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Academic Catalog 2021-2022

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  • Mechanical Engineering and Physics, BSME

Mechanical Engineering and Physics, BSME

2021-2022 Edition

  • Undergraduate
    • Admission
    • Information for Entering Students
    • College Expenses
    • Academic Policies and Procedures
    • University Academics
    • College of Arts, Media and Design
    • D'Amore-​McKim School of Business
    • Khoury College of Computer Sciences
    • College of Engineering
      • First Year Engineering
      • Interdisciplinary Minors
      • Bioengineering
      • Chemical Engineering
      • Civil and Environmental Engineering
      • Electrical and Computer Engineering
      • Mechanical and Industrial Engineering
        • Industrial Engineering, BSIE
        • Mechanical Engineering, BSME
        • Mechanical Engineering and Design, BSME
        • Mechanical Engineering and History, BSME
        • Mechanical Engineering and Physics, BSME
        • Aerospace, Minor
        • Biomechanical Engineering, Minor
        • Healthcare System Operations, Minor
        • Industrial Engineering, Minor
        • Mechanical Engineering, Minor
        • Robotics, Minor
      • Accelerated Bachelor/​Graduate Degree Programs
    • Bouvé College of Health Sciences
    • College of Science
    • College of Social Sciences and Humanities
    • Faculty
    • Appendix
  • College of Professional Studies Undergraduate
  • Graduate
  • Course Descriptions
  • Catalog Archives
  • Overview
  • Program Requirements
  • Plan of Study

This undergraduate program takes advantage of the physical similarities between mechanical engineering and physics, providing students with the opportunity to pursue studies that explore both topics. The program culminates with mechanical engineering capstone design.

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.

University-Wide Requirements

All undergraduate students are required to complete the University-Wide Requirements.

NUpath Requirements

All undergraduate students are required to complete the NUpath Requirements.

NUpath requirements Interpreting Culture (IC), Societies and Institutions (SI), and Differences and Diversity (DD) are not satisfied by required engineering courses. Students are responsible for satisfying these requirements with general electives.

Engineering Requirement

Course List
Code Title Hours
Required Engineering
ME 2340
and ME 2341
Introduction to Material Science
and Lab for ME 2340
5
ME 2350Statics4
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 3475Fluid Mechanics4
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 4508Mechanical Engineering Computation and Design4
ME 4550Mechanical Engineering Design4
ME 4555System Analysis and Control4
ME 4570Thermal Systems Analysis and Design4
Mechanical Engineering Capstone
MEIE 4701Capstone Design 11
MEIE 4702Capstone Design 25
Supplemental Credit
2 semester hours from the following course counts toward the engineering requirement:2
GE 1501
Cornerstone of Engineering 1 1
3 semester hours from the following course counts toward the engineering requirement:3
GE 1502
Cornerstone of Engineering 2 1

Mathematics/Science Requirement

Course List
Code Title Hours
Required Mathematics/Science
CHEM 1151
and CHEM 1153
General Chemistry for Engineers
and Recitation for CHEM 1151
4
MATH 1341Calculus 1 for Science and Engineering4
MATH 1342Calculus 2 for Science and Engineering4
MATH 2321Calculus 3 for Science and Engineering4
MATH 2341Differential Equations and Linear Algebra for Engineering4
PHYS 1161
and PHYS 1162
and PHYS 1163
Physics 1
and Lab for PHYS 1161
and Recitation for PHYS 1161
5
PHYS 1165
and PHYS 1166
and PHYS 1167
Physics 2
and Lab for PHYS 1165
and Recitation for PHYS 1165
5
PHYS 2303Modern Physics4
PHYS 2371
and PHYS 2372
Electronics
and Lab for PHYS 2371
4
PHYS 3600Advanced Physics Laboratory4
PHYS 3601Classical Dynamics4
PHYS 3602Electricity and Magnetism 14
PHYS 5318Principles of Experimental Physics4
Advanced Physics Elective
Complete one 4 semester hour course from the below list:4
PHYS 4606
Mathematical and Computational Methods for Physics
PHYS 4621
Biological Physics 1
PHYS 4623
Medical Physics
PHYS 4651
Medical Physics Seminar 1
PHYS 4652
Medical Physics Seminar 2
PHYS 5111
Astrophysics and Cosmology
PHYS 5113
Particle Physics
PHYS 5116
Complex Networks and Applications
PHYS 5260
Introduction to Nanoscience and Nanotechnology
Supplemental Credit
1 semester hour from the following course counts toward the mathematics/science requirement:1
GE 1501
Cornerstone of Engineering 1 1

Professional Development 

Course List
Code Title Hours
Professional Development
GE 1000Introduction to the Study of Engineering1
ENCP 2000Introduction to Engineering Co-op Education1
ENCP 3000Professional Issues in Engineering1
Additional Required Courses
1 semester hour from the following course counts toward the professional development requirement:1
GE 1501
Cornerstone of Engineering 1 1
1 semester hour from the following course counts toward the professional development requirement:1
GE 1502
Cornerstone of Engineering 2 1

Writing Requirements

Course List
Code Title Hours
Writing
A grade of C or higher is required:
ENGW 1111First-Year Writing4
ENGW 3302Advanced Writing in the Technical Professions4
or ENGW 3315 Interdisciplinary Advanced Writing in the Disciplines

Required General Electives

Course List
Code Title Hours
Complete 8SH of academic, nonremedial, nonrepetitive courses.8

Integrative Requirement

Course List
Code Title Hours
This course is already required above and also fulfills the integrative requirement.
PHYS 5318
Principles of Experimental Physics

Major GPA Requirement

2.000 minimum GPA required in IE, ME, and MEIE courses

Program Requirement

139 total semester hours required

1 Students can substitute GE 1110 and GE 1111 for GE 1501 and 1502 in approved situations.

 Four Years, One Co-op in Summer 2 / Fall

Year 1
FallHoursSpringHoursSummer 1HoursSummer 2Hours
CHEM 1151 (ND)4ENGW 1111 (WF)4Vacation0Vacation0
CHEM 11530GE 1502 (ER)4  
GE 10001MATH 1342 (FQ)4  
GE 15014PHYS 1165 (ND)4  
MATH 1341 (FQ)4PHYS 1166 (AD)1  
PHYS 1161 (ND)4PHYS 11670  
PHYS 1162 (AD)1   
 18 17 0 0
Year 2
FallHoursSpringHoursSummer 1HoursSummer 2Hours
MATH 2321 (FQ)4ENCP 20001ME 3475 or 34804Vacation
ME 2340 (WI)4MATH 23414PHYS 3600 (ND, AD, WI)4 
ME 23411ME 23554  
ME 23504ME 23561  
PHYS 2303 (ND)4ME 23804  
 ME 23810  
 PHYS 3601 (ND)4  
 17 18 8 0
Year 3
FallHoursSpringHoursSummer 1HoursSummer 2Hours
ENGW 3302 or 3315 (WD)4ME 34554ME 45504Co-op0
ME 4505 (AD)4ME 34561MEIE 4701 (EI, CE, WI)1 
ME 45061ME 45084General Elective4 
PHYS 2371 (ND)3ME 45704  
PHYS 2372 (EI)1PHYS 3602 (ND)4  
General Elective4   
 17 17 9 0
Year 4
FallHoursSpringHours  
Co-op0ENCP 30001  
 ME 45554  
 MEIE 4702 (EI, CE, WI)5  
 PHYS 5318 (ND, AD, WI, CE)4  
 Advanced Physics Elective4  
 0 18  
Total Hours: 139

Five Years, Three Co-ops in Summer 2 / Fall

Year 1
FallHoursSpringHoursSummer 1HoursSummer 2Hours
CHEM 1151 (ND)4ENGW 1111 (WF)4Vacation0Vacation0
CHEM 11530GE 1502 (ER)4  
GE 10001MATH 1342 (FQ)4  
GE 15014PHYS 1165 (ND)4  
MATH 1341 (FQ)4PHYS 1166 (AD)1  
PHYS 1161 (ND)4   
PHYS 1162 (AD)1   
 18 17 0 0
Year 2
FallHoursSpringHoursSummer 1HoursSummer 2Hours
MATH 2321 (FQ)4ENCP 20001Vacation0Co-op0
MATH 23414ME 2340 (WI)4  
ME 23504ME 23411  
PHYS 2371 (ND)3ME 23554  
PHYS 2372 (EI)1ME 23561  
 ME 23804  
 ME 23810  
 PHYS 2303 (ND)4  
 16 19 0 0
Year 3
FallHoursSpringHoursSummer 1HoursSummer 2Hours
Co-op0ENGW 3302 or 3315 (WD)4ME 3475 or 34804Co-op0
 ME 34554PHYS 3600 (ND, AD, WI)4 
 ME 34561  
 ME 45084  
 PHYS 3602 (ND)4  
 0 17 8 0
Year 4
FallHoursSpringHoursSummer 1HoursSummer 2Hours
Co-op0ENCP 30001ME 45504Co-op0
 ME 4505 (AD)4MEIE 4701 (EI, WI, CE)1 
 ME 45061General Elective4 
 ME 45554  
 ME 45704  
 PHYS 3601 (ND)4  
 0 18 9 0
Year 5
FallHoursSpringHours  
Co-op0MEIE 4702 (EI, WI, CE)5  
 PHYS 5318 (ND, AD, CE, WI)4  
 Advanced Physics Elective4  
 General Elective4  
 0 17  
Total Hours: 139

Notes:

Physics courses are offered on the following schedule: 

  • PHYS 2303 offered every fall, spring and summer 2.
  • PHYS 2371/2372 offered every fall.
  • PHYS 3600 offered every summer 1 and summer 2.
  • Classical Dynamics (PHYS 3601) is offered fall and spring semesters of even years only. Please meet with your COS Academic Advisor to discuss scheduling options for Year 4 of odd years.
  • PHYS 3602 offered every fall and spring.
  • PHYS 3603 offered fall (even years) and summer 1 (odd years).
  • PHYS 4115 offered every fall and spring.
  • PHYS 4305 offered every spring and summer 2 (even years).
  • PHYS 4621 offered spring (odd years) and fall (even years).
  • PHYS 4623 offered summer 1 and fall (even years).
  • PHYS 4651 offered spring and fall (odd years).
  • PHYS 4652 offered every spring.
  • PHYS 5318 offered every spring.
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