College of Engineering
Degree Programs III
Major in Interdisciplinary EngineeringPre-Med
Major in Mechanical Engineering
Mechanical engineering is the largest and broadest of the mechanically oriented engineering disciplines. Mechanical engineers are concerned with the analysis and design of structures and mechanisms, such as robots or the International Space Station. Mechanical engineers are also concerned with the flow of fluids, such as air and water, and the transfer of heat as in the air conditioner in your car or in the engine of a jet plane. Our program strives to give our students the basic skills, understanding, and knowledge they will need in order to become successful engineers in this rapidly advancing field.
Students completing the undergraduate program in mechanical engineering will have developed competence or acquired knowledge in the following areas:
- Engineering tools, including a strong background in engineering science and mathematics, experience with engineering computation using current software tools, and hands-on experience with measurement and instrumentation systems;
- Professional skills, including communication skills such as writing and public speaking, and team dynamics skills;
- Modeling, including modeling and formulation of engineering problems, finding the required solutions using appropriate combinations of analytical, numerical, and experimental tools, and utilizing physical insight to check for realistic results;
- Design, including both the design of individual components and a major design of a multi-component system, incorporating realistic constraints;
- Professional practice, including self-study skills; professional ethics; and an awareness of contemporary issues, business practices, and of the impact of engineering solutions in a societal context;
- Mechanical Systems, including the ability to design both thermal/fluid systems and structural/dynamical systems.
In order to achieve the program outcomes above, students in the Mechanical Engineering Program receive a strong background in the fundamentals of mechanical engineering science and substantial exposure to engineering applications and design, as well as intensive training in two other areas indispensable to modern engineering practice: laboratory experimentation and computer usage.
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 take two additional advanced-level engineering science courses as concentration electives in only one of the two stems. Seniors also have the opportunity to broaden and deepen their technical background through two advanced-level elective courses, the technical elective and mechanical elective.
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 2-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, design projects are required in one of the courses in either concentration stem, as well as in the instrumentation course. Also in the senior year, the design experience culminates in a two-semester capstone design sequence 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 experimentation 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, spread-sheet 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.
Curriculum
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 126/127 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 AM 311 Engineering Design Using CAD 2 cr
ENG EK 302 Engineering Mechanics II 4 cr
ENG EK 303 Fluid Mechanics 4 cr
ENG EK 304 Thermodynamics 4 cr
Social science/humanities requirement 4 cr
Second Semester (18 credits)
ENG AM 312 Fundamentals of Engineering Design 2 cr
ENG AM 400 Engineering Mathematics 4 cr
ENG AM 419 Heat Transfer 4 cr
ENG EK 305 Mechanics of Materials 4 cr
ENG EK 306 Materials Science 4 cr
Senior
First Semester (16 credits)
ENG AM 310 Instrumentation and Theory of Experiments 4 cr
ENG AM 413 Machine Design I 4 cr
Concentration elective 4 cr
Mechanical elective 4 cr
Second Semester (16 credits)
ENG AM 414 Machine Design II 4 cr
Concentration elective 4 cr
Social science/humanities requirement 4 cr
Technical elective 4 cr
Core Electives
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 for which CAS MA 123 Calculus I is a prerequisite
- 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
Concentration Electives
Mechanical engineering majors must choose either the energy/fluids concentration or the structures/motion concentration. Students who choose the energy/fluids concentration must take ENG AM 422 Fluid Mechanics II and ENG AM 430 Energy Conversion. Students who choose the structures/motion concentration must take ENG AM 308 Structural Mechanics and ENG AM 404 Dynamics and Control of Mechanical Systems.
Mechanical Elective
This elective is intended to provide additional depth or breadth in mechanical engineering science. Students must select one of the following courses to fulfill this elective: ENG AM 308, AM 404, AM 422, or AM 430 (if not used as a concentration elective); AM 403 (if AM 404 is not taken), AM 405, AM 406, AM 423, AM 441; or any 500-level-or-above AM course.
Technical Elective
This elective is intended to provide additional depth or breadth in either mechanical engineering science or another advanced-level technical or professional subject. Students must select one course that is either acceptable as a mechanical elective (but not used as such) or on the list of other acceptable courses found on the student's program planning sheet.
Interdisciplinary Engineering
The interdisciplinary engineering degree program offers students an opportunity to design a program of study in conjunction with a faculty advisor to address specializations that cross disciplinary or departmental lines or involve the drawing together of a unique combination of courses to meet particular career goals. Each individual program must include the College requirements, an engineering track, a concentration sequence and program electives, and must also meet tests of coherence and relevance. A minimum of 132 credits is required for graduation. Students should note that interdisciplinary engineering is not an ABET accredited program.
Students must apply and be accepted into the interdisciplinary engineering program. Applications for this program are available in the Office of Undergraduate Programs, ERB 107. Students must meet with a faculty advisor before applying. Students may apply to the program during the first semester of their sophomore year, but no later than the first semester of their junior year. Applications must include a preliminary program proposal that lists the elective and concentration courses, as well as a statement of rationale and goals related to the proposed program. Applications are reviewed by the Undergraduate Committee. Examples of concentration areas include, but are not limited to, environmental science, music technology, and technical management. Students who are interested in pursuing the interdisciplinary engineering degree should contact the Undergraduate Programs Office for more information.
Pre-Med
Students who are interested in applying to medical school after earning their engineering degrees need to be aware of the minimum requirements for admission to most medical schools. As early as possible in your undergraduate career, premedical engineering students should visit the Pre-professional Advising Office, located at 725 Commonwealth Avenue, Room B-2, 617-353-4866. Premedical students may also be interested in the ENGMEDIC program.
Premedical students should note that Advanced Placement (AP) credit in a core science course usually will not satisfy premedical requirements, since medical schools prefer that you take your science requirements while you are in college. If you do utilize Advanced Placement credit for one of these courses, be sure to take another course at a higher level in the same discipline.
The following summarizes the minimum requirements for most medical programs: one year of biology with laboratory; one year of general chemistry with laboratory; one year of organic chemistry with laboratory; one year of physics with laboratory; one year of mathematics. The College of Engineering general education requirements usually satisfy medical school requirements in these areas. Many medical schools require one year of English at the college level — composition or literature or a combination of both. For more information, contact the Pre-professional Advising Office.
Published by Trustees of Boston University
One Sherborn Street
Boston, MA 02215
22 October 2007
Boston University
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