Mechanical Engineering, Bachelor of Science Mechanical Engineering
Program Overview
Mechanical engineering is a broad field with applications in almost all areas of industry including aviation and aerospace, alternative energy, automotive, automated manufacturing and robotics, chemical, computer, electronics, petroleum, nanotechnology, materials, textiles, and heavy equipment and machinery. The Department of Mechanical Engineering offers a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering (BSME) degree that is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET).
This degree provides a broad, solid education in engineering fundamentals as well as the opportunity for in-depth study in specialized topics. Students completing the program will have rigorous foundation for engineering practice in industry as well as for graduate studies in engineering and other disciplines. The program has well-equipped, accessible laboratories and extensive experimental and computing facilities.
Admission requirements for this program beyond university admission requirements.
- A grade of C or better in MATH 2413 Calculus I in no more than 3 attempts, or;
- A minimum composite score of 24 on the ACT or 1200 on the SAT, or;
- A 3 or better on the Calculus AB AP Exam.
Progression requirements for this program.
- A GPA of 2.5 or better in Mechanical Engineering coursework on the degree plan.
Specific graduation requirements for this program beyond university bachelor’s degree requirements.
- A GPA of 2.5 or better in Mechanical Engineering coursework: MATH 2413, MATH 2414, MATH 2415, PHYS 2425, PHYS 2426, PHIL 2326, CHEM 1309, CHEM 1109, EECE 2317, MANE 3332, MANE 3164, MANE 3364, MECE 1101, MECE 1221, MECE 2140, MECE 2301, MECE 2302, MECE 2340, MECE 3170, MECE 3304, MECE 3315, MECE 3320, MECE 3321, MECE 3335, MECE 3336, MECE 3360, MECE 3380, MECE 3440, MECE 3450, MECE 4101, MECE 4350, MECE 4361, MECE 4362, and all Prescribed Elective courses.
- All Mechanical Engineering coursework must be passed with a grade of “C” or better: MATH 2413, MATH 2414, MATH 2415, PHYS 2425, PHYS 2426, CHEM 1309, CHEM 1109, EECE 2317, MANE 3332, MANE 3164, MANE 3364, MECE 1101, MECE 1221, MECE 2140, MECE 2301, MECE 2302, MECE 2340, MECE 3170, MECE 3304, MECE 3315, MECE 3320, MECE 3321, MECE 3335, MECE 3336, MECE 3360, MECE 3380, MECE 3440, MECE 3450, MECE 4101, MECE 4350, MECE 4361, MECE 4362, and all Prescribed Elective courses.
Core Curriculum - 42 hours
The Core Curriculum serves as a broad foundation for the undergraduate degree. All candidates for a bachelor’s degree must achieve core student learning outcomes, including communication, critical thinking, empirical and quantitative skills, teamwork, personal responsibility and social responsibility, by completing courses within each category or component area of the Core Curriculum as outlined below.
The University has approved specific courses that satisfy Core Curriculum Requirements. Approved courses can be found on the Core Curriculum Page. Students seeking the most efficient way to complete the core curriculum and major or minor requirements are advised to take approved courses that can fulfill both requirements. Although core curriculum courses can also be used to fulfill major or minor requirements, earned credits hours are only applied once.
The courses listed below fulfill core curriculum and major requirements. Students who have completed a core curriculum category with courses other than those listed below will still be required to take the listed course(s) to meet major requirements.
020 Mathematics - 3 hours
Three credit hours from MATH 2413 is applied for the lecture component.
030 Life and Physical Science - 6 hours
| PHYS 2425 | Physics for Scientists and Engineers I | 4 |
| PHYS 2426 | Physics for Scientists and Engineers II | 4 |
Three credit hours from PHYS 2425 and PHYS 2426 are applied each for the lecture component.
040 Language, Philosophy, and Culture - 3 hours
080 Social and Behavioral Sciences - 3 hours
090 Integrative and Experiential Learning - 6 hours
| CHEM 1109 | Chemistry for Engineers Lab | 1 |
| PHYS 2425 | Physics for Scientists and Engineers I | 4 |
| PHYS 2426 | Physics for Scientists and Engineers II | 4 |
| CSCI 1380 | Introduction to Programming in Python | 3 |
Major Requirements - 87 hours
Required Courses - 66 hours
Mechanical Engineering Foundation - 60 hours
Senior Design - 6 hours
Prescribed Electives - 9 hours
Students must complete nine credit hours of Mechanical Engineering Electives. Students may choose all nine credit hours from the table of electives below. With department approval, students may be permitted to fulfill three of nine credits of Prescribed Electives through options 1, 2, and 3 below.
Option 1: The student may enroll in MECE 3100 up to three times for a total of three credits. To receive elective credit for MECE 3100, the student must complete 3 terms/enrollments performing research in the same area or participating in local internships as approved by the department through the enrollment process and produce a report, paper, or presentation for each enrollment.
Option 2: The student may enroll in one section of MECE 3100 and one section of MECE 3200. To receive elective credit, the student must enroll in MECE 3100 during their first industry internship/co-op, enroll in MECE 3200 during their second internship/co-op, and submit a formal report for each experience to the department.
Option 3: The student may enroll in any other non-MECE advanced engineering, science, or mathematics course. To receive elective credit, students must seek approval prior to enrolling and completing the advanced mathematics or science course.
Support Courses - 12 hours
One credit hour from MATH 2413 is applied to support course credits.
Total Credit Hours: 42
Total Credit Hours: 129
View this program’s recommended roadmap to graduation.
UTRGV Roadmaps are a suggested sequence of courses designed to assist students in completing their undergraduate degree requirements. This is a term-by-term sample roadmap of courses required to complete the degree. Students must satisfy all requirements in their catalog including, but not limited to course prerequisites, grade point average and course grade benchmarks, progression requirements, and graduation requirements.
Students should meet with their academic advisor every semester to discuss their individualized path toward completion. Degree progress within this roadmap depends upon such factors as course availability, individual student academic preparation and readiness, student time management, work and personal responsibilities, and financial considerations. Students may choose to take courses during summer terms to reduce course loads during long semesters.