Palomar College to UCI
Mechanical Engineering Transfer Plan
Palomar College covers 18 of UC Irvine's 22 Mechanical Engineering requirements, including every admission course plus Materials Science and Dynamics. CAD, Thermodynamics, and both Introduction to Engineering courses have no Palomar match, and none of the four is required for admission.
From
Palomar College
To
UC Irvine
Mechanical EngineeringUC Irvine TAG
Palomar students can apply for TAG in Mechanical Engineering at a 3.4 GPA for fall 2027. UCI drops the major from TAG eligibility for fall 2028 applicants onward.
Major Requirements
Mechanical Engineering Major Preparation
Courses at Palomar College that satisfy UC Irvine's Mechanical Engineering major preparation, mapped and verified by Transfermatic's transfer engine.
| Course at Palomar College | Satisfies at UCI | Units |
|---|---|---|
| CSCI 112 or CSCI 222 — Programming Fundamentals I | ENGRMAE 10 — Introduction to Engineering Computations | 4 |
| MATH 140 or MATH 140E — Calculus with Analytic Geometry, First Course | MATH 2A — Single-Variable Calculus | 5 |
| MATH 141 or MATH 141E — Calculus with Analytic Geometry, Second Course | MATH 2B — Single-Variable Calculus | 4 |
| MATH 205 — Calculus with Analytic Geometry, Third Course | MATH 2D — Multivariable Calculus | 4 |
| MATH 205 — Calculus with Analytic Geometry, Third Course | MATH 2E — Multivariable Calculus | 4 |
| MATH 200 — Introduction to Linear Algebra | MATH 3A — Introduction to Linear Algebra | 3 |
| MATH 206 — Calculus with Differential Equations | MATH 3D — Elementary Differential Equations | 4 |
| PHYS 230 — Principles of Physics | PHYSICS 7C, PHYSICS 7LC | 5 |
| PHYS 231 — Principles of Physics | PHYSICS 7D, PHYSICS 7LD | 5 |
| PHYS 232 — Principles of Physics | PHYSICS 7E — Classical Physics | 4 |
| CHEM 110L + CHEM 110 — General Chemistry Laboratory + General Chemistry | ENGR 1A, CHEM 1LE (choose 1) | 5 |
| CHEM 110L + CHEM 110 — General Chemistry Laboratory + General Chemistry | CHEM 1A, CHEM 1LE (choose 1) | 5 |
| ENGR 235 — Engineering Mechanics - Statics | ENGRCEE 30 — Statics | 3 |
| No Palomar match | ENGRMAE 52 — Computer-Aided Design | — |
| ENGR 210 — Electrical Network Analysis | EECS 70A — NETWORK ANALYSIS I (choose 1) | 3 |
| ENGR 245 — Properties of Materials | ENGR 54 — Principles of Materials Science and Engineering | 4 |
| PHYS 232 — Principles of Physics | PHYSICS 52A — Fundamentals of Experimental Physics | 4 |
| ECON 102 — Principles of Economics (Micro) | ECON 20A — Basic Economics I (choose 1) | 3 |
| ENGR 236 — Engineering Mechanics - Dynamics | ENGRMAE 80 — Dynamics | 3 |
| No Palomar match | ENGRMAE 91 — Introduction to Thermodynamics | — |
| ANTH 100 (or another listed option) — Introduction to Biological Anthropology | Science courses (or lecture/lab combination) for Mechanical Engineering (choose 1) | 3 |
| No Palomar match | ENGR 7A — Introduction to Engineering I | — |
| No Palomar 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 Palomar College
UCI's Mechanical Engineering program uses its own GE pattern (see note below), but these five Palomar College courses cover foundation requirements every UC accepts. Start here.
BIOL 100
Introductory Biology: General Biology
CHEM 100
Fundamentals of Chemistry
HIST 101
History of the United States through Reconstruction
ENGL C1000
Academic Reading and Writing
ENGL C1001
Critical Thinking and Writing
| Area | Course at Palomar College | Units |
|---|---|---|
Life Science | BIOL 100 — Introductory Biology: General Biology | 4 |
Physical Science | CHEM 100 — Fundamentals of Chemistry | 4 |
Humanities | HIST 101 — History of the United States through Reconstruction | 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's engineering school wants math, science, and engineering courses finished before Cal-GETC or its own GE, and IGETC doesn't factor into transfer selection.
Five semesters into circuit analysis
MATH C2210 leads into MATH 141E, then PHYS 230, PHYS 231, and ENGR 210: five semesters minimum. Delaying math pushes the whole physics-and-circuits chain back.
Palomar semesters, UCI quarters
Palomar runs semesters and UCI runs quarters, so one Palomar course can clear two UCI quarter courses. MATH 205 covers 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
CAD gap doesn't affect admission
ENGRMAE 52 has no Palomar match, but UCI's own notes list it as needed only to finish the degree in two years, not as an admission requirement.
Chemistry needs a matched lecture and lab
UCI's chemistry requirement takes both CHEM 110 and CHEM 110L; the lecture alone doesn't clear it. Chemistry is on UCI's admission list, and CHEM 110 needs CHEM 100 first.
Enhanced calculus sections count the same
MATH 140E and MATH 141E, the Enhanced versions of Palomar's first two calculus courses, clear MATH 2A and MATH 2B just like MATH 140 and MATH 141.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Palomar MATH 140 transfer to UCI Mechanical Engineering?
Yes. MATH 140 or MATH 140E clears UCI's MATH 2A, continuing through MATH 141, MATH 205, and MATH 200 for the rest of the math sequence.
What doesn't Palomar cover for UCI Mechanical Engineering?
Four of 22: CAD (ENGRMAE 52), Thermodynamics (ENGRMAE 91), and ENGR 7A and ENGR 7B. ASSIST lists no Palomar course for any of the four. None is an admission requirement, so they're taken at UCI.
Does Palomar cover Materials Science for UCI Mechanical Engineering?
Yes, ENGR 245 clears ENGR 54, and ENGR 236 clears Dynamics (ENGRMAE 80). ENGR 245 needs CHEM 110 and CHEM 110L first; ENGR 236 follows Statics, ENGR 235.
Is CAD required to transfer from Palomar to UCI Mechanical Engineering?
Not for admission. UCI only needs Computer-Aided Design to finish the degree in two years, so the missing Palomar match won't block your application.
Explore More
Related Transfer Plans
Palomar College students transferring into UC Irvine's Mechanical Engineering, B.S. program clear 18 of 22 required courses, including Materials Science (ENGR 245) and Dynamics (ENGR 236). CAD, Thermodynamics, and both Introduction to Engineering courses have no Palomar match and get taken at UCI. On our platform, put in your CC and your transfer university and Transfermatic checks Palomar's lecture-and-lab chemistry pairing against UCI's requirements automatically.
Build your Palomar College → UCI plan
Personalized, semester-by-semester. Free to start.
Get My Transfer Plan