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    Oct 06, 2024  
2022-2023 UMaine Undergraduate Catalog 
    
2022-2023 UMaine Undergraduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Mechanical Engineering


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OVERVIEW OF DEGREE REQUIREMENTS

Minimum number of credits required to graduate: 129

Minimum Cumulative GPA required to graduate: 2.0

Minimum Grade requirements for courses to count toward major: None.

Other GPA requirements to graduate: A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 in MEE courses.

Required Course(s) for fulfilling Capstone Experience: MEE 487 and MEE 488

Contact Information:  Dr. Masoud Rais-Rohani, Mechanical Engineering Chair, 219 Boardman Hall, Tel: (207)581-4120.


The mission of the Department of Mechanical Engineering is to educate students for success in the field of mechanical engineering by providing academic programs that promote engineering principles, experiential learning, critical thinking, creative problem-solving, teamwork, leadership and outreach, and to pursue innovative research and scholarly achievement for advancing the State and developing technology solutions to societal needs.

Mechanical engineers work in transportation, energy, chemical, and biomedical industries, among many others. They work for small and large companies, consulting firms, laboratories, and government agencies. Many mechanical engineers are employed by manufacturers in aerospace, automotive, and shipbuilding. Mechanical engineers solve problems by developing systems that involve moving parts, ranging from small biomedical devices to giant machines used in mining, agriculture, and construction. Mechanical engineers conduct research in solar and wind energy, advanced materials, computer modeling, additive manufacturing, jet and rocket propulsion, among many other topics.

The undergraduate program has been developed to enable the student to begin a professional career in engineering after graduation or to pursue advanced studies in graduate school. Additional information can be found online at https://umaine.edu/mecheng/.

Program Educational Objectives

Within a few years after graduation, those holding a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from UMaine are expected to:

  1. Successfully practice engineering in roles of increasing responsibility to serve local, state, national, and international industries and government agencies.
  2. Demonstrate a spirit of lifelong learning by pursuing professional licensure, graduate education, short courses or other training programs in engineering or related fields.
  3. Demonstrate professional and ethical responsibility in their work and daily lives.
  4. Participate in their community and in so doing advocate for the profession.

Student Outcomes

By the end of their undergraduate degree program in mechanical engineering, students will have:

  1. an ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics.
  2. an ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors.
  3. an ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences.
  4. an ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts.
  5. an ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives.
  6. an ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions.
  7. an ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.

Program Description

The undergraduate mechanical engineering program develops the student’s creative potential to meet the increasingly complex needs of industry, government and graduate education. It provides a foundation of knowledge in mathematics, basic physical sciences, thermal sciences, dynamic systems, materials science, fluid and solid mechanics and design of systems.

Since engineers must address problems requiring awareness of economical, ethical, political, social and legal issues, the curriculum includes an introduction to the humanities and social sciences as well as mathematics, science and engineering fundamentals.

In consultation with an academic advisor, the student plans a program based on the recommended curriculum. The format can be modified within the constraints of all the departmental, college, and university requirements and course prerequisites to satisfy scheduling needs or student preferences.

The curriculum has ten electives among the courses  required for the bachelor’s degree. Six electives (18 credits) must satisfy the Human Values and Social Context (HVSC) areas of the general education requirements. Students must also complete a course placing substantial emphasis on the discussion of ethics, if not part of the 18 credits in HVSC electives. The remaining four are technical electives (12 credits), with one accepted at 300-level or higher from the list of approved courses. By careful use of this flexibility in electives, students may pursue in some depth their particular interests in both technical and non-technical subjects.

In addition to meeting all university academic requirements, a mechanical engineering student must also have a minimum GPA of 2.0 in all mechanical engineering (MEE designator) courses.

The bachelor’s degree program in Mechanical Engineering is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, 415 N. Charles St, Baltimore, MD 21201, telephone: (410) 347-7700.

Required Courses in Suggested Sequence for the B.S. Degree in Mechanical Engineering


The recommended sequence of the four-year curriculum is shown below and can be accessed online at https://umaine.edu/mecheng/ugcurriculum/. This program can be adapted to a student’s special scheduling needs in consultation with an academic advisor.

 

First Year - First Semester


First Year - Second Semester


Third Year - Second Semester


Fourth Year - First Semester


Fourth Year - Second Semester


Aerospace Engineering Concentration


Aerospace Engineering is an ever-evolving and highly challenging career choice.  Aerospace engineers are on the leading-edge of that evolution, involved in research, design and development of a wide range of fascinating vehicles, some traveling at astounding speeds through both air and space.  These systems can include satellites, launch vehicles, fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, marine vessels, projectiles, airdrop vehicles and an ever widening range of unmanned autonomous stems.

The skills developed in these courses can be applied in a number of different industries, including those associated with aerospace science missions, defense missions and commercial applications. as well as in the automobile and marine industries.

For more information on the Undergraduate Aerospace Engineering Concentration, please contact Dr. Alex Friess.

Courses


The Aerospace Concentration will require completion of any three of the following courses with a grade of C or better:
 

Special Requirements and Footnotes:


  • 1General education requirements mandate English 101 and two writing intensive courses. MEE 341 and ENG 320 are designated as writing intensive courses within the MEE major.
  • 2Students are assisted by faculty advisors in developing an elective program to meet their individual needs within the University’s general education requirements. While most of the general education requirements are automatically met with a mechanical engineering degree, a student is required to select an additional 15 credit hours of electives to meet the “Human Values and Social Context” (HVSC) requirement and ethics requirement. ENG 320 satisfies the Social Contexts and Institutions category within HVSC requirements.
  • 3Either of the following may be substituted for MEE 125:
  • COS 220 - Introduction to C++ Programming Credits: 3  
  • ECE 177 - Introduction to Programming for Engineers Credits: 4  

4Accepted courses for Engineering Electives:

Other 300 or 400 level courses in the College of Engineering (BEN, CHE, CIE, CET, ECE, EET, MET, SVT), Innovation Engineering (INV), or Pulp and Paper (PPA) may be accepted as the Engineering Elective with MEE Department approval.

 

5Acceptable MEE Technical Electives include but are not limited to:

Students may use the elective courses to broaden their knowledge or to specialize in areas like engineering design, dynamic systems control, smart materials and structures, computer software, CAD/CAM and robotics, biomedical engineering, computer graphics, energy, cultural diversity, ethics as well as artistic and creative works.

A grade of “C” or better is required in MEE 150, MEE 230, MEE 251, and MEE 270 for those courses to be used as prerequisites for other courses.

Master’s Degree - Accelerated Track

Undergraduate engineering and engineering physics students can work toward earning a master’s degree in mechanical engineering starting in their senior year. Qualified students can complete up to three graduate-level courses that can fulfill both undergraduate (technical elective) and graduate degree requirements. Both thesis and non-thesis options are available. Details may be found online at https://umaine.edu/mecheng/graduate-program/.

Scholarships
The department has several scholarships available on a competitive basis for students majoring in mechanical engineering. Outstanding incoming students will be automatically considered for all applicable scholarships. Current students should apply for college and departmental scholarships on an annual basis with details provided online at https://umaine.edu/mecheng/scholarships/.

Internship and Co-op Opportunities

Students are encouraged to pursue internship or co-op opportunities to gain practical experience while pursuing their mechanical engineering degree program. CareerLink (https://umaine.edu/career/careerlink/), managed by the Career Center, may be used to identify the available opportunities.

Study Abroad

Mechanical engineering students can engage in study abroad programs in a number of countries for completion of one or more courses that meet the undergraduate degree requirements. Through a partnership with University Studies Abroad Consortium, mechanical engineering students can complete their Fall-semester sophomore year at Valencia Polytechnic (Universidad Politécnica de Valéncia) in Spain while staying on a 4-year graduation plan. Details may be found online at https://umaine.edu/mecheng/undergraduate-program/.

Undergraduate Research

Mechanical engineering student can engage in undergraduate research by working side-by-side with our highly research-active faculty and their graduate students. Interested student should review the mechanical engineering faculty profiles at https://umaine.edu/mecheng/mee-faculty-staff/ and contact the faculty. Additional research opportunities are available at centers with significant engineering related activities such as the Advanced Manufacturing Center (https://umaine.edu/amc/), Advanced Structures and Composites Center (https://composites.umaine.edu/), and Frontier Institute for Research in Sensor Technologies (https://umaine.edu/first/).

Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) Examination

Students are recommended (but not required) to take the FE examination in their senior year before graduation. For more information, visit https://umaine.edu/mecheng/fepe/.

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