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| Mechanical Engineering | Undergraduate Program |
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The baccalaureate program in mechanical engineering is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Mechanical engineering is the broadest and most versatile of the engineering professions. It utilizes a combination of human, material, and economic resources to translate ideas and theories into realistic problem solutions that satisfy the needs of society. Problems are solved in such varied areas as energy, environment, robotics, assistance for the handicapped, and air, land, sea, and space vehicles. Mechanical engineers are particularly concerned with the application of the sciences of mechanics and energy to the generation, utilization, and conservation of energy, and to the design of mechanical systems which control forces, motions, and the flow of materials. No two mechanical engineers do exactly the same thing. Their specific careers are the result of choices depending on personal interests and the changing needs of society. Computers are integrated throughout mechanical engineering. Microcomputers, graphics terminals, and workstations are incorporated into the laboratory where the students receive hands-on experience with computer aided design, microprocessor based instrumentation, measurement and control systems, and the interfacing of microprocessors in the design of mechanical systems. The breadth of mechanical engineering is illustrated by the organization of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), which supports mechanical engineers engaged in many areas. Some of these areas are: applied mechanics, bioengineering, dynamic systems and control including robotics, fluids engineering, heat transfer, materials, management, aerospace, air pollution control, diesel and gas engine power, gas turbines, computer and microprocessor applications, and solar energy. Mechanical engineers are employed in a variety of service and product industries, in government, and in education. Many are self-employed as consultants. The undergraduate program also offers a particularly broad technical background for persons wishing to enter graduate programs in business, law and medicine. The faculty believes that engineers must be firmly grounded in the fundamentals of their field and the supporting areas of mathematics, communication, and the sciences, so that graduates will be able to adapt quickly to the rapid changes occurring in our technological society. Therefore the curriculum has been designed to stress the basic tools of knowledge and practice essential to launch one’s professional career and a lifelong process of continued learning. The spectrum of mechanical engineering includes innovation and creation, research, design and synthesis, analysis, development, evaluation, production, and the marketing of machines, systems, and processes. Central to this activity is the design process which leads to the creation of solutions to real-world problems. Therefore the mechanical engineering curriculum integrates design experiences into all levels of the program and into a majority of the professional courses. This culminates in a required comprehensive design experience which is satisfied by a year-long senior project and by the selection of a technical elective identified as satisfying this requirement in the program. Studies in the humanities and social sciences serve not only to meet the objectives of a broad education, but also to meet the objectives of the engineering profession. Therefore, studies in the humanities and social sciences must be planned to reflect a rationale or fulfill an objective appropriate to the engineering profession and the University’s educational objectives. Since the humanities and social science courses do not build on prerequisites in the same manner as engineering courses, we require at least one course at the 300 level or above to guide the student and ensure depth in his/her humanities and social science selection. The humanities and social science courses should be chosen to satisfy the University general education requirements, and it is recommended that two courses be taken in the same program with one being lower level and the other being at the 300 level or above. Student chapters of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), American Society for Heating, Refrigeration, and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), and Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) are sponsored by the department to support and encourage the professional development of the students. A national honorary society for mechanical engineering students, Pi Tau Sigma, is also represented. In addition to the specific requirements listed for the College of Engineering and Technology, a minimum grade point average of 2.25 in mechanical engineering courses must be achieved for graduation. Students wishing to pursue graduate study in mechanical engineering may refer to the graduate catalog where course work leading to the MSME degree is described. |
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