Pasadena City College to UCI
Mechanical Engineering Transfer Plan
PCC clears 19 of UC Irvine's 22 Mechanical Engineering requirements, including every course UCI requires for admission, and most math courses have an honors option that counts the same. Thermodynamics and both Introduction to Engineering courses are the only gaps, and none is an admission requirement.
From
Pasadena City College
To
UC Irvine
Mechanical EngineeringUC Irvine TAG
PCC students can use TAG for Mechanical Engineering if they apply for fall 2027 at a 3.4 GPA. The major loses TAG eligibility starting with fall 2028 applicants.
Major Requirements
Mechanical Engineering Major Preparation
Courses at Pasadena City College that satisfy UC Irvine's Mechanical Engineering major preparation, mapped and verified by Transfermatic's transfer engine.
| Course at Pasadena City College | Satisfies at UCI | Units |
|---|---|---|
| CS 003A or ENGR 018 — Fundamentals of Computer Science II (C++) | ENGRMAE 10 — Introduction to Engineering Computations | 3 |
| BUS 014B (or another listed option) — Mathematical Analysis for Business-Calculus | MATH 2A — Single-Variable Calculus | 4 |
| MATH 005B or MATH 005BE or MATH 005BH — Single Variable Calculus II | MATH 2B — Single-Variable Calculus | 5 |
| MATH 005C or MATH 005CH — Multivariable Calculus | MATH 2D — Multivariable Calculus | 5 |
| MATH 005C or MATH 005CH — Multivariable Calculus | MATH 2E — Multivariable Calculus | 5 |
| MATH 010 or MATH 010H — Linear Algebra and Applications | MATH 3A — Introduction to Linear Algebra | 4 |
| MATH 055 or MATH 055H — Differential Equations | MATH 3D — Elementary Differential Equations | 4 |
| PHYS 008A — Physics for Scientists and Engineers I: Mechanics | PHYSICS 7C, PHYSICS 7LC | 5 |
| PHYS 008B — Physics for Scientists and Engineers II: Waves, Electricity & Magnetism | PHYSICS 7D, PHYSICS 7LD | 5 |
| PHYS 008C — Physics for Scientists and Engineers III: Thermodynamics, Optics, and Modern Physics | PHYSICS 7E — Classical Physics | 5 |
| CHEM 001A — General Chemistry and Chemical Analysis I | ENGR 1A, CHEM 1LE (choose 1) | 5 |
| CHEM 001A — General Chemistry and Chemical Analysis I | CHEM 1A, CHEM 1LE (choose 1) | 5 |
| ENGR 011 — Statics | ENGRCEE 30 — Statics | 3 |
| ENGR 002 — Engineering Graphics | ENGRMAE 52 — Computer-Aided Design | 3 |
| ENGR 016 — Engineering Circuits | EECS 70A — NETWORK ANALYSIS I (choose 1) | 3 |
| ENGR 014 — Materials of Engineering | ENGR 54 — Principles of Materials Science and Engineering | 3 |
| PHYS 008C — Physics for Scientists and Engineers III: Thermodynamics, Optics, and Modern Physics | PHYSICS 52A — Fundamentals of Experimental Physics | 5 |
| ECON 001B or ECON 001BH — Principles of Microeconomics | ECON 20A — Basic Economics I (choose 1) | 3 |
| ENGR 012 — Dynamics | ENGRMAE 80 — Dynamics | 3 |
| No PCC match | ENGRMAE 91 — Introduction to Thermodynamics | — |
| ANAT 025 (or another listed option) — Human Anatomy | Science courses (or lecture/lab combination) for Mechanical Engineering (choose 1) | 4 |
| No PCC match | ENGR 7A — Introduction to Engineering I | — |
| No PCC 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 Pasadena City College
UCI's Mechanical Engineering program uses its own GE pattern (see note below), but these five Pasadena City College courses cover foundation requirements every UC accepts. Start here.
BIOL 002
Animal Biology
CHEM 001A
General Chemistry and Chemical Analysis I
HIST 001A
History of European Civilization to 1715
ENGL C1000
Academic Reading and Writing
ENGL C1001
Critical Thinking and Writing
| Area | Course at Pasadena City College | Units |
|---|---|---|
Life Science | BIOL 002 — Animal Biology | 4 |
Physical Science | CHEM 001A — General Chemistry and Chemical Analysis I | 5 |
Humanities | HIST 001A — History of European Civilization to 1715 | 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 expects math, science, and engineering courses done before Cal-GETC or its own GE, and IGETC plays no role in the transfer selection process.
Five semesters through physics
MATH 009 opens into MATH 005A, MATH 005B, then PHYS 008A and PHYS 008B: five semesters minimum, with PHYS 008C still to follow. A skipped semester delays physics along with it.
PCC semesters, UCI quarters
PCC runs semesters and UCI runs quarters, so one PCC course can clear two UCI quarter courses. MATH 005C 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
PCC's honors track runs the whole way
MATH 005AH, MATH 005BH, MATH 005CH, MATH 010H, MATH 055H and ECON 001BH all clear the same UCI requirements as their standard versions. Take whichever section fits your schedule.
Thermodynamics has no PCC match
ASSIST lists no PCC course for ENGRMAE 91. It isn't on UCI's admission list, so it's one of three courses you'd take at UCI after finishing PCC's other engineering prep.
Start calculus with MATH 005A, not BUS 014B
BUS 014B and MATH 006A also clear UCI's MATH 2A, but MATH 005B needs MATH 005A or MATH 005AH first. Take one of those so the rest of the calculus sequence stays open.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Does PCC MATH 005A transfer to UCI Mechanical Engineering?
Yes. MATH 005A, or its honors version MATH 005AH, clears UCI's MATH 2A, the first course in a calculus chain that runs through MATH 005C.
What doesn't PCC cover for UCI Mechanical Engineering?
Three of 22 requirements: ENGRMAE 91 (Thermodynamics) and ENGR 7A and ENGR 7B (Introduction to Engineering). PCC has no matching course for any of them, and UCI doesn't require them for admission.
Does PCC's honors math count for UCI Mechanical Engineering?
Yes. ASSIST treats MATH 005AH, MATH 005BH and MATH 005CH as equal to the standard MATH 005A, MATH 005B and MATH 005C, so either track clears the same requirements.
Is Dynamics covered by PCC for UCI Mechanical Engineering?
Yes, PCC's ENGR 012 clears ENGRMAE 80. Statics (ENGR 011) and circuits (ENGR 016) are covered too, so the engineering courses UCI wants for a two-year finish are all available at PCC.
Explore More
Related Transfer Plans
Pasadena City College students transferring into UC Irvine's Mechanical Engineering, B.S. program clear 19 of 22 required courses, with an honors track running MATH 005AH through MATH 055H that counts the same as the standard sequence. What's left is Thermodynamics (ENGRMAE 91) and both Introduction to Engineering courses, which have no PCC match and are taken at UCI. On our platform, put in your CC and your transfer university and Transfermatic lines up PCC's course list, honors sections included, against UCI's Mechanical Engineering requirements.
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