Undergraduate Advisor -
Professor Guanshui Xu
Objectives
The Vision of the Department is to be nationally recognized as an
innovator in both research and education in mechanical engineering.
The formulation of the specific objectives of the undergraduate
Mechanical Engineering program has been guided by the strong belief
that the program should provide an equivalent of a liberal arts
education for the 21st century.
The Mechanical Engineering program objectives are to produce mechanical
engineers who:
- Have the knowledge and skills to adapt to the changing engineering
environment in industry.
- Are able to pursue and succeed in graduate studies
- Have the educational breadth and the intellectual discipline required
to enter professional careers outside engineering, such as business and
law.
- Have an ability to work in multi-disciplinary teams.
- Engage in a lifetime of learning.
These objectives are met through:
- Strong training in the areas of mathematics, science, and the
fundamentals of mechanical engineering that constitute the
foundation of the discipline.
- Extensive laboratory and hands-on experience to strengthen
understanding of fundamental principles.
- Extensive use of computer simulation in the solution of problems
and in design.
- Application of knowledge to design problems common to modern
mechanical engineering practice.
- Introduction of machine shop and fabrication techniques into the
curriculum to emphasize the relationship between design and
fabrication.
- Freedom for the student to mold his or her program of
professional specialty studies by allowing each student to choose
from a number of technical electives and to create her or his own
senior year design project under the supervision of a faculty
member.
- Emphasis on both oral and written communication throughout the
curriculum.
- A well-rounded and balanced education achieved through required
studies in selected areas of the Humanities and Social Sciences.
Curriculum Overview
The curriculum is structured so that most of the required courses in
mathematics and the basic sciences (physics and chemistry) are taken
in the first two years. In addition, three one-unit, Introduction to
Mechanical Engineering, courses are offered in the first year. These
classes focus on design, solids modeling, and computational
engineering tools required for mechanical engineers. Engineering
topics are covered primarily in courses offered during the second,
third and fourth years. Additional science topics (Biology) are
covered in the third year. Students can also take elective courses in
specialized topics such as Applied Finite Element Methods, Transport
Phenomena in Living Systems, Vibrations, Environmental Impacts of
Energy Production, Mechatronics, Combustion and Energy Systems, Optics
and Lasers in Engineering, etc., in the senior year.
Most ME courses, including laboratory courses, incorporate
design. Design addresses real-world problems whose solution requires
creativity and consideration of alternatives to achieve stated
objectives. The design component can occupy a significant fraction of
course time and is usually conducted in teams.
The culmination of the students' design experience is a three-quarter
capstone design course, in which students draw upon various aspects of
their previous engineering science and design knowledge to address a
meaningful design problem. The first quarter focuses on engineering
economics, engineering/professional ethics, and review of fundamental
design concepts. In the second quarter, project (concept) analysis,
preliminary evaluation (economical and technical), data and literature
collection, and preliminary process design and evaluation is carried
out. The third quarter of the capstone design course focuses on the
final detailed technical design of the process (equipment sizing and
specification, etc.), followed by prototyping and construction of
hardware, and detailed technical analysis of the final design. The
course concludes with a formal oral presentation and written technical
report.
