Mechanical Engineering

This is an archived copy of the 2021-22 catalog. To access the most recent version of the catalog, please visit http://catalog.ndsu.edu.

Major Requirements

Major: Mechanical Engineering

Degree Type: B.S.M.E.
Minimum Degree Credits to Graduate: 129

University Degree Requirements

  1. Satisfactory completion of all requirements of the curriculum in which one is enrolled.
  2. Earn a minimum total of 120 credits in approved coursework.  Some academic programs exceed this minimum.
  3. Satisfactory completion of the general education requirements as specified by the university.
  4. A minimum institutional GPA of 2.00 based on work taken at NDSU.
  5. At least 36 credits presented for graduation must be in courses numbered 300 or higher.
  6. Transfer Students: Must earn a minimum of 60 credits from a baccalaureate-degree granting or professional institution. 
    1. Of these 60, at least 36 must be NDSU resident credits as defined in #7.
    2. Within the 36 resident credits, a minimum of 15 must be in courses numbered 300 or higher and 15 credits in the major field of study.
  7. At least 36 credits must be NDSU resident credits.  Resident credits include credits registered and paid for at NDSU.

For complete information, please refer to the Degree and Graduation Requirements section of this Bulletin.

University General Education Requirements

Communication (C)12
College Composition I
College Composition II
Fundamentals of Public Speaking
Upper Division Writing
Quantitative Reasoning (R) 3
Science and Technology (S) 10
Humanities and Fine Arts (A) 6
Social and Behavioral Sciences (B) 6
Wellness (W) 2
Cultural Diversity (D) *†
Global Perspectives (G) *†
Total Credits39
  •  A list of university approved general education courses and administrative policies are available here.

Major REquirements

Mechanical Engineering Requirements:
ME 111Introduction to Mechanical Engineering *2
ME 212Fundamentals of Visual Communication for Engineers3
ME 213Modeling of Engineering Systems3
ME 221Engineering Mechanics I3
ME 222Engineering Mechanics II3
ME 223Mechanics of Materials3
ME 331Materials Science and Engineering4
ME 351Thermodynamics I3
ME 352Fluid Dynamics3
ME 361Product Design and Development3
ME 412Engineering Measurements3
ME 421Theory of Vibrations3
ME 442Machine Design I3
ME 443Machine Design II3
ME 454Heat and Mass Transfer3
ME 457Thermal Systems Laboratory3
ME 461Design Project I3
ME 462Design Project II3
MATH 129Basic Linear Algebra3
MATH 165Calculus I (May satisfy general education category R)4
MATH 166Calculus II4
MATH 259Multivariate Calculus3
MATH 266Introduction to Differential Equations3
CHEM 121General Chemistry I (May satisfy general education category S)3
CHEM 122General Chemistry II (May satisfy general education category S)3
ECE 301Electrical Engineering I3
ECE 306Electrical Engineering Lab I1
ENGL 321Writing in the Technical Professions (May satisfy general education category C)3
ENGR 402Engineering Ethics and Social Responsibility1
IME 330Manufacturing Processes3
PHYS 252
252L
University Physics II
and University Physics II Laboratory (May satisfy general education category S)
5
Technical Electives: Select 15 credits from the following:15
Engineering Materials II
Thermodynamics II
Plastics and Injection Molding Manufacturing
Plastics and Injection Molding Manufacturing
Biopolymers and Biocomposites
Engineering Ceramics
Introduction to Biomechanics
Renewable Energy Technology
Experimental Stress Analysis
Fatigue and Fracture of Metals
Engineering with Polymeric Materials
Mechanics of Composite Materials
Automatic Controls
Mechatronics
ME Finite Element Analysis
Advanced Flow Diagnostics
Fluid Power Systems Design
Fluid Power Systems Design
Biofluid Mechanics
Fundmentals of Energy Conversion
Fuel Cell Science and Engineering
Introduction to Computational Fluid Dynamics
Gas Turbines
Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning
Nanotechnology and Nanomaterials
Nanotechnology and Nanomaterials
Internal Combustion Engines
Introduction to Aerodynamics
Vehicle Dynamics
Approved technical electives from other departments - no more than 3 courses from the following:
Biobased Energy
Polymer Synthesis
Applied Polymer Science
Coatings' Materials Science
Corrosion and Materials
Autonomous Command and Artificial Intelligence for Robots and Other Cyber-Physical Systems
Biomedical Engineering
Cardiovascular Engineering
Cardiovascular Engineering II
Entrepreneurship for Engineers and Scientists
Introduction to Robotics
Study Tour Abroad
Process Engineering
Production Engineering
Composite Materials Manufacturing
Engineering Economy
Systems Engineering and Management
Evaluation of Engineering Data
Industrial and Manufacturing Facility Design
Modern Physics
Classical Mechanics
Electromagnetic Theory
Quantum Mechanics I
Total Credits108

Degree Requirements and Notes

  • No grades less than 'C' will be accepted to fulfill a degree requirement.
  • No more than nine credits of approved technical electives may be taken outside the ME department.
  • Admission to the Mechanical Engineering Professional program requires a minimum 2.70 engineering GPA and a minimum 2.50 cumulative GPA.
  • A 2.50 cumulative GPA is required for graduation requirements.