About the Department

Mission  |  Vision  |  Educational Objectives  |  Learning Outcomes

Mission

To provide the curriculum, the educational environment, and the individual support necessary to graduate mechanical engineers who are technically competent, effective in practice, creative, ethical and mindful of their responsibility to society.

Vision

To graduate the best baccalaureate mechanical engineers.

Educational Objectives

The mechanical engineering curriculum is designed to prepare students for productive careers in industry, government, education, and private consulting as well as for graduate study. In the early phase of their careers, we expect our students to:

1. Apply engineering fundamentals to problem solving processes in an iterative manner.
2. Design effectively.
3. Continue to learn and educate themselves.
4. Communicate effectively.
5. Work responsibly.
6. Work effectively.

Learning Outcomes

Learning outcomes are the abilities that we expect mechanical graduates to possess. They are as follows:

Ethics - A recognition of ethical and professional responsibilities

When given the opportunity, students will:

1. Demonstrate knowledge of professional codes of ethics.
2. Evaluate the ethical dimensions of professional engineering, mathematical, and scientific practices.

Contemporary Issues - An understanding of how contemporary issues shape and are shaped by mathematics, science, & engineering

When applying the principles of mathematics, science, and/or engineering to a technical problem, students will:

1. Demonstrate an awareness of how the problem is affected by social concerns and trends.
2. Demonstrate an awareness of how the proposed solution(s) will affect culture and the environment.

Global - An ability to recognize the impact of global societies on citizens and professionals

When given the opportunity, students will:

1. Demonstrate an awareness of the development of cultures and societies.
2. Show an awareness of the relationships of nations and the interdependence of peoples around the globe.

Culture - An ability to understand diverse cultural and humanistic traditions

When given the opportunity, students will:

1. Perform, interpret, analyze or otherwise engage in artistic, literary, and/or other forms of culture.
2. Recognize the importance of contributions of peoples from other cultures to the students' professions and personal lives.
3. Evaluate an issue or problem from other cultural perspectives.

Teams - An ability to work effectively in teams

When assigned to teams, students will:

1. Share responsibilities and duties, and take on different roles when applicable.
2. Analyze ideas objectively to discern feasible solutions by building consensus.
3. Develop a strategy for action.
4. Listen openly, actively and critically.

Communication - An ability to communicate effectively in oral, written, graphical, and visual forms

When performing communication tasks, students will:

1. Identify the readers/audience, assess their previous knowledge and information needs, and organize/design information to meet those needs.
2. Provide content that is factually correct, supported with evidence, explained with sufficient detail, and properly documented.
3. Test readers/audience response to determine how well ideas have been relayed.
4. Submit work with a minimum of errors in spelling, punctuation, grammar, and usage.
5. Present information visually using drawings, graphs and sketches.
6. Deliver oral presentations with clarity and professionalism.

Problem Solving - An ability to apply the skills and knowledge necessary for mathematical, scientific, and engineering practices

1. Inspect and define the problem.
2. Identify the basic principles and concepts that apply to the situation.
3. Use appropriate resources to locate pertinent information.
4. Build appropriate model(s).
5. Solve the problem by choosing appropriate tools. (analytical, experimental, and numerical)
6. Check a solution using appropriate criteria.

Interpreting Data - An ability to interpret graphical, numerical, and textual data

1. Collect and present data in an accurate and orderly way.
2. Use appropriate statistical procedures to analyze and evaluate the information contained in a data set.
3. Analyze the data and draw supportable conclusions from the result.

Experiments - An ability to design and conduct experiments

1. Identify the problem and develop a hypothesis.
2. Select measurement techniques to collect appropriate data and justify that selection.
3. Estimate experimental uncertainties.

Design - An ability to design a product or process to satisfy a client's needs subject to constraints

1. Understand the problem.
2. Develop a design specification that addresses customer/client needs and constraints.
3. Carry out a conceptual design by generating multiple solutions that address the issues above, evaluating the feasibility of the solutions, and choosing the appropriate solution.
4. Carry out a detail-level design using appropriate design tools and methodologies.
5. Test and refine the implementation until the product or process design specifications are met or exceeded.
6. Document the finished product or process as appropriate for the discipline according to standard practice.
7. Present and transfer the product or process and documentation to the client.

Continue to Learn and Educate One's Self

1. Learn new information independently.