Santa Monica College to UC Berkeley
Mechanical Engineering Transfer Plan
SMC has a match for all ten courses UC Berkeley requires for Mechanical Engineering admission, from MATH 7 through MATH 15 plus physics PHYSCS 21, 22 and 23. Berkeley only reviews applicants who finish every one of them with a 3.5 GPA or higher, so none of them is optional.
From
Santa Monica College
To
UC Berkeley
Mechanical EngineeringMajor Requirements
Mechanical Engineering Major Preparation
Courses at Santa Monica College that satisfy UC Berkeley's Mechanical Engineering major preparation, mapped and verified by Transfermatic's transfer engine.
| Course at Santa Monica College | Satisfies at UC Berkeley | Units |
|---|---|---|
| CHEM 12 + CHEM 11 — General Chemistry II + General Chemistry I | CHEM 1A, CHEM 1AL, CHEM 1B | 10 |
| MATH 7 — Calculus 1 | MATH 51 — Calculus I | 5 |
| MATH 8 — Calculus 2 | MATH 52 — Calculus II | 5 |
| MATH 11 — Multivariable Calculus | MATH 53 — Multivariable Calculus | 5 |
| MATH 15 + MATH 13 — Differential Equations + Linear Algebra | MATH 54 — Linear Algebra and Differential Equations | 6 |
| PHYSCS 21 + PHYSCS 23 — Mechanics with Lab + Fluids, Waves, Thermodynamics, Optics with Lab | PHYSICS 7A — Physics for Scientists and Engineers | 10 |
| PHYSCS 22 + PHYSCS 23 — Electricity and Magnetism with Lab + Fluids, Waves, Thermodynamics, Optics with Lab | PHYSICS 7B — Physics for Scientists and Engineers | 10 |
| ENGL C1000 — Academic Reading and Writing | Courses that satisfy Reading & Composition A | 3 |
| ENGL 31 or ENGL C1001 — Advanced Composition | Courses that satisfy Reading & Composition B | 3 |
| BIOL 21 + BIOL 23 + BIOL 22 — Cell Biology and Evolution + Organismal and Environmental Biology + Genetics and Molecular Biology | BIOLOGY 1A, BIOLOGY 1AL, BIOLOGY 1B (choose 1) | 13 |
| CHEM 12 + CHEM 11 — General Chemistry II + General Chemistry I | CHEM 1A, CHEM 1AL, CHEM 1B (choose 1) | 10 |
| CHEM 21 — Organic Chemistry I | CHEM 3A, CHEM 3AL (choose 1) | 5 |
| CHEM 22 + CHEM 24 — Organic Chemistry II + Organic Chemistry II Laboratory | CHEM 3B, CHEM 3BL (choose 1) | 6 |
| PHYSCS 23 + PHYSCS 24 — Fluids, Waves, Thermodynamics, Optics with Lab + Modern Physics with Lab | PHYSICS 7C — Physics for Scientists and Engineers (choose 1) | 8 |
| PHYS 3 — Human Physiology | MCELLBI 32, MCELLBI 32L (choose 1) | 4 |
| No SMC match | ENGIN 7 — Introduction to Computer Programming for Scientists and Engineers (MATLAB) (recommended) | — |
| No SMC match | ENGIN 26 — Three-Dimensional Modeling for Design (recommended) | — |
| No SMC match | ENGIN 29 — Manufacturing and Design Communication (recommended) | — |
| No SMC match | MEC ENG 40 — Thermodynamics (recommended) | — |
| No SMC match | MEC ENG C85 — Introduction to Solid Mechanics (recommended) | — |
Courses with no equivalent must be taken at UC Berkeley after transfer. Factor this into your first-year course plan.
General Education
Foundation GE at Santa Monica College
UC Berkeley's Mechanical Engineering program uses its own GE pattern (see note below), but these five Santa Monica College courses cover foundation requirements every UC accepts. Start here.
BIOL 10
Applied Ecology and Conservation Biology
CHEM 10
Introductory General Chemistry
ENGL C1001
Critical Thinking and Writing
ENGL C1000
Academic Reading and Writing
COMM C1000
Introduction to Public Speaking
| Area | Course at Santa Monica College | Units |
|---|---|---|
Life Science | BIOL 10 — Applied Ecology and Conservation Biology | 4 |
Physical Science | CHEM 10 — Introductory General Chemistry | 5 |
HumanitiesCCN | ENGL C1001 — Critical Thinking and Writing | 3 |
English CompositionCCN | ENGL C1000 — Academic Reading and Writing | 3 |
Oral CommunicationCCN | COMM C1000 — Introduction to Public Speaking | 3 |
UC Berkeley Mechanical Engineering: full GE notes
Berkeley's College of Engineering does not accept IGETC or Cal-GETC for this major, so put SMC's two composition courses ahead of any GE pattern.
Start math and chemistry your first semester
Math runs MATH 2, MATH 7, MATH 8, then MATH 11: four semesters if you start below calculus. Picking biology for the choice is longer: CHEM 10, CHEM 11, BIOL 21, BIOL 22, BIOL 23 takes five.
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
Berkeley physics takes three SMC classes
PHYSICS 7A maps to PHYSCS 21 and PHYSCS 23, and PHYSICS 7B maps to PHYSCS 22 and PHYSCS 23. So you need all three. Add PHYSCS 24 and you also have PHYSICS 7C, one of the accepted options for the one-course choice.
Take CHEM 11 and CHEM 12 at SMC
Berkeley's chemistry requirement maps to CHEM 11 and CHEM 12 together. Its series rule says a multi-course series must be finished at one college, and partial completion earns zero credit, so don't split the pair between SMC and another school.
MATH 13 and MATH 15 can split
MATH 54 maps to MATH 13 (linear algebra) plus MATH 15 (differential equations). It's the one series Berkeley lets you take at two different colleges, though it prefers one. Both need only MATH 8, so you can take them in the same semester.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What classes do I need at SMC for UC Berkeley Mechanical Engineering?
MATH 7, MATH 8, MATH 11, MATH 13 and MATH 15; PHYSCS 21, 22 and 23; CHEM 11 and CHEM 12; ENGL C1000 plus ENGL 31 or ENGL C1001; and one course from Berkeley's choice list. Berkeley wants all of it done by the end of the spring before you transfer.
What doesn't SMC cover for Berkeley Mechanical Engineering?
No admission course is missing at SMC. The unmatched ones sit on Berkeley's strongly recommended list: ENGIN 7, ENGIN 26, ENGIN 29, MEC ENG 40 and MEC ENG C85 have no SMC equivalent. They are recommended, not required for admission.
Which one-course choice should SMC students take for Berkeley engineering?
The CHEM 11 and CHEM 12 pair you already need is itself listed as one of the accepted options, since ASSIST maps it to Berkeley's CHEM 1A and CHEM 1B. PHYSCS 24 with PHYSCS 23 is another. STAT 20 and COMPSCI C8 have no SMC match.
What GPA do you need to transfer from SMC to Berkeley mechanical engineering?
At least 3.5. Berkeley's College of Engineering only considers applicants at or above that GPA who have completed every required course, both composition courses included. Admitted engineering transfers can't move to another major in the college, so choose Mechanical Engineering on purpose.
Explore More
Related Transfer Plans
Santa Monica College students aiming for UC Berkeley Mechanical Engineering can finish every admission course before transferring. The core is calculus from MATH 7 through MATH 11, MATH 13 and MATH 15 for Berkeley's MATH 54, the three-course physics set starting with PHYSCS 21, and the CHEM 11 and CHEM 12 pair, plus two composition courses. Berkeley reviews only applicants who finish all of them by spring with at least a 3.5 GPA. Transfermatic can lay these SMC courses out semester by semester so the math and physics chains finish in time.
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