Mechanical Engineering

The mechanical engineering major prepares you to be an innovator in a variety of technical and professional fields.

Preparing You for Success

Mechanical engineering courses bring textbooks to life through hands-on experiences. You explore math, science and physics principles at the root of mechanical engineering. The ME degree prepares you for employment in fields like aerospace, automotive, robotics, biomedical, energy, agriculture and numerous others. You work in labs and the machine shop as a first-year student, then you can continue with research and design projects. The degree is capped by a yearlong team senior project in which you develop a product or solution for a local or regional company. For your senior project, you also can work on one of the department’s four cars: Formula, Solar, Baja or Shell Eco-Marathon. With the knowledge and training gained, you’re equipped to be a problem-solver who can design and analyze machines, systems or processes. To focus your career path, you can add a concentration in biomedical engineering or energy. Additionally, you can take technical electives in specialized areas of ME. You also can add the minor of your choice.

By the time you graduate, your experiences may include:

  • Networking, professional development and skills competitions through the department’s Honors Program, BU Motorsports Club, Engineers Without Borders, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and other organizations
  • Opportunities to collaborate with business students
  • Community engagement through Habitat For Humanity design projects
  • Research mentored by faculty
  • An internship for an industrial business such as Allegion LCN, Caterpillar Inc., Deere and Co., Precision Planting or Siemens Corp.

Making Your Mark

A mechanical engineering degree is valuable for a career in product design, energy, law, medicine or the automotive industry. In the past five years, almost all ME majors found jobs or continued to graduate school within six months of graduation. Those who found jobs earned an average starting salary over $60,000 for employers such as Eli Lilly and Co., Honda R and D Americas Inc. and Milwaukee Electric Tool Corp. Students who continued their education attended universities such as Georgia Tech, University of Illinois, University of Michigan and Stanford.

Accreditation

Bradley's mechanical engineering program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, https://www.abet.org.

Major Requirements

Required Courses - 96-97 hrs.

  • ME 101: Foundations of Mechanical Engineering - 2 hrs.
  • ME 102: Engineering Design Graphics - 2 hrs.
  • ME 272: Comp Tech in ME - 3 hrs.
  • ME 273: Computational Methods in ME - 3 hrs.
  • ME 301: Thermodynamics I - 3 hrs.
  • ME 302: Thermodynamics - 2 hrs.
  • ME 303: Instrumentation and Measurement - 3 hrs.
  • ME 308: Thermodynamics of Fluid Flow - 4 hrs.
  • ME 341: Engineering Systems Dynamics - 3 hrs.
  • ME 342: Design of Machine Elements - 3 hrs.
  • ME 344: Kinematics and Dynamics of Machines - 3 hrs.
  • ME 351: Engineering Materials Science I - 3 hrs.
  • ME 403: Mechanical Engineering Systems Lab - 3 hrs.
  • ME 415: Heat Transfer - 3 hrs.
  • ME 441: Mechanical Control Systems - 3 hrs.
  • ME 410: Mechanical Engineering Senior Project I - 3 hrs. 
    or ME 498: ME Senior Research Project I - 3 hrs.
  • ME 411:  Mechanical Engineering Senior Design Project II -  2 hrs. 
    or ME 499: ME Senior Research Project II - 3 hrs.
  • CE 150: Mechanics I (Statics) - 3 hrs.
  • CE 250: Mechanics II (Dynamics) - 3 hrs.
  • CE 270: Mechanics of Materials - 3 hrs.
  • CHM 110: General Chemistry - 3 hrs.
  • CHM 111: General Chemistry Lab - 1 hrs.
  • ECO 100: Introduction to Economics - 3 hrs.
    or ECO 221: Principles of Microeconomics - 3 hrs.
    or ECO 222: Principles of Macroeconomics- 3 hrs.
  • ECE 227: Electrical Engineering Fundamentals - 4 hrs.
  • IME 301: Engineering Economy - 3 hrs.
  • MTH 121: Calculus I - 4 hrs.
  • MTH 122: Calculus II - 4 hrs.
  • MTH 223: Calculus III - 4 hrs.
  • MTH 224: Differential Equations - 3 hrs.
  • PHY 110: University Physics I - 4 hrs.
  • PHY 201: University Physics II - 4 hrs.

Elective Courses (choose five) - 15 hrs.

  • ME 448: Computer Aided Design in Mechanical Engineering - 3 hrs.
  • ME 501: Advanced Thermodynamics - 3 hrs.
  • ME 502: Problems in Advanced Dynamics - 3 hrs.
  • ME 503: Internal Combustion Engines - 3 hrs.
  • ME 507: Nuclear Energy - 3 hrs.
  • ME 515: Intermediate Heat Transfer - 3 hrs.
  • ME 520: Gas Dynamics - 3 hrs.
  • ME 521: Intermediate Fluid Dynamics - 3 hrs.
  • ME 533: Propulsion Systems - 3 hrs.
  • ME 536: Industrial Pollution Prevention - 3 hrs.
  • ME 537: Building Energy Management - 3 hrs.
  • ME 540: Advanced Mechanical Vibrations - 3 hrs.
  • ME 547: Fluid Power Control Systems - 3 hrs.
  • ME 549: Microprocessor Interfacing in Mechanical Systems - 3 hrs.
  • ME 556: Mechanics of Composite Materials - 3 hrs.
  • ME 557: Advanced Design of Machine Elements - 3 hrs.
  • ME 560: Principles of Robotic Programming - 3 hrs.
  • ME 561: Introduction to Robotics - 3 hrs.
  • ME 562: Analysis and Design of Robotic Systems - 3 hrs.
  • ME 573: Methods of Engineering Analysis - 3 hrs.
  • ME 577: Finite Element Methods in Engineering - 3 hrs.
  • ME 580: Biomechanics - 3 hrs.
  • ME 582: Medical Imaging - 3 hrs.
  • ME 591: Topics in Mechanical Engineering - 3 hrs.