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2014-2015 Undergraduate & Graduate Catalog

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Bachelor of Science in Engineering, Mechanical Engineering Major

Mechanical engineering encompasses the analysis, development, design, and testing of a wide range of mechanical systems including machines that involve mechanics, motion, and energy: alternative energy systems, biomedical devices, robotic systems, vehicles, aircraft, engines, HVAC systems, industrial equipment, and the like.

Integral to all four years of the program is a "design and build" educational philosophy incorporated through extensive laboratory and project activities as preparation for professional practice. Students engage in design at all levels of the curriculum. At each level they must realize their designs and proceed with testing, validation, and redesign. This approach allows students to experience many real world constraints such as project economics, project planning and scheduling, environmental considerations, manufacturability/productibility of the designs, laboratory and product safety, and product reliability.

The junior and senior years of the mechanical engineering program build upon the freshman and sophomore courses to provide greater depth in thermal-fluid science and engineering, mechanical design, and dynamic systems. Students complete required courses in these areas and select from electives in the same areas, manufacturing, and emerging fields including biomedical engineering, energy systems, and nanotechnology.

Students who elect the mechanical engineering program may prepare themselves for a wide range of engineering careers and fulfill the educational requirements for taking the Fundamentals of Engineering examination before graduation

Accreditation

The mechanical engineering major is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, www.abet.org/.

Program Educational Objectives

  1. The graduate will have the technical knowledge and capabilities expected of a practicing engineer appropriate to mechanical engineering, specifically in the areas of:
    • Mechanical design and manufacturability
    • Mechanical systems and control
    • Thermal-fluid systems
  2. The graduate will be able to function effectively in an industrial environment. He or she must have the ability to communicate effectively, engage in critical thinking, and have highly developed skill in problem solving (in both individual and team situations).
  3. The graduate will have the ability to apply engineering knowledge and be able to create physical realizations of his or her theoretical concepts and models.
  4. The graduate will have the demonstrated ability to engage in engineering design.
  5. The graduate will have an awareness of the need for continued professional growth.
  6. The graduate will have an awareness of, and sensitivity to, those areas in which engineering practice affects society and the environment. Such awareness, extending beyond technical knowledge to include ethical and social responsibility, must frame the continued professional and scholarly growth of the graduate.

Program Outcomes and Assessment

The graduate will demonstrate:

  1. an ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering,
  2. an ability to design and conduct experiments, as well as to analyze and interpret data,
  3. an ability to design a system, component, or process to meet desired needs,
  4. an ability to function on multidisciplinary teams,
  5. an ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems,
  6. an understanding of professional and ethical responsibility,
  7. an ability to communicate effectively,
  8. the broad education necessary to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global and societal context,
  9. a recognition of the need for, and an ability to engage in life-long learning,
  10. a knowledge of contemporary issues,
  11. an ability to use the techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools necessary for engineering practice,
  12. an ability to design & realize physical systems,
  13. an ability to work in thermal-fluid systems,
  14. an ability to work in mechanical systems.

Degree Requirements

Mechanical engineering students must complete all requirements for the B.S.E. degree including the general education and basic skills requirements, the foundations of engineering courses, cooperative education, the engineering design Capstone and the following mechanical engineering courses:

Required Courses:

Elective Courses - 11�12 credits (three courses) selected from the following:

Core ME Electives

Emerging Technology Electives

Manufacturing Engineering Electives (No more than two of the following courses may be applied toward fulfilling the elective requirements of the ME major.)

Biomedical Engineering Electives

Sample Curriculum for the Junior and Senior Years of the Mechanical Engineering Major

First Co-op Semester: Spring/Summer

Fifth Academic Semester: Fall

Second Co-op Semester: Winter

  • General education (Issues)

Sixth Academic Semester: Spring/Summer

  • General education course (Arts)

Third Co-op Semester: Fall

  • General education (Issues)

Seventh Academic Semester: Winter

  • Mechanical Engineering elective
  • Mechanical Engineering elective

The prerequisites for EGR 485 are acceptance into the B.S.E. degree program and completion of the prerequisite courses listed under the student's engineering major. For the mechanical engineering major, these prerequisite courses are: ((EGR 250 & EGR 329 & EGR 345 & EGR 409 & EGR 468 & (EGR 350 OR EGR 352 OR EGR 445 OR EGR 447 OR EGR 463 OR EGR 465 & EGR 475)); (EGR 468 & (EGR 350 OR EGR 352 OR EGR 445 OR EGR 447 OR EGR 463 OR EGR 465 OR EGR 475)) may be taken concurrently)

Eighth Academic Semester: Spring/Summer

Engineering Program Description

Click here for the program description.


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