Mechanical engineering involves the design, development, and manufacture of machinery and devices to transmit power or to convert energy from thermal to mechanical form in order to power the modern world and its machines. Its current practice has been heavily influenced by recent advances in computer hardware and software.
Mechanical engineers use computers to formulate preliminary and final designs of systems or devices, to perform calculations that predict the behavior of the design, and to collect and analyze performance data from system testing or operation.
Traditionally, mechanical engineers have designed and tested devices, such as heating and air-conditioning systems, machine tools, internal-combustion engines, and steam power plants. Today they also play primary roles in the development of new technologies in a variety of fields—energy conversion, solar energy utilization, environmental control, robotics, prosthetics, transportation, manufacturing, and new-materials development.
The curriculum in mechanical engineering focuses on four areas: applied mechanics, thermofluids engineering, materials science, and controls. Applied mechanics is the study of the motion and deformation of structural elements acted on by forces in devices that range from rotating industrial dynamos to dentists’ drills. Thermofluids engineering deals with the motion of fluids and the transfer of energy, as in the cooling of electronic components or the design of gas turbine engines. Materials science is concerned with the relationship between the structure and properties of materials and with the control of structure, through processing, to achieve desired properties. Practical applications are in the development of composite materials, metallurgical process industries, and advanced functional materials. Controls are critical to any engineered system in which sensors and actuators of several types communicate and function in order to impart desired behavior from these systems.
Courses in each area form the foundation for advanced analytical and creative design courses that culminate in a two-semester capstone design project. Faculty encourage students throughout the curriculum to use computer-aided design tools and high-performance computer workstations.
More than 90 percent of department undergraduate students take advantage of the cooperative education program. Cooperative education assignments increase in responsibility and technical challenge as students progress through the program. Initial positions may involve computer-intensive CAD/CAM assignments or programming tasks, while more advanced jobs will place students in design, quality-control systems, robotics, biomedical devices, and performance testing of equipment.
Visit the department website for program educational objectives.
Complete all courses listed below unless otherwise indicated. Also complete any corequisite labs, recitations, clinicals, or tools courses where specified and complete any additional courses needed beyond specific college and major requirements to satisfy graduation credit requirements.
Universitywide Requirements
All undergraduate students are required to complete the Universitywide Requirements.
NUpath Requirements
All undergraduate students are required to complete the NUpath Requirements.
NUpath requirements Interpreting Culture (IC), Understanding Societies and Institutions (SI), Engaging Differences and Diversity (DD), and Integrating Knowledge and Skills Through Experience (EX) are not explicitly satisfied by required engineering coursework. Successful completion of a cooperative education experience fulfills the EX requirement. Students are responsible for satisfying unfulfilled NUpath requirements with general elective coursework.
Engineering Requirements
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
Required Engineering | ||
EECE 2210 and EECE 2211 | Electrical Engineering and Lab for EECE 2210 | 5 |
ME 2340 and ME 2341 | Introduction to Material Science and Lab for ME 2340 | 5 |
ME 2350 | Statics | 4 |
ME 2355 and ME 2356 | Mechanics of Materials and Lab for ME 2355 | 5 |
ME 2380 and ME 2381 | Thermodynamics and Recitation for ME 2380 | 4 |
ME 3455 and ME 3456 | Dynamics and Lab for ME 3455 | 5 |
ME 3475 | Fluid Mechanics | 4 |
or ME 3480 | International Applications of Fluid Mechanics | |
ME 4505 and ME 4506 | Measurement and Analysis with Thermal Science Application and Lab for ME 4505 | 5 |
ME 4508 | Mechanical Engineering Computation and Design | 4 |
or ME 4565 | Introduction to Computational Fluid Dynamics | |
ME 4550 | Mechanical Engineering Design | 4 |
ME 4555 | System Analysis and Control | 4 |
ME 4570 | Thermal Systems Analysis and Design | 4 |
Mechanical Engineering Capstone | ||
MEIE 4701 | Capstone Design 1 | 1 |
MEIE 4702 | Capstone Design 2 | 5 |
Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Technical Elective | ||
Complete one technical elective in one of the following subject areas: | 4 | |
EMGT, ENGR, ENSY, IE, ME, or MEIE | ||
Supplemental Credit | ||
2 semester hours from the following course counts toward the engineering requirement: | 2 | |
Cornerstone of Engineering 1 1 | ||
3 semester hours from the following course counts toward the engineering requirement: | 3 | |
Cornerstone of Engineering 2 1 |
Supporting Courses: Mathematics/Science
Complete all mathematics/science courses with a minimum of 30 semester hours.
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
Required Mathematics/Science | ||
CHEM 1151 and CHEM 1153 | General Chemistry for Engineers and Recitation for CHEM 1151 | 4 |
MATH 1341 | Calculus 1 for Science and Engineering | 4 |
MATH 1342 | Calculus 2 for Science and Engineering | 4 |
MATH 2321 | Calculus 3 for Science and Engineering | 4 |
MATH 2341 | Differential Equations and Linear Algebra for Engineering | 4 |
PHYS 1151 and PHYS 1152 and PHYS 1153 | Physics for Engineering 1 and Lab for PHYS 1151 and Interactive Learning Seminar for PHYS 1151 | 5 |
PHYS 1155 and PHYS 1156 and PHYS 1157 | Physics for Engineering 2 and Lab for PHYS 1155 and Interactive Learning Seminar for PHYS 1155 | 5 |
Science/Math Elective | ||
Complete one of the following: | 4-5 | |
General Biology 1 and Lab for BIOL 1111 | ||
Integrated Anatomy and Physiology 1 and Lab for BIOL 2217 | ||
Organic Chemistry 1 and Lab for CHEM 2311 and Recitation for CHEM 2311 | ||
Probability and Statistics | ||
Modern Physics | ||
Classical Dynamics | ||
Electricity and Magnetism 1 | ||
Supplemental Credit | ||
1 semester hour from the following course counts toward the mathematics/science requirement: | 1 | |
Cornerstone of Engineering 1 1 |
Professional Development
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
Required Professional Development | ||
GE 1000 | First-Year Seminar | 1 |
ENCP 2000 | Introduction to Engineering Co-op Education | 1 |
ENCP 3000 | Professional Issues in Engineering | 1 |
Additional Required Courses | ||
1 semester hour from the following course counts toward the professional development requirement: | 1 | |
Cornerstone of Engineering 1 1 | ||
1 semester hour from the following course counts toward the professional development requirement: | 1 | |
Cornerstone of Engineering 2 1 |
Writing Requirements
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
A grade of C or higher is required in each course: | ||
ENGW 1111 | First-Year Writing | 4 |
ENGW 3302 | Advanced Writing in the Technical Professions | 4 |
or ENGW 3315 | Interdisciplinary Advanced Writing in the Disciplines |
Required General Electives
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
Complete 24 SH of academic, nonremedial, nonrepetitive courses. | 24 |
Program Requirement
140 total semester hours required
Major GPA Requirement
2.000 minimum GPA required in ME/MEIE/EECE/ENCP coursework
Sample Plans of Study
Four Years, Two Co-ops in Summer 2/Fall
Year 1 | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer 1 | Hours | Summer 2 | Hours |
CHEM 1151 (ND) | 4 | GE 1502 (ER) | 4 | MATH 2321 (FQ) | 4 | General elective | 4 |
CHEM 1153 | 0 | PHYS 1151 (ND) | 3 | ME 2350 | 4 | General elective | 4 |
ENGW 1111 (WF) | 4 | PHYS 1152 (AD) | 1 | ||||
GE 1000 | 1 | PHYS 1153 | 1 | ||||
GE 1501 | 4 | MATH 1342 (FQ) | 4 | ||||
MATH 1341 (FQ) | 4 | General elective | 4 | ||||
17 | 17 | 8 | 8 | ||||
Year 2 | |||||||
Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer 1 | Hours | Summer 2 | Hours |
ENGW 3302 or 3315 (WD) | 4 | ENCP 2000 | 1 | ME 3475 or 3480 | 4 | Co-op | 0 |
MATH 2341 | 4 | ME 2340 (WI) | 4 | General elective | 4 | ||
ME 2355 | 4 | ME 2341 | 1 | ||||
ME 2356 | 1 | ME 2380 | 4 | ||||
PHYS 1155 (ND) | 3 | ME 2381 | 0 | ||||
PHYS 1156 (AD) | 1 | ME 3455 | 4 | ||||
PHYS 1157 | 1 | ME 3456 | 1 | ||||
General elective | 4 | ||||||
18 | 19 | 8 | 0 | ||||
Year 3 | |||||||
Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer 1 | Hours | Summer 2 | Hours |
Co-op | 0 | EECE 2210 | 4 | ME 4550 | 4 | Co-op | 0 |
EECE 2211 | 1 | MEIE 4701 (EI, WI, CE) | 1 | ||||
ENCP 3000 | 1 | General elective | 4 | ||||
ME 4505 (AD) | 4 | ||||||
ME 4506 | 1 | ||||||
ME 4555 | 4 | ||||||
ME 4570 | 4 | ||||||
0 | 19 | 9 | 0 | ||||
Year 4 | |||||||
Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | ||||
Co-op | 0 | ME 4508 | 4 | ||||
MEIE 4702 (EI, WI, CE) | 5 | ||||||
MIE technical elective | 4 | ||||||
Science/math elective | 4 | ||||||
0 | 17 | ||||||
Total Hours: 140 |
Four Years, Two Co-ops in Spring/Summer 1
Year 1 | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer 1 | Hours | Summer 2 | Hours |
CHEM 1151 (ND) | 4 | GE 1502 (ER) | 4 | ME 2350 | 4 | General elective | 4 |
CHEM 1153 | 0 | PHYS 1151 (ND) | 3 | MATH 2321 (FQ) | 4 | General elective | 4 |
ENGW 1111 (WF) | 4 | PHYS 1152 (AD) | 1 | ||||
GE 1000 | 1 | PHYS 1153 | 1 | ||||
GE 1501 | 4 | MATH 1342 (FQ) | 4 | ||||
MATH 1341 (FQ) | 4 | General elective | 4 | ||||
17 | 17 | 8 | 8 | ||||
Year 2 | |||||||
Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer 1 | Hours | Summer 2 | Hours |
ENCP 2000 | 1 | Co-op | 0 | Co-op | 0 | ME 3475 or 3480 | 4 |
MATH 2341 | 4 | General elective | 4 | ||||
ME 2355 | 4 | ||||||
ME 2356 | 1 | ||||||
ME 2380 | 4 | ||||||
ME 2381 | 0 | ||||||
PHYS 1155 (ND) | 3 | ||||||
PHYS 1156 (AD) | 1 | ||||||
PHYS 1157 | 1 | ||||||
19 | 0 | 0 | 8 | ||||
Year 3 | |||||||
Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer 1 | Hours | Summer 2 | Hours |
ENGW 3302 or 3315 (WF) | 4 | Co-op | 0 | Co-op | 0 | ME 4550 | 4 |
ME 3455 | 4 | MEIE 4701 (EI, WI, CE) | 1 | ||||
ME 3456 | 1 | General elective | 4 | ||||
ME 4505 (AD) | 4 | ||||||
ME 4506 | 1 | ||||||
ME 4570 | 4 | ||||||
18 | 0 | 0 | 9 | ||||
Year 4 | |||||||
Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | ||||
EECE 2210 | 4 | ME 2340 (WI) | 4 | ||||
EECE 2211 | 1 | ME 2341 | 1 | ||||
ENCP 3000 | 1 | ME 4508 | 4 | ||||
ME 4555 | 4 | MIE technical elective | 4 | ||||
MEIE 4702 (EI, WI, CE) | 5 | Science/math elective | 4 | ||||
General elective | 4 | ||||||
19 | 17 | ||||||
Total Hours: 140 |
Five Years, Three Co-ops in Summer 2/Fall
Year 1 | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer 1 | Hours | Summer 2 | Hours |
CHEM 1151 (ND) | 4 | GE 1502 (ER) | 4 | Vacation | Vacation | ||
CHEM 1153 | 0 | MATH 1342 (FQ) | 4 | ||||
ENGW 1111 (WF) | 4 | PHYS 1151 (ND) | 3 | ||||
GE 1000 | 1 | PHYS 1152 (AD) | 1 | ||||
GE 1501 | 4 | PHYS 1153 | 1 | ||||
MATH 1341 (FQ) | 4 | General elective | 4 | ||||
17 | 17 | 0 | 0 | ||||
Year 2 | |||||||
Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer 1 | Hours | Summer 2 | Hours |
MATH 2321 (FQ) | 4 | ENCP 2000 | 1 | Vacation | Co-op | 0 | |
ME 2350 | 4 | MATH 2341 | 4 | ||||
PHYS 1155 (ND) | 3 | ME 2355 | 4 | ||||
PHYS 1156 (AD) | 1 | ME 2356 | 1 | ||||
PHYS 1157 | 1 | ME 2380 | 4 | ||||
General elective | 4 | ME 2381 | 0 | ||||
General elective | 4 | ||||||
17 | 18 | 0 | 0 | ||||
Year 3 | |||||||
Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer 1 | Hours | Summer 2 | Hours |
Co-op | 0 | ENGW 3302 or 3315 (WD) | 4 | ME 3475 or 3480 | 4 | Co-op | 0 |
ME 2340 (WI) | 4 | General elective | 4 | ||||
ME 2341 | 1 | ||||||
ME 3455 | 4 | ||||||
ME 3456 | 1 | ||||||
ME 4508 | 4 | ||||||
0 | 18 | 8 | 0 | ||||
Year 4 | |||||||
Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer 1 | Hours | Summer 2 | Hours |
Co-op | 0 | ENCP 3000 | 1 | ME 4550 | 4 | Co-op | 0 |
ME 4505 (AD) | 4 | MEIE 4701 (EI, WI, CE) | 1 | ||||
ME 4506 | 1 | General elective | 4 | ||||
ME 4555 | 4 | ||||||
ME 4570 | 4 | ||||||
Math/science elective | 4 | ||||||
0 | 18 | 9 | 0 | ||||
Year 5 | |||||||
Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | ||||
Co-op | 0 | EECE 2210 | 4 | ||||
EECE 2211 | 1 | ||||||
MEIE 4702 (EI, WI, CE) | 5 | ||||||
General elective | 4 | ||||||
MIE technical elective | 4 | ||||||
0 | 18 | ||||||
Total Hours: 140 |
Five Years, Three Co-ops in Spring/Summer 1
Year 1 | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer 1 | Hours | Summer 2 | Hours |
CHEM 1151 (ND) | 4 | GE 1502 (ER) | 4 | Vacation | Vacation | ||
CHEM 1153 | 0 | MATH 1342 (FQ) | 4 | ||||
ENGW 1111 (WF) | 4 | PHYS 1151 (ND) | 3 | ||||
GE 1000 | 1 | PHYS 1152 (AD) | 1 | ||||
GE 1501 | 4 | PHYS 1153 | 1 | ||||
MATH 1341 (FQ) | 4 | General elective | 4 | ||||
17 | 17 | 0 | 0 | ||||
Year 2 | |||||||
Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer 1 | Hours | Summer 2 | Hours |
ENCP 2000 | 1 | Co-op | 0 | Co-op | 0 | Vacation | |
MATH 2321 (FQ) | 4 | ||||||
ME 2350 | 4 | ||||||
PHYS 1155 (ND) | 3 | ||||||
PHYS 1156 (AD) | 1 | ||||||
PHYS 1157 | 1 | ||||||
General elective | 4 | ||||||
18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
Year 3 | |||||||
Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer 1 | Hours | Summer 2 | Hours |
MATH 2341 | 4 | Co-op | 0 | Co-op | 0 | ENGW 3302 or 3315 (WD) | 4 |
ME 2340 (WI) | 4 | ME 3475 or 3480 | 4 | ||||
ME 2341 | 1 | ||||||
ME 2355 | 4 | ||||||
ME 2356 | 1 | ||||||
ME 2380 | 4 | ||||||
ME 2381 | 0 | ||||||
18 | 0 | 0 | 8 | ||||
Year 4 | |||||||
Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer 1 | Hours | Summer 2 | Hours |
ME 3455 | 4 | Co-op | 0 | Co-op | 0 | ME 4550 | 4 |
ME 3456 | 1 | MEIE 4701 (EI, WI, CE) | 1 | ||||
ME 4505 (AD) | 4 | General elective | 4 | ||||
ME 4506 | 1 | ||||||
ME 4508 | 4 | ||||||
ME 4570 | 4 | ||||||
18 | 0 | 0 | 9 | ||||
Year 5 | |||||||
Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | ||||
EECE 2210 | 4 | General elective | 4 | ||||
EECE 2211 | 1 | General elective | 4 | ||||
ENCP 3000 | 1 | Math/science elective | 4 | ||||
ME 4555 | 4 | MIE technical elective | 4 | ||||
MEIE 4702 (EI, WI, CE) | 5 | ||||||
General elective | 4 | ||||||
19 | 16 | ||||||
Total Hours: 140 |