Palomar College to UCSB
    Mechanical Engineering Transfer Plan

    Palomar College clears 17 of UCSB's 20 Mechanical Engineering requirements, with circuits, CAD, and Dynamics all transferring. ME 15, ME 12S and ME 17 have no Palomar match, though UCSB doesn't list any of them as required for admission, so they can wait until after transfer.

    Every course verified to transferSemester-by-semester scheduleFastest realistic timeline

    From

    Palomar College

    To

    UC Santa Barbara

    Mechanical Engineering
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    Major Requirements

    Mechanical Engineering Major Preparation

    Courses at Palomar College that satisfy UC Santa Barbara's Mechanical Engineering major preparation, mapped and verified by Transfermatic's transfer engine.

    MATH 140 or MATH 140E
    Calculus with Analytic Geometry, First Course
    MATH 3A — Calculus with Applications, First Course5 units
    MATH 141 or MATH 141E
    Calculus with Analytic Geometry, Second Course
    MATH 3B — Calculus with Applications, Second Course4 units
    MATH 200
    Introduction to Linear Algebra
    MATH 4A — Linear Algebra with Applications3 units
    MATH 206
    Calculus with Differential Equations
    MATH 4B — Differential Equations4 units
    PHYS 230
    Principles of Physics
    PHYS 7A — Basic Physics5 units
    PHYS 230 + PHYS 231
    Principles of Physics + Principles of Physics
    PHYS 7B — Basic Physics10 units
    PHYS 231
    Principles of Physics
    PHYS 7C — Basic Physics5 units
    PHYS 230 + PHYS 231
    Principles of Physics + Principles of Physics
    PHYS 7L — Physics Laboratory10 units
    PHYS 210
    Matlab for Science and Engineering
    ENGR 3 — Introduction to Programming3 units
    ENGR 235
    Engineering Mechanics - Statics
    ME 14 — Statics3 units
    CHEM 110 + CHEM 110L
    General Chemistry + General Chemistry Laboratory
    CHEM 1A, CHEM 2AL5 units
    CHEM 110 + CHEM 115
    General Chemistry + General Chemistry
    CHEM 1B — General Chemistry (recommended)6 units
    MATH 205
    Calculus with Analytic Geometry, Third Course
    MATH 6A — Vector Calculus with Applications, First Course4 units
    MATH 205
    Calculus with Analytic Geometry, Third Course
    MATH 6B — Vector Calculus with Applications, Second Course4 units
    ENGR 210L + ENGR 210
    Electrical Network Analysis Lab + Electrical Network Analysis
    ME 6 — Basic Electrical and Electronic Circuits4 units
    DT 101 or DT 102 or DT 103
    AutoCAD I
    ME 10 — Engineering Graphics: Sketching, CAD, and Conceptual Design3 units
    No Palomar match
    ME 15 — Strength of Materials—
    ENGR 236
    Engineering Mechanics - Dynamics
    ME 16 — Engineering Mechanics: Dynamics3 units
    PHYS 230 + PHYS 232
    Principles of Physics + Principles of Physics
    PHYS 7D — Basic Physics9 units
    No Palomar match
    ME 12S — Introduction to Machine Shop—
    No Palomar match
    ME 17 — Mathematics of Engineering—

    Courses with no equivalent must be taken at UC Santa Barbara after transfer. Factor this into your first-year course plan.

    General Education

    Foundation GE at Palomar College

    UCSB'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.

    Life Science

    BIOL 100

    Introductory Biology: General Biology

    4 units
    Physical Science

    CHEM 100

    Fundamentals of Chemistry

    4 units
    Humanities

    HIST 101

    History of the United States through Reconstruction

    3 units
    English CompositionCCN

    ENGL C1000

    Academic Reading and Writing

    4 units
    Critical ThinkingCCN

    ENGL C1001

    Critical Thinking and Writing

    4 units

    UCSB Mechanical Engineering: full GE notes

    UCSB's engineering college has Palomar transfers focus on major coursework before Cal-GETC or IGETC; general education can be finished after transfer for a three-year stay.

    Five semesters through circuit lab

    MATH C2210, then MATH 141E, PHYS 230, PHYS 231, and ENGR 210 with ENGR 210L: five semesters minimum. PHYS 231 is required for admission, due by the end of spring before transfer.

    Palomar runs semesters, UCSB runs quarters

    Palomar's five-semester chain runs on a longer calendar than UCSB's quarter terms. Course pacing shifts once you're at UCSB, since a finished Palomar semester isn't a finished UCSB quarter.

    Preview

    Your First Semester

    A preview of what Transfermatic generates — exact courses, in the right order, every semester.

    MATH 140 — Calculus with Analytic Geometry, First Course
    5 unitsMajor
    DT 101 — AutoCAD I
    3 unitsMajor
    ENGL C1000 — Academic Reading and Writing
    4 unitsGE
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    Watch Out

    Common Mistakes for This Transfer Path

    Strength of Materials has no Palomar match

    ME 15 is the one gap in the engineering block; ME 6, ME 10, and ME 16 all clear through Palomar courses like ENGR 210 and ENGR 236.

    Three CAD courses, any one counts

    ME 10 clears through any of three Palomar courses, DT 101, DT 102, or DT 103, AutoCAD or SolidWorks sections that all satisfy the same requirement.

    Chemistry lecture and lab count separately

    Palomar's CHEM 110 lecture and CHEM 110L lab both have to be finished together to satisfy UCSB's CHEM 1A, CHEM 2AL requirement; neither one alone completes it.

    FAQ

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Does Palomar's calculus sequence transfer to UCSB Mechanical Engineering?

    Yes. MATH 140 or MATH 140E clears MATH 3A, MATH 141 or MATH 141E clears MATH 3B, and MATH 205 clears both MATH 6A and MATH 6B.

    What does Palomar not cover for UCSB Mechanical Engineering?

    Palomar has no match for ME 15 Strength of Materials, ME 12S Introduction to Machine Shop, or ME 17 Mathematics of Engineering. Circuits, CAD, and Dynamics all transfer.

    How long is Palomar's chain to circuit lab?

    Five semesters. MATH C2210 comes first, then MATH C2220 or MATH 141E, then PHYS 230, PHYS 231, and finally ENGR 210 taken with its lab, ENGR 210L.

    Is UCSB Mechanical Engineering TAG-eligible from Palomar?

    No. UCSB's engineering majors don't participate in TAG, so Palomar applicants get reviewed on finished major prep, with a 3.5 GPA in those courses called most competitive.

    Explore More

    Related Transfer Plans

    Palomar College students transferring into UC Santa Barbara's Mechanical Engineering, B.S. program clear 17 of 20 requirements, with circuits, CAD, and Dynamics all transferring through Palomar courses. Palomar splits general chemistry into a lecture course, CHEM 110, and a separate lab, CHEM 110L, both needed together for UCSB's chemistry requirement. On our platform, put in your CC and your transfer university and Transfermatic checks Palomar's coursework against UCSB's Mechanical Engineering requirements automatically.

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