Undergraduate Program

Director of Undergraduate Programs
Tariq A. Khraishi

Introduction

In order to meet the challenge of today’s rapidly changing technologies, mechanical engineering students are well-grounded in the basic principles of analysis, design, experimentation and computer utilization. A range of technical electives enables students to develop and specialize in their fields of interest. After graduation, mechanical engineers conceive, plan and design a wide variety of devices, machines and systems for energy conversion and utilization, automation and robotics, environmental control, material processing and handling, manufacturing and CAD/CAM, dynamical systems, fluid flow and other purposes. They are active in creative design, applied research and development and management.

Degree Offered

Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering (B.S.M.E.)
Concentration: Microsystems Engineering.

Shared-Credit Undergraduate/Graduate Degrees Programs

Undergraduate students in the Mechanical Engineering program may seek admission to a Master of Science (M.S.) engineering program or the Master of Engineering (M.Eng.) in Civil Engineering under the Shared-Credit Undergraduate/Graduate Degrees Program. See the School of Engineering section of this Catalog for specific admission information and requirements.

Undergraduate students in the Mechanical Engineering program may seek admission to the Master of Science (M.S.) in Mechanical Engineering or in the Master of Engineering in Manufacturing Engineering (M.E.M.E.) under the Shared-Credit Undergraduate/Graduate Degrees Program. See the "Shared-Credit Undergraduate/Graduate Degrees Programs" section of this page.

Program Goals

The principal goal of the Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering (B.S.M.E.) program is to provide students with the fundamentals of mechanical engineering so that they have a solid base for an engineering career. This includes building a sufficient knowledge base, exercising creative and analytical capability, and developing communication skills so that the graduates can continue to expand their learning as their fields of interest and the scope of mechanical engineering evolve. The program's core courses are intended to provide a broad base so that those who terminate their formal education with the B.S.M.E. degree can continue to grow intellectually. Likewise, the base provides insight into fields that students may choose to study at the graduate level.

This goal is met by a curriculum in which fundamental knowledge of earlier years is applied in later engineering courses. Specifically, the goals for the B.S.M.E. program at the University of New Mexico are closely linked to the criteria set forth by ABET. The following statement has been adopted by the Mechanical Engineering Faculty to represent the department's educational goals.

Outcomes

The Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University provides students with a quality mechanical engineering education. Each Mechanical Engineering student will demonstrate the following by the time of graduation:

an ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics;
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;
an ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences;
an ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgements, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts;
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;
an ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions;
an ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.

Objectives

The Department of Mechanical Engineering has the following objectives:

Graduates will have the educational background necessary to complete successfully in a global workplace.
Qualified graduates will pursue advanced study if desired.
Graduates will pursue leadership positions in their profession and/or communities.

Cooperative Education and Internships

To complement their formal course work with practical experience, mechanical engineering students may elect a cooperative education program in which they are employed full time by an industrial or governmental agency for a part of the year. They are full-time students for the remaining part of the year. Students who need financial aid or who wish to gain engineering experience will find this program attractive. The Department of Mechanical Engineering does not offer technical elective credit for cooperative education.

Many Mechanical Engineering undergraduate students participate in paid or unpaid internships. While a co-op program is full-time, an internship is typically part-time, especially in the Fall or Spring semesters. In the summer, internships can be full-time. As in co-ops, internships are a great way to link practice to the curriculum, to network and build a resume for future employment, and to possibly generate more revenue for a student.

Accreditation

The Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology.

Advisement

Pre-major engineering students who have indicated Mechanical Engineering as their intended major are advised by the department Undergraduate Advisor as needed. Upon admission to the program (until graduation), each student is assigned to one of the faculty members for advisement. Students in the program are required to seek advisement from their designated advisor each semester during the pre-registration period. The purpose of this session is to help the student with any problems he/she may have in his/her program of studies. Students will have an advisement hold and not be allowed to register until they have consulted with their advisor.

Policy on Passing Grades

Effective Fall 2016, students admitted or readmitted to the department's baccalaureate program may not apply a course toward the Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering degree if the grade earned in the course is not a "C" or better, regardless of where that grade was earned.

Students are not permitted to enroll in an undergraduate Mechanical Engineering course without first earning a grade of "C" or better in all prerequisites for the course.

Planning for Graduate Studies

The Mechanical Engineering Department offers programs of study towards the Master of Science (M.S.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees. Consult the Mechanical Engineering: Graduate Program section of this Catalog and contact the departmental Graduate Advisor for detailed information.

Senior students with a GPA of 3.0 or greater who are within 10 credit hours of completing the B.S.M.E. may obtain graduate credit (in graduate courses) for a maximum of nine (9) credit hours, provided they meet the requirements specified in the Graduate Program section of this Catalog.

The B.S.M.E. has proven to be excellent preparation for graduate engineering programs as well as for other professional programs such as law, business administration, medicine and dentistry.

Admission

Students must be admitted for study at the University of New Mexico and must have completed approximately one year of the freshman year subjects before applications are processed for admission to the Baccalaureate Program in Mechanical Engineering. Approval from the Mechanical Engineering Department is required. Applicants must consult the appropriate departmental advisor for evaluation of academic work before admission can be completed.

At least 18 credit hours of freshman-year technical subjects are required by the School of Engineering for admission into degree programs. For the Mechanical Engineering degree program, these courses must include the following 14 credit hours:

MATH 1512 Calculus I (4);
MATH 1522 Calculus II (4);
ME 160L Mechanical Engineering Design I (3);
PHYS 1310 Calculus-Based Physics I (3).

Four other credit hours may be taken from:

CHEM 1215 General Chemistry I for STEM Majors (3);
CHEM 1215L General Chemistry I for STEM Majors Laboratory (1);
ENG 130L Introduction to Engineering Computing (3);
PHYS 1310L Calculus-Based Physics I Laboratory (1).

Note that, as of Fall 2015, all of these listed courses are required as part of the B.S.M.E. curriculum. A minimum GPA of 2.75 in these technical courses is required for admission to undergraduate study in Mechanical Engineering.

A cumulative GPA of at least 2.20 (in technical plus non-technical courses) is also required for admission to the program. All applicants must have completed ENGL 1110 or the equivalent before admission. As of Fall 2016, all courses required in the B.S.M.E. program must have grades of "C" or better for satisfying both admission and graduation requirements. The same applies to required General Education curriculum courses.

Students transferring to the undergraduate program (from any institution, including UNM) must also meet the GPA and admission course requirements stated above.

Starting in Fall 2016 and for admission into the program, any course required for the B.S.M.E. cannot have been attempted more than three times. An attempt includes receiving any letter grade ("A" through "F"), W, CR, NC, I or AUDIT. For the purposes of this requirement, coursework taken at other institutions is treated the same as coursework at UNM.

Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering

Requirements

Credit hours required for graduation: 121.

Refer to the Undergraduate Program section of this Catalog for information on courses that meet General Education curriculum and U.S. and Global Diversity and Inclusion requirements.

		Credit Hours
Year 1	First Semester
ME 160L	Mechanical Engineering Design I	3
CHEM 1215	General Chemistry I for STEM Majors	3
CHEM 1215L	General Chemistry I for STEM Majors Laboratory	1
ENGL 1120	Composition II	3
MATH 1512	Calculus I	4
	General Education: Arts and Design	3
	Subtotal	17
	Second Semester
ENG 130L	Introduction to Engineering Computing	3
MATH 1522	Calculus II	4
PHYS 1310	Calculus-Based Physics I	3
PHYS 1310L	Calculus-Based Physics I Laboratory	1
	General Education: Humanities	3
	General Education: Writing and Speaking	3
	Subtotal	17
Year 2	First Semester
ME 217	Energy, Environment and Society	3
ME 260L	Mechanical Engineering Design II	3
CE 202	Engineering Statics	3
MATH 2530	Calculus III	4
PHYS 1320	Calculus-Based Physics II	3
	Subtotal	16
	Second Semester
ME 306	Dynamics	3
ME 318L	Mechanical Engineering Laboratory	4
ECE 203	Circuit Analysis I	3
MATH **316	Applied Ordinary Differential Equations	3
	General Education: Second Language	3
	Subtotal	16
Year 3	First Semester
ME 301	Thermodynamics	3
ME **317L	Fluid Mechanics	4
ME 357	Introduction to Mechanical Vibrations	3
CE 302	Mechanics of Materials	3
	Mathematics Elective ⁽³⁾	3
	Subtotal	16
	Second Semester
ME 360L	Mechanical Engineering Design III	3
ME 370L	Engineering Materials Science	4
ME **380	Analysis and Design of Mechanical Control Systems	3
	Mechanical Engineering Elective ⁽¹⁾ -or- ME 150	3
	Subtotal	13
Year 4	First Semester
ME **320L	Heat Transfer	4
ME 459	Mechanical Engineering Design IV	3
	Mechanical Engineering Elective ⁽¹⁾	6
	Subtotal	13
	Second Semester
ME 460	Mechanical Engineering Design V	4
	Mechanical Engineering Elective ⁽¹⁾	6
	Technical Elective ⁽²⁾	3
	Subtotal	13
	Total	121

Formula Society of Automotive Engineers Option

Formula Society of Automotive Engineers (FSAE) is a program in which the students design, build, and test a racing car. Students who pursue the Formula SAE option substitute the following curriculum for the second semester of their junior year and both semesters of their senior year. All three FSAE courses must be completed for this option.

		Credit Hours
Year 3	Second Semester
ME 360L	Mechanical Engineering Design III	3
ME 370L	Engineering Materials Science	4
ME **380	Analysis and Design of Mechanical Control Systems	3
ME 406L	Formula SAE Racecar Design	4
	Subtotal	14
Year 4	First Semester
ME **320L	Heat Transfer	4
ME 407	Formula SAE Racecar Fabrication Lab	3
ME 459	Mechanical Engineering Design IV	3
	Mechanical Engineering Elective ⁽¹⁾ -or- ME 150	3
	Subtotal	13
	Second Semester
ME 408	Formula SAE Racecar Test Lab	3
	Mechanical Engineering Elective ⁽¹⁾	6
	Technical Elective ⁽²⁾	3
	Subtotal	12

⁽¹⁾ Mechanical Engineering Electives include all Mechanical Engineering elective courses 300-level and above.
⁽²⁾ Technical Electives may be selected from Mechanical Engineering Electives or from approved upper-division (300-level and above) courses from Mathematics/Statistics, Chemistry, Physics, Computer Science, and Engineering. Technical Electives may not be taken with the Credit/No Credit "CR/NC" grading option.
⁽³⁾ Mathematics Elective course must be selected from MATH 311, **312, **313, **314, **321; or STAT **345.

For further information contact:
Undergraduate Coordinator
Mechanical Engineering, Room 204
MSC01 1150
1 University of New Mexico
Albuquerque, NM 87131
(505) 277-1325

Concentration in Microsystems Engineering

Requirements

		Credit Hours
ME 318L	Mechanical Engineering Laboratory	4
ME 370L	Engineering Materials Science	4
ME 417	Fundamentals of Microsystems Fabrication	3
ME 418	Foundations of Microsystems Design	3
ME 419	Advanced Micro- and Nanosystems Engineering	4
	Total	18

Shared-Credit Undergraduate/Graduate Degrees Programs

Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering to Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering

The School of Engineering offers a Shared-Credit Degrees Program designed to allow students to complete B.S.M.E. and the Master of Science (M.S.) in Mechanical Engineering in five years (depending on the student's mathematics preparation upon entering UNM as a first-year undergraduate student). To accomplish this, some courses are counted towards both the Bachelor's and Master's degrees.

The Mechanical Engineering department allows up to 12 credit hours of undergraduate electives to be replaced by 500-level graduate courses that count towards both degrees.

Eligibility: Students may apply to the Shared-Credit Undergraduate/Graduate Degrees Program during their undergraduate junior year, after completing 75 credit hours applicable to the B.S.M.E. degree. At least 64 credit hours need to be mathematics, science, and engineering courses (CE, CHEM, CS, ECE, MATH, ME, PHYS, STAT) applicable to the B.S.M.E. degree. A cumulative GPA of at least 3.50 is normally required, counting only the completed courses applicable to B.S.M.E. at the time of application.

The application deadline is November 30 in the Fall semester and April 30 in the Spring semester. The departmental decision will be made by the beginning of the following semester. Admission to the graduate portion of this program is provisional and is not finalized until the student satisfactorily completes the requirements for the B.S.M.E. degree.

Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering to Master of Engineering in Manufacturing Engineering

Students in the B.S.M.E. program may seek admission to the Master of Engineering in Manufacturing Engineering (M.E.M.E.) under the Shared-Credit Undergraduate/Graduate Degrees Program. Interested students should contact the Director of the Manufacturing Engineering program. See the School of Engineering section of this Catalog.

Minor Study

The undergraduate minor in Mechanical Engineering requires a total of 24-25 credit hours, depending on track, as described below:

Requirements

All students take: ME 160L, 217, 260L; CE 202, (12 credit hours) plus one track:

Track A: CE 302, ME 360L, and 6 credit hours of ME 300-level or higher. (Total: 24 credit hours).
Track B: CE 302, ME 370L, and 6 credit hours of ME 300-level or higher. (Total: 25 credit hours).
Track C: ME 306, 357, and 6 credit hours of ME 300-level or higher. (Total: 24 credit hours).
Track D: ME 301, 306, and 6 credit hours of ME 300-level or higher. (Total: 24 credit hours).
Track E: (CE 302 or ME 306), ME 406L, 407, 408. (Total: 25 credit hours).

Departmental Honors

Students with a Mechanical Engineering major GPA average of at least 3.50 are encouraged to enroll in the Honors Program. Undergraduate students may graduate with General Honors or with Department Honors or both. Information is available from department advisors and from the University Honors Center.

Keys and Symbols Reference