Offered at: San Luis Obispo Campus
The profession of mechanical engineering is directed toward the design, manufacture, and system integration of a very wide variety of equipment ranging from manufacturing machinery and power generation equipment to consumer goods. Of central concern to mechanical engineers is the sound application of basic principles of solid mechanics, fluid mechanics and thermal sciences in the design, manufacture, and application of this equipment. Mechanical Engineering graduates obtain employment primarily with manufacturers, energy companies, consultants, and government agencies. Types of work performed by graduates include product design, mechanical design, testing, engineering management, engineering sales, design of manufacturing systems, and development of maintenance procedures. Mechanical Engineering graduates also often enhance their careers through graduate study in engineering, and some students also study engineering to build a scientific and technical foundation as a prelude to enrollment in medical, law, and business schools.
The focus of the Cal Poly Mechanical Engineering program is on education based on our "learn by doing" educational philosophy. Thus, the curriculum includes a large number of hands-on laboratories, integration of design throughout, and a senior project requirement for all students. Students are enrolled in engineering laboratories in all years of the curriculum. The program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET.
The Mechanical Engineering Department is the home of the Donald E. Bently Center for Engineering Innovation. The center provides support for faculty, students, and visiting scholars for the advancement of research, education, and practice in mechanical engineering. A $6 million endowment to fund three professorships supports the center.
Upper division students in the General Curriculum can choose professional elective courses from such courses as turbomachinery, robotics, mechatronics, composite materials, rotor dynamics, advanced mechanics, solar systems, internal combustion engines, heat and mass transfer, and courses emphasizing the petroleum, air conditioning, ventilating, and refrigeration industries. Students in the Mechatronics Concentration are prepared for professional practice in the design of “intelligent” products for use in factory automation, robotics, hybrid vehicles, alternative energy, and many other fields. The Sustainable Technology for the Built Environment (HVAC&R) Concentration prepares students for careers in the heating, ventilating, air-conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC&R) industry, with a focus on the design of mechanical systems for commercial and industrial buildings. Manufacturing Concentration students focus on fabrication processes, preparing them for careers designing or manufacturing a wide variety of consumer and industrial products. The Energy Resources Concentration prepares students for careers in renewable and nonrenewable energy companies producing electrical power, with the focus on the design, manufacture, and system integration of power and fuel plants.
There are several organized student clubs associated with the Mechanical Engineering Department, including national honor societies and student chapters of professional societies. Each of these clubs offers students active programs and leadership activities.
Concentrations
General Curriculum in Mechanical Engineering
Offered at: San Luis Obispo Campus
Upper-division students in the General Curriculum can choose professional elective courses from such courses as turbomachinery, robotics, mechatronics, composite materials, rotor dynamics, advanced mechanics, solar systems, internal combustion engines, heat and mass transfer, and courses emphasizing the petroleum, air conditioning, ventilating, and refrigeration industries.
Energy Resources
Offered at: San Luis Obispo Campus
The Energy Resources Concentration prepares students for careers in renewable and nonrenewable energy companies producing electrical power, with the focus on the design, manufacture, and system integration of power and fuel plants.
Sustainable Technology for the Built Environment (HVAC&R)
Offered at: San Luis Obispo Campus
The Sustainable Technology for the Built Environment (HVAC&R) Concentration prepares students for careers in the heating, ventilating, air-conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC&R) industry, with a focus on the design of mechanical systems for commercial and industrial buildings.
Mechatronics
Offered at: San Luis Obispo Campus
Students in the Mechatronics Concentration are prepared for professional practice in the design of “intelligent” products for use in factory automation, robotics, hybrid vehicles, alternative energy, and many other fields.
Manufacturing
Offered at: San Luis Obispo Campus
Manufacturing Concentration students focus on fabrication processes, preparing them for careers designing or manufacturing a wide variety of consumer and industrial products.
Program Learning Objectives
- An ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science and mathematics.
- 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.
- An ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences.
- 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.
- An ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives.
- An ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions.
- An ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.
Degree Requirements and Curriculum
In addition to the program requirements listed on this page, students must also satisfy requirements outlined in more detail in the Minimum Requirements for Graduation section of this catalog, including:
- 40 units of upper-division courses
- 2.0 GPA
- Graduation Writing Requirement (GWR)
- U.S. Cultural Pluralism (USCP)
Note: No Major, Support or Concentration courses may be selected as credit/no credit. In addition, no more than 12 units of cooperative or internship courses can count towards your degree requirements.
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| MAJOR COURSES | ||
| ME 1125 | Introduction to Mechanical Engineering | 1 |
| ME 1148 | Engineering Design Communication 1 | 2 |
| ME 2212 | Engineering Dynamics | 3 |
| ME 2240 | Applied Programming for Mechanical Engineering | 1 |
| ME 2248 | Design Using Solid Modeling | 1 |
| ME 3234 | Design Thinking and Creativity (Upper-Division 4) 2 | 3 |
| ME 3236 | Engineering Measurement and Data Analysis (Upper-Division 2/5) 2 | 3 |
| ME 3302 | Thermodynamics | 3 |
| ME 3328 | Design for Strength and Stiffness | 4 |
| ME 3329 | Mechanical Systems Design | 3 |
| ME 3341 & ME 3342 | Fluid Mechanics and Fluid Mechanics Laboratory 3 | 4 |
| ME 3343 | Heat Transfer | 4 |
| ME 4440 | Thermal System Design | 3 |
| General Curriculum in Mechanical Engineering or Concentration | ||
| (See General Curriculum in Mechanical Engineering and list of Concentrations below) | 22-23 | |
| SUPPORT COURSES | ||
| Select from the following: (5B) 2 | 3 | |
| General Biology | ||
| Life Science for Engineers | ||
| Biodiversity of California | ||
| Wildlife Conservation Biology | ||
| CHEM 1120 | Fundamentals of Chemical Structure and Properties (5A & 5C) 2 | 4 |
| EE 2115 & 2115L | Circuits & Electronics for Non-Majors and Circuits & Electronics Laboratory for Non-Majors | 4 |
| ENGR 2211 | Introduction to Mechanics | 4 |
| IME 1141 | Introduction to Metal Casting and Prototyping | 1 |
| or IME 1142 | Materials Joining | |
| or IME 1149 | Introduction to Manufacturing Processes: Metal Casting and Joining | |
| IME 1143 | Introduction to Design and Manufacturing | 2 |
| MATE 1220 & MATE 1215 | Principles of Materials Engineering for Non-Majors and Materials Laboratory I | 3 |
| MATH 1261 | Calculus I (2) 2 | 4 |
| MATH 1262 | Calculus II | 4 |
| MATH 2263 | Calculus III | 3 |
| MATH 2341 | Linear Analysis | 4 |
| PHYS 1141 | General Physics I | 4 |
| PHYS 1143 | General Physics II | 4 |
| GENERAL EDUCATION (GE) | ||
| (See GE program requirements below) | 27 | |
| FREE ELECTIVES | ||
| Free Electives | 0 | |
| Total Units | 128-129 | |
- 1
ME 1148 and IME 1143 intended to be taken concurrently in the same term.
- 2
Required in Major or Support; also satisfies General Education (GE) requirement.
- 3
ME 3341 and ME 3342 intended to be taken concurrently in the same term.
Concentrations
General Curriculum
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| REQUIRED COURSES | ||
| ME 3317 | Vibrations and System Modeling | 4 |
| ME 4417 | Mechanical Controls and Implementations | 3 |
| ME 4460 | Senior Design Project I 1 | 2 |
| ME 4461 | Senior Design Project II 1 | 2 |
| Technical Electives | ||
| Select from the following: 2,3,4 | 11-12 | |
Select 8-12 units from the following ME courses: | ||
| Mechatronics I | ||
| Intermediate Dynamics | ||
| Energy Conversion | ||
| Introduction to Sustainable Energy Usage in Buildings | ||
Any ME 4000 or 5000 level course with the exception of required (major) and senior project courses. | ||
Select 0 - 4 units from: | ||
Any 3000-4000 level or 5000 level course in the College of Engineering with the exception of GE Upper-Division 2 or 5, ENGR 3301, senior project, thesis, special problems, and co-op courses. | ||
| Total Units | 22-23 | |
- 1
ENGR 4460 and ENGR 4461 (4), or ENGR 4463 and ENGR 4464 (4) may substitute for ME 4460 and ME 4461 (4).
- 2
Consultation with advisor is recommended prior to selecting Technical Electives. 3000 level Technical Electives cannot be used for graduate credit in the blended BS+MS Mechanical Engineering program.
- 3
ME 4470, ME 4471, ME 5570, and ME 5571 are variable topic courses and may or may not count as ME Technical Electives. Contact the instructor for additional information. A course substitution form may be required.
- 4
ME 4400 and ME 5500 are independent study courses and may be acceptable for Technical Elective credit. A course substitution form is required.
Energy Resources
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| REQUIRED COURSES | ||
| ME 3315 | Energy Conversion | 3 |
| ME 3317 | Vibrations and System Modeling | 4 |
| ME 4417 | Mechanical Controls and Implementations | 3 |
| ME 4460 | Senior Design Project I | 2 |
| ME 4461 | Senior Design Project II | 2 |
| Technical Electives | ||
| Select from the following: | 8-9 | |
| Electric Machines and Power Systems and Electric Machines and Power Systems Laboratory | ||
| Sustainable Energy Generation | ||
| Nuclear Energy Power Generation | ||
| Nuclear Power Plant Design and Operation | ||
| Nuclear Energy Resources | ||
| Turbomachinery | ||
| Design and Analysis of Internal Combustion Engines | ||
| Solar Thermal Power Systems | ||
| Building Energy Performance and Modeling | ||
| Wind Power Engineering | ||
| Advanced Thermodynamics | ||
| Total Units | 22-23 | |
Sustainable Technology for the Built Environment (HVAC&R)
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| REQUIRED COURSES | ||
| ME 3317 | Vibrations and System Modeling | 4 |
| ME 4417 | Mechanical Controls and Implementations | 3 |
| ME 3355 | Introduction to Sustainable Energy Usage in Buildings | 3 |
| ME 4455 | Building Energy Performance and Modeling | 3 |
| ME 4456 | HVAC&R Air and Water Distribution for Sustainable Building Environments | 3 |
| ME 4457 | Environmentally Efficient and Sustainable Refrigeration Systems | 3 |
| ME 4465 | HVAC&R Senior Design Project I | 2 |
| ME 4466 | HVAC&R Senior Design Project II | 2 |
| Total Units | 23 | |
Mechatronics
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| REQUIRED COURSES | ||
| ME 3305 | Mechatronics I | 4 |
| ME 3319 | Introduction to System Dynamics | 4 |
| ME 4305 | Mechatronics II | 3 |
| ME 4419 | Advanced Control Systems | 3 |
| ME 4460 | Senior Design Project I | 2 |
| ME 4461 | Senior Design Project II | 2 |
| Technical Electives | ||
| Select from the following: | 4-5 | |
| Intermediate Dynamics | ||
| Robotics: Fundamentals and Applications | ||
| Machine Learning in Mechanical Engineering | ||
| Mechatronics III | ||
| System Dynamics | ||
| Total Units | 22-23 | |
Manufacturing
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| REQUIRED COURSES | ||
| ME 3317 | Vibrations and System Modeling | 4 |
| ME 4417 | Mechanical Controls and Implementations | 3 |
| ME 4460 | Senior Design Project I | 2 |
| ME 4461 | Senior Design Project II | 2 |
| IME 3327 | Test Design and Analysis in Manufacturing Engineering | 4 |
| IME 3330 | Fundamentals of Manufacturing Engineering | 4 |
| Manufacturing Electives | ||
| Select from the following: | 3-4 | |
| Intermediate Metal Casting | ||
| Advanced Computer Aided Manufacturing | ||
| Manufacturing and Process Automation | ||
| Product and Process Development | ||
| Engineering Metrology | ||
| Additive Manufacturing | ||
| Reliability for Design and Testing | ||
| Computer-Aided Manufacturing and Process Analysis | ||
| Applied Human Factors | ||
| Micro/Nano Fabrication and Micro/Nano Fabrication Laboratory | ||
| Mechatronics I | ||
| Composites Manufacturing, Machining, and Testing | ||
| Composite Materials Analysis and Design | ||
| Total Units | 22-23 | |
General Education (GE) Requirements
- 43 units required, 16 of which are specified in Major and/or Support.
- If any of the remaining 27 Units is used to satisfy a Major or Support requirement, additional units of Free Electives may be needed to complete the total units required for the degree.
- See the complete GE course listing.
- A grade of C- or better is required in one course in each of the following GE Areas: 1A (English Composition), 1B (Critical Thinking), 1C (Oral Communication), and 2 (Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning).
| Lower-Division General Education | ||
| Area 1 | English Communication and Critical Thinking | |
| 1A | Written Communication | 3 |
| 1B | Critical Thinking | 3 |
| 1C | Oral Communication | 3 |
| Area 2 | Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning | |
| 2 | Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning (3 units in Support) 1 | 0 |
| Area 3 | Arts and Humanities | |
| 3A | Arts | 3 |
| 3B | Humanities: Literature, Philosophy, Languages other than English | 3 |
| Area 4 | Social and Behavioral Sciences (Area 4 courses must come from at least two different course prefixes.) | |
| 4A | American Institutions (Title 5, Section 40404 Requirement) | 3 |
| 4B | Social and Behavioral Sciences | 3 |
| Area 5 | Physical and Life Sciences | |
| 5A | Physical Sciences (3 units in Support) 1 | 0 |
| 5B | Life Sciences (3 units in Support) 3 | 0 |
| 5C | Laboratory (may be embedded in a 5A or 5B course) (1 units in Support) 1 | 0 |
| Area 6 | Ethnic Studies | |
| 6 | Ethnic Studies | 3 |
| Upper-Division General Education | ||
| Upper-Division 2/5 | Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning or Physical and Life Sciences (3 units in Major) 1 | 0 |
| Upper-Division 3 | Arts and Humanities | 3 |
| Upper-Division 4 | Social and Behavioral Sciences (Area 4 courses must come from at least two different course prefixes.) (3 units in Major) 1 | 0 |
| Total Units | 27 | |
- 1
Required in Major or Support; also satisfies General Education (GE) requirement.