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Undergraduate Student Program


Mechanical engineering is the broadest area of study in engineering. In contrast to other engineering disciplines, mechanical engineers are employed in significant percentages in almost all industrial and governmental organizations that employ engineers.

The spectrum of activities in which mechanical engineers are engaged continues to expand. The curriculum has in turn become very flexible to allow for the education of mechanical engineering students in many diverse and allied areas, or for graduate school preparation.

The undergraduate program includes a foundation in mathematics, science, humanities and engineering sciences. The two key elements of the mechanical engineering undergraduate program are laboratory experience and design experience. The program is directed toward developing the student’s design skill and experience, culminating in the senior design course sequence.

The mechanical engineering curriculum affords the student the flexibility to pursue specific professional goals within the discipline. Such an opportunity needs to be carefully considered by each student, so that courses are chosen with these goals in mind. During the junior and senior year, the student selects courses to make up a 25 semester hour block of technical electives. Of these 25 semester hours, one course must be selected from a list of thermal and fluid engineering courses, another from a list of solid mechanics courses (all within the Department of Mechanical Engineering) and a course in vibrations or controls. The remaining hours of electives may be from any engineering discipline, mathematics, science (including biology, physics or chemistry), business and/or management or courses appropriate to pre-law or pre-medicine. Mechanical engineering students can, if they choose, select a curriculum with specific concentrations, such as the example areas listed below:

  • Manufacturing and Design
  • Materials and Solid Mechanics
  • Aerodynamics
  • Energy Systems
  • Environment and Natural Resources
  • Petroleum Systems
  • Advanced Engineering Studies

A current list of approved courses that are appropriate for each of these concentrations is available in the departmental office or from the student’s adviser. These elective hours also represent the potential for students to consider a cross-college minor or a second (parallel) degree. The selection, however, must be approved by the student’s adviser and the department head, and must be in accordance with an overall educational objective. Mechanical engineering degree candidates must meet the academic requirements of the college and in addition must have a GPA of 2.0 (C) in mechanical engineering courses attempted at this university.

Current Program Information


College of Engineering