Southwestern College to UCLA
Mechanical Engineering Transfer Plan
Southwestern College covers every one of UCLA's 11 required Mechanical Engineering courses. Physics alone takes five separate Southwestern courses, lectures and labs split apart, more pieces than any other requirement here.
From
Southwestern College
To
UCLA
Mechanical EngineeringMajor Requirements
Mechanical Engineering Major Preparation
Courses at Southwestern College that satisfy UCLA's Mechanical Engineering major preparation, mapped and verified by Transfermatic's transfer engine.
| Course at Southwestern College | Satisfies at UCLA | Units |
|---|---|---|
| CHEM 210 + CHEM 200 — General Chemistry II + General Chemistry I | CHEM 20A, CHEM 20B, CHEM 20L | 10 |
| MATH 250 — Analytic Geometry and Calculus I | MATH 31A — Differential and Integral Calculus | 5 |
| MATH 251 — Analytic Geometry and Calculus II | MATH 31B — Integration and Infinite Series | 4 |
| MATH 252 — Analytic Geometry and Calculus III | MATH 32A — Calculus of Several Variables | 4 |
| MATH 252 — Analytic Geometry and Calculus III | MATH 32B — Calculus of Several Variables | 4 |
| MATH 254 — Introduction to Linear Algebra | MATH 33A — Linear Algebra and Applications | 3 |
| MATH 253 — Introduction to Differential Equations | MECH&AE 82 — Mathematics of Engineering | 3 |
| ENGR 110 — Engineering Design and Graphics | MECH&AE 94 — Introduction to Computer-Aided Design and Drafting | 3 |
| PHYS 273 + PHYS 271 + PHYS 270 + PHYS 272 + PHYS 274 — Principles of Physics Laboratory II + Principles of Physics Laboratory I + Principles of Physics I + Principles of Physics II + Principles of Physics III | PHYSICS 1A, PHYSICS 1B, PHYSICS 1C, PHYSICS 4AL, PHYSICS 4BL | 14 |
| ENGL C1000 — Academic Reading and Writing | ENGCOMP 3 — English Composition, Rhetoric, and Language (choose 1) | 4 |
| ENGL C1001 or ENGL 220 or PHIL 103 — Critical Thinking and Writing | English composition courses (choose 1) | 4 |
| CIS 115 — Introduction to Programming Using C++ | COM SCI 31 — Introduction to Computer Science I (choose 1) | 4 |
| ENGR 221 — Computer Programming and Applications - MATLAB | C&EE M20 — Introduction to Computer Programming with MATLAB (choose 1) | 3 |
| CIS 115 — Introduction to Programming Using C++ | Computer programming courses: C, C++, Java or Matlab (choose 1) | 4 |
| No Southwestern match | EC ENGR 100 — Electrical and Electronic Circuits (recommended) | — |
| No Southwestern match | EC ENGR 110L — Circuit Measurements Laboratory (recommended) | — |
| No Southwestern match | MECH&AE 101 — Statics and Strength of Materials (recommended) | — |
| No Southwestern match | MECH&AE 102 — Dynamics of Particles and Rigid Bodies (recommended) | — |
| No Southwestern match | MAT SCI 104 — Science of Engineering Materials (recommended) | — |
Courses with no equivalent must be taken at UCLA after transfer. Factor this into your first-year course plan.
General Education
Foundation GE at Southwestern College
UCLA'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 |
UCLA Mechanical Engineering: full GE notes
UCLA doesn't ask Samueli applicants for Cal-GETC or IGETC, won't take a half-done one, and doesn't suggest engineering students bother with it.
Five semesters through the physics labs
MATH 244 leads to MATH C2210, then PHYS 270, PHYS 272 and PHYS 274: five semesters minimum. Falling behind in math delays every physics course that follows.
Southwestern semesters, UCLA quarters
Southwestern runs semesters while UCLA runs quarters, so one course often covers two. MATH 252, a single Southwestern course, matches both UCLA's MATH 32A and MATH 32B.
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
Physics splits into five separate courses
PHYS 270, 271, 272, 273 and 274 together cover UCLA's physics sequence. Register for each lecture and its matching lab; missing one leaves the requirement incomplete.
No recommended elective has a match here
EC ENGR 100, EC ENGR 110L, MECH&AE 101, MECH&AE 102 and MAT SCI 104 are all recommended, not required, and ASSIST lists no Southwestern course for any of them.
CAD is a single design course
ENGR 110, Engineering Design and Graphics, covers MECH&AE 94 on its own. It's a light three-unit course, easy to schedule alongside math in an early semester.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What classes should I take at Southwestern for UCLA Mechanical Engineering?
MATH 250 through 252 for calculus, MATH 254 and 253 for linear algebra and differential equations, CHEM 200/210, PHYS 270 through 274, ENGR 110 for CAD, ENGL C1000, and CIS 115 or ENGR 221 for programming.
How many Southwestern courses does UCLA's physics requirement need?
Five. PHYS 270, 271, 272, 273 and 274 together satisfy UCLA's full physics sequence, splitting lecture and lab into separate courses rather than combining them.
What's missing from Southwestern's UCLA Mechanical Engineering prep?
All 11 required courses are covered. None of UCLA's five recommended electives, including statics, dynamics and circuits, has a Southwestern match, so those come after transfer.
What's UCLA's admit rate for Mechanical Engineering transfers?
UCLA's Samueli School admitted 12% of all 2025 transfer applicants to Mechanical Engineering, a figure for every applicant to the major, not Southwestern alone, and requires a 3.4 minimum GPA to apply.
Explore More
Related Transfer Plans
Southwestern College students working toward Mechanical Engineering at the University of California, Los Angeles can finish all 11 of UCLA's required prep courses at Southwestern. Physics takes the most pieces: PHYS 270 through 274, three lectures and two labs, together cover UCLA's physics sequence. None of UCLA's five recommended, not required, courses has a Southwestern match. Samueli admitted 12% of 2025 transfer applicants to the major and sets a 3.4 GPA floor. Transfermatic can keep those five physics courses straight against the rest of your schedule.
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