Southwestern College to UCI
Mechanical Engineering Transfer Plan
Southwestern College clears 19 of UC Irvine's 22 Mechanical Engineering requirements, including every course UCI requires for admission. Thermodynamics and both Introduction to Engineering courses have no Southwestern match, and none of the three is an admission requirement.
From
Southwestern College
To
UC Irvine
Mechanical EngineeringUC Irvine TAG
Southwestern students can use TAG for Mechanical Engineering at a 3.4 GPA for fall 2027 applicants. UCI takes the major out of TAG eligibility starting fall 2028.
Major Requirements
Mechanical Engineering Major Preparation
Courses at Southwestern College that satisfy UC Irvine's Mechanical Engineering major preparation, mapped and verified by Transfermatic's transfer engine.
| Course at Southwestern College | Satisfies at UCI | Units |
|---|---|---|
| CIS 115 or ENGR 221 or ENGR 120C — Introduction to Programming Using C++ | ENGRMAE 10 — Introduction to Engineering Computations | 4 |
| MATH 250 or (MATH 122 and MATH 121) — Analytic Geometry and Calculus I | MATH 2A — Single-Variable Calculus | 5 |
| MATH 251 — Analytic Geometry and Calculus II | MATH 2B — Single-Variable Calculus | 4 |
| MATH 252 — Analytic Geometry and Calculus III | MATH 2D — Multivariable Calculus | 4 |
| MATH 252 — Analytic Geometry and Calculus III | MATH 2E — Multivariable Calculus | 4 |
| MATH 254 — Introduction to Linear Algebra | MATH 3A — Introduction to Linear Algebra | 3 |
| MATH 253 — Introduction to Differential Equations | MATH 3D — Elementary Differential Equations | 3 |
| PHYS 270 + PHYS 271 — Principles of Physics I + Principles of Physics Laboratory I | PHYSICS 7C, PHYSICS 7LC | 5 |
| PHYS 272 — Principles of Physics II | PHYSICS 7D, PHYSICS 7LD | 4 |
| PHYS 274 — Principles of Physics III | PHYSICS 7E — Classical Physics | 4 |
| CHEM 200 — General Chemistry I | ENGR 1A, CHEM 1LE (choose 1) | 5 |
| CHEM 200 — General Chemistry I | CHEM 1A, CHEM 1LE (choose 1) | 5 |
| ENGR 250 — Engineering Statics | ENGRCEE 30 — Statics | 3 |
| ENGR 110 — Engineering Design and Graphics | ENGRMAE 52 — Computer-Aided Design | 3 |
| ENGR 270 — Electrical Circuits | EECS 70A — NETWORK ANALYSIS I (choose 1) | 3 |
| ENGR 260 — Engineering Materials | ENGR 54 — Principles of Materials Science and Engineering | 3 |
| PHYS 274 — Principles of Physics III | PHYSICS 52A — Fundamentals of Experimental Physics | 4 |
| ECON 102 — Principles of Economics II | ECON 20A — Basic Economics I (choose 1) | 3 |
| ENGR 251 — Engineering Dynamics | ENGRMAE 80 — Dynamics | 3 |
| No Southwestern match | ENGRMAE 91 — Introduction to Thermodynamics | — |
| ANTH 101 (or another listed option) — Biological Anthropology | Science courses (or lecture/lab combination) for Mechanical Engineering (choose 1) | 3 |
| No Southwestern match | ENGR 7A — Introduction to Engineering I | — |
| No Southwestern 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 Southwestern College
UCI's Mechanical Engineering program uses its own GE pattern (see note below), but these five Southwestern College courses cover foundation requirements every UC accepts. Start here.
BIOL 100
Principles of Biology
CHEM 100
Introduction to General Chemistry
HIST 104
Western Civilization I
ENGL C1000
Academic Reading and Writing
ENGL C1001
Critical Thinking and Writing
| Area | Course at Southwestern College | Units |
|---|---|---|
Life Science | BIOL 100 — Principles of Biology | 3 |
Physical Science | CHEM 100 — Introduction to General Chemistry | 4 |
Humanities | HIST 104 — Western Civilization I | 3 |
English CompositionCCN | ENGL C1000 — Academic Reading and Writing | 4 |
Critical ThinkingCCN | ENGL C1001 — Critical Thinking and Writing | 4 |
UCI Mechanical Engineering: full GE notes
UCI's engineering school wants math, science, and engineering finished before Cal-GETC or its own GE pattern, and IGETC isn't part of how it selects transfer students.
Five semesters into physics
MATH 244 leads into MATH C2210, then PHYS 270, PHYS 272 and PHYS 274: five semesters minimum. Start math early since the physics sequence depends on finishing it first.
Southwestern semesters, UCI quarters
Southwestern runs semesters while UCI runs quarters, so one Southwestern course can clear two UCI quarter courses. MATH 252 covers both MATH 2D and MATH 2E.
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
First calculus course has two paths
MATH 250 alone, or MATH 121 and MATH 122 together, satisfy UCI's MATH 2A. MATH 250 is the first of the MATH 250, MATH 251, MATH 252 series that covers the rest of UCI's calculus.
Physics 7C needs two Southwestern courses
PHYS 270 and PHYS 271 both have to appear on your transcript to clear UCI's PHYSICS 7C and PHYSICS 7LC. One alone isn't enough, and physics is on UCI's admission list.
Thermodynamics has no Southwestern match
ASSIST lists no Southwestern course for ENGRMAE 91. It isn't required for admission, so it's one of three courses you'd take at UCI after the rest of Southwestern's engineering prep.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Southwestern MATH 250 transfer to UCI Mechanical Engineering?
Yes. MATH 250 clears UCI's MATH 2A on its own, or you can combine MATH 122 and MATH 121 for the same result.
What doesn't Southwestern cover for UCI Mechanical Engineering?
Southwestern is missing three of 22: Thermodynamics (ENGRMAE 91) plus ENGR 7A and ENGR 7B, the two Introduction to Engineering courses. ASSIST lists no Southwestern match for them, and UCI doesn't need them for admission.
Does Southwestern cover Materials Science for UCI Mechanical Engineering?
Yes, ENGR 260 clears ENGR 54. Southwestern also covers Statics (ENGR 250), Dynamics (ENGR 251) and circuits (ENGR 270), the engineering courses UCI wants for a two-year finish.
Do I need two courses for physics at Southwestern before transferring?
For the first physics requirement, yes. PHYS 270 and PHYS 271 together clear PHYSICS 7C and PHYSICS 7LC; the next two physics courses each need only one Southwestern course, PHYS 272 and PHYS 274.
Explore More
Related Transfer Plans
Southwestern College students transferring into UC Irvine's Mechanical Engineering, B.S. program clear 19 of 22 required courses, with one calculus requirement reachable either through a single course, MATH 250, or a two-course combination, MATH 122 and MATH 121. Thermodynamics (ENGRMAE 91) and both Introduction to Engineering courses are the remaining gaps, taken at UCI. On our platform, put in your CC and your transfer university and Transfermatic checks Southwestern's course combinations against UCI's requirements automatically.
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