Orange Coast College to UCI
Mechanical Engineering Transfer Plan
OCC covers 19 of UC Irvine's 22 Mechanical Engineering requirements, including every course UCI requires for admission, and MATH A182H counts toward both of the first two calculus requirements. Thermodynamics and both Introduction to Engineering courses have no OCC match; none is an admission requirement.
From
Orange Coast College
To
UC Irvine
Mechanical EngineeringUC Irvine TAG
OCC students headed into Mechanical Engineering can use TAG at a 3.4 GPA for fall 2027 applicants. UCI drops the major from TAG eligibility starting with fall 2028.
Major Requirements
Mechanical Engineering Major Preparation
Courses at Orange Coast College that satisfy UC Irvine's Mechanical Engineering major preparation, mapped and verified by Transfermatic's transfer engine.
| Course at Orange Coast College | Satisfies at UCI | Units |
|---|---|---|
| CS A150 or ENGR A220 — C++ Programming Language 1 | ENGRMAE 10 — Introduction to Engineering Computations | 4 |
| MATH A180 or MATH A180H or MATH A182H — Calculus 1 | MATH 2A — Single-Variable Calculus | 5 |
| MATH A185 or MATH A185H or MATH A182H — Calculus 2 | MATH 2B — Single-Variable Calculus | 5 |
| MATH A280 or MATH A280H — Calculus 3 | MATH 2D — Multivariable Calculus | 5 |
| MATH A280 or MATH A280H — Calculus 3 | MATH 2E — Multivariable Calculus | 5 |
| MATH A235 or MATH A285 or MATH A285H — Applied Linear Algebra | MATH 3A — Introduction to Linear Algebra | 3 |
| MATH A285 or MATH A285H — Introduction to Linear Algebra and Differential Equations | MATH 3D — Elementary Differential Equations | 5 |
| PHYS A185 or PHYS A185H — Calculus Based Physics: Mechanics with Lab | PHYSICS 7C, PHYSICS 7LC | 5 |
| PHYS A280 — Calculus Based Physics: Electricty/Magnetism with Lab | PHYSICS 7D, PHYSICS 7LD | 5 |
| PHYS A285 — Calculus Based Physics: Modern with Lab | PHYSICS 7E — Classical Physics | 5 |
| CHEM A180 — General Chemistry A | ENGR 1A, CHEM 1LE (choose 1) | 5 |
| CHEM A180 — General Chemistry A | CHEM 1A, CHEM 1LE (choose 1) | 5 |
| ENGR A280 — Statics | ENGRCEE 30 — Statics | 3 |
| ENGR A180 — Engineering Graphics | ENGRMAE 52 — Computer-Aided Design | 4 |
| ENGR A285 — Engineering Circuits | EECS 70A — NETWORK ANALYSIS I (choose 1) | 4 |
| ENGR A210 — Engineering Materials | ENGR 54 — Principles of Materials Science and Engineering | 3 |
| PHYS A285 — Calculus Based Physics: Modern with Lab | PHYSICS 52A — Fundamentals of Experimental Physics | 5 |
| ECON A170 or ECON A170H — Microeconomics | ECON 20A — Basic Economics I (choose 1) | 3 |
| ENGR A230 — Dynamics | ENGRMAE 80 — Dynamics | 3 |
| No OCC match | ENGRMAE 91 — Introduction to Thermodynamics | — |
| ANTH A185 (or another listed option) — Introduction to Biological Anthropology | Science courses (or lecture/lab combination) for Mechanical Engineering (choose 1) | 3 |
| No OCC match | ENGR 7A — Introduction to Engineering I | — |
| No OCC 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 Orange Coast College
UCI's Mechanical Engineering program uses its own GE pattern (see note below), but these five Orange Coast College courses cover foundation requirements every UC accepts. Start here.
BIOL A100
Principles of Biology
CHEM A100
Principles of Chemistry
HIST A101
Afro-American History
ENGL C1000
Academic Reading and Writing
ENGL C1001
Critical Thinking and Writing
| Area | Course at Orange Coast College | Units |
|---|---|---|
Life Science | BIOL A100 — Principles of Biology | 4 |
Physical Science | CHEM A100 — Principles of Chemistry | 3 |
Humanities | HIST A101 — Afro-American History | 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
UCI wants math, science, and engineering prep finished before Cal-GETC or its own GE, and the engineering school leaves IGETC out of transfer admission entirely.
Six semesters through Dynamics
MATH A070 leads into MATH A170, MATH A180, MATH A185, ENGR A280, then ENGR A230: six semesters minimum. Starting math late pushes Statics and Dynamics back with it.
OCC semesters, UCI quarters
OCC runs semesters while UCI runs quarters, so one OCC course can clear two UCI quarter courses. MATH A280 covers both MATH 2D and MATH 2E, and MATH A285 covers MATH 3A and MATH 3D.
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 honors course clears two calculus requirements
MATH A182H, Calculus 1 and 2 Honors, is listed for both MATH 2A and MATH 2B. The standard route is two courses: MATH A180 (or MATH A180H), then MATH A185 (or MATH A185H).
Thermodynamics has no OCC match
ASSIST lists no OCC course for ENGRMAE 91. UCI doesn't require it for admission, so it's one of three courses you'd take at UCI after OCC's math, physics, and engineering prep.
Programming needs just one course
UCI accepts either CS A150 or ENGR A220 for its programming requirement, ENGRMAE 10, and it's on the admission list. UCI's notes prefer MATLAB programming, which is what ENGR A220 teaches.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Does OCC MATH A180 transfer to UCI Mechanical Engineering?
Yes. MATH A180, MATH A180H, or the combined honors MATH A182H clear UCI's MATH 2A, the opening course in a calculus chain that runs through MATH A280.
What doesn't OCC cover for UCI Mechanical Engineering?
OCC has three open requirements out of UCI's 22: Thermodynamics (ENGRMAE 91) and the two Introduction to Engineering courses, ENGR 7A and ENGR 7B. ASSIST lists no OCC match for any of them, and UCI doesn't need them for admission.
Does OCC cover Dynamics for UCI Mechanical Engineering?
Yes, OCC's ENGR A230 clears ENGRMAE 80. It sits at the end of OCC's longest prerequisite chain, after ENGR A280 (Statics), so plan it for a late semester.
Is CAD required to transfer from OCC to UCI Mechanical Engineering?
OCC's ENGR A180 already clears it, so it's covered either way. UCI only needs CAD to finish the degree in two years, not for admission.
Explore More
Related Transfer Plans
Orange Coast College students transferring into UC Irvine's Mechanical Engineering, B.S. program clear 19 of 22 required courses, including a combined honors calculus course, MATH A182H, that counts for both of the first two calculus requirements. 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 lines up OCC's course list, honors sections included, against UCI's requirements automatically.
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