Mechanical Engineering

The Vision of the Department is to be nationally recognized as an innovator in research and education in mechanical engineering. The formulation of the specific objectives of the undergraduate Mechanical Engineering program has been guided by the strong belief that the program should provide an equivalent of a liberal arts education for the 21st century.

The Mechanical Engineering Program Educational Objectives are to prepare our graduates to make a positive impact on society by being successful in:

• careers as mechanical engineers
• graduate studies
• professional careers of their choice outside of mechanical engineering

We prepare our students to attain these Program Educational Objectives through a curriculum which is designed to achieve these Student Outcomes:

• (a) an ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering
• (b) an ability to design and conduct experiments, as well as to analyze and interpret data
• (c) an ability to design a system, component, or process to meet desired needs within realistic constraints such as economic, environmental, social, political, ethical, health and safety, manufacturability, and sustainability
• (d) an ability to function on multidisciplinary teams
• (e) an ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems
• (f) an understanding of professional and ethical responsibility
• (g) an ability to communicate effectively
• (h) the broad education necessary to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global, economic, environmental, and societal context
• (i) a recognition of the need for, and an ability to engage in life-long learning
• (j) a knowledge of contemporary issues
• (k) an ability to use the techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools necessary for engineering practice.

The Mechanical Engineering program provides strong training in the areas of mathematics, science, and the fundamentals of mechanical engineering that constitute the foundation of the discipline. The curriculum includes:

• Extensive laboratory and hands-on experience to strengthen understanding of fundamental principles.
• Extensive use of computer simulation in the solution of problems and in design.
• Application of knowledge to design problems common to modern mechanical engineering practice.
• Introduction of machine shop and fabrication techniques into the curriculum to emphasize the relationship between design and fabrication.
• Freedom for the student to mold his or her program of professional specialty studies by allowing each student to choose from a number of technical electives and to create her or his own senior year design project under the supervision of a faculty member.
• Emphasis on both oral and written communication throughout the curriculum.
• A well-rounded and balanced education achieved through required studies in selected areas of the Humanities and Social Sciences.

The curriculum is structured so that most of the required courses in mathematics and the basic sciences (physics and chemistry) are completed during the first two years. In addition, two four-unit courses, an Introduction to Mechanical Engineering and Engineering Graphics & Design are offered in the first year. These classes focus on basic engineering concepts and computational engineering tools required for mechanical engineers. Engineering topics are covered primarily in courses offered during the second, third and fourth years. Additional science topics (Biology) are covered in the third year. Students may also take elective courses in specialized topics such as Applied Finite Element Methods, Transport Phenomena in Living Systems, Vibrations, Environmental Impacts of Energy Production, Mechatronics, Combustion and Energy Systems, Optics and Lasers in Engineering, etc., in the senior year.

Several ME courses, including laboratory courses, incorporate design. Design addresses real-world problems whose solution requires creativity and consideration of alternatives to achieve stated objectives. The design component can occupy a significant fraction of course time and is usually conducted in teams. The culmination of the students' design experience is a three-quarter capstone design course, in which students draw upon various aspects of their previous engineering science and design knowledge to address a meaningful design problem. The first quarter focuses on engineering economics, engineering/professional ethics, and review of fundamental design concepts. In the second quarter, project (concept) analysis, preliminary evaluation (economical and technical), data and literature collection, and preliminary process design and evaluation is carried out. The third quarter of the capstone design course focuses on the final detailed technical design of the process (equipment sizing and specification, etc.), followed by prototyping and construction of hardware, and detailed technical analysis of the final design. The course concludes with a formal oral presentation and written technical report.

Focus Areas:

• Materials and Structures
  Sixteen (16) units of technical electives chosen from ME 100B, ME 116B, ME 122, ME 153, ME 156, ME 180, ME 197
• Energy and Environment
  Sixteen (16) units of technical electives chosen from ME 100B, ME 116B, ME 117, ME 136, ME 137, ME 197
• Design and Manufacturing
  Sixteen (16) units of technical electives chosen from ME 121, ME 122, ME 130, ME 131, ME 133, ME 153, ME 156, ME 174, ME 180, ME 197
• General Mechanical Engineering
  Sixteen (16) units of technical electives chosen from selected from the following list, in consultation with an advisor: ME 100B, ME 116B, ME 117, ME 121, ME 122, ME 131, ME 133, ME 136, ME 137, ME 138, ME 153, ME 156, ME 176, ME 180, ME 197

Requirements

Applicants must complete a rigorous college preparatory program that includes the following academic subject requirements:

• History/Social Science: 2 years
• English/Language of School Instruction: 4 years
• Mathematics: 3 years (4 years recommended)
• Laboratory Science: 2 years (3 years recommended)
• Foreign Language (English must be the foreign language studied if it was not the language of instruction.): 2 years (3 years recommended)
• Visual and Performing Arts: 1 year
• College-Preparatory Elective: 1 year

UC Riverside is aware that not all educational systems include academic courses in these areas, which will be taken into consideration during the application review.

• The applicant must earn a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.4 on a 4.0 scale, equivalent to an 85 percent on a 100 percent scale. The assessment of a qualifying GPA is based on “a-g” courses completed in 10th and 11th grades.
• If the secondary school offers a different curriculum, the applicant’s academic achievement will be based on that educational system’s grading scale.
• The ACT with Writing or the SAT Reasoning Test must be taken no later than December of the final year of secondary school.

English Language Proficiency

If English is not the applicant’s native language, or the language of instruction at the applicant’s school, then they must demonstrate English proficiency through one of the following options:

• Pass the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) with a score of 80 or higher (iBT).
• Pass the International English Testing Language System (IELTS) with a score of 6.5 or higher.
• Achieve a score of 560 or higher on the “Writing” section of the SAT Reasoning Test.
• Achieve a score of 3, 4 or 5 on the AP Exam in English Language and Composition or English Literature and Composition.
• Achieve a score of 5, 6 or 7 on the International Baccalaureate (IB) Higher Level Examination in English (Language A).
• Complete a transferable college course in English Composition with a C grade or better.

Also

• Academic records
• Test scores
• Estimated household income (optional)
• Citizenship status
• Application payment method

Answer Personal Insight Questions

• The personal insight questions are an opportunity for applicants to tell us about themselves in their own words, and an opportunity for us to get to know them better.
• Freshmen must answer four out of eight questions.
• Each response is limited to a maximum of 350 words.
• Applicants should draft their answers in a word processing program first, then copy and paste them into the UC application. (Applicants are automatically logged out of the UC application after 30 minutes.)
• The personal insight questions are just one part that we consider when making our admission decision. The important thing is that applicants express who they are, what matters to them and what they want to share with UCR!

Scholarships

• Regents Scholarship
• Chancellor’s Scholarship
• Highlander Excellence Scholarship