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The Undergraduate Program in Mechanical Engineering is accredited
by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation
Board for Engineering and Technology. We offer a balanced curriculum
of theory and application, involving: preparation in basic science,
math, computing and writing; a comprehensive set of engineering
science and laboratory courses; and a series of engineering design
courses starting in the sophomore year and concluding with a three
course sequence in the senior year. Our students gain hands on expertise
with state-of-the art tools of computational design, analysis and
manufacturing that are increasingly used in industry, government
and academic institutions. In addition, the Department has an 18-unit
elective track program that allows students to gain depth in areas
such as dynamics and controls, while maintaining appropriate breadth
in the basic stem areas of the discipline. As part of their elective
sequence, many students participate in a widely recognized design
project program which emphasizes competitions like our national
first place Lunar Rover. The project program is currently being
expanded to emphasize entrepreneurial product-oriented projects,
as well as those carried out in collaboration with industrial partners.
We offer an education that prepares our students to become leaders
of the engineering profession and one which empowers them to engage
in a life-time of learning and achievement.
It is the objective of the Mechanical Engineering program to produce
graduates who:
- Successfully practice in either the traditional or the emerging
technologies comprising mechanical engineering;
- Are successful in a range of engineering graduate programs including
those in mechanical, environmental and materials engineering;
- Have a solid background in the fundamentals of engineering allowing
them to pass the Fundamentals of Engineering examination;
- Are active in professional societies.
In order to achieve these objectives, the Department of Mechanical
and Environmental Engineering is engaged in a very ambitious effort
to lead the discipline in new directions that will be critical to
the success of 21st century technologies. While maintaining strong
ties to stem areas of the discipline, we are developing completely
new cross-cutting fields of science and engineering related to topics
such as: microscale engineering and microelectrical-micromechanical
systems; dynamics and controls and related areas of sensors, actuators
and instrumentation; advanced composite materials and smart structures;
computation, simulation and information science; advanced energy
and transportation systems; and environmental monitoring, modeling
and remediation.
Qualified students who wish to pursue advanced engineering education
may enroll in the M.S. or Ph.D. programs. The department offers
programs leading to the degrees of master of science and doctor
of philosophy, with a specialization in any of the following major
areas: Dynamical Systems and Controls; Thermo-Fluid Sciences; Environmental
and Ocean Engineering; Solid Mechanics and Structures, Thermo-Fluid
Sciences, Computational Science and Engineering, and Materials.
The curricula for all of the major areas emphasize education in
broad principles and fundamentals. At the same time, programs of
study and research are flexible and tailored to accommodate the
individual needs and interests of the students. Interdisciplinary
approaches are stressed, and students are encouraged to cross over
traditional boundaries into other departments.
The M.S. program is intended to extend and broaden the undergraduate
background and/or equip practicing engineers with state-of-the-art
knowledge in their field. The degree may be terminal or obtained
on the way to the Ph.D. The Ph.D. program is designed to prepare
students for careers in research and/or teaching in their area of
specialization.
Mechanical engineering graduates at all levels are highly sought
after by the automotive, aircraft, marine, defense, electronics,
and materials manufacturing industries. A major in mechanical engineering
may also serve as an appropriate part of the program of studies
required for a California community college teaching credential.
Students who wish to secure this credential should consult the designated
advisor in the Graduate School of Education.
College wide undergraduate counseling is provided under the direction
of the Assistant to the Dean for Undergraduate Studies. In addition,
departmental advisors are assigned to all students in the freshman
year. In the junior year an upper-division advisor assists the students
in the selection of departmental elective courses and provides counseling
to students on a variety of issues related to their academic experience.
Individual faculty are also available for help in program planning
and professional development. A faculty supervisor and the graduate
advisor, in conjunction with a graduate studies committee, directs
the program of studies for M.S. and Ph.D. candidates. Undergraduate
students enrolled in other majors at UCSB who plan to change to
a major in the Department of Mechanical and Environmental Engineering
should obtain counseling from the Assistant to the Dean for Undergraduate
Studies.
Preparation for the major
The following 104 units of lower-division courses are required:
Engineering 3; Mechanical Engineering 6, 10, 14, 15, 16, 17; Chemistry
1A-B, 1AL-BL; Mathematics 3A-B-C, 5A-B-C; Physics 1, 2, 3, 4, and
3L, 4L; Writing 2E, 50E; and 23 units of General Education requirements.
Students who are not Mechanical Engineering majors will generally
be permitted to take lower division Mechanical Engineering courses,
subject to meeting prerequisites and grade-point average requirements,
availability of space and consent of the instructor.
Upper-division major
The following 79 units are required: Materials 100B; Mechanical
Engineering 104, 105, 140A, 151A-B-C, 152A-B, 153, 154, 155A, 156A-B-C,
163, and 18 units of departmental electives and 13 units of general
education or free electives. Requirements total 183 units.
The mechanical engineering elective courses are organized into
coherent tracks, allowing students to acquire more in-depth knowledge
in one of several areas of specialization, such as those related
to: the environment; design and manufacturing; thermal and fluid
sciences; structures, mechanics, and materials; and dynamics and
controls. The department electives program aims to be flexible.
Hence, students may also choose a general mechanical engineering
track or one tailored to their own special interests. All students
are required to select a track, and all tracks may include additional
required courses. A student's specific course sequence is subject
to the approval of the department advisor. Track options are posted
in the student's junior year.
Courses required for the pre-major or major, inside or outside
of the Department of Mechanical and Environmental Engineering, cannot
be taken for the passed/not passed grading option. They must be
taken for letter grades.
Honors Program
Students with a minimum grade-point average of 3.4 in the major
may apply, in the spring quarter of their junior year, for the honors
program. To qualify for honors, students must carry out a specific
project under the direct supervision of a faculty member or complete
two graduate courses with a grade-point average of 3.3 or better.
Pi Tau Sigma. Pi Tau Sigma is the
national mechanical engineering honor society. Membership is based
on academic achievement. To be eligible for membership, juniors
must rank in the top quarter of their class and seniors in the top
third of their class. Students who are qualified for membership
will be contacted by representatives of Pi Tau Sigma.
Other organizations.
Tau Beta Pi (national engineering honor society)
American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)
Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE)
Society of Women Engineers (SWE)
Los Ingenieros (Mexican-American Engineering Society/Society of
Hispanic Professional Engineers)
National Society of Black Engineers
Students interested in these organizations may contact the Mechanical
Engineering Department office or the Undergraduate Office in the
College of Engineering.
Research Opportunities
Upper-division undergraduates have opportunities to work in a research
environment with faculty members who are conducting current research
in the various fields of mechanical engineering. Students interested
in pursuing undergraduate research projects should contact individual
faculty members in the department.
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