Program: Mechanical Engineering - Western Michigan University (2024)

Jun 06, 2024

Undergraduate Catalog 2020-21

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Undergraduate Catalog 2020-21 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

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Accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, www.abet.org.

The following Program Educational Objectives (PEO) are broad statements that describe the career and professional accomplishments that the program is preparing graduates to achieve within two to five years after graduation.

Career Growth: as demonstrated by metrics such as achieving proficiency in current position, increasing responsibility, diversity of job functions, recognition, progression and/or job advancement.
Professional Development: as demonstrated by metrics such as pursuing additional educational activities, professional certifications, leadership effectiveness, staying current with evolving technologies and/or demonstrating initiative.
Service: as demonstrated by metrics such as involvement in their communities, professional societies, and/or humanitarian endeavors.
Innovation: as demonstrated by metrics such as the development of new processes, devices, methods, patents, and/or dissemination of knowledge.

(For up-to-date educational objectives and learning outcomes, see the department’s Web site at wmich.edu/mechanical-aerospace/accreditation-information)

Admission

To be admitted to this Engineering curriculum, a student must complete all pre-engineering requirements with grades of “C” or better. These requirements may be found in the beginning of the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences section.
Students seeking admission to this curriculum must submit an application following procedures established by the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences. Upper level transfer students may complete an application prior to their first semester of enrollment. Only students in good academic standing as defined by the University will be admitted to this curriculum.

WMU Essential Studies Writing Category Requirement

Students who have chosen the Mechanical Engineering curriculum will satisfy the WMU Essential StudiesWriting Category Requirement by successfully completingME 4800: Mechanical Engineering Project.

Requirements

Candidates for the Bachelor of Science in Engineering (Mechanical) degree must satisfy the following requirements in addition to those required by Western Michigan University:

A grade point average of 2.0 or better must be earned in courses presented for graduation with AE, ECE, IEE, EDMM, and ME prefixes.
A student is required to earn a grade of “C” or better in all departmental prerequisite coursesbefore enrollment is permitted in the next sequence course.
No more than two grades of “D” or “DC” in courses presented for graduation may be counted for graduation.
Complete the following program of 129-131semester credit hours. There is no minor required.
The Mechanical Engineering curriculum requires students to complete 6 elective WMU Essential Studies (WES) courses, one course from each of the approved lists in the categoriesof “Inquiry and Engagement: Critical Thinking in the Arts and Humanities”, “Artistic Theory and Practice”, “World Language and Culture”, “Societies and Cultures”, “Global Perspectives”, and “Personal Wellness”.

Pre-engineering Cognate Courses

CHEM 1100 - General Chemistry I Credits: 3 hours
MATH 1220 - Calculus I Credits: 4 hours
OR
MATH 1700 - Calculus I, Science and Engineering Credits: 4 hours
(This course satisfies WMU Essential Studies Level 1: Foundations – Quantitative Literacy Category.)
MATH 1230 - Calculus II Credits: 4 hours
OR
MATH 1710 - Calculus II, Science and Engineering Credits: 4 hours
MATH 2720 - Multivariate Calculus and Matrix Algebra Credits: 4 hours
ENGL 1050 - Foundations in Written Communication: Strategies, Behaviors, Success Credits: 3 hours
OR
IEE 1020 - Technical Communication Credits: 3 hours
(This course satisfies WMU Essential Studies Level 1: Foundations – Writing Category.)
CS 1200 - Programming in C for Engineers Credits: 3 hours
PHYS 2050 - University Physics I Credits: 4 hours
(This course satisfies WMU Essential Studies Level 2: Exploration and Discovery – Scientific Literacy with Lab Category.)
PHYS 2060 - University Physics I Laboratory Credits: 1 hour
(This course satisfies WMU Essential Studies Level 2: Exploration and Discovery – Scientific Literacy with Lab Category.)
PHYS 2070 - University Physics II Credits: 4 hours
PHYS 2080 - University Physics II Laboratory Credits: 1 hour
ECE 2100 - Circuit Analysis Credits: 4 hours

Mechanical Engineering Requirements (43 hours)

ME 2320 - Thermodynamics I Credits: 3 hours
(This course satisfies WMU Essential Studies Level 2: Exploration and Discovery – Science and Technology Category.)
ME 2560 - Statics Credits: 3 hours
ME 2500 - Materials Science for Engineers Credits: 3 hours
ME 2570 - Mechanics of Materials Credits: 3 hours
ME 2580 - Dynamics Credits: 3 hours
ME 2615 - Introduction to Mechanical Engineering Credits: 3 hours
(This course satisfies WMU Essential Studies Level 1: Foundations – Oral and Digital Communication Category.)
ME 3560 - Fluid Mechanics Credits: 3 hours
ME 3580 - Mechanism Analysis Credits: 3 hours
ME 3650 - Machine Design I Credits: 3 hours
ME 3350 - Instrumentation Credits: 3 hours
ME 3600 - Control Systems Credits: 3 hours
ME 4310 - Heat Transfer Credits: 3 hours
ME 4320 - Thermodynamics II Credits: 3 hours
ME 4790 - Mechanical Engineering Project Planning Credits: 1 hour
ME 4800 - Mechanical Engineering Project Credits: 3 hours
(This course satisfies WMU Essential Studies Level 3: Connections – Local and National Perspectives Category.)

Mechanical Engineering Cognate Electives

Students must complete a total of five different elective courses from the list below (Group 1 and/or Group 2). Electives taken as part of a concentration count toward the total of five. Two must be design courses (marked with a “D” in the list) and two must have a laboratory experience (marked with an “L” in list).

Group 1: Electives from Undergraduate Courses

Note: A minimum grade of “C” is required in all prerequisites to Group 1 electives.

ME 3670 - Internal Combustion Engines I Credits: 3 hours
(L)
ME 4330 - Environmental Systems Design in Buildings Credits: 3 hours
(D)
This course has a prerequisite that is an elective.
ME 4390 - Design of Thermal Systems Credits: 3 hours
(D, L)
This course has a prerequisite that is an elective.
AE 4660 - Aerospace Propulsion I Credits: 3 hours
(L)
ME 4680 - Engine Design Credits: 3 hours
(D, L)
This course has a prerequisite that is an elective.
ME 4530 - Machine Design II Credits: 3 hours
(D)
ME 4570 - Experimental Solid Mechanics Credits: 3 hours
(L)
AE 4630 - Aerospace Structural Design Credits: 3 hours
(D)
AE 4690 - Aircraft Design Credits: 3 hours
(D)
ME 4700 - Vehicle Structural Design Credits: 3 hours
(D)
AE 4600 - Aircraft Stability and Control Credits: 3 hours
ME 4650 - Vehicle Dynamics Credits: 3 hours
ME 4710 - Motion and Control Credits: 3 hours
(L)
ME 3990 - Cooperative Education Credits: 1 hour
(Repeatable 3 times to count as one elective 3 credit course.)

Group 2: Electives from Graduate Courses (5000-level)

Note: A minimum grade of “B” is required in all prerequisites to Group 2 electives.

ME 5300 - Theoretical and Computational Fluid Mechanics Credits: 3 hours
ME 5390 - Advanced Thermal Design Credits: 3 hours
(D)
ME 5450 - Computational Fluid Dynamics I Credits: 3 hours
ME 5710 - Gas Dynamics Credits: 3 hours
ME 5720 - Advanced Thermodynamics Credits: 3 hours
ME 5770 - Fuel Cell and Alternative Energy Credits: 3 hours
(L)
ME 5200 - Orthopaedic Biomechanics Credits: 3 hours
ME 5500 - Modern Engineered Materials Credits: 3 hours
(D)
ME 5530 - Advanced Product Engineering Credits: 3 hours
(D)
This course has a prerequisite that is an elective.
ME 5610 - Finite Element Method Credits: 3 hours
ME 5690 - Principles of Fatigue and Fracture Credits: 3 hours
ME 5730 - Materials Selection in Design Credits: 3 hours
(D)
ME 5750 - Tribology - Principles and Applications Credits: 3 hours
Credits: 3 hours
ME 5430 - Mechanical Systems Control Credits: 3 hours
ME 5550 - Intermediate Dynamics Credits: 3 hours
ME 5580 - Mechanical Vibrations Credits: 3 hours
ME 5640 - Engineering Noise Control Credits: 3 hours
(L)
ME 5850 - Mechatronics Credits: 3 hours
ME 5350 - Applied Spectroscopy Credits: 3 hours
ME 5600 - Engineering Analysis Credits: 3 hours
ME 5620 - Application of Numerical Methods in Engineering Credits: 3 hours

Additional Cognate Courses

EDMM 1420 - Engineering Graphics Credits: 3 hours
MATH 3740 - Differential Equations and Linear Algebra Credits: 4 hours
CHEM 1120 - General Chemistry II Credits: 3 hours
AND
CHEM 1130 - General Chemistry Laboratory II Credits: 1 hour
OR
PHYS 3090 - Introductory Modern Physics Credits: 4 hours
AND
PHYS 3100 - Introductory Modern Physics Lab Credits: 1 hour
ECE 2110 - Machines and Electronic Circuits Credits: 3 hours
ME 3620 - Theory of Engineering Experimentation Credits: 3 hours

Mechanical Engineering Concentration in Solid Mechanics and Structures

Mechanical Engineering majors may choose to focus on the area of solid mechanics and structures as their area of specialty. To qualify for the Concentration in SolidMechanics and Structures to be recorded in the student’s transcript, students must complete the following courses at WMU with a grade of “C” or better:

ME 3650 - Machine Design I Credits: 3 hours

And any combination of four courses from the following list of cognate electives:

AE 4630 - Aerospace Structural Design Credits: 3 hours
ME 4530 - Machine Design II Credits: 3 hours
ME 4570 - Experimental Solid Mechanics Credits: 3 hours
ME 4700 - Vehicle Structural Design Credits: 3 hours
ME 5500 - Modern Engineered Materials Credits: 3 hours
ME 5610 - Finite Element Method Credits: 3 hours
ME 5690 - Principles of Fatigue and Fracture Credits: 3 hours
ME 5730 - Materials Selection in Design Credits: 3 hours

Advising

Interested students should meet with a mechanical engineering advisor to plan a path to this concentration before choosing any of their ME electives.

Mechanical Engineering Concentration in Automotive

Mechanical Engineering majors may choose to focus on the area of automotiveas their area of specialty. To qualify for the Concentration in Automotiveto be recorded in the student’s transcript, students must complete the following courses at WMU with a grade of “C” or better:

ME 3650 - Machine Design I Credits: 3 hours

And any combination of four courses from the following list of cognate electives:

ME 3670 - Internal Combustion Engines I Credits: 3 hours
ME 4650 - Vehicle Dynamics Credits: 3 hours
ME 4680 - Engine Design Credits: 3 hours
ME 4700 - Vehicle Structural Design Credits: 3 hours
ME 4710 - Motion and Control Credits: 3 hours
ME 5730 - Materials Selection in Design Credits: 3 hours
ME 5750 - Tribology - Principles and Applications Credits: 3 hours

Advising

Interested students should meet with a mechanical engineering advisor to plan a path to this concentration before choosing any of their ME electives.

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Program: Mechanical Engineering - Western Michigan University (2024)

Pre-engineering Cognate Courses

Mechanical Engineering Requirements (43 hours)

Mechanical Engineering Cognate Electives

Group 1: Electives from Undergraduate Courses

Group 2: Electives from Graduate Courses (5000-level)

Additional Cognate Courses

Mechanical Engineering Concentration in Solid Mechanics and Structures

And any combination of four courses from the following list of cognate electives:

Advising

Mechanical Engineering Concentration in Automotive

And any combination of four courses from the following list of cognate electives:

Advising

References