Mechanical Engineering, BS

Program Description

Mechanical Engineering is an engineering discipline that requires an understanding of mechanics, kinematics, thermodynamics and energy, and involves the application of principles of physics and mathematics to develop mechanical systems. The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) defines mechanical engineering as the branch of engineering that serves society through the analysis, design, and manufacture of systems that convert a source of energy to useful work. The Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering (BSME) program emphasizes service, systems-based knowledge, and sustainability with an eye toward the interface of traditional mechanical engineering with new and emerging fields, in particular unmanned aircraft systems, maritime sciences and marine biology that directly impact the Gulf Coast.

The program educational objectives of this program are:

1. Within two years of graduation from TAMU-CC, our graduates who have chosen to pursue a career in engineering or a related field will be working in industry, government, construction, or other professional service as mechanical engineers, or will be pursuing graduate degrees in mechanical engineering or post-baccalaureate degrees in other fields, such as law, business, or medicine.

2. Within five years of graduation from TAMU-CC our graduates who have chosen to pursue a career in engineering or a related field will have​

   • advanced in their careers as indicated by obtaining promotions and positions of leadership, awards, recognitions as subject matter experts, and/or registration as professional engineers or in other professional disciplines; or by entrepreneurial activities, products or processes developed, patents, and/or publications;
   • demonstrated the ability to increase their knowledge and expertise through continuing education or advanced degrees; and
   • contributed to the improvement of the profession and of society through research, national and/or international collaboration, and/or professional and public service including mentoring.

Student Learning Outcomes

Graduates will have:

1. an ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics
2. an ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors
3. an ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences
4. an ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts
5. an ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives
6. an ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions
7. an ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.

Admission from pre-engineering

For all students admitted into a pre-engineering program at TAMU-CC who wish to transfer into one of the TAMU-CC engineering programs (CEEN, EEEN, IEEN, MEEN), the cumulative GPA for all MATH, CHEM, PHYS, ENGR, COSC, CEEN, EEEN, IEEN, or MEEN courses that appear in the CEEN, EEEN, IEEN, or MEEN program curricula, plus any ENTC courses, taken at TAMU-CC, or their equivalents taken at other institutions, should be 2.5 or greater to be admitted into the CEEN, EEEN, IEEN, or MEEN programs at TAMU-CC.  There should be a minimum of at least 12 hours of such courses taken at TAMU-CC or elsewhere before a transfer / admission to CEEN, EEEN, IEEN, or MEEN may be considered.  All such students must also meet the requirements to take MATH 2413 Calculus I (4 sch) if they have not already done so. 

Master of Business Administration (MBA) Option

Mechanical Engineering students who have completed 96 credit hours toward the Mechanical Engineering B.S. degree and earned a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher may elect the MBA option in senior year. To satisfy the Technical Elective Block requirements, students who elect the MBA option are required to take

1. any upper division 3-credit hour math/physics/chemistry/biology course (MATH 3342 Applied Probability and Statistics (3 sch) preferred) and
2. three MBA foundation courses:

Students who plan to elect the MBA Option are encouraged to have summer internship experience before senior year, and will be able to complete an MBA degree study with 2 regular semesters and 1 summer session beyond a Mechanical Engineering B.S. degree study.

General Requirements

The mechanical engineering curriculum consists of a minimum of 128 credit hours and can be divided into four main areas: University Core requirements, mathematics and science requirements, engineering requirements, technical electives, and capstone project.

Because courses in mechanical engineering tend to be sequential, it is very important that students have the proper prerequisites. When in doubt, students should check with their faculty mentor.

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Full-time, first time in college students are required to take university seminar.

• USSE 1201 University Seminar (2 sch)

Transfer students with 24 or more hours are exempt from University Seminar.

Program Requirements

The courses that are considered to be in the major field of study are all MATH, CHEM, PHYS, COSC, ENGR, MEEN, EEEN, and ENTC courses in the curriculum listed below (any EEEN or ENTC courses taken to fulfill MEEN degree requirements must be approved by the program coordinator and the department chair). Students who have been admitted as pre-mechanical engineering (PREM) majors must have a cumulative GPA of at least 2.5 in all MATH, CHEM, PHYS, COSC, and ENGR courses taken from the list below before they will be allowed to transfer into the Mechanical Engineering BS program and to take any upper-division (3000-level or above) ENGR, MEEN, or EEEN courses. 

Note:

The specific requirements of the Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering degree are indicated below. Students are encouraged to take the NCEES (National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying) Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam during their senior year. The FE exam, http://ncees.org/exams/fe-exam/, is the first step in the process that leads to the P.E. license.

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Mechanical engineering students must take two courses in physics even if the natural science portion of the core curriculum is satisfied by other means. Students transferring to A&M-Corpus Christi from other institutions may have various means for fulfilling the core curriculum. Please refer to the “General Education Requirement” in the catalog section entitled “Undergraduate Programs.”

Three hours of the Component Area Option of the University Core Curriculum are satisfied by the fourth (lab) hour of each of MATH 2413 Calculus I (4 sch), PHYS 2425 University Physics I (4 sch), and PHYS 2426 University Physics II (4 sch) (the first three lecture hours of each are used to satisfy the mathematics and natural science components of the Core, as described above).  The other three hours of the Component Area Option of the Core are satisfied by the three lecture hours of MATH 2414 Calculus II (4 sch). 

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Students must complete 9 hours of elective courses.  These may include upper-division Engineering (CEEN, EEEN, IEEN, MEEN) and 4000-level Engineering Technology (ENTC) courses outside of the required courses in their degree plans, any 4000-level MATH, COSC, BIOL, CHEM, or PHYS courses, the specified courses in the 5-year BS/MBA program, and other courses approved by the Department of Engineering.

Capstone Project

All mechanical engineering students must complete a senior-level capstone project in ENGR 4370 Capstone Projects (3 sch). Students will work with practicing engineers and mechanical engineering faculty.  The capstone project will give engineering students practical, professional experience to prepare them for careers in mechanical engineering.

Course Sequencing

Courses

Engineering Courses

Mechanical Engineering Courses