The mission of the Department of Mechanical Engineering is to provide educational experiences which give students a sound basis for professional practice and a career of lifelong learning. Each departmental program has specific objectives but the common goal is to learn fundamental principles of mechanical engineering and to master engineering methods to solve challenging problems and to communicate these solutions to the technical and non-technical community. The department strives to offer undergraduate, graduate and continuing education students programs which are recognized as distinctive in their combination of technical quality, diverse areas of technology and attention to the individual. The faculty is dedicated to accomplishing this mission through the integration of teaching and research. The undergraduate curricula are focused on learning and applying scientific principles and engineering methods to the solution of society's technological challenges.
Technical electives allow students to customize their programs.
Taken as a whole, the curricula provide an intellectual foundation on which to build successful careers of professional practice and life-long learning as well as to pursue graduate engineering or other professional education. The required courses coupled with electives in humanities and social sciences, mathematics and science, mechanical and other branches of engineering, design, and free electives allow an individualized program for every undergraduate student in the Department. The Department prides itself on the programmatic flexibility offered in the undergraduate curricula. Through careful selection of electives, in consultation with a faculty advisor, students may pursue a variety of different career objectives. Many undergraduates enhance their academic program by pursuing dual degrees or double majors in a variety of technical and non-technical disciplines.