The Department of Mechanical Engineering offers an academic program leading to a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering. The Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, https://www.abet.org, under the commission’s General Criteria and Program Criteria for Mechanical and Similarly Named Engineering Programs.
This program encompasses coursework in two areas of study: energy, which includes courses in thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and heat transfer, and engineering design, with courses in the strength of materials and mechanical design. The mechanical engineering degree allows for additional courses in a variety of specialized areas.
The mechanical engineering program teaches students how to apply the principles of mechanics and energy to design anything from automobile engines to rocket engines and nuclear reactors. Mechanical engineers design and operate power plants and are concerned with converting one form of energy to another. They also design heating, ventilating, and air conditioning systems to provide controlled temperature and humidity conditions in homes, offices, commercial buildings, and industrial plants. Besides developing equipment and systems for refrigeration of foods and operating cold storage facilities, these engineers are also involved with producing energy from alternative sources such as solar, geothermal, and wind.