Educational Objectives
The Mechanical Engineering program seeks to prepare men and women for productive, rewarding careers in the engineering profession. During their careers our alumni
- will become successful practicing engineers in a wide range of mechanical engineering fields and will advance professionally by accepting responsibilities and, potentially, pursuing leadership roles;
- will advance their knowledge of engineering, both formally and informally, by engaging in lifelong learning experiences; and
- will, as contributing members of multidisciplinary engineering teams, successfully apply the fundamentals of engineering analysis and engineering design to the formulation and solution of emerging technical problems.
The Mechanical Engineering department has a standard program and four formalized areas (acoustics, computational mechanical engineering, energy and sustainability, manufacturing, robotics, and turbomachinery) designated as concentrations, with a separate curriculum listing. All mechanical engineering students have the opportunity to take elective courses in any of the below subject areas. Through proper choice of electives, a student may become specialized in one or two of these areas.
The engineering design experience is distributed over the entire engineering curriculum. The curricular sequence ensures that there is one-half year of credits devoted to design content, which begins in the first-year course in Engineering and Design and continues through the senior year’s Capstone Design Sequence. The majority of the design work is incorporated into the junior and senior years to ensure that the students have taken sufficient preparatory engineering science courses.
Basic concepts of physics, chemistry, mathematics, and probability and statistics create the foundation on which all engineering education is built. Basic tools of engineering practice, such as graphic communication, computer-aided drafting/design, and computer programming, including applications and simulation, are also required knowledge. The basic engineering sciences, such as statics, dynamics, mechanics of materials, material science, thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, electrical circuits, design of machine elements, and control theory, complete the introductory phase of the program.
Mechanical engineering is generally considered to consist of a number of engineering subject areas, such as
Energy Conversion
Heat Transfer
Heating, Ventilating, and Air-Conditioning
Manufacturing/Industrial Engineering
Materials
Mechanics of Solids
Mechanisms
Mechatronics and Robotics
Noise and Vibration Control
Nuclear Energy
Refrigeration
Solar Energy
System Control
Extensive laboratory experience enhances the theoretical course work. There are several required laboratory courses in the sciences and engineering. Written and oral communication of laboratory results is required.
Oral presentation by the students is introduced in the first year and continues through to the capstone design course, as well as in several other required advanced and elective courses.
Through participation in the All-University Curriculum and in additional elective courses in the humanities and/or social sciences, students are given the opportunity to broaden their perspectives and to take part in the larger learning community of the University. It is imperative that engineers understand and appreciate the special role that technology plays in our society and the interactions between and among the various components of our society.
Standard
The ABET accredited Bachelor of Science Mechanical Engineering (B.S.M.E.) degree program is the branch of engineering that deals with the application of mechanics to the design of machines of the future. Mechanical engineering students can pursue careers in areas such as the automotive, aerospace, or power-generation industries, as well as those industries concerned with noise control, mechatronics, and biomedical applications. To complement the B.S.M.E. degree, concentrations in acoustics, energy engineering and sustainable design and manufacturing are also available.
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Acoustics
Those who pursue the field of engineering to study acoustics have many career areas from which to choose. These include audio engineering (high-fidelity sound system design), architectural acoustics (design of concert halls, recording studios, and music rooms), musical acoustics (design of musical
instruments), noise control and sound quality (of machinery, jet engines, automobiles, and environmental regulations), and bioacoustics (design of hearing aids, replacement parts for the ear, hearing test equipment.
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Computational Mechanical Engineering
Mathematical and numerical modeling is playing a much larger role in business and product development. Engineers who are equipped with fundamental engineering knowledge combined with computational skills can work in a variety of industries. With this concentration, you will broaden your knowledge in the areas of modeling and simulations applicable to mechanical engineering.
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Energy & Sustainability
The concentration in energy and sustainability allows mechanical engineers to study up-to-date technologies in non-renewable and renewable energy production. Students will have the opportunity to take courses in building energy management, energy conversion, nuclear power and renewable energy technology. The students in the program study the traditional mechanical engineering course; however, they focus their upper level electives in courses such as, HVAC, Energy Conversion, Intro to Nuclear Power, Solar Energy Design, Thermal Design and their senior Capstone Project will be focused on energy topics
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Manufacturing
The concentration in manufacturing engineering, allows students to learn to apply up-to-date technologies in materials, fabrication, and Computer Aided Design (CAD), to help manufacturers increase productivity and cost effectiveness.
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Robotics
As the demand for “smart” factories and automation is increasing, so does the need for robots. With our Robotics concentration, you will be in an intellectually stimulating and project-based environment, learning to program and operate robots and autonomous vehicles. Emphasis is placed on helping you understand the design of robots, modeling their dynamic control systems, and interfacing subsystems with sensors, actuators, and controllers.
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Turbomachinery
The undergraduate turbomachinery concentration is tailored for those who wish to broaden their knowledge in the area of aerodynamic and thermodynamic fundamentals applicable to turbomachinery. Also, there is significant need in turbomachinery related to jobs in the engineering market in general and in local industry (United Technologies Companies) in particular.
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Course Registration
Students should be aware that all prerequisite requirements for a course must be met prior to starting the course.