Mar 28, 2024  
2014-2015 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
2014-2015 Undergraduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Mechanical Engineering Major, BS in Mechanical Engineering


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Mechanical engineering involves the design, analysis, testing, and manufacture of mechanical and thermal systems. Mechanical engineers are employed in nearly every industry, from basic research through mass production of energy systems, computer software/hardware, robotics, and automobiles.

Mechanical engineering is a versatile and broadly based engineering discipline that also provides pathways into many exciting fields of specialization. Its foundation is in the basic sciences, but mechanical engineers must further understand such subject areas as mechanical design, solid and fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, heat transfer, vibrations, manufacturing processes, instrumentation and automatic control. Design projects throughout the curriculum develop student skills in handling practical real-world problems. Because of the broad engineering foundation and design training in this program, graduates are found in nearly every industry and at different levels of research, design, and management.

The educational objectives of the mechanical engineering program are

  • either to be an entrepreneur or to be employed in industry, government, academia or a nongovernmental organization, and
  • continue professional development by participating in structured professional activities and/or by obtaining professional registration or certification, post-graduate credits and/or graduate degrees.

uTrack Requirements (for students entering Fall 2013 or later)

Universal Tracking (uTrack) is an academic monitoring system designed to help students stay on track for timely graduation. In order to remain on track, students must complete the minimum requirements for each tracking semester, known as milestones. Milestones include successful completion of specified courses and/or attainment of a minimum GPA. uTrack requirements only affect full-time, degree-seeking students who first entered Fall 2013 or later. uTrack does not apply to transfer students who enter prior to Fall 2015.

PROGRESSION POLICIES AND REQUIREMENTS

Progression

The first two years of the curriculum are considered to be lower-division and the two remaining years upper-division. Students must apply for progression to departmental upper division courses, which depends on academic performance. Factors considered include overall grade point average, performance in selected lower division courses and evidence of orderly progression through the prescribed curriculum.

Full Status

A lower-division student may apply for progression to upper division after completing EF 152 * or EF 158 *, CHEM 120 *, MATH 231 , ME 202 , ME 231 , and ME 321 , as well as BME 271  for biomedical engineers, with a grade of C or better in each, and an overall GPA of at least 2.4 in these courses. Students who have not satisfied the requirements for full status will be dropped from departmental class rolls in upper division courses.

Provisional Status

Students who have completed EF 152 * or EF 158 *, CHEM 120 *, MATH 231 , ME 202 , ME 231  and ME 321 , as well as BME 271  for biomedical engineers, with a grade of C or better and have a GPA between 2.0 and 2.4 in these courses may apply for provisional status. The granting of provisional status is based on the availability of space in departmental programs after full status students have been accommodated. Provisional status students are required to demonstrate their ability to perform satisfactorily in upper-division by attaining a minimum GPA of 2.0 in the first 12 hours of 300-level required engineering courses. Award of upper-division full status is dependent upon this performance. Students with a UTK GPA less than 2.0 will not be admitted to upper-division. Students who have not progressed to upper-division will be dropped from departmental class rolls in upper-division courses.

Requirements for the Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering


Term 1 Hours Milestone Notes
CHEM 120 * or CHEM 128 * 4 MATH 130  or higher or one Arts and Humanities*, Cultures and Civilizations*, or Social Sciences* Elective
EF 105   1  
EF 151 * or EF 157 * 4  
ENGL 101 * or ENGL 118 * 3  
MATH 141 * or MATH 147 * 4  
Term 2
1Cultures and Civilizations Elective * 3 MATH 130  or higher
EF 152 * or EF 158 * 4  
ENGL 102 * 3  
MATH 142 * or MATH 148 * 4  
ME 202   2  
Term 3
1Cultures and Civilizations Elective * 3 EF 151 * or PHYS 135 *
ECON 201 * or ECON 207 * 4  
EF 230   2  
MATH 241  or MATH 247   4  
ME 231   3  
Term 4
1Arts and Humanities Elective * 3 EF 152 * or PHYS 136 *
MATH 231 , MATH 251  or MATH 257   6  
ME 321   3  
MSE 201   3  
PHYS 231 * 3  
Term 5
AE 341  or AE 347   3 CBE 201  or COSC 102 * or ME 202  or MSE 201  
ECE 301   3  
ME 331 , ME 366 , ME 391  or ME 397   9  
Term 6
2Departmental Elective 3 No milestones
ME 344 , ME 345 , ME 363  or ME 367 , ME 466   12  
Term 7
1Arts and Humanities Elective * 3 No milestones
ME 365  or ME 463 , ME 410 *, ME 450 , ME 475  or ME 477   11  
3Technical Elective 3  
Term 8
2Departmental Electives 6 No milestones
ME 449 *, ME 460   6  
1Social Sciences Elective * 3  
TOTAL 128  
* Meets University General Education Requirement .
1 Choose any course from the University General Education list .
2 Any 300-level or above courses in aerospace, biomedical, or mechanical engineering that are not already required.
3 Must be pre-approved and petitioned by the advisor and department head.

Honors Mechanical Engineering Concentration


In addition to satisfying the requirements for the mechanical engineering major, candidates for the honors mechanical engineering concentration must also complete the following  requirements.

  • First-year courses for honors concentrations in the engineering majors. (Note: Most of the honors requirements are course substitutions for the mechanical engineering major.)
  • Two upper-division honors courses in mechanical engineering (ME 367 , ME 397 , ME 477 ).
  • A minimum of 3-credit hours of an honors senior design course. This requirement is normally satisfied as part of the senior capstone design course (ME 460 ).

Five-Year BS/MS Mechanical Engineering Program


The department offers a 5 year BS-MS program for qualified students. The primary component of the program is that qualified students may take up to 9 hours of approved graduate courses for their senior undergraduate electives and have them count toward both their bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the University of Tennessee. This program is designed for students attending the University of Tennessee for their Master of Science degree because other universities may not accept these courses for graduate credit since they were used to satisfy requirements for the Bachelor of Science degree. Significant components of the program are:

  • Students must have an overall GPA of at least 3.4 to be admitted to the program. Conditional admission may be granted after completing 64 hours of required course work while full admission is granted after completing 96 hours of required course work with a minimum overall GPA of 3.4 in required course work.
  • Students must at least have conditional admission before taking graduate courses for both their bachelor’s and master’s degrees. All courses taken for graduate credit must be approved by the departmental chair of the program. Students admitted to the program must request permission from the Graduate School to take approved courses for graduate credit. Students admitted to the program must also follow the normal procedure for admission to the Graduate School.
  • Admission of students into this program must be approved by the department and the Graduate School.
  • Students will not be eligible for graduate assistantships until they are enrolled as graduate-level students in the Graduate School.

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