BS in Mechanical Engineering
At the undergraduate level, Boston University offers a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, with the option to concentrate in one of the following areas: Aerospace Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Energy Technologies & Environmental Engineering, or Nanotechnology. Graduates are prepared for careers in mechanical engineering, develop lifelong learning skills, and advance the science and technology of mechanical engineering through multidisciplinary research in selected focus areas. Our students develop technical skills required for immediate entry into industry or graduate school, but also become leaders in tomorrow’s world and prosper in a society whose problems will require increasingly multidisciplinary solutions.
Students completing the undergraduate program in mechanical engineering develop competence or acquired knowledge in a variety of areas, including engineering tools, communication skills, modeling and formulation, design of individual components and multicomponent systems, professional ethics, mechanical systems, laboratory exploration, computer usage, and more.
Most of the engineering science courses come from the two major stems of mechanical engineering: (1) energy and fluids, and (2) structures and motion in mechanical systems. During their sophomore and junior years, students take four first-level courses from the structures/motion stem (including two courses in engineering mechanics, mechanics of materials, and materials science) and three first-level courses from the energy/fluids stem (including fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, and heat transfer). In their senior year, students have the opportunity to broaden and deepen their technical background through four advanced elective courses.
The required mechanical engineering design experience is integrated throughout the curriculum, beginning in the sophomore year and increasing in scope in each subsequent year. In the sophomore year, one engineering science course per semester requires a design project. In the junior year, major design projects are required in two courses (one from each engineering-science stem) as well as in a special two-credit design course each semester. The special design courses introduce students to formal design methodologies, the use of CAD systems, and the professional aspects of engineering, including safety considerations and professional ethics. In the senior year, a design project is required in the instrumentation course. Also in the senior year, the design experience culminates in a two-semester capstone design sequence that builds on previous coursework, and in which small student teams work on major individual design projects. As part of the design experience, the professional aspects of engineering are stressed, including professional ethics, teamwork, and oral and written communications.
Students in the Mechanical Engineering Program gain experience in laboratory settings through experiments associated with all of their natural science courses (in the freshman and sophomore years) and with most of their engineering science courses (in their sophomore and junior years). Laboratory experience culminates in the senior year with an intensive mechanical measurements and instrumentation course.
Computer experience for mechanical engineering students begins in the freshman year with the required college-wide introductory computer course. It then continues throughout the curriculum, being required for some homework, projects, or laboratories in most subsequent engineering courses. Students gain experience in programming in MATLAB; and using commercial software packages for CAD, spreadsheet analysis, finite element analysis, and graphical-interface-driven laboratory systems for data acquisition, data analysis, and instrument control.
A total of 134 credits is required for graduation for students matriculating before September 2009, and 136 credits for students matriculating September 2009 or later.
Curriculum for students matriculating in September 2009 or after
Freshman
FIRST SEMESTER (16 CREDITS)
CAS CH 131 Principles of General Chemistry 4 cr
CAS MA 123 Calculus I 4 cr
CAS WR 100 Writing Seminar 4 cr
ENG EK 100 Freshman Advising Seminar
ENG EK 127 Engineering Computation 4 cr
SECOND SEMESTER (16 CREDITS)
CAS MA 124 Calculus II 4 cr
CAS PY 211 Physics I 4 cr
CAS WR 150 Writing and Research Seminar 4 cr
ENG EK 130/131/132 Introduction to Engineering 4 cr
Sophomore
FIRST SEMESTER (18 CREDITS)
CAS MA 225 Multivariate Calculus 4 cr
CAS PY 212 Physics II 4 cr
ENG EK 301 Engineering Mechanics I 4 cr
ENG EK 156 Design and Manufacture 2 cr
Social science/humanities requirement 4 cr
SECOND SEMESTER (18 CREDITS)
CAS MA 226 Differential Equations 4 cr
ENG EK 307 Electric Circuit Theory 4 cr
ENG EK 102 Introduction to Linear Algebra 2 cr
Natural science elective 4 cr
Social science/humanities requirement 4 cr
Junior
FIRST SEMESTER (18 CREDITS)
ENG ME 302 Engineering Mechanics II 4 cr
ENG ME 303 Fluid Mechanics 4 cr
ENG ME 304 Energy and Thermodynamics 4 cr
ENG ME 359 Introduction to CAD and Machine Components 2 cr
Social science/humanities requirement 4 cr
SECOND SEMESTER (14 CREDITS)
EMG ME 366 Probability and Statistics for Mechanical Engineering 2 cr
ENG ME 419 Heat Transfer 4 cr
ENG ME 305 Mechanics of Materials 4 cr
ENG ME 306 Materials Science 4 cr
ENG ME 360 Product Design 4 cr
Senior
FIRST SEMESTER (16 CREDITS)
ENG ME 310 Instrumentation and Theory of Experiments 4 cr
ENG ME 460 Electo-Mechanical Systems Design 4 cr
Advanced elective 4 cr
Advanced elective 4 cr
SECOND SEMESTER (16 CREDITS)
ENG ME 461 Mechanical Engineering Capstone Experience 4 cr
Social science/humanities requirement 4 cr
Advanced elective 4 cr
Advanced elective 4 cr
Curriculum for students matriculating in September 2008 or January 2009
Freshman
FIRST SEMESTER (16 CREDITS)
CAS CH 131 Principles of General Chemistry 4 cr
CAS MA 123 Calculus I 4 cr
CAS WR 100 Writing Seminar 4 cr
ENG EK 100 Freshman Advising Seminar
ENG EK 127 Engineering Computation 4 cr
SECOND SEMESTER (16 CREDITS)
CAS MA 124 Calculus II 4 cr
CAS PY 211 Physics I 4 cr
CAS WR 150 Writing and Research Seminar 4 cr
ENG EK 130/131/132 Introduction to Engineering 4 cr
Sophomore
FIRST SEMESTER (18 CREDITS)
CAS MA 225 Multivariate Calculus 4 cr
CAS PY 212 Physics II 4 cr
ENG EK 301 Engineering Mechanics I 4 cr
ENG EK 156 Design and Manufacture 2 cr
Social science/humanities requirement 4 cr
SECOND SEMESTER (18 CREDITS)
CAS MA 226 Differential Equations 4 cr
ENG EK 307 Electric Circuit Theory 4 cr
ENG EK 102 Introduction to Linear Algebra 2 cr
Natural science elective 4 cr
Social science/humanities requirement 4 cr
Junior
FIRST SEMESTER (18 CREDITS)
ENG ME 302 Engineering Mechanics II 4 cr
ENG ME 303 Fluid Mechanics 4 cr
ENG ME 304 Energy and Thermodynamics 4 cr
ENG ME 366 Probability and Statistics for Mechanical Engineering 2 cr
Social science/humanities requirement 4 cr
SECOND SEMESTER (14 CREDITS)
ENG ME 407 Computer-Aided Design and Manufacture 4 cr
ENG ME 419 Heat Transfer 4 cr
ENG ME 305 Mechanics of Materials 4 cr
ENG ME 306 Materials Science 4 cr
Senior
FIRST SEMESTER (16 CREDITS)
ENG ME 310 Instrumentation and Theory of Experiments 4 cr
ENG ME 413 Machine Design 4 cr
Advanced elective 4 cr
Advanced elective 4 cr
SECOND SEMESTER (16 CREDITS)
ENG ME 414 Capstone Experience 4 cr
Social science/humanities requirement 4 cr
Advanced elective 4 cr
Advanced elective 4 cr
Curriculum for students matriculating prior to September 2008
Freshman
FIRST SEMESTER (16 CREDITS)
CAS CH 131 Principles of General Chemistry 4 cr
CAS MA 123 Calculus I 4 cr
CAS WR 100 Writing Seminar 4 cr
ENG EK 100 Freshman Advising Seminar
ENG EK 127 Engineering Computation 4 cr
SECOND SEMESTER (16 CREDITS)
CAS MA 124 Calculus II 4 cr
CAS PY 211 Physics I 4 cr
CAS WR 150 Writing and Research Seminar 4 cr
ENG EK 130/131/132 Introduction to Engineering 4 cr
Sophomore
FIRST SEMESTER (16 CREDITS)
CAS MA 225 Multivariate Calculus 4 cr
CAS PY 212 Physics II 4 cr
ENG EK 301 Engineering Mechanics I 4 cr
Social science/humanities requirement 4 cr
SECOND SEMESTER (18 CREDITS)
CAS MA 226 Differential Equations 4 cr
ENG EK 307 Electric Circuit Theory 4 cr
Core elective 2 cr
Natural science elective 4 cr
Social science/humanities requirement 4 cr
Junior
FIRST SEMESTER (18 CREDITS)
ENG ME 311 Engineering Design Using CAD 2 cr
ENG ME 302 Engineering Mechanics II 4 cr
ENG ME 303 Fluid Mechanics 4 cr
ENG ME 304 Energy and Thermodynamics 4 cr
Social science/humanities requirement 4 cr
SECOND SEMESTER (18 CREDITS)
ENG ME 312 Fundamentals of Engineering Design 4 cr
ENG ME 400 Engineering Mathematics 4 cr
ENG ME 419 Heat Transfer 4 cr
ENG ME 305 Mechanics of Materials 4 cr
ENG ME 306 Materials Science 4 cr
Senior
FIRST SEMESTER (16 CREDITS)
ENG ME 310 Instrumentation and Theory of Experiments 4 cr
ENG ME 413 Machine Design 4 cr
Advanced elective 4 cr
Advanced elective 4 cr
SECOND SEMESTER (16 CREDITS)
ENG ME 414 Capstone Experience 4 cr
Social science/humanities requirement 4 cr
Advanced elective 4 cr
Advanced elective 4 cr
Advanced Electives
These electives provide additional depth or breadth in either mechanical engineering science or another advanced technical or professional subject. Students must select courses that are on the list of acceptable courses found on the back of the Mechanical Engineering program planning sheet.
Core Electives (for students matriculating prior to September 2008)
Core elective courses can be selected from the following:
- Engineering courses at the 100 level or higher (ENG EK 280 and MET EK 311, EK 312, EK 317, and EK 318 cannot be used to fulfill this requirement.)
- Natural science courses listed under the Natural Science Requirements that exceed the minimum requirements for the student’s degree program
- Mathematics courses not used to satisfy the mathematics requirement that have CAS MA 123 as a prerequisite. CAS MA 142 (Linear Algebra) is also acceptable.
Navy ROTC courses: 2 credits of core elective credit may be satisfied by one of the following:
- OTP NS 102 Naval Ships Systems I
- OTP NS 201 Naval Ships Systems II
- OTP NS 301 Navigation and Naval Operations I
- OTP NS 302 Navigation and Naval Operations II
