Mechanical Engineering Program
2022-23 Mechanical Engineering UG Program
Mechanical engineers create products, machines, and technological systems for the benefit of society. Building on a foundation of physical science, mathematics, and an understanding of societal needs and responsibilities, they develop solutions across a wide range of fields from energy to medical devices, manufacturing to transportation, consumer products to environmental compatibility.
The undergraduate program in Mechanical Engineering at Stanford exposes each student to theoretical and practical experiences that form a foundation from which to develop solutions, and provides an environment that allows for the accumulation of knowledge and self discovery so as to extend the domain within which solutions can be formulated. Graduates of the program have many professional options and opportunities, from entry-level work as mechanical engineers to graduate studies in either an engineering discipline or other fields where a broad engineering background is useful. Regardless of the ultimate career choice, graduates leave the program with a solid grounding in the principals and practice of mechanical engineering, equipped to embark upon a lifetime of learning, while employing new concepts, technologies and methodologies.
Research Experience for Undergraduates
The Mechanical Engineering department offers a Summer Undergraduate Research Institute. The 2022-23 SURI program will include student research training in team settings (e.g., students working together on larger projects directed by staff and faculty), and in individually-directed research settings (e.g., the student will work closely with a faculty advisor or senior graduate student). Students who are accepted into SURI will receive a summer fellowship stipend sufficient to cover on-campus housing or the equivalent.
The program is open only to Stanford undergraduate students but students do not necessarily have to be declared ME majors. The application process includes completing a form online, with submissions due by the end of March. Students are strongly encouraged to seek out and obtain a commitment from a faculty advisor before completing the online application. Students should note that SURI enrollment is capped due to funding limitations and preference is given to students with faculty commitments. Students can also contact ME Student Services directly for more information.
Professional Licensing
Professional licensing is an important aspect of professional responsibility. Although civil engineers may find professional registration more important in securing employment, mechanical engineers should seriously consider pursuing licensing as well. A professional license can be important if you work as a consultant or at a small start-up. An engineer working for a start-up or small technical company must fill a much wider spectrum of professional roles than would be the case working for a larger company. Those roles would typically include certifying drawings and other technical materials that require a license as a professional engineer.
In addition to certifying the accuracy of technical materials produced by yourself or your company, a professional license is important if you have to testify as an expert witness or perform other functions related to the legal system. In many states, including California, you cannot legally use the title “engineer” unless you are a licensed Professional Engineer. In fact the California law requires that “…only a person appropriately licensed with the Board may practice or offer to practice mechanical engineering.”
To attain a professional license you must take the Fundamentals of Engineering (F.E.) examination administered by the California Board for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors or equivalent body in the state in which you plan to practice. The examination may be taken at any time, but most people find it easier to pass when completing their undergraduate work and more difficult later on. After passing the F.E. examination you will be eligible to receive an Engineer in Training (E.I.T.) certificate. At least two more years of practical experience and a further examination are required for a full license.
Objectives and Outcomes for Mechanical Engineering
These outcomes are operationalized through learning objectives, which students are expected to demonstrate:
- Graduates of the program will have the scientific and technical background for successful careers in diverse organizations.
- Graduates of the program will be leaders, and effective communicators, both in the profession and in the community.
- Graduates of the program will be motivated and equipped to successfully pursue postgraduate study whether in engineering, or in other fields.
- Graduates of the program will have a professional and ethical approach to their careers with a strong awareness of the social contexts in which they work.
Learning Outcomes (Undergraduate)
The department expects undergraduate majors in the program to be able to demonstrate the following learning outcomes:
- 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.
Requirements
Mathematics
| 24 units minimum; see Basic Requirement 1 1 | ||
| CME 102/ENGR 155A | Ordinary Differential Equations for Engineers | 5 |
| or MATH 53 | Ordinary Differential Equations with Linear Algebra | |
| Select one of the following: | 3-5 | |
|
CME 106/ENGR 155C |
Introduction to Probability and Statistics for Engineers | |
|
STATS 110 |
Statistical Methods in Engineering and the Physical Sciences | |
|
STATS 116 |
Theory of Probability | |
| Plus additional math courses to total min. 24 | ||
| Science | ||
| 20 units minimum; see Basic Requirement 2 1 | ||
| CHEM 31M (formerly 31X) | Chemical Principles Accelerated | 5 |
| Plus additional required courses 1 | ||
| Technology in Society | ||
| One course required; TIS courses should be selected from AA 252, BIOE 131, COMM 120W, CS 181, ENGR 131 (no longer offered), HUMBIO 174, MS&E 193, or ME 267 (not offered 22-23) | 3-5 | |
| Engineering Fundamentals | ||
| Two courses minimum; see Basic Requirement 3 | ||
| ENGR 14 | Intro to Solid Mechanics | 3 |
| CS 106A or 106B | Programming Methodology or Abstractions | 5 |
| Engineering Core | ||
| Minimum of 68 Engineering Science and Design ABET units; see Basic Requirement 5 | ||
| ENGR 15 | Dynamics | 3 |
| ME 1 | Introduction to Mechanical Engineering | 3 |
| ME 30 | Engineering Thermodynamics | 3 |
| ME 70 | Introductory Fluids Engineering | 3 |
| ME 80 | Mechanics of Materials | 3 |
| ME 102 | Foundations of Product Realization | 3 |
| ME 103 | Product Realization: Designing and Making | 4 |
| ME 104 | Mechanical Systems Design | 4 |
|
ME 123 |
Computational Engineering |
4 |
| ME 131 | Heat Transfer | 4 |
| ME 170A | Mechanical Engineering Design- Integrating Context with Engineering 2,3 | 4 |
| ME 170B | Mechanical Engineering Design: Integrating Context with Engineering 2,3 | 4 |
Core Concentrations and Concentration Electives
In addition to completing the core requirements, students must choose one of the concentration paths below. Each concentration has 2 or 3 required courses, and students select additional elective courses such that the combination adds up to a minimum of 18 units. If the chosen concentration has 2 required courses (the "Dynamic Systems and Controls" and “Materials and Structures” concentrations), then 2 of the elective courses must come from that concentration. If the chosen concentration has 3 required courses (the “Product Realization” and “Thermo, Fluids, and Heat Transfer” concentrations), then 1 of the elective courses must come from that concentration. The other elective courses can come from either electives in the student’s chosen concentration or the required courses or electives in any other concentration. Up to 3 units of ME 191 (Independent Study) may be petitioned as one of these electives.
| Dynamic Systems and Controls Concentration | ||
| ME 161 | Dynamic Systems, Vibrations and Control | 3 |
| ENGR 105 | Feedback Control Design | 3 |
| Dynamic Systems and Controls Electives | ||
| ME 327 | Design and Control of Haptic Systems | 3 |
| ENGR 205 | Introduction to Control Design Techniques | 3 |
| ME 210 | Introduction to Mechatronics | 4 |
| ME 220 | Introduction to Sensors | 3-4 |
| ME 331A | Advanced Dynamics & Computation | 3 |
| ME 485 | Modeling and Simulation of Human Movement | 3 |
| Materials and Structures Concentration | ||
| ME 149 | Mechanical Measurements | 3 |
| ME 152 | Material Behaviors and Failure Prediction | 3 |
| Materials and Structures Electives | ||
| ME 234 | Introduction to Neuromechanics | 3 |
| ME 241 | Mechanical Behavior of Nanomaterials | 3 |
| ME 281 | Biomechanics of Movement | 3 |
| ME 283 | Introduction to Biomechanics and Mechanobiology | 3 |
| ME 287 | Mechanics of Biological Tissues | 4 |
| ME 331A | Advanced Dynamics & Computation | 3 |
| ME 335A | Finite Element Analysis | 3 |
| ME 338 | Continuum Mechanics | 3 |
| ME 339 | Introduction to parallel computing using MPI, openMP, and CUDA | 3 |
| ME 345 | Fatigue Design and Analysis | 3 |
| ME 348 | Experimental Stress Analysis | 3 |
| Product Realization Concentration | ||
| ME 127 | Design for Additive Manufacturing | 3 |
| ME 128 | Computer-Aided Product Realization | 3 |
| ME 129 | Manufacturing Processes and Design | 3 |
| Product Realization Electives | ||
| ENGR 110 | Perspectives in Assistive Technology (ENGR 110) | 1-3 |
| ENGR 240 | Introduction to Micro and Nano Electromechanical Systems | 3 |
| CME 106 | Introduction to Probability and Statistics for Engineers (see Note 4) | 4 |
| ME 210 | Introduction to Mechatronics | 4 |
| ME 226 | Data Literacy in Mechanical Design Engineering | 3 |
| ME 325 | Making Multiples: Injection Molding | 3 |
| ME 263 or ME 298 | The Chair or Silversmithing and Design | 4 |
| ME 280 | Deliverables: A Mechanical Engineering Design Practicum (formerly ME 181) | |
| ME 309* | Finite Element Analysis in Mechanical Design | 3 |
| ME 324 | Precision Engineering | 4 |
| Thermo, Fluids, and Heat Transfer Concentration | ||
| ME 132 | Intermediate Thermodynamics | 4 |
| ME 133 | Intermediate Fluid Mechanics | 3 |
| ME 149 | Mechanical Measurements | 3 |
| Thermo, Fluids, and Heat Transfer Electives | ||
| ME 235 | Biotransport Phenomena | 3 |
| ME 257 | Gas-Turbine Design Analysis | 3 |
| ME 351A | Fluid Mechanics | 3 |
| ME 351B | Fluid Mechanics | 3 |
| ME 352A | Radiative Heat Transfer | 3 |
| ME 352B* | Fundamentals of Heat Conduction | 3 |
| ME 362A | Physical Gas Dynamics | 3 |
| ME 370A | Energy Systems I: Thermodynamics | 3 |
| ME 370B | Energy Systems II: Modeling and Advanced Concepts | 4 |
| ME 371 | Combustion Fundamentals | 3 |
| AA 283 | Aircraft and Rocket Propulsion | 3 |
1
|
Math and science must total 45 units.
|
|
| 2 |
ME 170A and ME 170B fulfill the WIM requirement. |
| 3 |
ME 170A and ME 170B are a 2-quarter Capstone Design Sequence and must be taken in consecutive quarters. Senior students who have completed the capstone course (170A/B) may enroll in ME 191 for up to 3-units to continue work on their capstone project and petition those units to count towards their technical electives
|
| 4 |
A course may only be counted towards one requirement; it may not be double-counted. For example, CME 106 units may not be double-counted in both the Math Requirement and Product Realization concentration. Students must have 24 unique units in math and science, and 68 unique EngrFund+ME Courses, respectively. Students may need to supplement additional SoE/ME-approved coursework if CME 106 is taken. All courses taken for the major must be taken for a letter grade if that option is offered by the instructor (except for Covid year 20-21). Minimum Combined GPA for all courses in Engineering Topics (Engineering Fundamentals and Depth courses) is 2.0. |
Notes:
- PETITIONS: The Undergraduate Studies Committee of the Department of Mechanical Engineering Student Services Office must approve any deviation from the Engineering Depth (ME) requirements, and must give initial approval for any Petitions to deviate from School of Engineering requirements (i.e., math, science, Engineering Fundamentals, TIS). Such petitions must be prepared on the School of Engineering petition forms (see the Petitions page on this site), approved by the advisor, and submitted by the third week of the quarter before the expected graduation quarter. For example, for a June graduation, a student must submit the petition by 3rd week of Winter quarter. SoE deviation petitions must also be approved by the Dean’s office in 135 Huang Engineering Center; the ME department will forward any petitions approved by the department.
- It is recommended that students review prerequisites for all courses before planning their course sequence.
- Senior students who have completed the capstone course (170A/B) may enroll in ME 191 for up to 3-units to continue work on their capstone project and petition those units to count towards their technical electives.
Coterm Application Information
|
Mechanical Engineering |
10/21/2022 for Win 22-23 1/13/23 for Spr 22-23 3/31/23 for Aut 23-24 |
Jessica Ray (formerly Reeves) Jessica.ray@stanford.edu |
mechanical@stanford.edu |
Instructions for Declaring Mechanical Engineering (ME-BS)
- (Student Step 1) Student completes ME Declaration Google Form (link available from the ME Handbook page) with basic information:
- Name, Year, Su-net ID, email
- Whether they have already identified a ME major advisor (from Stanford list) OR they want to be assigned a ME major advisor.
- Google Form results sent to the Student Services Office Contact (SSO)
- Student Services takes action:
- If student has identified an advisor, SSO sends standard email to Major Advisor (with student on cc) to inform them of a new undergraduate advisee assignment, and “net steps” (e.g., meeting to get to know one another, review 4-year plan, flowchart, and program sheet, etc
- If student has not identified an advisor, SSO chooses one from the list, working to create “balance” among the faculty. Then SSO sends standard email to Major Advisor to review 4-year plan, etc, and has associated forms signed.
- (Student Step 2) Student arranges a meeting with his/her Major Advisor to over 4-year plan, etc and has associated forms signed.
- (Student Step 3) After meeting and signatures, student submits forms to SSO and declares officially on Axess.
- If Student Steps 1-3 are completed by SPECIFIED DATE for EACH QUARTER, student is invited to a Declaration Lunch to be held each quarter where they will meet key people in the department (chair, director of student services—director of undergraduate curriculum, SUME team members, Solar Car representative, Concentration representatives, etc). if Student Steps 1-3 are completed after the SPECIFIED DATE, they are included in the lunch invite the subsequent quarter.