Mechanical Engineering, BSME

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About the Program

At Purdue University Northwest, mechanical engineering is a four-year program of full-time study leading to a degree of Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering (BSME). The course of study is preparation for a career in a constantly changing field and provides a basis for lifelong learning. Students may pursue a general program, or may choose a specialization in areas such as Thermal and Fluid Sciences, Solid Mechanics, or Mechatronics (the latter leading to a minor). The Mechanical Engineering curriculum provides a broad education in the fundamentals of Mechanical Engineering.

As an ABET-accredited engineering program, PNW’s program for the Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering at the School of Engineering fulfills the educational requirements for PE licensure in Indiana and all states of the US

Degree Requirements

122 Credit Hours
Minimum grade of C- required for MA 16300, 16400, and 26100; PHYS 15200
2.0 Average GPA required in all ECE, ME, and CE courses
Minimum GPA of 2.0 required for graduation

PNW General Education Core (32 Credits Minimum)

English Composition (6 Credits): ENGL 10400 - English Composition I and ENGL 30700 - Written And Oral Communication For Engineers
Speech Communication (3 Credits): COM 11400 - Fundamentals of Speech Communication
Quantitative Reasoning (5 Credits): MA 16300 - Integrated Calculus Analysis Geometry I
Natural Sciences (4 Credits): CHM 11500 - General Chemistry
Technology (3 Credits): ENGR 15100 - Software Tools For Engineers
Humanities (3 Credits): PHIL 32100 Engineering Ethics
Social Sciences (3 Credits): Select from the Social Sciences Core list
Additional Credits (4 Credits): PHYS 15200 Mechanics
First-Year Experience (FYE) (1 Credit): ENGR 18600 - First Year Seminar For Engineers

Major Core (72 Credits)

Other Required Courses (18 Credits)

Mechanical Engineering Electives (12 Credits)

Any four of the following:

Engineering Elective (3 Credits)

Any Engineering (CE, ECE, ME, or MSE) course 30000 level or above.
ECE 20200 - Linear Circuit Analysis II
Any course 48900 or above must receive advisor approval.

Free Elective (3 Credits)

The free elective, subject to approval by the advisor, can be almost any three-or-more credit course. Not allowed are math, science, and technology courses that are lower-level than the required courses; such as MA 15900 or 16019, CHM 10000, PHYS 22000, ECET 20900 and 21000; and FM and MSL courses.

Civics Literacy Proficiency

The Civics Literacy Proficiency activities are designed to develop civic knowledge of Purdue Northwest students in an effort to graduate a more informed citizenry.

Students will complete the Proficiency by passing a test of civic knowledge, and completing one of three paths:

Attending six approved civics-related events and completing an assessment for each; or
Completing 12 podcasts created by the Purdue Center for C-SPAN Scholarship and Engagement that use C-SPAN material and completing an assessment for each; or
Earning a passing grade for one of the approved courses (or transferring in approved AP or departmental credit in lieu of taking a course)

For more information visit the Civics Literacy Proficiency website.

Total 122 Credits Required

Degree Map

Requirements

Minimum Grade and Grade Point Average (GPA): Minimum grade of C- required for MA 16300, 16400 and 26100, as well as PHYS 15200; Minimum GPA of 2.0 required for all ECE, ME, and CE courses; Minimum GPA of 2.0 required for graduation

Experiential Learning (EL): One EL course required, select from the Experiential Learning course list

General Education Core: General Education notations can be found within the course description. Please click on a course to see if it meets a Gen Ed requirement.

Milestone Courses noted by (m) next to the course title have been identified as being critical to your success in this field of study.

Please see the Additional Information and Guidelines section below for more information.

Semester 1 (15 Credits)

Semester 2 (16 Credits)

Semester 3 (16 Credits)

Semester 4 (15 Credits)

Semester 5 (16 Credits)

Semester 6 (16 Credits)

ENGL 30700 - Written And Oral Communication For Engineers
ME 31100 - Engineering Economics And Project Management
ME 41600 - Heat Transfer
ME 41700 - Heat Transfer Laboratory
Mechanical Engineering Elective (See Note 1)
Social Sciences - select from the Social Sciences Core List

Semester 7 (13 Credits)

ME 42900 - Senior Engineering Design I (e)
ME 46100 - Machine Design I
Mechanical Engineering Electives (See Note 1)
Mechanical Engineering Electives (See Note 1)

Semester 8 (15 Credits)

ME 43900 - Senior Engineering Design II (e)
PHIL 32100 - Engineering Ethics
Engineering Elective (see Note 2)
Free Elective (see Note 3)
Mechanical Engineering Elective (see Note 1)

Additional Information and Guidelines

Note 1: Mechanical Engineering Electives - Any four courses selected from the following: ME 30600 , ME 40400 , ME 42600 , ME 48500 , ME 48600 , or MSE 34400 .

Note 2: Engineering Elective - Any Engineering (CE, ECE, ME, or MSE) course 30000 or above and less than 48900 plus ECE 20200 ; any CE, ECE, ME, or MSE course 48900 and above with advisor approval.

Note 3: The free elective, subject to approval by the advisor, can be almost any three or above credit course. Not allowed are Math, Science, or Technology courses that are a lower-level than the required courses, such as MA 15900 or MA 16019 , PHYS 22000 , ECET 20900 and ECET 21000 ; and FM and MSL courses.

Resources

The 8 semester plan of study is a recommended sequence of classes designed to show how this program can be completed within four years.

Visit the 15 to Finish website for information and resources.

For career information, click here to visit the Careers and Employment Trends page.

For Financial Aid eligibility, click here. See Important Dates and Deadlines for annual FAFSA filing deadlines and Indiana state aid deadlines. State Financial Aid recipients are required to complete 30 credits per calendar year to maintain eligibility for the 21st Century Scholars award and the On-time Frank O’Bannon grant.

Financial Guarantee: If you follow the degree map and find a course unavailable, you may be able to take the course for free in a future semester. Certain exclusions apply.

College Scorecard

The U.S. Department of Education has created a scorecard for each university and its programs. The scorecard shows data for the university such as graduation rate, average annual cost, and median earnings. Then, when certain minimum standards have been met, data are available for a specific program. That data could include median earnings, median total debt, and number of graduates. The link below will help you learn more:

https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/school/?490805-Purdue-University-Northwest&fos_code=1419&fos_credential=3