San Diego Mesa College to UCSB
Mechanical Engineering Transfer Plan
Mesa clears 17 of UCSB's 20 Mechanical Engineering requirements, with the circuits, graphics, and dynamics courses all transferring. ME 15, ME 12S and ME 17 have no Mesa match; UCSB doesn't need them for admission, so all three can be taken after transfer.
From
San Diego Mesa College
To
UC Santa Barbara
Mechanical EngineeringMajor Requirements
Mechanical Engineering Major Preparation
Courses at San Diego Mesa College that satisfy UC Santa Barbara's Mechanical Engineering major preparation, mapped and verified by Transfermatic's transfer engine.
| Course at San Diego Mesa College | Satisfies at UCSB | Units |
|---|---|---|
| MATH 150 — Calculus with Analytic Geometry I | MATH 3A — Calculus with Applications, First Course | 5 |
| MATH 151 — Calculus with Analytic Geometry II | MATH 3B — Calculus with Applications, Second Course | 4 |
| MATH 254 — Introduction to Linear Algebra | MATH 4A — Linear Algebra with Applications | 3 |
| MATH 255 — Differential Equations | MATH 4B — Differential Equations | 3 |
| PHYS 195 — Mechanics | PHYS 7A — Basic Physics | 5 |
| PHYS 195 + PHYS 196 + PHYS 197 — Mechanics + Electricity and Magnetism + Waves, Optics and Modern Physics | PHYS 7B — Basic Physics | 15 |
| PHYS 196 + PHYS 197 — Electricity and Magnetism + Waves, Optics and Modern Physics | PHYS 7C — Basic Physics | 10 |
| PHYS 195 + PHYS 196 — Mechanics + Electricity and Magnetism | PHYS 7L — Physics Laboratory | 10 |
| ENGE 116 — Computational Methods in Engineering | ENGR 3 — Introduction to Programming | 3 |
| ENGE 200 — Statics | ME 14 — Statics | 3 |
| CHEM 200 + CHEM 200L — General Chemistry I - Lecture + General Chemistry I - Laboratory | CHEM 1A, CHEM 2AL | 5 |
| CHEM 200 + CHEM 201 — General Chemistry I - Lecture + General Chemistry II - Lecture | CHEM 1B — General Chemistry (recommended) | 6 |
| MATH 252 — Calculus with Analytic Geometry III | MATH 6A — Vector Calculus with Applications, First Course | 4 |
| MATH 252 — Calculus with Analytic Geometry III | MATH 6B — Vector Calculus with Applications, Second Course | 4 |
| ENGE 260 — Electric Circuits | ME 6 — Basic Electrical and Electronic Circuits | 3 |
| ENGE 151 — Computer-Aided Design | ME 10 — Engineering Graphics: Sketching, CAD, and Conceptual Design | 2 |
| No Mesa match | ME 15 — Strength of Materials | — |
| ENGE 250 — Dynamics | ME 16 — Engineering Mechanics: Dynamics | 3 |
| PHYS 197 — Waves, Optics and Modern Physics | PHYS 7D — Basic Physics | 5 |
| No Mesa match | ME 12S — Introduction to Machine Shop | — |
| No Mesa 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 San Diego Mesa College
UCSB's Mechanical Engineering program uses its own GE pattern (see note below), but these five San Diego Mesa College courses cover foundation requirements every UC accepts. Start here.
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 |
UCSB Mechanical Engineering: full GE notes
UCSB steers Mesa transfers toward major coursework rather than Cal-GETC or IGETC before they arrive; general education can be finished later for a three-year plan.
Five semesters to differential equations
MATH 141 leads to MATH 150, MATH 151, then MATH 252, MATH 255, five semesters minimum. MATH 255 is UCSB's required MATH 4B, due by the end of spring before transfer.
Mesa runs semesters, UCSB runs quarters
Mesa's five-semester math chain runs on a longer calendar than UCSB's quarters. Course units and pacing get converted once you're at UCSB, so a finished Mesa 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.
Watch Out
Common Mistakes for This Transfer Path
Strength of Materials has no Mesa match
ME 15 is the one gap in the strongly-recommended engineering block; ME 6, ME 10, and ME 16 all clear through Mesa's ENGE courses.
Chemistry lecture and lab count separately
Mesa's CHEM 200 lecture and CHEM 200L lab both have to be finished together to satisfy UCSB's CHEM 1A, CHEM 2AL requirement; the lecture alone doesn't complete it.
Five-semester chain from MATH 141
MATH 150 needs MATH 141 or MATH 15E. Starting at MATH 141, the chain runs MATH 150, MATH 151, MATH 252, then MATH 255: five semesters. MATH 255 covers UCSB's required MATH 4B.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Mesa's calculus sequence transfer to UCSB Mechanical Engineering?
Yes. MATH 150 clears MATH 3A, MATH 151 clears MATH 3B, and MATH 252 clears both MATH 6A and MATH 6B.
What does Mesa not cover for UCSB Mechanical Engineering?
The three open requirements are ME 15 Strength of Materials, ME 12S Introduction to Machine Shop, and ME 17 Mathematics of Engineering. The rest of the engineering block, ME 6, ME 10, and ME 16, transfers.
How long is Mesa's math chain before transfer?
Five semesters if you place into MATH 141. It leads to MATH 150, MATH 151, then MATH 252, MATH 255, so calculus needs to start as early as possible.
Is UCSB Mechanical Engineering TAG-eligible from Mesa?
No. UCSB doesn't run TAG for College of Engineering majors, so Mesa applicants are reviewed on finished major prep, with a 3.5 GPA in those courses called most competitive.
Explore More
Related Transfer Plans
San Diego Mesa College students transferring into UC Santa Barbara's Mechanical Engineering, B.S. program clear 17 of 20 requirements, with Strength of Materials, machine shop and Mathematics of Engineering left open. Mesa splits general chemistry into a lecture course, CHEM 200, and a separate lab, CHEM 200L, both needed together for UCSB's chemistry requirement. On our platform, put in your CC and your transfer university and Transfermatic checks Mesa's coursework against UCSB's Mechanical Engineering requirements automatically.
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