Curriculum for
Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering-2005 or later

The Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering is highly committed to provide a foundation in in mechanical engineering so that graduates will be well prepared to pursue successful careers in this field.

• Graduates will be proficient in mechanical engineering.
  
• Graduates will be prepared to meet the varying demands of the workforce in the technological arena.
  
• Graduates will be prepared for the pursuit of lifelong learning.
  

The curriculum consists of a judicious combination of fundamentals, including mathematics and sciences, and practical laboratory experience which provides modern engineering tools. Mechatronics, which is a study of the interdependence between mechanical engineering and electrical/electronics engineering, is a key part of the ME curriculum. The graduate will be able to critically analyze mechanical engineering problems and execute practical solutions. In addition to being able to function independently, it is expected that the graduate will be able to function with effective written and oral communication within a multidisciplinary team and be equipped with several factors such as environmental, social, and economic considerations due to a thorough education in the humanities, social sciences, ethics, safety, and professionalism.

While the undergraduate curriculum is sufficiently broad to permit the graduate to select from a wide variety of employment opportunities, it contains sufficient depth to prepare a student to enter a graduate school to pursue an advanced degree. As modern science and engineering become more complex, the desirability of graduate-level preparation is being recognized by most advanced industries and government agencies.

Students can simultaneously pursue B.S. degrees in both aerospace engineering and mechanical engineering by completing additional courses. Information on this 155 credit-hour, four-and-one-half-year option can be seen at the end of this section.

Students who plan a career in medicine, dentistry, or related areas, but who desire a mechanical engineering degree before entering the appropriate professional school, may substitute eight hours (from a combination of biology and organic chemistry courses) for the required six hours of technical electives. This selection will help the student satisfy admission requirements to the professional schools in the health sciences. The mechanical engineering program at WVU is administered by the faculty of the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering.

Minimum Grade Point Average Requirement for Graduation(B.M.S.E)
A requirement for graduation in mechanical engineering is a departmental grade point average of 2.0 or better for all required mechanical and aerospace engineering (MAE) courses. If a required MAE course is repeated, only the hours credited and the grade received for the last completion of the course is used in computing the grade-point average.

It is important for students to take courses in the order specified as much as possible; all prerequisites and concurrent requirements must be observed. A typical B.S.M.E. degree program which completes degree requirements in four years is as follows

Proposed Course Schedule

1st Year, Fall Semester Hrs CHEM 115 Fundamentals of Chemistry 4 ENGL 101 Composition and Rhetoric 3 ENGR 101 Freshman Engineering Design 2 ENGR 199 Engineering Orientation 1 GEC Elective 3 MATH 155 Calculus 4 Total Hours: 17		1st Year, Spring Semester Hrs ENGR 102 Freshman Engineering Design & Analysis 3 GEC Elective 3 GEC Elective 3 MATH 156 Calculus 4 PHYS 111 General Physics 4 Total Hours: 17
2nd Year, Fall Semester Hrs ENGL 102 Composition and Rhetoric 3 MAE 211 Mechatronics or GEC Elective 3 MAE 241 Statics 3 MATH 251 Multivariable Calculus 4 PHYS 112 General Physics 4 Total Hours: 17		2nd Year, Spring Semester Hrs MAE 211 Mechatronics or GEC Elective 3 MAE 242 Dynamics 3 MAE 243 Mechanics of Materials 3 MAE 244 Dynamics & Strength Lab 1 MATH 261 Elementary Differential Equations 4 Total Hours: 14
3rd Year, Fall Semester Hrs EE 221 Basic Electrical Engineering 3 EE 222 Basic Electrical Lab 1 GEC Elective 3 MAE 316 Analysis of Engineering Systems 3 MAE 320 Thermodynamics 3 MAE 343 Intermediate Mechanics of Materials 3 Total Hours: 16		3rd Year, Spring Semester Hrs GEC Elective 3 IENG 302 Manufacturing Process 2 IENG 303 Manufacturing Process Lab 1 MAE 321 Applied Thermodynamics 3 MAE 322 Thermal and Fluids Lab 1 MAE 331 Fluid Mechanics 3 MAE 342 Dynamics of Machines 3 Total Hours: 16
4th Year, Fall Semester Hrs Technical Elective 3 GEC Elective 3 MAE 454 Machine Design & Manufacturing 3 MAE 456 CAD/Finite Element Analysis 3 MAE 471 Principles of Engineering Design 3 Total Hours: 15		4th Year, Spring Semester Hrs Technical Elective 3 MAE 411 Advanced Mechatronics 3 MAE 423 Heat Transfer 3 MAE 460 Automatic Controls 3 Total Hours: 12

Total Credit Hours for the BSME program: 124

*Courses in red taught only in the semester indicated.

GEC: General Education Curriculum

Note: The six hours of technical electives must be selected from a list of approved ME technical electives after consulting with the advisor; the courses selected should form a clear and consistent pattern according to the career objectives of the student. The 12 hours of GEC courses must be selected to meet the University and college GEC requirements.

For the most recent list of approved courses in the GEC, visit the GEC site at WVU Admissions and Records.