Mechanical Science and Engineering
Department Head: Huseyin Sehitoglu
Department Office: 144 Mechanical Engineering Building, 1206 West Green, Urbana, (217) 333-1176
Curriculum in Mechanical Engineering
Undergraduate Program Office: 154 Mechanical Engineering Building
Fax: (217) 244-6534
E-mail: mechse-undergrad@uiuc.edu
For the Degree of Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering
Mechanical engineering may be the most diverse of the engineering fields, embracing many subfields and affecting all aspects of our lives. Mechanical engineers work on new machines, products, and processes that hold the promise of better lives for all of us. They are concerned with both technological and economic aspects in the design, development, and use of their products. Today, one of the challenges is to design efficient, low-cost machines and processes that use the fewest possible natural resources to improve the lives of people throughout the world.
The technical portion of the mechanical engineering curriculum is designed as a sequence of increasingly specialized experiences. The entering student's first year is spent mastering the basics of science: math, chemistry, and physics. Building on this base, in the second year students begin to take fundamental engineering courses such as statics, dynamics, basic circuits and electronics, thermodynamics, and strength of materials. By the third year, students are taking specialized mechanical engineering courses in the subfields of fluid mechanics, heat transfer, dynamic systems and controls, materials, mechanical design, and manufacturing. Finally, during the senior year, students have the opportunity to both broaden and deepen their knowledge of the field through technical elective courses. At the end of the curriculum, students take the capstone senior design course in which the knowledge and skills they have learned are applied to projects submitted to the department by industrial firms or by faculty members. Engineering design, communication, teamwork, and laboratory experiences are integrated throughout the curriculum from the first year to the last year.
A combined B.S.-M.S. Mechanical Engineering degree program is available. Its admission and course requirements are described in the College of Engineering program information section.
Overview of Curricular Requirements
The curriculum requires 132 hours for graduation and is organized as shown below.
Technical grade point average requirements for graduation and advanced-level course registration apply to students in this curriculum. These rules are summarized at the College of Engineering's undergraduate advising Web site.
Orientation and Professional Development
These courses introduce the opportunities and resources your college, department, and curriculum can offer you as you work to achieve your career goals. They also provide the skills to work effectively and successfully in the engineering profession.
| Hours | Requirements |
|---|---|
| 0 | ENG 100—Engineering Orientation1 |
| 0 | ME 390—Seminar |
| 0 | Total |
1. External transfer students take ENG 300—Engrg Transfer Orientation instead.
Foundational Mathematics and Science
These courses stress the basic mathematical and scientific principles upon which the engineering discipline is based.
| Hours | Requirements |
|---|---|
| 3 | CHEM 102 - General Chemistry I |
| 1 | CHEM 103 - General Chemistry Lab I |
| 3 | CHEM 104 - General Chemistry II |
| 1 | CHEM 105 - General Chemistry Lab II |
| 4 | MATH 221 - Calculus I1 |
| 3 | MATH 231 - Calculus II |
| 4 | MATH 241 - Calculus III |
| 3 | MATH 285 - Intro Differential Equations |
| 3 | MATH 415 - Applied Linear Algebra |
| 4 | PHYS 211 - University Physics: Mechanics |
| 4 | PHYS 212 - University Physics: Elec & Mag |
| 2 | PHYS 213 - Univ Physics: Thermal Physics |
| 2 | PHYS 214 - Univ Physics: Quantum Physics |
| 37 | Total |
1. MATH 220 - Calculus may be substituted, with four of the five credit hours applying toward the degree. MATH 220 is appropriate for students with no background in calculus.
Mechanical Engineering Technical Core
These courses stress fundamental concepts and basic laboratory techniques that comprise the common intellectual understanding of mechanical engineering.
| Hours | Requirements |
|---|---|
| 3 | CS 101 - Intro Computing: Engrg & Sci |
| 3 | ECE 205 - Elec & Electronic Circuits |
| 1 | ECE 206 - Elec & Electronic Circuits Lab |
| 3 | ME 170 - Computer-Aided Design |
| 3 | ME 300 - Thermodynamics |
| 4 | ME 310 - Introductory Gas Dynamics |
| 4 | ME 320 - Heat Transfer |
| 4 | ME 330 - Engineering Materials |
| 3.5 | ME 340 - Dynamics of Mechanical Systems |
| 3 | ME 350 - Design for Manufacturability |
| 3.5 | ME 360 - Signal Processing |
| 3 | ME 370 - Mechanical Design I |
| 3 | ME 371 - Mechanical Design II |
| 3 | ME 470 - Senior Design Project |
| 2 | TAM 210 - Introduction to Statics |
| 3 | TAM 212 - Introductory Dynamics |
| 3 | TAM 251 - Introductory Solid Mechanics |
| 52 | Total |
Technical Electives
These courses stress the rigorous analysis, design, and statistics principles practiced in mechanical engineering.
| Hours | Requirements |
|---|---|
| 6 | MechSE elective chosen from a departmentally approved list. |
| 3 | Statistics elective, one course chosen from: IE 300 - Analysis of Data or STAT 400 - Statistics and Probability I |
| 6 | Technical electives chosen from a departmentally approved list. |
| 15 | Total |
Social Sciences and Humanities
The social sciences and humanities courses, as approved by the College of Engineering, ensure that students have exposure in breadth and depth to areas of intellectual activity that are essential to the general education of any college graduate.
| Hours | Requirements |
|---|---|
| 3 | ECON 102—Microeconomic Principles or ECON 103—Macroeconomic Principles |
| 15 | Electives in social sciences and humanities approved by the College of Engineering and satisfying the campus general education requirements for social sciences and humanities, including cultural studies western and non-western. |
| 18 | Total |
Composition
These courses teach fundamentals of expository writing.| Hours | Requirements |
|---|---|
| 4 | RHET 105 - Principles of Composition |
| Advanced Composition (satisfied by completing ME 470 in the Mechanical Engineering Technical Core ) | |
| 4 | Total |
Free Electives
These unrestricted electives give the student the opportunity to explore any intellectual area of unique interest. This freedom plays a critical role in helping students to define research specialties or to complete minors.| Hours | Requirements |
|---|---|
| 6 | Free electives. Additional unrestricted course work so that there are at least 132 credit hours earned toward the degree. |
Suggested Sequence
The schedule that follows is illustrative, showing the typical sequence in which courses would be taken by a student with no college course credit already earned and who intends to graduate in four years. Each individual's case may vary, but the position of required named courses is generally indicative of the order in which they should be taken.
First year
| Hours | First Semester |
|---|---|
| 3 | CHEM 102 - General Chemistry I |
| 1 | CHEM 103 - General Chemistry Lab I |
| 0 | ENG 100 - Engineering Orientation |
| 4 | MATH 221 - Calculus I1 |
| 4-3 | RHET 105 - Principles of Composition or ME 170 - Computer-Aided Design2 |
| 3 | Elective in social sciences or humanities3 |
| 15-14 | Total |
| Hours | Second Semester |
|---|---|
| 3 | CHEM 104 - General Chemistry II |
| 1 | CHEM 105 - General Chemistry Lab II |
| 3 | MATH 231 - Calculus II |
| 3-4 | ME 170 - Computer-Aided Design or RHET 105 - Principles of Composition2 |
| 4 | PHYS 211 - University Physics: Mechanics |
| 3 | Elective in social sciences or humanities3 |
| 17-18 | Total |
Second year
| Hours | First Semester |
|---|---|
| 3 | CS 101 - Intro Computing: Engrg & Sci |
| 4 | MATH 241 - Calculus III |
| 4 | PHYS 212 - University Physics: Elec & Mag |
| 2 | TAM 210 - Introduction to Statics |
| 3 | Elective in social sciences or humanities3 |
| 16 | Total |
| Hours | Second Semester |
|---|---|
| 3 | ECE 205 - Elec & Electronic Circuits |
| 1 | ECE 206 - Elec & Electronic Circuits Lab |
| 3 | MATH 285 - Intro Differential Equations |
| 3 | ME 300 - Thermodynamics |
| 2 | PHYS 213 - Univ Physics: Thermal Physics |
| 3 | TAM 212 - Introductory Dynamics |
| 3 | TAM 251 - Introductory Solid Mechanics |
| 18 | Total |
Third year
| Hours | First Semester |
|---|---|
| 3 | MATH 415 - Applied Linear Algebra |
| 4 | ME 310 - Introductory Gas Dynamics |
| 4 | ME 330 - Engineering Materials |
| 3.5 | ME 340 - Dynamics of Mechanical Systems |
| 2 | PHYS 214 - Univ Physics: Quantum Physics |
| 16.5 | Total |
| Hours | Second Semester |
|---|---|
| 4 | ME 320 - Heat Transfer |
| 3.5 | ME 360 - Signal Processing |
| 3 | ME 370 - Mechanical Design I |
| 3 | ME 350 - Design for Manufacturability |
| 0 | ME 390 - Seminar |
| 3 | Elective in social sciences or humanities3 |
| 16.5 | Total |
Fourth year
| Hours | First Semester |
|---|---|
| 3 | ME 371 - Mechanical Design II |
| 3 | MechSE elective4 |
| 3 | Statistics elective5 |
| 3 | Technical elective6 or ME 470—Senior Design Project |
| 3 | Elective in social sciences or humanities3 |
| 3 | Free elective |
| 18 | Total |
| Hours | Second Semester |
|---|---|
| 3 | ME 470 - Senior Design Project or Technical elective6 |
| 3 | MechSE elective4 |
| 3 | Technical elective6 |
| 3 | Elective in social sciences or humanities3 |
| 3 | Free elective |
| 15 | Total |
1. MATH 220 - Calculus may be substituted, with four of the five credit hours applying toward the degree. MATH 220 is appropriate for students with no background in calculus.
2. RHET 105 may be taken in the first or second semester of the first year as authorized. The alternative is ME 170.
3. Each student must satisfy the 18-hour social sciences and humanities requirements of the College of Engineering, including ECON 102 or 103, and campus general education requirements for social sciences and humanities.
4. MechSE electives - 6 hours required. Choose from a departmentally approved list of MechSE Electives.
5. Statistics elective - 3 hours required. IE 300 or STAT 400 must be taken.
6. Technical electives - 6 hours required. Choose from a departmentally approved list of Technical Electives.