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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 freshman 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 a
15-unit elective program that allows students
to gain depth in areas listed below, 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 runner-up human powered submarine
and third-place lunar rover teams for 2000. The
project program is being expanded to emphasize
entrepreneurial product-oriented projects,
as well as those carried out in collaboration with
industrial partners.
Mission Statement
We offer an education that prepares our students
to become leaders of the engineering profession
and one which empowers them to engage in a
lifetime of learning and achievement.
Educational Objectives for the Undergraduate Program
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.
Undergraduate Program
Bachelor of Science, Mechanical Engineering
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 the College of Engineering 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 gradepoint average requirements, availability of space, and consent of the instructor.
Upper-division major
The following 79 units are required: Materials 101; Mechanical Engineering 104, 105, 140A, 151A-B-C, 152A-B, 153, 154, 155A, 156A-B, 163, 189A-B-C, and 15 units of departmental electives and 13 units of general education or free electives. Requirements total 183 units.
The mechanical engineering elective courses
allow 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. A student’s specific
elective course selection is subject to the approval
of the department advisor.
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 in the College Honors Program will be encouraged to participate
in early experiences in scholarship through special seminars and
individualized work in regular courses and, in later years, as members
of research teams. Participation in the Honors Program offers
preferential enrollment in classes for continuing students as well as
graduate student library privileges. Housing is available to eligible
first-year students in Scholars’ Halls located in several
university-owned residence halls. The College of Engineering invites
approximately the top 10% of incoming freshmen into the Honors Program
based on a combination of high school GPA and SAT or ACT scores. (Please
note: eligibility criteria are subject to change at any time.) Transfer
students with a UC transferable GPA of 3.6 or greater are invited to
join the College Honors Program. Students who do not enter the College
of Engineering with honors at the freshman level may petition to enter
the program after attaining a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or greater during
two consecutive quarters at UCSB. Engineering honors students with upper
division standing may, with faculty approval, enroll in ME 199 to
research topics that will compliment their major studies. College of
Engineering Honors students may also enroll in special honors sections
of general education courses offered by the College of Letters and
Science. Continued participation in the College Honors Program is
dependent on maintaining a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or greater and active
participation in both the academic and community service components of
the Program. More information may be found on the CoE Honors Website.
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.