Curriculum in Mechanical Engineering

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.

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 Lecture1
0	ME 390—Seminar
0	Total

1. External transfer students take ENG 300—Engineering Transfer Lecture 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 I
3	MATH 231—Calculus II
4	MATH 241—Calculus III
3	MATH 385—Intro Differential Equations
3	MATH 415—Linear Algebra
4	PHYS 211—Univ Physics, Mechanics
4	PHYS 212—Univ Physics, Elec & Mag
2	PHYS 213—Univ Physics, Thermal Physics
2	PHYS 214—Univ Physics, Quantum Phys
37	Total

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 to Computing, Eng & Sci
3	ECE 205—Intro Elec & Electr Circuits
1	ECE 206—Intro Elec & Electr Ckts 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—Model and Anlys of Dynm Sys
3	ME 350—Design for Manufacturability
3.5	ME 360—Signal Proc, Inst and Control
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 MATH 461—Probability Theory 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 Lecture
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—Univ Physics, Mechanics
3	Elective in social sciences or humanities3
17-18	Total

Second year

Hours	First Semester
3	CS 101—Intro to Computing, Eng & Sci
4	MATH 241—Calculus III
4	PHYS 212—Univ Physics, Elec & Mag
2	TAM 210—Introduction to Statics
3	Elective in social sciences or humanities3
16	Total

Hours	Second Semester
3	ECE 205—Intro Elec & Electr Circuits
1	ECE 206—Intro Elec & Electr Ckts Lab
3	MATH 385—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—Linear Algebra
4	ME 310—Introductory Gas Dynamics
4	ME 330—Engineering Materials
3.5	ME 340—Model and Anlys of Dynm Sys
2	PHYS 214—Univ Physics, Quantum Phys
16.5	Total

Hours	Second Semester
4	ME 320—Heat Transfer
3.5	ME 360—Signal Proc, Inst and Control
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 MATH 461/STAT 451 or MATH 463/STAT 400 must be taken as a statistics elective .

6. Technical electives — 6 hours required. Choose from a departmentally approved list of Technical Electives.