Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering

The Bachelor of Science (BS) in Mechanical Engineering prepares students for a career in mechanical engineering and associated professional fields. Opportunities in mechanical engineering are broad and diverse, including the automotive and aerospace industries, biotechnology, the oil and natural gas industries, renewable energy and environmental controls, manufacturing, computer and electronic hardware, and more. UAA's BS in Mechanical Engineering program provides hands-on learning and professional networking opportunities to prepare students for a successful career.

The BS in Mechanical Engineering is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, https://www.abet.org.

Licensure and/or Certification

Graduates of the BS in Mechanical Engineering gain four years of education credit toward obtaining a Professional Engineer license in Alaska.

This program is designed to meet the educational requirements for professional licensure or certification in the State of Alaska. However, the program might not meet the educational requirements for professional licensure or certification in other states. Please see UAA's Licensure and Certification website for more information.

Admission Requirements

• Complete the Admission Requirements for Baccalaureate Degrees.

Special Considerations

• Students who intend to enroll in this degree of study are strongly encouraged to complete the following content in high school with a grade of C or better: Trigonometry (1/2 year), Physics (1 year), Algebra (2 years), Chemistry (1 year), and English (3 years). Insufficient preparation may increase the number of semesters required to complete the degree.
• All prerequisites for engineering courses must be completed with a minimum grade of C, and all courses listed in the major requirements must be completed with a grade of C or higher. A student who is unable to earn a grade of C or higher in a program course offered by the College of Engineering will be required to meet with a department faculty advisor to develop a plan for improvement of academic performance before continuing in the program. A student who fails to earn a grade of C or higher on the second attempt will be required to meet with an academic advisor and a member of the College of Engineering professional advising staff to develop a plan for improvement of academic performance before continuing in the program. A student who fails to earn a grade of C or higher on the third attempt will be removed from the program. Re-admittance requires a letter of appeal from the student requesting re-admittance with an explanation of any mitigating factors and how these factors have been addressed. Re-admittance is subject to approval by the faculty of the program and is communicated by the department chair.
• The program requires its students to abide by the principles of academic integrity described in the Student Code of Conduct. Should suspected cases of academic misconduct occur, these cases may be submitted to the UAA Dean of Students Office, where the assistant director of student conduct reviews all allegations of academic misconduct. At the conclusion of the review, the assistant director of student conduct issues a notification of the findings and conclusions to the reporting faculty member, department chair and dean. Should a student from the program be found responsible for a case of academic misconduct by the UAA Dean of Students Office on two separate occasions, that student will be removed from the program. Re-admittance requires a letter of appeal from the student requesting re-admittance with an explanation of any mitigating factors and how these factors have been addressed. Re-admittance is subject to approval by the faculty of the program and is communicated by the department chair.

Graduation Requirements

• Complete the General University Requirements for Baccalaureate Degrees. 
• Complete the General Education Requirements (GER) for Baccalaureate Degrees. 
  • The 3 credit Tier 1 Quantitative Skills GER will be met and exceeded by the following degree requirements: MATH A251 or MATH A251F, MATH A252 or MATH A252F, and MATH A253.
  • The 7 credit Natural Science GER will be met and exceeded by the following degree requirements: CHEM A105, CHEM A105L, PHYS A211, PHYS A211L, PHYS A212, and PHYS A212L.
• Sit for the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) examination administered by the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES).
• Complete the following major requirements with a minimum grade of C:

A minimum of 124 credits is required for the degree, of which 39 credits must be upper-division.

Honors in Mechanical Engineering

The BS in Mechanical Engineering recognizes distinguished achievement by conferring programmatic honors in mechanical engineering. In order to receive honors in mechanical engineering, a student must meet the following requirements:

• Complete all program requirements;
• Earn a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.50 or above in the courses required for the major;
• Gain approval for, complete, and present a design/research project prior to applying for graduation. The project proposal, presentation and final written report must be approved by the program faculty.

Program Student Learning Outcomes

Students graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering will be able to:

• identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics;
• 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;
• communicate effectively with a range of audiences;
• 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;
• function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives;
• develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgement to draw conclusions; and
• acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.

Sample Plan

The academic plan below is one pathway through the degree/certificate. It includes all requirements, taking into account recommendations from program faculty. Each student’s plan may vary according to their initial course placement, intended course load, additional majors and/or minors, and their placement into required prerequisite courses. Any change in the plan below can have an unforeseen impact on the rest of the plan. Therefore, it is very important to meet with your academic advisor to verify your personal academic plan.

Please review the following terms, definitions, and resources associated with the sample academic plan below.

• Each course in the far left column links to a pop-up bubble with a course description, prerequisite requirements, and associations with university requirements. For example, if a course fulfills a general education requirement, you will see that in the pop-up bubble.
• GER: indicates a General Education Requirement. GERs that also count toward degree/certificate requirements appear as a specific course in the plan. For these courses, "GER" is not indicated explicitly in the table, but if you click on the course, you will see the course's GER status in the pop-up bubble.
• Program Elective: indicates a specific course selection determined by program faculty to fulfill a degree/certificate requirement. Students should seek assistance from their academic advisor.
• Elective: indicates an open selection of 100-400 level university courses to fulfill elective credits needed to meet the minimum total credits toward the degree/certificate.
• Upper Division Program Elective: indicates a specific 300-400 level course selection determined by the program faculty to fulfill a degree/certificate requirement. Students should seek assistance from their academic advisor.
• Upper Division Elective: indicates an open selection of 300-400 level courses to fulfill elective credits needed to meet the minimum total credits toward the degree/certificate. These courses must be upper division in order to meet General University Requirements for the particular degree/certificate type.