Pasadena City College to UCSD
Mechanical Engineering Transfer Plan
PCC clears 14 of UCSD's 17 Mechanical Engineering requirements, and standard, honors and embedded-support calculus sections all count. MAE 3, MAE 11 and MAE 30B have no PCC match, so those wait until after transfer.
From
Pasadena City College
To
UC San Diego
Mechanical EngineeringMajor Requirements
Mechanical Engineering Major Preparation
Courses at Pasadena City College that satisfy UC San Diego's Mechanical Engineering major preparation, mapped and verified by Transfermatic's transfer engine.
| Course at Pasadena City College | Satisfies at UCSD | Units |
|---|---|---|
| ENGR 018 or CS 003C or CS 001 — Programming and Problem-Solving in MATLAB | MAE 8 — MATLAB Programming for Engineering Analysis | 3 |
| CHEM 001A — General Chemistry and Chemical Analysis I | CHEM 6A — General Chemistry I | 5 |
| MATH 010 or MATH 010H — Linear Algebra and Applications | MATH 18 — Linear Algebra | 4 |
| MATH 005A or MATH 005AH or MATH 005AE — Single Variable Calculus I | MATH 20A — Calculus for Science and Engineering | 5 |
| MATH 005B or MATH 005BH or MATH 005BE — Single Variable Calculus II | MATH 20B — Calculus for Science and Engineering | 5 |
| MATH 005C or MATH 005CH — Multivariable Calculus | MATH 20C — Calculus and Analytic Geometry for Science and Engineering | 5 |
| MATH 055 or MATH 055H — Differential Equations | MATH 20D — Introduction to Differential Equations | 4 |
| MATH 005C or MATH 005CH — Multivariable Calculus | MATH 20E — Vector Calculus | 5 |
| PHYS 008A — Physics for Scientists and Engineers I: Mechanics | PHYS 2A — Physics - Mechanics | 5 |
| PHYS 008B — Physics for Scientists and Engineers II: Waves, Electricity & Magnetism | PHYS 2B — Physics - Electricity and Magnetism | 5 |
| PHYS 008C + PHYS 008A + PHYS 008B — Physics for Scientists and Engineers III: Thermodynamics, Optics, and Modern Physics + Physics for Scientists and Engineers I: Mechanics + Physics for Scientists and Engineers II: Waves, Electricity & Magnetism | PHYS 2C — Physics - Fluids, Waves, Thermodynamics, and Optics | 15 |
| ENGR 014 — Materials of Engineering | MAE 20 — Elements of Materials Science | 3 |
| No PCC match | MAE 3 — Introduction to Engineering Graphics and Design | — |
| No PCC match | MAE 11 — Thermodynamics | — |
| ENGR 012 + ENGR 011 — Dynamics + Statics | MAE 30A — Statics & Introduction to Dynamics | 6 |
| No PCC match | MAE 30B — Dynamics & Vibrations | — |
| ENGR 016 — Engineering Circuits | MAE 40 — Linear Circuits | 3 |
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 Pasadena City College
Complete these five courses at Pasadena City 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 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 |
Five semesters of math and physics
MATH 009 leads into MATH 005A, 005B, PHYS 008A and PHYS 008B, five semesters minimum. UCSD wants Math 18, 20A-D and Phys 2A-C finished by the spring before transfer, so start this chain right away.
PCC runs semesters, UCSD runs quarters
PCC's courses run on a semester calendar, while UCSD splits the same content across shorter quarters. Once you're at UCSD, your remaining Mechanical Engineering courses follow that faster quarter pace, not PCC's.
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
Three calculus section types all count
MATH 20A clears with MATH 005A, MATH 005AH or MATH 005AE, and MATH 20B with MATH 005B, MATH 005BH or MATH 005BE; E sections add embedded support. MATH 20C takes MATH 005C or MATH 005CH, and MATH 20D takes MATH 055 or MATH 055H.
MAE 30A needs two PCC courses together
UCSD's MAE 30A only clears once you finish both ENGR 011 and ENGR 012 at PCC. ENGR 012 itself needs ENGR 011 first, so take them in order.
Three courses wait until after transfer
MAE 3, MAE 11 and MAE 30B have no PCC match, and none is on UCSD's screening list. Materials science, circuits and MAE 30A all clear at PCC already.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Does PCC's honors calculus transfer to UCSD Mechanical Engineering?
Yes. MATH 005AH, 005BH and 005CH clear the same UCSD courses as MATH 005A, 005B and 005C. The embedded-support MATH 005AE and MATH 005BE also count for MATH 20A and 20B; ASSIST treats every listed option as equal.
What doesn't PCC cover for UCSD Mechanical Engineering?
MAE 3, MAE 11 and MAE 30B have no PCC match, so those wait until after you transfer. The rest of the 17-course list, including materials science and circuits, clears at PCC.
Does PCC's semester calendar cause problems for UCSD transfer?
No, but the pace changes. PCC runs semesters and UCSD runs quarters, so your remaining Mechanical Engineering courses at UCSD are taught differently than what you finished at PCC.
What's the admit rate for UCSD Mechanical Engineering?
31% of transfer applicants to UCSD's Mechanical Engineering major were admitted in 2025, across all applicants, not specific to PCC students. UCSD recommends listing a non-selective alternate major as a backup.
Explore More
Related Transfer Plans
Pasadena City College students transferring into UC San Diego's Mechanical Engineering, B.S. program clear fourteen of seventeen requirements, with standard, honors and embedded-support calculus sections all counting toward MATH 20A and 20B, and standard or honors toward MATH 20C. MAE 30A clears only once both ENGR 011 and ENGR 012 are finished, in that order. MAE 3, MAE 11 and MAE 30B have no PCC match and wait until after transfer. On our platform, put in your CC and your transfer university and Transfermatic checks PCC's course list against UC San Diego's Mechanical Engineering requirements automatically.
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