2025-2026 Undergraduate/Graduate Catalog

Mechanical Engineering, B.S.

The Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering is a program of study requiring 128-134 credits of undergraduate work, including a two-term senior project capstone requirement completed through oral and written reports and a 400-hour internship. If desired, the candidate may also choose an appropriate sequence of elective courses for a concentration in Manufacturing or Aerospace.

Required coursework can be grouped in four categories: General Education, Major Requirements, Electives or Concentration Requirements, and Additional Requirements.

Outcomes

Student outcomes describe what students are expected to know and be able to do by the time of graduation. These relate to the skills, knowledge and behaviors that students acquire as they progress through the program. The Engineering Department seeks to graduate mechanical engineers who, upon graduation possess:

the ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics;

the 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;

the ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences;

the 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;

the 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;

the ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions;

and the ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.

Outcomes

Admission Requirements

First Year Students

Students must be ready to enroll in Calculus I (MATH 152). This requirement can be met by any of the following:

  • Earning both a Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) Mathematics score of 620 or higher and a grade of B or better in a two-semester high school pre-calculus or calculus course. Both the SAT of 620 and the high school course are required. Students can take the SAT test more than once,
  • Earning a score of 3 or better on the Calculus AB or Calculus BC Advancement Placement exam. (For AP score equivalency please visit AP Equivalencies),
  • Earning a sufficiently high score on Central's Mathematics Placement Exam. The exam is given by Central’s Learning Center. For more information call 860.832.1900, or visit the Learning Center - Placement Testing.

Transfer Students

Students must be ready to enroll in Calculus I (MATH 152). This requirement can be met by:

  • Any of the above requirements for first year students, OR
  • Credit transfer from an accredited two-year of four-year higher education institution of a Pre-Calculus course and a Trigonometry course with grades of C- or higher, or a combined Trigonometry/Pre-calculus course with a grade of C- or higher, or a Calculus course with a grade of C- or higher. (subject to equivalency evaluation of the courses). For additional transfer credit equivalency information see Transfer Equivalency Database.

Graduates of the "Engineering Science" program from Connecticut Community Colleges

CT Community College students who successfully complete the full "Engineering Science" program and earn their Associates Degree, will be automatically admitted to either the Civil Engineering or Mechanical Engineering program.

CT Community college students who have not completed the full "Engineering Science" program will be considered as regular transfer students, subject to the additional admissions requirements for transfer students explained above.



Requirements

Major Requirements

ENGR 150Introduction to Engineering

3

ENGR 251Engineering Mechanics I - Statics

3

ENGR 252Engineering Mechanics II - Dynamics

3

ENGR 357Mechanics of Materials

3

ME 216Manufacturing Engineering Processes

2

ME 217Manufacturing Engineering Processes Lab

1

ME 258Engineering Thermodynamics

3

ME 345Engineering Statistical Analysis of Operations

3

ME 352Modeling and Control of Dynamic Systems

3

ME 354/CE 354Fluid Mechanics

3

ME 367Machine Design I

3

ME 368Machine Design II

3

ME 370Instrumentation

3

ME 454Heat Transfer

3

ME 467Finite Element Analysis with Applications

3

ME 497/ETM 497/EE 497Senior Project I: Project Research

2

ME 498Senior Project II: Design Project

3

Electives or Concentration Requirements

General Electives:

ME 458Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning Systems Design

3

or

ME 459Energy Conversion Systems

3

 

ME Electives

6

Tech Elective

3

ME Electives include: ME 340, ME 360, ME 403, ME 452, ME 460, ME 461, ME 463, ME 465, ME 466, ME 470, ME 480, ME 483, ME 485, ME 486, ME 487, ME 488, SE 301, and SE 302


Tech Electives include all ME electives plus: ENGR 490, ETM 340, ETM 360, ETM 461, ETM 464, ETM 466, ET 399, ET 495, MM 226, and TM 464

Manufacturing:

ME 340Geometric Dimensioning & Tolerancing for Mechanical Design

3

ME 360Manufacturing Operations Analysis and Simulation

3

ME 460Manufacturing System Design

3

and

ME 461Discrete Event Simulation for Manufacturing Systems

3

or

ME 466Inventive Engineering Design

3

Aerospace:

ME 480Propulsion Systems

3

ME 483Aerodynamics

3

ME 486Aerospace Structures and Materials

3

ME 403Aerospace Control Systems

3

Additional Requirements

CET 236Circuit Analysis

3

CHEM 161General Chemistry

3

CHEM 162General Chemistry Laboratory

1

ENGR 392Engineering Practicum (400 hours)

1

ENGR 240Computational Methods for Engineering

3

ETM 260Computer Aided Design and Integrated Manufacturing CAD/CAM/CIM

3

ETM 356Materials Analysis

3

MATH 222Calculus III

4

MATH 226Linear Algebra and Probability for Engineers

4

MATH 355Introduction to Differential Equations with Applications

4

Required General Education Courses

Natural Sciences

PHYS 125University Physics I

4

PHYS 126University Physics II

4

Natural Sciences

WRT 110Introdctn to College Writing

3

ENGR 290Engineering Technical Writing & Presentation

3

Mathematics

MATH 152Calculus I

4

MATH 221Calculus II

4

Total Credit Hours: 128