Mechanical Engineering (BS)

The University offers a four-year, full-time program leading to a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering. Students will complete Mathematics, Physics, and foundational Engineering courses and declare a major discipline within the first two years of study.

Integrated Design Experience

The program’s philosophy is that the whole must be greater than the sum of parts to be most effective. The fundamental skills of model-building, creativity, problem solving, and communication are integrated throughout the program emphasizing design and communication. Engineering education is a network of experiences beginning in the first year course, Introduction to Engineering, and culminating in the Senior Design experience. Throughout the program, students study engineering topics and explore problem-solving using traditional methods and digital technologies. In Senior Design, students use engineering skills to determine a real world problem, develop and analyze alternatives and recommend a feasible solution. Design issues are introduced throughout the program to assure that students are well prepared for this experience.

Educational Environment

As a teaching university, the quality of a professor's performance is measured by the student's learning. Professionally qualified faculty members who recognize the importance of high academic and professional engineering standards are dedicated to ensuring the success of students while at the University and in the working world. The faculty’s concentration is on educating students in fundamentals and examining the most current theories and applications through an open, relaxed environment. Many students feel the friendliness and approachability of the professors as a significant factor in helping them develop to their fullest potential.

Admissions Requirements

The general admissions requirements listed in this catalog apply to the Mechanical Engineering program. Students who enter this program directly from high school should have completed one and one-half units of algebra, one unit of plane geometry and one-half unit of trigonometry. Students who have not will be required to take additional mathematics courses before enrolling in calculus at the University. High school physics and chemistry are recommended for all applicants.

Mechanical Engineering

Mechanical Engineering is the broadest discipline in engineering and utilizes a combination of human, material, and economic resources to provide solutions to problems faced in society. As an applied science, Mechanical Engineering is focused on the design, development, manufacture, management, and control of engineering systems. Our emphasis is on the people and designing to best accommodate humans in the environment. Mechanical Engineers play a critical role in designing efficient heating and cooling systems for new facilities or developing new equipment to help people with disabilities become more self-sufficient.

The Mechanical Engineering Program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board of Engineering and Technology (ABET, www.abet.org). The course requirements, quality of instruction and the control of the curriculum meet or exceed nationally established requirements.

Mission

The mission of the Mechanical Engineering (ME) program is to develop graduates who analyze, design, communicate, and integrate humans in thermal and mechanical engineering solutions.

Program Educational Objectives

Students are educated through a carefully engineered curriculum that includes proven engineering design knowledge, an ability to solve real problems, the development of thinking, writing, and presentation skills, exposure to digital technologies, an understanding of spatial relationships, and a breadth of general education.

Mechanical Engineering graduates will:

1. Demonstrate their success by working effectively in collaboration with others.
2. Advance and adapt their expertise through professional practice or graduate education.
3. Investigate, define, communicate, defend and implement solutions to complex problems.
4. Enrich their lives and the lives of others.

Student Outcomes

Students are expected to know and be able to do the following student outcomes by the time of graduation. These relate to the skills, knowledge, and behaviors that students acquire in their matriculation through the program:

1. An ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics.
2. An ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors.
3. An ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences.
4. An ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts.
5. An ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives.
6. An ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions.
7. An ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.

Requirements for a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering Degree

Students will meet the University general education criteria, and include the following:

To graduate with a Mechanical Engineering degree, a minimum GPA of 2.50 must be earned for all semester credits used to satisfy the course requirements shown above (including a minimum GPA of 2.00 in all ME, IE and ENGR prefixed course numbers). A minimum GPA of 2.00 must be earned in the combination of semester credits and attempted transfer credits. In addition, MATH-191 Calculus and Analytic Geometry I and MATH-192 Calculus and Analytic Geometry II, or their equivalents, must be completed with a grade of C or better.

Students attending continuously but on a part time basis are expected to complete the requirements within eight years.