Mt. San Antonio College to UCSD
Mechanical Engineering Transfer Plan
Mt. SAC clears 15 of UCSD's 17 Mechanical Engineering requirements, including MAE 30A, MAE 30B and MAE 40. Only MAE 3 and MAE 11 have no Mt. SAC match, and neither is on UCSD's admission screening list.
From
Mt. San Antonio College
To
UC San Diego
Mechanical EngineeringMajor Requirements
Mechanical Engineering Major Preparation
Courses at Mt. San Antonio College that satisfy UC San Diego's Mechanical Engineering major preparation, mapped and verified by Transfermatic's transfer engine.
| Course at Mt. San Antonio College | Satisfies at UCSD | Units |
|---|---|---|
| ENGR 7 — Programming Applications for Engineers | MAE 8 — MATLAB Programming for Engineering Analysis | 4 |
| CHEM 50 or CHEM 50H — General Chemistry I | CHEM 6A — General Chemistry I | 5 |
| MATH 285 or MATH 260 — Linear Algebra and Differential Equations | MATH 18 — Linear Algebra | 5 |
| MATH 180 — Calculus and Analytic Geometry I | MATH 20A — Calculus for Science and Engineering | 4 |
| MATH 181 — Calculus and Analytic Geometry II | MATH 20B — Calculus for Science and Engineering | 4 |
| MATH 280 — Calculus and Analytic Geometry III | MATH 20C — Calculus and Analytic Geometry for Science and Engineering | 5 |
| MATH 285 or MATH 290 or ENGR 285 — Linear Algebra and Differential Equations | MATH 20D — Introduction to Differential Equations | 5 |
| MATH 280 — Calculus and Analytic Geometry III | MATH 20E — Vector Calculus | 5 |
| PHYS 4A — Engineering Physics | PHYS 2A — Physics - Mechanics | 5 |
| PHYS 4B — Engineering Physics | PHYS 2B — Physics - Electricity and Magnetism | 5 |
| PHYS 4B + PHYS 4C — Engineering Physics + Engineering Physics | PHYS 2C — Physics - Fluids, Waves, Thermodynamics, and Optics | 10 |
| ENGR 8 — Properties of Materials | MAE 20 — Elements of Materials Science | 4 |
| No Mt. SAC match | MAE 3 — Introduction to Engineering Graphics and Design | — |
| No Mt. SAC match | MAE 11 — Thermodynamics | — |
| ENGR 40 + ENGR 41 — Statics + Dynamics | MAE 30A — Statics & Introduction to Dynamics | 6 |
| ENGR 41 — Dynamics | MAE 30B — Dynamics & Vibrations | 3 |
| ENGR 44 — Electrical Engineering | MAE 40 — Linear Circuits | 4 |
Courses with no equivalent must be taken at UC San Diego after transfer. Factor this into your first-year course plan.
General Education
Foundation GE at Mt. San Antonio College
Complete these five courses at Mt. San Antonio College to start your UCSD GE pattern. Finishing full IGETC/Cal-GETC at the CC is ideal — these five give you the broadest head start, and CCN-tagged courses stay portable if you switch community colleges.
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 |
Six semesters through the math sequence
MATH 150 leads into MATH 160, 180, 181, 280 and 285, six semesters minimum. UCSD wants Math 18 and 20A-D finished by the spring before you transfer, so this chain needs an early start.
Mt. SAC runs semesters, UCSD runs quarters
Mt. SAC teaches on a semester calendar; UCSD runs quarters. Once you arrive, the Mechanical Engineering courses still ahead of you follow UCSD's shorter quarter pace instead.
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
Only two courses stay open at Mt. SAC
MAE 3 and MAE 11 are the only gaps in UCSD's 17-course list. Statics, dynamics, materials science and circuits all clear at Mt. SAC already.
MAE 30A and 30B share ENGR 41
MAE 30A takes ENGR 40 and ENGR 41 together, and MAE 30B takes ENGR 41, which needs ENGR 40 first. Take them back to back and both requirements clear.
Honors chemistry counts the same
Mt. SAC's CHEM 50 or its honors version, CHEM 50H, both clear UCSD's CHEM 6A. ASSIST doesn't treat the honors track as anything extra.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Mt. SAC's ENGR 40 transfer to UCSD Mechanical Engineering?
Yes. ENGR 40 with ENGR 41 clears MAE 30A, and ENGR 41, which needs ENGR 40 first, clears MAE 30B, UCSD's dynamics-and-vibrations requirement.
What doesn't Mt. SAC cover for UCSD Mechanical Engineering?
Just MAE 3 and MAE 11, engineering graphics and thermodynamics. Those are the only two of UCSD's 17 requirements without a Mt. SAC match.
Does Mt. SAC's semester calendar cause problems for UCSD transfer?
No, though the pace changes. Mt. SAC teaches on semesters; UCSD runs quarters, so the Mechanical Engineering courses you have left move at that shorter, faster pace once you transfer.
What's the admit rate for UCSD Mechanical Engineering?
UCSD admitted 31% of all Mechanical Engineering transfer applicants in 2025, a rate that applies to every applicant, not just those transferring from Mt. SAC.
Explore More
Related Transfer Plans
Mt. San Antonio College students transferring into UC San Diego's Mechanical Engineering, B.S. program clear fifteen of seventeen requirements. ENGR 40 and ENGR 41 together clear MAE 30A, ENGR 41 clears MAE 30B, and CHEM 50 or its honors version both satisfy CHEM 6A. Only MAE 3 and MAE 11 have no Mt. SAC match. On our platform, put in your CC and your transfer university and Transfermatic checks Mt. SAC's course list against UC San Diego's Mechanical Engineering requirements automatically.
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