Nov 24, 2024  
2022-2023 General Catalog 
    
2022-2023 General Catalog ARCHIVED CATALOG: To search archives, MUST use search box to left. Current catalog: catalog.usu.edu.

Mechanical Engineering - BS


College of Engineering

Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

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  • For more information about Mechanical Engineering, see the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering department.
  • Following is a sample four-year plan. Please note that student-specific plans may differ.
  • Admitted students must meet with an advisor. Current students should also meet with an advisor and log on to Degree Works  to check student-specific program progress.

 

Minimum University Requirements

Total Credits 120

 

Grade Point Average (most majors require higher GPA)

2.00 GPA
Credits of C- or better 100 Credits of upper-division courses (#3000 or above) 40
Total USU Credits 30 Upper-division USU Credits 20
USU Credits within the Major 10 Credits in Minor (if required) 12
Credits in Major see below Credits in American Institutions 3
  see link University Studies Depth Requirements    see link
NOTES: The highest math requirement for this degree is MATH 2250: Linear Algebra and Differential Equations (QI) .

 

Pre-Professional Program

Admissions Requirements for this Program

New freshmen

Meet requirements below to be accepted into the pre-professional program

 

Transfer students from other institutions or other programs at USU Meet requirements below to be accepted into the pre-professional program
*Minimum 3.5 High School GPA, 24 ACT or 1160 SAT, 25 ACT math score and 81 Admission Index.
  • MATH 1210  completed with a C- or higher
  • 3.0 or higher GPA in Pre-Professional courses
  • No more than 2 repeats in Pre-Professional courses
  • 12 credits or more of Science, Engineering and Math completed with a 3.0 or higher GPA 

First Year

 Fall Semester

Credits

General Education Info and Notes:

 

Spring Semester

Credits

General Education Info and Notes:

CHEM 1210: Principles of Chemistry I  * 4     MAE 1200: Engineering Graphics  *      2    
CHEM 1215: Chemical Principles Laboratory I  * 1     MATH 1220: Calculus II (QL)  *              4   (will fulfill the Quantitative Literacy (QL)  and/or Integrated Studies requirement)
MATH 1210: Calculus I (QL)  * 4   See Math Placement  

(will fulfill the Quantitative Literacy (QL)  and/or Integrated Studies requirement)
PHYS 2210: Physics for Scientists and Engineers I (BPS/QI)  *   4    
MAE 1010: Introduction to Mechanical Engineering  * 3   This course is not counted toward the curriculum of students who have completed more than 30 credits (a technical elective is required in place of MAE 1010 ). PHYS 2215: Physics for Scientists and Engineers Lab I  * 1    
Breadth American Institutions (BAI)   3 Select a course from the list CS 1400 - Introduction to Computer Science–CS 1 * or ECE 1400 - Computer Programming for Electrical and Computer Engineers I  4  or 4    
Total Credits: 15   Total Credits: 15  
Comments

*Required for admission to the Professional Engineering Program .

Though not required, students are encouraged to take USU 1010: University Connections (1-3)  or ENGR 1940: Women in Engineering Seminar (1) 

 
Comments

*Required for admission to the Professional Engineering Program .

Second Year

 Fall Semester

Credits

General Education Info and Notes:

 

Spring Semester

Credits

General Education Info and Notes:

ENGL 2010: Intermediate Writing: Research Writing in a Persuasive Mode (CL2)  * 3   See note below.**  ENGR 2030: Engineering Mechanics Dynamics  * 3    
ENGR 2010: Engineering Mechanics Statics  *    3     ENGR 2140: Mechanics of Materials  * 3  

 
ENGR 2210: Fundamental Electronics for Engineers  * 3     MAE 2450 - Engineering Numerical Methods  * 3    
MATH 2210: Multivariable Calculus (QI)  * 3   (will fulfill the Quantitative Intensive (QI)  requirement) MAE 2300 - Thermodynamics I  *  3    
PHYS 2220: Physics for Scientists and Engineers II (BPS/QI)  *  4   (will fulfill the Breadth Physical Sciences (BPS)  requirement) MATH 2250: Linear Algebra and Differential Equations (QI)  * 3   (will fulfill the Quantitative Intensive (QI)  requirement)
PHYS 2225: Physics for Scientists and Engineers Lab II  * 1           
Total Credits: 17   Total Credits: 15  
Comments

*Required for admission to the Professional Engineering Program .

 

Comments

*Required for admission to the Professional Engineering Program .

Apply for admission to the Professional Program.

Professional Engineering Program

Admissions Requirements for this Program

To be admitted to the professional program, students must:

- Have a cumulative USU GPA of 2.8 or higher in the pre-professional courses (denoted with an asterisk *), NOT including ENGL 2010 .

- Pass all of the courses in the pre-professional program with a C- or better (denoted with an asterisk *).

- Have no more than 3 repeats total in the pre-professional courses. Multiple repeats of the same course and audits are included in the total of 3 repeats.

 

Third Year

 Fall Semester

Credits

General Education Info and Notes:

 

Spring Semester

Credits

General Education Info and Notes:

MAE 2160 - Material Science   3     MAE 3340: Instrumentation and Measurements   3    
MAE 2165 - Material Science Laboratory   1     MAE 3440: Heat Transfer (QI)   3    
ENGR 3080: Technical Communication for Engineers (CI)   3     MAE 4300: Machine Design   3  

 
MAE 3040: Mechanics of Solids    3     Breadth Creative Arts (BCA)   3
Select a course from the list
 
MAE 3600: Engineering Professionalism and Ethics   1      Breadth Life Sciences (BLS)   3
Select a course from the list
 
MAE 3420: Fluid Mechanics   3          
Breadth Humanities (BHU)   3 Select a course from the list      
Total Credits: 17   Total Credits: 15  
Comments

 

Mechanical Engineering Professional Program Requirements 

 
Comments

Passing the Fundamentals of Engineering Exam is part of the degree requirements. It is highly recommended students take the exam before fall semester of the senior year.

Mechanical Engineering Professional Program Requirements  

Fourth Year

 Fall Semester

Credits

General Education Info and Notes:

 

Spring Semester

Credits

General Education Info and Notes:

MAE 4400: Fluids/Thermal Laboratory (CI)   2   (will fulfill the Communications Intensive (CI)  requirement) MAE 4810: Capstone Design II   3    
MAE 4800: Capstone Design I (CI)   3   (will fulfill the Communications Intensive (CI)  requirement) Mechanical Engineering Technical Electives   3 Two electives must be MAE prefix
Mechanical Engineering Technical Electives   3 Two electives must be MAE prefix Mechanical Engineering Technical Electives   3 Two electives must be MAE prefix
Mechanical Engineering Technical Electives   3 Two electives must be MAE prefix Depth Humanities and Creative Arts (DHA)   3 Select a course from the list
MAE 5360 - Advanced Dynamics  or MAE 5300 - Vibrations   3  or 3     Depth Social Sciences (DSS)   3 Select a course from the list
Breadth Social Sciences (BSS)   3 Select a course from the list      
Total Credits: 17   Total Credits: 15  
Comments

Mechanical Engineering Professional Program Requirements 

 
Comments

Apply for graduation as soon as you have registered for your last semester.

Mechanical Engineering Professional Program Requirements 

Total Program Credits: 127

**Please note: ENGL 1010  is required by USU but is not included in the degree map because most engineering students satisfy this requirement through an ACT English score of 29 or higher, an SAT Critical Reading score of 640 or higher, Advanced Placement (AP) Examinations (score of 3 on English Language & Composition or English Literature & Composition) or College-Level Examination Program (CLEP).

Required for Admission to the Professional Program


A cumulative USU GPA of 2.8 or higher is required in the pre-professional courses, NOT including ENGL 2010 . All courses require a grade of C- or better.

Additionally, no more than 3 repeats total are allowed in the pre-professional courses. Multiple repeats of the same course and audits are included in the total of 3 repeats.

Mechanical Engineering Required Courses


For Mechanical Engineering majors in the professional program the following academic regulations apply, in addition to University regulations.

  1. A GPA of 2.0 or higher must be maintained in all upper-division engineering/math/science courses required for, or used astechnical electives in, this major. Courses which were part of the pre-professional program requirements and UniversityStudies courses are not included in this GPA calculation.
  2. For Mechanical Engineering, not more than 10 hours of D or D+ credit may be applied toward meeting graduationrequirements in engineering/math/science classes.
  3. A maximum of one required or elective course completed as part of a professional program can be repeated to meetgraduation requirements. Courses completed as part of a pre-professional program are not included in this total. Audits countas a time taking a class and will be counted as repeats.
  4. The P/D+, D, F grading option may not be used in required or elective courses completed as part of a professional program.(The P/D+, D, F grading option is approved for University Studies Courses.)
  5. The academic regulations listed above (1-4) apply to required coursework and any elective engineering/math/science coursewhich could be used to satisfy graduation requirements for the chosen degree. That is, once a student completes a particulartechnical elective, it becomes a required course for that student.

Technical Elective


A GPA of 2.0 or higher must be maintained in all upper-division engineering/math/science courses required for, or used as technical electives in, this major.

Students must take a minimum of 12 credit hours (4 courses) worth of mechanical engineering technical electives; at least two must have a MAE prefix. If a student doesn’t take MAE 1010  in their first 30 credits of the Pre-Professional Program, they are required to take 15 credit hours (5 courses) worth of mechanical engineering technical electives.

Mechanical engineering technical elective courses may be selected from any of the following courses: