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General Catalog

College of Engineering
Department Office: 1550 Rio Tinto Kennecott Mechanical Engineering Building (MEK)
Mailing Address: 1495 E. 100 S. MEK 1550, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112
Phone: 801-581-6441
Website: www.mech.utah.edu

Department Chair: Bruce Gale, Ph.D
Undergraduate Advisors:  Ben Danh (Last Names A-I, ben.danh@utah.edu ), Morgan Sriphong-Ngarm (Last names J-M, morgan.sriphong-ngarm@utah.edu), Benjamin Petrie (Last Names N-Z benjamin.petrie@utah.edu) 
Graduate Advisor: Michelle Turner, grad@mech.utah.edu, 

Mechanical Engineering is the broadest of the engineering disciplines and offers the greatest range of opportunities. Mechanical Engineers play a significant role in the design and manufacturing of all of the products and systems essential to everyday modern life, from your home appliances, bikes, recreational equipment and automobiles, to satellites, wheelchairs, airplanes, robots, industrial equipment and environmental control systems. They are the designers and builders of the mechanical, thermal and fluid-flow related aspects of all such systems, including computer and feedback control of complex systems. In fact, mechanical engineers play a role in designing and manufacturing most of the things that people use. Look around you and you'll see their contributions everywhere.

The primary research areas in the Department of Mechanical Engineering include: Biomechanics, Composite Materials, Controls, Design, Energy Systems, Ergonomics and Safety, Fluid Mechanics, Heat Transfer, Manufacturing, Microsystems and Nanosytems, Robotics, Solid Mechanics, and Thermodynamics.

The mission of the Department of Mechanical Engineering is to cultivate an environment through teaching, research and service that fosters the technical, critical thinking, and communication skills necessary for students and faculty to contribute to the engineering profession and to the well-being of society.

Undergraduate Program

The undergraduate program in Mechanical Engineering is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, 415 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21201; Phone: 410-347-7700.

Mechanical Engineering at the University of Utah is not your everyday classroom experience, as it combines advanced technical knowledge with hands-on practical and professional experience. By senior year, ME students have the skills to design and manufacture an actual device or product, such as an electric skateboard, a robotic hand, or a solar car. ME undergraduates also have opportunities to work closely with the internationally renowned faculty on creative and critical research projects. The broad-based ME undergraduate program at the University of Utah empowers students to succeed in a wide variety of challenging, interesting and rewarding careers with the potential to significantly contribute to the challenges faced by today's society.

Admission Requirements
Full Major Status

Students enrolled in Calculus I or higher may enroll in ME EN 1000 without Full Major Status in Mechanical Engineering. Students must have Full Major Status in order to take most other ME EN courses.

Students admitted to the University of Utah with no college credits completed after high school are granted Full Major Status in one of the following ways:

  • During the first or second semester at the University of Utah:

    • Enrolling in MATH 1210/1310 Calculus I or higher and ME EN 1000 (major status will be changed prior to the census date of the ME EN 1000 enrollment semester).

  • After completing two or more semesters at the University of Utah:

    • Enrolling in MATH 1210/ 1310 Calculus I and ME EN 1000 AND having a cumulative U of U GPA of 3.0 or higher (major status will be changed prior to the census date of the ME EN 1000 enrollment semester). (Failing a required major course two or more times or taking classes at another institution after matriculating at the U of U may disqualify you from this option.)

  • Being admitted to the major based on information provided via an online application (required with a cumulative U of U GPA below a 3.0). Contact an academic advisor to verify that you need to apply and to obtain the link to the admission application.

Transfer Student Admission
Incoming transfer students with 30 or more transfer credits completed after high school who indicate Pre-Mechanical Engineering as their intended major on their University of Utah application will be evaluated for admission to the Mechanical Engineering major based on the information provided to the University of Utah Office of Admissions. Additional information may be requested before a decision is made. Admissions decisions should be received via an email from the Mechanical Engineering Department 2-3 weeks after being admitted to the University of Utah. Transfer students admitted to the Mechanical Engineering major will be granted Full Major Status upon acceptance of the admission offer.

Incoming transfer students with less than 30 credits completed after high school will be granted Full Major status upon enrolling in MATH 1210/1310 Calculus I or higher and ME EN 1000 during the first semester at the U of U (major status will be changed prior to the census date of the ME EN 1000 enrollment semester).

All transfer students who decide to pursue a degree in Mechanical Engineering after transferring to the U of U will need to complete the online admission application. Contact an academic advisor to verify that you need to apply and to obtain the link to the admission application.

Prerequisites
The Mechanical Engineering undergraduate program is rigorous and challenging, preparing graduates for a variety of rewarding and meaningful careers. To be adequately prepared for the program, the following high school coursework should be completed: Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry, Calculus (strongly recommended), Physics (one year, including laboratory work), and Chemistry (one year, including laboratory work). Beyond these core requirements, high school students are encouraged to take computer courses and mechanical drawing/drafting or other engineering courses.

ME EN 1000, taken in the first semester of the first year of the ME program, requires MATH 1210/1310 Calculus I as a co-requisite. Therefore, students wishing to complete the ME program in four years must be eligible to take Calculus I during their first semester at the U of U.

Pre-Engineering or Pre-Mechanical Engineering Status
Freshman applicants admitted to the University of Utah who indicate Mechanical Engineering as a choice of major on the University of Utah’s application for admission but does not meet the requirements for direct admission to the College of Engineering will be admitted to the University as Pre-Mechanical or Pre-Engineering students. Pre-Engineering/Pre-Mechanical Engineering students will be evaluated for admission to the College of Engineering just before their orientation based on their ACT Math, SAT Math, or AP Calculus, or Accuplacer test scores.  Students have the option to take the Accuplacer exam throughout the summer to try to place higher in math if placing below Calculus I.  If eligible to take Calculus I or higher and enrolled in ME EN 1000 in their first semester or second semester at the University of Utah, major status will be changed to prior to the census date (about the fourth week of the semester) of the ME EN 1000 enrollment semester, as outlined above.  Students not eligible for Calculus I by their second semester may need to apply to the major if their GPA is below a 3.0.  Pre-Engineering and Pre-Mechanical Engineering students will work closely with academic advisors for admission consideration and help with selecting and enrolling in the appropriate prerequisite courses.

Academic Standards
In order to remain in the status of Good Academic Standing in the Mechanical Engineering Undergraduate Program, students are required to maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher. If the cumulative GPA falls below 2.5, students will be subject to the status changes described on the Academic Standards page of our website: https://www.mech.utah.edu/academics/undergraduate/current-students/department-policies/#Academic%20Standards  (Departmental Academic Warning, Probation, Suspension, or Dismissal).

In addition, students must earn a C or better in major courses, with only one repeat allowed per course.

Graduation Requirements

  • Maintain a cumulative University of Utah GPA of 2.5 or higher.

  • Complete all technical coursework with a grade of C or better. (All courses must be taken for a letter grade except for ME EN 5910, which requires a CR grade to pass. Courses may be repeated only once, and the second grade will replace the first grade.)

  • Earn a 2.3 cumulative GPA in the following upper division core ME EN courses

  • Six of the twelve technical elective credits must be completed with in-class 5000-level courses within the Mechanical Engineering department, excluding ME EN 4999, 5910, 5930 and 5950. (This requirement is waived for students pursuing the Data Science Emphasis or Computer Science Minor. These students can complete all 12 technical elective credits with emphasis/minor courses that are on the list of approved courses outside of Mechanical Engineering.)

Graduate Program

The Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Utah offers a premier graduate program within the state. Nationally recognized faculty and research programs provide an environment where theory meets practice. Using state-of-the-art equipment and working on world-class research teams, ME graduate students are actively engaged in finding creative solutions to real-world problems. An M.S. or Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering prepares graduates to produce the technology of the future and improve human lives.

Areas of Specialization
Engineering mechanics, materials engineering, manufacturing engineering, sustainable products and processes, nano-tribology, composite materials behavior and mechanics, fatigue, fracture mechanics, adhesive bonding, tribology, design methods, reliability in design, ergonomics, safety, fluid mechanics, heat transfer, aerodynamics, bio MEMS, mechatronics, bioheat transfer, microelectromechanical systems, microscale and nanoscale heat transfer, sustainable energy systems, environmental fluid mechanics, controls, haptics, robotics, thermodynamics, turbulent flow, energy conversion, vibrations, biomechanics, aerodynamics, rocket propulsion, and others.

Admission Requirements

  • Minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or better

  • B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering or allied field

  • GRE Quantitative score above 80th percentile and a competitive score on the GRE Analytical section

  • International students must also score 590 (paper-based) or 96 (internet-based) on the TOEFL Exam or 7 on the IELTS Exam

  • These are minimum requirements and do not guarantee admission. The graduate admissions committee reviews all aspects of the application package before determining acceptance into the graduate program.

Visit http://mech.utah.edu/academics/grads/admissions/ for more information on the admission process and requirements.

Credit Limitations
Students may not count more than nine credit hours of non-matriculated graduate work and no more than six transfer credit hours toward any graduate degree. University of Utah students may be allowed to select certain graduate courses (6000-level or above) taken while enrolled as an undergraduate student for graduate credit. Such graduate credit is limited to six semester hours. B.S./M.S. students can visit the Mechanical Engineering, M.S. section of this catalog for more details. Candidates for graduate degrees are required to maintain a 3.0 or higher GPA with no grade below B- accepted for credit toward degrees.

Financial Assistance
Graduate students in Mechanical Engineering receive financial support from several different sources including assistantships, tuition waivers, scholarships and financial aid. See http://mech.utah.edu/academics/grads/financial-information/ for more information.

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