Orange Coast College to UCSD
Mechanical Engineering Transfer Plan
OCC clears 14 of UCSD's 17 Mechanical Engineering requirements, with honors calculus accepted alongside the standard courses. MAE 3, MAE 11 and MAE 30B have no OCC match, so those wait until after transfer.
From
Orange Coast College
To
UC San Diego
Mechanical EngineeringMajor Requirements
Mechanical Engineering Major Preparation
Courses at Orange Coast College that satisfy UC San Diego's Mechanical Engineering major preparation, mapped and verified by Transfermatic's transfer engine.
| Course at Orange Coast College | Satisfies at UCSD | Units |
|---|---|---|
| ENGR A220 or CS A131 or CS A150 — Programming and Problem-Solving in MATLAB | MAE 8 — MATLAB Programming for Engineering Analysis | 4 |
| CHEM A180 — General Chemistry A | CHEM 6A — General Chemistry I | 5 |
| MATH A235 or MATH A285 or MATH A285H — Applied Linear Algebra | MATH 18 — Linear Algebra | 3 |
| MATH A180 or MATH A180H or MATH A182H — Calculus 1 | MATH 20A — Calculus for Science and Engineering | 5 |
| MATH A185 or MATH A185H or MATH A182H — Calculus 2 | MATH 20B — Calculus for Science and Engineering | 5 |
| MATH A280 or MATH A280H — Calculus 3 | MATH 20C — Calculus and Analytic Geometry for Science and Engineering | 5 |
| MATH A285 or MATH A285H — Introduction to Linear Algebra and Differential Equations | MATH 20D — Introduction to Differential Equations | 5 |
| MATH A280 or MATH A280H — Calculus 3 | MATH 20E — Vector Calculus | 5 |
| PHYS A185 — Calculus Based Physics: Mechanics with Lab | PHYS 2A — Physics - Mechanics | 5 |
| PHYS A280 — Calculus Based Physics: Electricty/Magnetism with Lab | PHYS 2B — Physics - Electricity and Magnetism | 5 |
| PHYS A285 — Calculus Based Physics: Modern with Lab | PHYS 2C — Physics - Fluids, Waves, Thermodynamics, and Optics | 5 |
| ENGR A210 — Engineering Materials | MAE 20 — Elements of Materials Science | 3 |
| No OCC match | MAE 3 — Introduction to Engineering Graphics and Design | — |
| No OCC match | MAE 11 — Thermodynamics | — |
| ENGR A230 + ENGR A280 — Dynamics + Statics | MAE 30A — Statics & Introduction to Dynamics | 6 |
| No OCC match | MAE 30B — Dynamics & Vibrations | — |
| ENGR A285 — Engineering Circuits | 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 Orange Coast College
Complete these five courses at Orange Coast 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 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 |
Six semesters through math and engineering
MATH A070 leads into A170, A180, A185, ENGR A280 and ENGR A230, six semesters minimum. UCSD wants Math 18 and 20A-D finished by the spring before transfer, so start this chain as early as possible.
OCC runs semesters, UCSD runs quarters
OCC's courses run on a semester calendar; UCSD teaches the same material across shorter quarters. Once you transfer, your remaining Mechanical Engineering courses follow UCSD's 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
Honors calculus counts at OCC
OCC's MATH A180H, A185H, A280H and A285H each substitute for their standard counterpart, and MATH A182H alone can clear both MATH 20A and 20B. MATH 20C still takes MATH A280 or MATH A280H.
MAE 30A needs two OCC courses in order
ENGR A280 has to come before ENGR A230; together they clear UCSD's MAE 30A. Taking them out of order leaves the requirement open longer than it needs to be.
Three courses stay open at OCC
MAE 3, MAE 11 and MAE 30B have no OCC equivalent. Materials science (MAE 20), circuits (MAE 40) and MAE 30A all clear at OCC already.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Does OCC's honors calculus transfer to UCSD Mechanical Engineering?
Yes. MATH A180H, A185H, A280H and A285H each substitute for the standard version, and MATH A182H alone can cover both MATH 20A and MATH 20B. For MATH 20C you still need MATH A280 or MATH A280H.
What doesn't OCC cover for UCSD Mechanical Engineering?
MAE 3, MAE 11 and MAE 30B have no OCC match, so those wait until after transfer. MAE 20, MAE 40 and MAE 30A all have OCC matches.
Does OCC's semester calendar cause problems for UCSD transfer?
No, but the pace picks up. OCC teaches on semesters; UCSD splits the same coursework into quarters, so your remaining Mechanical Engineering classes move faster once you're at UCSD.
What's the admit rate for UCSD Mechanical Engineering?
UCSD's 2025 data shows 31% of Mechanical Engineering transfer applicants were admitted, across every applicant to the major, not just those from OCC.
Explore More
Related Transfer Plans
Orange Coast College students transferring into UC San Diego's Mechanical Engineering, B.S. program clear fourteen of seventeen requirements, and honors calculus counts: MATH A180H, MATH A185H, MATH A280H and MATH A285H each substitute for their standard course. ENGR A280 and ENGR A230 together clear MAE 30A. MAE 3, MAE 11 and MAE 30B have no OCC match and wait until after transfer. On our platform, put in your CC and your transfer university and Transfermatic checks OCC's course list against UC San Diego's Mechanical Engineering requirements automatically.
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