In every country, there are lots of universities that have their mechanical engineering departments. But in every university its course requirements in all its degrees can be differ from another school. So be it in undergraduate, graduate or post-graduate degree, a university’s mechanical engineering curriculum can be varied from another school’s curriculum. However, although universities do offer different courses from the rest, there are the so-called general course requirements that are universally accepted within the norms of mechanical engineering disciplines.
Mechanical engineers are fundamentally the generalists among the professional engineers. They do not only have strong background in math and science which are the most basic requirements when one enrolls in a mechanical engineering school. They also have very extensive knowledge with other science courses and various engineering concepts.
So if you ever want to take a mechanical engineering degree, you must know that the curriculum is very challenging. In short, you must have the perseverance and dedication to complete the courses. Technically, the requirements within ME can be gruesome to other engineering students but if you have the passion in becoming an accomplished mechanical engineer, you can eventually have one of the most rewarding careers in the history of engineering professions if you successfully graduate.
Nevertheless, there are always the general course requirements in the U.S. with regards to earning a mechanical engineering degree. If you are interested to know these, here they are.
Course Requirements You Need to Take
- College Mathematics
Calculus is a very important mathematical aspect which you will be required to take even during your fresh year in Mechanical Engineering until your second year. In some universities, there would be three semesters that include calculus including calculus-based statistics. You also have to take advanced algebra and take classes in partial differential equations. - Physics
Physics is an important course because this plays an important role in mechanics, law of motion, thermodynamics, electromagnetic, circuits, optics and gravity. There are about two semesters of soft physics in the ME curriculum while hard physics come later during the senior years of the ME students. - Laboratory Science Courses
Lab science courses are always prerequisites with ME programs and these involved the understanding and experimenting with the principles of physics and actual experience with the study of mechanics. In other schools, taking physics require two semesters with a choice of taking courses in other branches of science like chemistry, physical science, and biology. So before you enroll in certain school, make sure you check the curriculum first if you are looking for some kinds of specializations while in school. - Introductory Engineering Courses
Once you are done with your prerequisites and core requirements, you now have to take low level engineering courses as introduction to your program. In here, you can have an in-depth study of dynamics, mechanics of materials, statics, circuits, electronics and CAD (computer aided design). In the semesters that you work on with these courses, you will also be introduced to learn numerical methods and computer science. You will also be trained on how to be good with technical writing. - Specialized Mechanical Engineering Courses
When you are in your 3rd or 4th year in your mechanical engineering program, you will be introduced to specialized courses and study heat transfer, thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, control, system dynamics, manufacturing processes and design. Since you have your background in calculus and physics and other courses you have taken during your first and second year, this will be the time you can apply your earned knowledge. In some engineering schools, they also require their students to take senior design course which usually last for one or two semesters.
These are generally what you can expect to study when you take up Mechanical Engineering degree. In some countries, the ME degree can take up to only four years but mostly this takes around five years for most countries. If you want to understand each course the curriculum offers, check them out on the web. As you noticed there are a lot of mathematical and physics courses involved in the curriculum and as the year advances, more serious but focused analytical and mathematical courses are on the list. But if you have the talent, skills and heart to become a successful mechanical engineer, just pursue your dreams and expect to expand your future.
