San Diego Mesa College to UC Davis
Mechanical Engineering Transfer Plan
Mesa covers chemistry through a four-part lecture-and-lab combination, the full calculus chain, and all three physics courses for UC Davis's Mechanical Engineering major. ENG 006 has no Mesa match yet is due by spring before transfer, and ENG 045 and EME 050 stay open.
From
San Diego Mesa College
To
UC Davis
Mechanical EngineeringUC Davis TAG
Mechanical Engineering is TAG-eligible at UC Davis. The College of Engineering's bar for the guarantee is a 3.50 GPA cumulative and a matching 3.50 in your major prep courses.
Major Requirements
Mechanical Engineering Major Preparation
Courses at San Diego Mesa College that satisfy UC Davis's Mechanical Engineering major preparation, mapped and verified by Transfermatic's transfer engine.
| Course at San Diego Mesa College | Satisfies at UC Davis | Units |
|---|---|---|
| CHEM 200 + CHEM 201 + CHEM 201L + CHEM 200L — General Chemistry I - Lecture + General Chemistry II - Lecture + General Chemistry II - Laboratory + General Chemistry I - Laboratory | CHE 002A, CHE 002B, CHE 002C | 10 |
| ENGE 151 — Computer-Aided Design | ENG 004 — Engineering Graphics in Design | 2 |
| No Mesa match | ENG 006 — Engineering Problem Solving | — |
| ENGE 260 — Electric Circuits | ENG 017 — Circuits I | 3 |
| ENGE 200 — Statics | ENG 035 — Statics | 3 |
| MATH 150 — Calculus with Analytic Geometry I | MAT 021A — Calculus | 5 |
| MATH 151 — Calculus with Analytic Geometry II | MAT 021B — Calculus | 4 |
| MATH 252 — Calculus with Analytic Geometry III | MAT 021C, MAT 021D | 4 |
| MATH 254 — Introduction to Linear Algebra | MAT 022A — Linear Algebra | 3 |
| MATH 255 — Differential Equations | MAT 022B — Differential Equations | 3 |
| PHYS 195 — Mechanics | PHY 009A — Classical Physics | 5 |
| PHYS 196 + PHYS 197 — Electricity and Magnetism + Waves, Optics and Modern Physics | PHY 009B — Classical Physics | 10 |
| PHYS 196 — Electricity and Magnetism | PHY 009C — Classical Physics | 5 |
| ENGL 220 — Masterpieces of World Literature I: 1500 BCE - 1600 CE | COM 001 — Major Works of the Ancient World (choose 1) | 3 |
| ENGL 220 + ENGL 221 — Masterpieces of World Literature I: 1500 BCE - 1600 CE + Masterpieces of World Literature II: 1600 - Present | COM 002 — Major Works of the Medieval & Early Modern World (choose 1) | 6 |
| ENGL 221 — Masterpieces of World Literature II: 1600 - Present | COM 003 — Major Works of the Modern World (choose 1) | 3 |
| ENGL 105 — Composition and Literature | ENL 003 — Introduction to Literature (choose 1) | 3 |
| ENGL C1000 — Academic Reading and Writing | UWP 001 — Introduction to Academic Literacies (choose 1) | 3 |
| COMM C1000 — Introduction to Public Speaking | CMN 001 — Introduction to Public Speaking (choose 1) | 3 |
| No Mesa match | ENG 045 — Properties of Materials | — |
| No Mesa match | EME 050 — Manufacturing Processes | — |
Courses with no equivalent must be taken at UC Davis after transfer. Factor this into your first-year course plan.
General Education
Foundation GE at San Diego Mesa College
Complete these five courses at San Diego Mesa College to start your UC Davis 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 100
Natural History - Environmental Biology
CHEM 100
Fundamentals of Chemistry
HIST 100
World History I
ENGL C1000
Academic Reading and Writing
ENGL C1001
Critical Thinking and Writing
| Area | Course at San Diego Mesa College | Units |
|---|---|---|
Life Science | BIOL 100 — Natural History - Environmental Biology | 4 |
Physical Science | CHEM 100 — Fundamentals of Chemistry | 3 |
Humanities | HIST 100 — World History I | 3 |
English CompositionCCN | ENGL C1000 — Academic Reading and Writing | 3 |
Critical ThinkingCCN | ENGL C1001 — Critical Thinking and Writing | 3 |
Five semesters of math and physics
MATH 141 leads to MATH 150, then PHYS 195, PHYS 196, then ENGE 260: five semesters minimum. Start calculus your first term so the physics sequence isn't delayed.
Mesa runs semesters, UC Davis runs quarters
Mesa's semester-length chemistry, math and physics courses get repaced into UC Davis's quarter calendar once you transfer, so unit counts and pacing shift even where everything already matches.
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
Chemistry is a four-course combination
CHEM 200, 201, 201L and 200L all need to be finished together at Mesa to clear UC Davis's chemistry requirement; lecture and lab are separate Mesa courses here.
ENG 006 has no Mesa match
UC Davis's problem-solving course doesn't clear through any Mesa class, and it's on the list UC Davis screens by spring before transfer. Graphics, circuits and statics in that same group all clear.
Physics doubles up for one requirement
PHYS 196 and PHYS 197 together clear PHY 009B, while PHYS 196 alone also clears PHY 009C; check which combination you still need.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Mesa's chemistry sequence transfer to UC Davis Mechanical Engineering?
Yes, but as four separate courses. CHEM 200, 201, 200L and 201L together clear UC Davis's chemistry requirement, since Mesa splits lecture from lab.
What doesn't Mesa cover for UC Davis Mechanical Engineering?
Three of seventeen requirements. ENG 006, the problem-solving course, has no Mesa match and is due by spring before transfer. ENG 045 and EME 050 aren't on UC Davis's screening list and can be taken at UC Davis.
What's the admit rate for UC Davis Mechanical Engineering?
43% of all transfer applicants to the major were admitted according to UC Davis's 2025 data, a figure across every applicant rather than Mesa students specifically.
Is Mesa to UC Davis Mechanical Engineering TAG-eligible?
Yes. UC Davis guarantees admission through TAG for this major once you hit a 3.50 GPA both cumulative and across your major prep coursework.
Explore More
Related Transfer Plans
San Diego Mesa College students transferring into UC Davis's Mechanical Engineering, B.S. program clear fourteen of seventeen requirements, with chemistry split across four Mesa courses, CHEM 200, 201, 200L and 201L, and a full calculus and physics track. ENG 006 has no Mesa match yet is due before transfer, and ENG 045 and EME 050 are unmatched too. On our platform, put in your CC and your transfer university and Transfermatic sorts out combined-course requirements like Mesa's chemistry split automatically.
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