Mechanical Engineering curriculum
In almost
any accredited Mechanical Engineering program, the following courses are
required:
• Basic sciences - math, chemistry, physics
• Breadth or distribution (called “General Education” at USC)
• Computer graphics and computer aided design (CAD)
• Experimental engineering & instrumentation
• Mechanical design - nuts, bolts, gears, welds
• Computational methods - converting continuous mathematical equations
into discrete
equations
solved by a computer
• Core “engineering science”
o Dynamics – essentially F = ma applied to many types of systems
o Strength and properties of materials
o Fluid mechanics
o Thermodynamics
o Heat transfer
o Control systems
• Senior
“capstone” design project
Additionally
you may participate in non-credit “enrichment” activities such as undergraduate
research,
undergraduate student paper competitions in ASME (American Society of
Mechanical
Engineers,
the primary professional society for mechanical engineers), the SAE Formula racecar
project, etc.
Examples of industries employing MEs
Many
industries employ mechanical engineers; a few industries and the type of
systems MEs
design are
listed below.
o Automotive
• Combustion
• Engines, transmissions
• Suspensions
o Aerospace (w/ aerospace engineers)
• Control systems
• Heat transfer in turbines
• Fluid mechanics (internal & external)
o Biomedical (w/ physicians)
• Biomechanics – prosthesis
• Flow and transport in vivo
o Computers (w/ computer engineers)
• Heat transfer
• Packaging of components & systems
o Construction (w/ civil engineers)
• Heating,
ventilation, air conditioning (HVAC)
• Stress analysis
o Electrical power generation (w/ electrical engineers)
• Steam power cycles - heat and work
• Mechanical design of turbines, generators, ...
o Petrochemicals (w/ chemical, petroleum engineers)
• Oil drilling - stress, fluid flow, structures
• Design of refineries - piping, pressure vessels
o Robotics (w/ electrical engineers)
• Mechanical design of actuators, sensors
• Stress
analysis
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