PROGRAM GOALS
   Mechanical Engineering graduates should be able to solve problems and design effective systems.

1. Graduates must be able to use problem solving processes in an iterative manner.
2. Graduates must be able to design effectively. The department emphasizes the skills and abilities required for all stages of the design process and provides opportunities for the student to practice these skills and develop these abilities.
3. Graduates must be able to continue to learn and educate themselves. Students must appreciate that not only do they need to know current technology; they must learn new technologies and become familiar with related disciplines.
4. Graduates must be able to communicate effectively. Students must recognize there are many aspects to effective communication: visual “engineering languages,” oral communications and written communications. In addition, students should begin to appreciate that the medium is as important as the message. The non-technical aspects of communications, such as politics, aesthetics, style, and technique should be recognized.
5. Graduates must be able to work responsibly. Graduates must be prepared to practice engineering responsibly, i.e., make decisions based on personal and professional codes of ethics with the understanding that they are accountable for the outcomes of these decisions. Graduates must be sensitive to local and global issues in order to act ethically in their particular society and for humanity in general.
6. Graduates should be able to work effectively in five areas:

   a)	Management. Management includes working as an effective team member as well as working effectively as an individual.
   b)	Concentration/focus. The concentration/focus includes sticking to priorities, recognizing the “Law of Diminishing Returns,” knowing the objective and moving toward it.
   c)	Process. Process includes establishing priorities, using the right tool for the right job, dividing large problems into smaller ones, and learning during the process, especially from failures.
   d)	Interpersonal skills. Interpersonal skills include working in teams, accepting compromise, considering societal constraints and considering physiological constraints.
   e)	Personal skills. Personal skills include time management and stress management.

Aerospace Engineering Area of Concentration
   The aerospace industry provides job opportunities each year for many mechanical engineering graduates. The aerospace engineering area of concentration is intended to provide specialty courses which focus the application of basic mechanical engineering skills on aerospace systems.
   The courses that comprise this area of concentration are:

ME 305 ME 405 ME 411 ME 425 ME 427 ME 461 ME 510 ME 512 MA 305 PH 322

Introduction to Aerospace Engineering Theoretical Aerodynamics Propulsion Systems Aerospace Engineering Laboratory Introduction to Computational Fluid Dynamics Aerospace Design Gas Dynamics Light Weight Structures Advanced Calculus Celestial Mechanics and Solar Systems Physics

   Any Student who completes five of these recommended courses (ME 425 not included) may receive, upon request, a letter from the Department Head attesting to the fact that the student has completed the requirements in the aerospace engineering area of concentration in the Mechanical Engineering Department. With proper planning, students should be able to take at least five of these course offerings with out overload

Manufacturing and Production Engineering Area of Concentration
   Many mechanical engineering graduates will work in tasks related to the manufacture of various products. The manufacturing and production engineering area of concentration is intended to bridge the gap between the analytical and design courses which are the heart of the professional program and the practical problems of producing acceptable hardware, on time, at a profit.
   The courses that comprise this area of concentration are:

	ME 318 ME 319 ME 320 ME 322 ME 417 ME 435 ME 520	Manufacturing Processes Producibility Considerations in Design Production Engineering Quality Methods Advanced Materials Engineering Robotics Computer Aided Design/Computer Aided Manufacturing
When choosing humanities and social science electives (HSS), we suggest that the following are most pertinent to the manufacturing/production working environment:
	SL 151 SL 350 SL 171  VA 353	Principles of Economics Managerial Accounting Principles of Psychology Industrial Organizations
With proper planning, students should be able to take five ME elective offerings in this area without overload. Any student who completes five of the recommended ME courses and three of the recommended HSS courses may receive, upon request, a letter from the Department Head attesting to the fact that the student has completed the requirements in the manufacturing and production engineering area of concentration in the Mechanical Engineering Department.

Solid Mechanics Area of Concentration
   The broad field of solid mechanics prepares the mechanical engineering graduate with many career opportunities in areas such as stress analysis, dynamics, vibrations, materials, and the design of mechanical components and systems.
   The courses that comprise this area of concentration are:

ME 417 ME 422 ME 512 ME 513 ME 518 ME 522 ME 525 EM 403 EM 406 EM 502 EM 503 EM 505 EM 508

Advanced Materials Engineering Intro. Finite Element Fund. Light Weight Structures Environmental Noise Advanced Kinematics Advanced finite Element Analysis Buckling Strength of Structures Advanced Mechanics of Materials Vibration Analysis Advanced Dynamics Advanced Vibration Analysis Theory of Elasticity Energy Methods in Engr. Mech.

   With proper planning, students should be able to take five elective courses in the area without overload. Any student who completes five of these recommended courses may request a letter from the Department Head attesting to the fact that the student has completed the requirements in the solid mechanics area of concentration within the Mechanical Engineering Department.

Thermal Fluid Area of Concentration
Many Mechanical Engineering graduates will work with engineering systems that are based on the principles of thermodynamics, heat transfer and fluid mechanics. The Mechanical Engineering curriculum offers an opportunity for the student to concentrate his studies on the analysis and design of these systems. The courses that comprise the thermal fluid area of concentration may be classified according to whether the main emphasis is on the system or on the thermal or fluid concepts which underpin its design and operation.

   In order to complete the requirements in the thermal fluid area of concentration a student must select five elective from the lists such that at least one course is taken from the “Thermal Fluid Systems” list and at least two courses are taken from the “Thermal Fluid Sciences” list.
   With proper planning, students should be able to take five elective courses in the area without overload. Any student who completes five of these recommended courses may request a letter from the Department Head attesting to the fact that the student has completed the requirements in the thermal fluid area of concentration within the Mechanical Engineering Department.

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
 

*Must take any two of: ME 460 Machine Design, ME 461 Aerospace Design, ME 462 Thermal Design.
**20 credits in electives composed of 12 credits in technical electives, of which at least 4 must be in advanced level courses and 8 credits in free electives. (i.e. 8 credits tech. electives, 4 credits adv. tech elective, 8 credits free electives)
An advanced technical elective is designated with an * in the Mechanical Engineering and Engineering Mechanics course description of this catalog