Program Educational Objectives (PEOs)

The educational objectives of the mechanical engineering undergraduate program are listed below.

fire icon

Promising

Will have successful careers in engineering and beyond and will have assumed professional roles of increasing responsibility and impact.

calculator icon

Enhanced

Will have acquired new knowledge and expertise through professional development opportunities or advanced education. 

crane icon

Involvement

Will be engaged in workplace, professional, or civic communities. 

The following methods and strategies are used in the mechanical engineering undergraduate program to achieve these program educational objectives:

  • Foster a personalized, supportive environment for all students by taking advantage of a small college atmosphere in a major research university;
  • Enrich the undergraduate experience through experiential learning and international study opportunities;
  • Provide a solid foundation and understanding of the fundamental principles of both the thermal-fluids and mechanical systems aspects of mechanical engineering;
  • Offer a flexible curriculum that includes 21 s.h. elective courses in any standard offerings (focus areas) or in an individualized focus area that is tailored to the student’s career goals;
  • Provide students with opportunities to participate in multi-disciplinary design teams and to develop and practice written and oral communication skills;
  • Offer courses that instruct students on how to design, conduct and interpret analysis, experiments, and simulations in thermal-fluids and mechanical systems engineering;
  • Provide students with opportunities to design mechanical engineering systems, components, and processes to meet specific needs and constraints in select courses throughout the educational program;
  • Provide a contemporary grounding in professional responsibility, ethics, global, and societal impact of engineering decisions, and the need for lifelong learning.

Student Outcomes

Graduates of the mechanical engineering program will be prepared to contribute effectively as engineers in a diverse and multidisciplinary work environment. 
blueprint

Problem-solving

An ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics.

design

Design synthesis

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.

com

Communication

An ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences.

idk

Ethics

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.

team

Teamwork and Leadership

An ability to function effectively on a team whose members provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives.

magnifying glass icon

Analytical

An ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions.

checkers icon

Adaptive

An ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.