Riverside City College to UCI
Mechanical Engineering Transfer Plan
RCC has a match for 16 of UCI's 22 Mechanical Engineering prep courses. ENGRMAE 52, ENGR 54, ENGRMAE 80 and ENGRMAE 91 and 2 more have no RCC match, so plan for them before you apply.
From
Riverside City College
To
UC Irvine
Mechanical EngineeringUC Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG)
UCI offers TAG for Mechanical Engineering for fall 2027 applicants, with a minimum 3.4 GPA. File during the TAG window the fall before you transfer, and check UCI's TAG page, since its list of eligible majors changes.
Major Requirements
Mechanical Engineering Major Preparation
Courses at Riverside City College that satisfy UC Irvine's Mechanical Engineering major preparation, mapped and verified by Transfermatic's transfer engine.
| Course at Riverside City College | Satisfies at UCI | Units |
|---|---|---|
| CIS 17A or ENE 38 — Programming Concepts and Methodology II: C++ | ENGRMAE 10 — Introduction to Engineering Computations | 3 |
| MAT 1A or MAT 1AH — Calculus I | MATH 2A — Single-Variable Calculus | 4 |
| MAT 1B — Calculus II | MATH 2B — Single-Variable Calculus | 4 |
| MAT 1C — Calculus III | MATH 2D — Multivariable Calculus | 4 |
| MAT 1C — Calculus III | MATH 2E — Multivariable Calculus | 4 |
| MAT 3 — Linear Algebra | MATH 3A — Introduction to Linear Algebra | 3 |
| MAT 2 — Differential Equations | MATH 3D — Elementary Differential Equations | 4 |
| PHY 4A — Mechanics | PHYSICS 7C, PHYSICS 7LC | 4 |
| PHY 4B — Electricity and Magnetism | PHYSICS 7D, PHYSICS 7LD | 4 |
| PHY 4C — Heat, Light and Waves | PHYSICS 7E — Classical Physics | 4 |
| CHE 1A or CHE 1AH — General Chemistry, I | ENGR 1A, CHEM 1LE (choose 1) | 5 |
| CHE 1A or CHE 1AH — General Chemistry, I | CHEM 1A, CHEM 1LE (choose 1) | 5 |
| ENE 35 — Statics | ENGRCEE 30 — Statics | 3 |
| No RCC match | ENGRMAE 52 — Computer-Aided Design | — |
| ENE 39 — Engineering Circuit Analysis | ENGRMAE 60 — Electric Circuits (choose 1) | 4 |
| ENE 39 — Engineering Circuit Analysis | EECS 70A — NETWORK ANALYSIS I (choose 1) | 4 |
| No RCC match | ENGR 54 — Principles of Materials Science and Engineering | — |
| PHY 4C — Heat, Light and Waves | PHYSICS 52A — Fundamentals of Experimental Physics | 4 |
| ECO 8 or ECO 8H — Principles of Microeconomics | ECON 20A — Basic Economics I (choose 1) | 3 |
| No RCC match | ENGRMAE 80 — Dynamics | — |
| No RCC match | ENGRMAE 91 — Introduction to Thermodynamics | — |
| ANT 1 (or another listed option) — Physical Anthropology | Science courses (or lecture/lab combination) for Mechanical Engineering (choose 1) | 3 |
| No RCC match | ENGR 7A — Introduction to Engineering I | — |
| No RCC 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 Riverside City College
UCI's Mechanical Engineering program uses its own GE pattern (see note below), but these five Riverside City College courses cover foundation requirements every UC accepts. Start here.
BIO 1
General Biology
AST 1A
Introduction to the Solar System
ENGL 14
American Literature I: Pre-Contact through Civil War
ENGL C1000
Academic Reading and Writing
COMM C1000
Introduction to Public Speaking
| Area | Course at Riverside City College | Units |
|---|---|---|
Life Science | BIO 1 — General Biology | 4 |
Physical Science | AST 1A — Introduction to the Solar System | 3 |
Humanities | ENGL 14 — American Literature I: Pre-Contact through Civil War | 3 |
English CompositionCCN | ENGL C1000 — Academic Reading and Writing | 4 |
Oral CommunicationCCN | COMM C1000 — Introduction to Public Speaking | 3 |
UCI Mechanical Engineering: full GE notes
Math, science, and engineering prep has to be finished before Cal-GETC or UCI's own GE pattern, since the engineering school doesn't count IGETC in who it admits.
RCC semesters, UCI quarters
RCC runs on semesters and UCI on quarters. Your units convert when you transfer, one semester unit to 1.5 quarter units, and anything left runs on UCI's quicker quarter schedule.
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
6 UCI requirements have no RCC match
RCC lists no course for ENGRMAE 52, ENGR 54, ENGRMAE 80 and ENGRMAE 91 and others. Check UCI's Mechanical Engineering page for whether they have to be done before you transfer, and plan where you'll cover them.
Start with CIS 17A and MAT 1A
CIS 17A and MAT 1A sit at the start of their sequences for this route, so they fit your first semester, next to ENGL C1000 for English composition.
More than one way to cover ENGRMAE 10
For UCI ENGRMAE 10, RCC accepts CIS 17A or ENE 38. You need only one of them, so pick whichever fits your schedule.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What classes should I take at RCC for UCI Mechanical Engineering?
CIS 17A or ENE 38, MAT 1A or MAT 1AH, MAT 1B, MAT 1C, MAT 3, MAT 2 and PHY 4A, plus the rest in the table above. Together they match 16 of the 22 prep courses UCI lists for Mechanical Engineering.
What doesn't RCC cover for UCI Mechanical Engineering?
ENGRMAE 52, ENGR 54, ENGRMAE 80, ENGRMAE 91 and ENGR 7A and 1 more. RCC lists no course for them, so check UCI's Mechanical Engineering page for whether they have to be finished before you transfer.
Does RCC MAT 1B transfer to UCI?
Yes, for Mechanical Engineering. RCC MAT 1B (Calculus II) is the match for UCI MATH 2B (Single-Variable Calculus) in the transfer agreement.
Can I use TAG for UCI Mechanical Engineering?
UCI lists Mechanical Engineering as TAG-eligible for fall 2027, with a minimum 3.4 GPA. Check UCI's TAG page before you count on it for a later term.
Explore More
Related Transfer Plans
Riverside City College students transferring to UC Irvine for Mechanical Engineering can match 16 of 22 lower-division prep courses at RCC, including CIS 17A or ENE 38 and MAT 1A or MAT 1AH. ENGRMAE 52 and ENGR 54 have no Riverside City College equivalent in the 2025-2026 agreement. CIS 17A and MAT 1A are good first-semester picks. On Transfermatic, put in Riverside City College and UC Irvine, and you get the classes you need for Mechanical Engineering, semester by semester.
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