up to six semesters, MATH 150 through MATH 285. What's left is Thermodynamics (ENGRMAE 91) and both Introduction to Engineering courses, taken at UCI. On our platform, put in your CC and your transfer university and Transfermatic maps Mt. SAC's course list, including its two CAD options, against UCI's requirements.
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