Mechanical Engineering (ME)

Department Administration

Department Chair

Ellen Arruda, Tim Manganello/BorgWarner Department Chair, Mechanical Engineering; Maria Comninou, Collegiate Professor of Mechanical Engineering

2370 G.G. Brown

For more specific information on contacting people, go to our Contacts page.

Mission

To prepare graduates for diverse careers in both mechanical engineering and related fields.

Goals

To have students graduate with outstanding problem-solving skills and knowledge of mechanical engineering, that allows them to continue their education throughout their careers and to become leaders in their fields.

Program Educational Objectives

The Mechanical Engineering Program is designed to prepare students for successful careers having positive societal impact in industry, government, academia, and consulting. Within three to five years after graduation, our alumni are expected to:

• Apply their engineering knowledge, critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving skills with integrity and inclusivity in professional engineering practice or in non-engineering fields, such as law, medicine, or business.
• Continue their intellectual development through graduate education, professional development courses, self-directed investigation, and/or on-the-job training and experience.
• Embrace leadership and collaborative roles in their careers.

Outcomes

Our graduates demonstrate:

• 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.

Enrollment and Graduation Data

Mechanical Engineering Enrollment Data

Level	Fall 2022	Fall 2023	Fall 2024
Undergraduate	693	676	693
Masters	236	236	232
Doctoral	224	259	282

Mechanical Engineering Graduation Data

Level	AY 2021-2022	AY 2022-2023	AY 2023-2024
Bachelors Degrees	275	240	278
Masters Degrees	128	144	141
Doctoral Degrees	58	42	48

Automotive Engineering Enrollment Data

Level	Fall 2022	Fall 2023	Fall 2024
Masters	83	87	89

Automotive Engineering Graduation Data

Level	AY 2021-2022	AY 2022-2023	AY 2023-2024
Masters Degrees	22	29	39

Global Automotive and Manufacturing Engineering Enrollment Data

Level	Fall 2022	Fall 2023	Fall 2024
Masters	125	114	111

Global Automotive and Manufacturing Engineering Graduation Data

Level	AY 2021-2022	AY 2022-2023	AY 2023-2024
Masters Degrees	35	32	44

Manufacturing Enrollment Data

Level	Fall 2022	Fall 2023	Fall 2024
Masters	30	28	35
Doctoral	4	4	3

Manufacturing Graduation Data

Level	AY 2021-2022	AY 2022-2023	AY 2023-2024
Masters Degrees	12	10	13
Doctoral Degrees	0	0	2

Accreditation

The Mechanical Engineering program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, https://www.abet.org, under the General Criteria and the Program Criteria for Mechanical and Similarly Named Engineering Programs.

Program Outcomes

The matrix maps how each course in our curriculum addresses our program outcomes. Only the outcomes tracked are noted below. 

Course	Student Outcomes (Black – High)
Fall 2020	Problems	Design	Communication	Ethics	Teams	Data	New Learning
MECHENG320
MECHENG335
MECHENG350
MECHENG360
MECHENG382
MECHENG395
MECHENG450
MECHENG455
MECHENG495

Undergraduate Degree Program

Sample Schedule

B.S.E. in Mechanical Engineering

Please see the sample schedule and additional information on the Mechanical Engineering Department Advising website.

ME Program-Specific Course Requirements

Within the ME Program, there are five categories of program-specific courses. These include ME Core Courses, Technical Electives, Specialization Elective, Advanced Math, and EECS 314/215.

ME Core Courses

The ME Core Courses consist of five categories: Design and Manufacturing, Mechanics and Materials, Dynamics and Controls, Thermal Sciences, and Laboratories and Technical Communication. In total, there are 45 credits of required ME Core courses and together these subjects represent the fundamental technical competencies every mechanical engineering student must learn. A minimum letter grade, as noted on the Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree website, must be obtained in each course, and it cannot be taken as Pass/Fail. The list below outlines the courses from each of the core categories:

• Design and Manufacturing: ME 250, ME 350, ME 450/455 (4 credits)
• Mechanics and Materials: ME 211, ME 382
• Dynamics and Controls: ME 240, ME 360
• Thermal Sciences: ME 235, ME 320, ME 335
• Labs and Technical Communication: ME 395, ME 495

Technical Electives (TEs)

All ME students are required to complete 9 credits of Advanced Technical Electives to deepen their knowledge within Mechanical Engineering. For ME course descriptions, visit the ME Course List. A grade of at least a “D” must be obtained in each course.

The 9 credits of advanced TEs required must be taken in the ME Department via these 2 categories:

1. 400-level Technical Elective: One upper-level elective must be a 400-level or higher ME class (at least 3 credit hours). This may include 400-level classes off the core TE list but does not have to. Note that ME 490 can fulfill this requirement.
2. Core Technical Elective: Two ME elective classes (totaling at least 6 credit hours) having a mechanical engineering prerequisite. See the following list for Core Technical Electives. 
   Note: The MECHENG 500- and 600-level courses can also qualify as a Core Technical Elective if they have a MECHENG prerequisite. Please check the MECHENG Course Listing to see a list of MECHENG 500- and 600-level electives. If you would like to take one of these courses, please consult with the instructor of the course, as these are graduate-level courses. 

• Solid Mechanics and Materials: ME 305, ME 311, ME 406, ME 412, ME 451, ME 456 
• Design and Manufacturing: ME452, ME 458, ME 481, ME 482, ME 483, ME 487, ME 489
• Dynamics, Systems, and Controls: ME 424, ME 440, ME 461/EECS 460*
• Thermal Sciences: ME 336, ME 420, ME 432, ME 433, ME 438, ME 476
• Other: ENGR 350**, ME 400 

*Students may not take both EECS 460 and ME 461 for Technical or Specialization Elective credit.

**ENGR 350 is offered at Technical University of Berlin during the summer only. For ENGR 350 to be counted as an ME Technical Elective, the required sophomore-level ME courses (ME 211, ME 235, ME 240, & ME 250) must be taken before ENGR 350. Otherwise, ENGR 350 counts as a General Elective.

Specialization Elective

All ME students are required to complete 3 credits of a Specialization Elective. A grade of at least a “D” must be obtained. A Specialization Elective is a course intended to allow students to explore deeply a dimension of intellectual endeavor of their choosing, in both technical (including engineering) and non-technical fields across the University.

1. Have a 300 level or higher enforced prerequisite  
2. Be any 300 level or higher ME course outside of the required ME program courses (ME 320, ME 335, ME 350, ME 360, ME 382, ME 395, ME 450, ME 495)

Note: ENGR, ENTR, practicum, and seminar courses will not be accepted as a Specialization Elective. Students may use any 3 or 4 credit course from the approved Advanced Math list to count as a Specialization Elective. This can count after completing the 3 credit Advanced Math requirement.

Advanced Math

In addition to the CoE Core math courses, the ME department requires students to complete at least 3 credits of Advanced Math. Students must earn a “D” grade or better to receive credit for the Advanced Math requirement, and it cannot be taken Pass/Fail. See the Approved Advanced Math List.

Electrical Circuits

As part of the undergraduate ME degree, students must complete EECS 314 (4) – Electrical Circuits, Systems and Applications. Students must earn a “D” grade or better in EECS 314, and cannot take it Pass/Fail.

Students that wish to complete an Electrical Engineering Minor should enroll in EECS 215 (4) – Introduction to Electronic Circuits, which will count in place of EECS 314 and follow the same grading rules. Students who are interested in the Electrical Engineering Minor should contact the EE Department for more information.

Economics

The ME department requires each student to take at least 3 credit hours of an economic or financial course as part of their Intellectual Breadth requirements. The approved list of economic/financial courses recommended for ME students is provided in the Mechanical Engineering Undergraduate Handbook on the department website. Most courses on the supplied list can fulfill some Intellectual Breadth requirements.

General Electives (GEs)

As part of the ME BSE degree, 119 required credits come from the CoE Core, Intellectual Breadth, and ME Program Specific categories. General Elective credits are the remaining credits needed to reach the minimum 128 total credits toward the program (CTP) required for graduation, which usually amounts to 9 to 12 credits of GEs. A grade of at least a “D-” must be obtained, and can be taken Pass/Fail.

For transfer students that received credit by exam, or students that transferred one or more courses from another institution, your total number of credits from the other categories may not equal 119 credits. As a result, you may have to enroll in more or less than 9 general elective credits, depending on how many credits are needed to reach the 128 credits required for graduation.

For the description of what courses count as General Electives, please visit the CoE Bulletin, and scroll to the bottom of the Core Requirements section.

Sequential Undergraduate/Graduate Study (SUGS)

The ME SUGS Program makes it possible for students to pursue a five-year sequential Bachelor of Science in Engineering (BSE) and Master of Science in Engineering (MSE) by taking four years of BSE work and one year of MSE work. ME SUGS is only for ME undergraduate students enrolled at the UM Ann Arbor campus. Prior to applying to the SUGS Program, students should meet with a ME Undergraduate Advisor to discuss the application process and create a plan of study.

It is recommended that applicants for the ME SUGS Program have a 3.6 GPA or better to be considered for admission. ME SUGS students may pursue a coursework, research, or thesis track Master’s degree. The ME SUGS Program allows students to double-count a maximum of 9 credits and transfer a maximum of 3 credits from their Bachelor’s degree toward the 30-credit Master’s degree. This leaves 18-21 credits required to complete the Master’s degree, which can be accomplished in two semesters of graduate coursework. All SUGS students are required to complete two full terms as graduate students and cannot delay their enrollment. Contact [email protected] to learn more or request a meeting.

Graduate Degrees

• Master of Science in Engineering (M.S.E.) in Mechanical Engineering
• Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Mechanical Engineering

M.S.E. in Mechanical Engineering

The M.S.E. program is designed for students looking to develop a personalized academic program to strengthen their knowledge of mechanical engineering fundamentals in a specific area. Research areas include automotive, biomechanics and biosystems, controls, design, dynamics and vibrations, energy, fluids, manufacturing, mechanics and materials, mechatronics, robotics, micro/nano engineering, multi-scale computation and combustion mechanics, and thermal sciences.

There are three separate M.S.E. degree program options in ME: (1) coursework only, (2) coursework with an individual research project, and (3) coursework with an M.S.E. thesis. All program options require 30 credit hours for completion, including ME, cognate, and advanced math coursework.

Details of degree requirements may be found on the Mechanical Engineering Master’s Degree and SUGS website.

Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering

The Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree is the highest degree awarded by the Mechanical Engineering Department and is recommended for students who are interested in leadership careers in academia (e.g. as a faculty member of a university), industry, or government. The major ME program milestones all Ph.D. students complete are:

1. Research and coursework
2. Qualifying examination (RCC & RFE)
3. Advancement to candidacy
4. Dissertation proposal examination
5. Thesis dissertation (written) and defense (oral)

A research advisor and doctoral committee is formed by each student to supervise investigative work and election of graduate courses. Candidacy is achieved when the student demonstrates competence in their field of knowledge through completion of courses and passing the qualifying examination (RCC & RFE).

The doctoral degree is conferred after the student presents the result of their investigation in the form of a dissertation, demonstrating marked ability and scholarship in a field of knowledge. Details of degree requirements may be found on the Mechanical Engineering Doctoral Degree website.

M.Eng. Graduate Degrees

• Master of Engineering (M.Eng.) in Automotive Engineering
• Master of Engineering (M.Eng.) in Global Automotive and Manufacturing Engineering
• Master of Engineering (M.Eng.) in Manufacturing
• Doctor of Engineering (D.Eng.) in Manufacturing

M.Eng. in Automotive Engineering

The Master of Engineering (M. Eng.) in Automotive Engineering blends engineering fundamentals and practice with an emphasis on systems thinking and the latest advances in technologies. The program provides students with a systems perspective and knowledge that cuts across departments, drawing upon many different engineering disciplines, such as mechanical engineering, chemical engineering, electrical engineering, computer science engineering, materials science, and industrial engineering. Students will deepen their knowledge of traditional mechanical engineering, but they can also take courses in electric machines, electronics, control systems, software development, and business. Graduates of the Automotive Engineering program are prepared to move the automotive industry further into the 21st century and beyond.

This degree can be completed fully online from almost anywhere in the world, or on-campus here in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

The basic requirements include 30 credit hours. Of the 30 credits, a 3 credit AUTO 503 Automotive Engineering capstone project is required toward the end of the program for the student to apply what they have learned in a real-world experience. Details may be found at the Automotive Engineering webpage.

Sequential Undergraduate / Graduate Study with the M.Eng. in Automotive Engineering Program

This Sequential Undergraduate/Graduate Study (SUGS) program leads to a Master of Engineering in Automotive Engineering. University of Michigan students who are pursuing a B.S.E. in Mechanical Engineering or Nuclear Engineering & Radiological Sciences and who meet all the SUGS requirements may apply to the Automotive Engineering program to pursue the SUGS program, which allows them to complete their B.S.E. and M. Eng. in five years total.  For more detailed information about Automotive Engineering SUGS, please visit the SUGS webpage.

M.Eng. Global Automotive and Manufacturing Engineering

The Master of Engineering in Global Automotive and Manufacturing Engineering program (GAME) is a one-of-a-kind engineering master’s program that blends product development and manufacturing into a curriculum to address the integration challenges arising from the globalization of the automotive industry. The aim of the program is to develop technical leaders who have a holistic understanding of product creation and manufacturing, breadth across relevant engineering disciplines, and business skills in cross-cultural management and leadership. In collaboration with a faculty advisor, students will develop a custom plan of study. GAME graduates possess a comprehensive knowledge of the product development and manufacturing of vehicles; a technical proficiency in automotive systems, systems integration, or manufacturing; an ability to apply sound business concepts to engineering applications; and competence in building and leading diverse teams in terms of culture, business environment, and disciplinary perspectives.

This degree can be completed fully online from almost anywhere in the world, or on-campus here in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

The basic requirements include 30 credit hours. Of the 30 credits, a 3 credit AUTO 503 Automotive Engineering capstone or 3 credit MFG 503 Manufacturing Engineering capstone project is required toward the end of the program for the student to apply what they have learned in a real-world experience. Details may be found at the Global Automotive and Manufacturing Engineering webpage.

Sequential Undergraduate / Graduate Study with the M.Eng. in Global Automotive and Manufacturing Engineering

This Sequential Undergraduate/Graduate Study (SUGS) program leads to a Master of Engineering in Global Automotive and Manufacturing Engineering. University of Michigan students who are pursuing a B.S.E. in Mechanical Engineering, a B.S.E in Materials Science & Engineering, or a B.S.E. in Nuclear Engineering & Radiological Sciences and who meet all the SUGS requirements may apply to the Global Automotive and Manufacturing Engineering program to pursue the SUGS program, which allows them to complete their B.S.E. and M. Eng. in five years total.  For more detailed information about Global Automotive and Engineering SUGS, please visit the SUGS webpage.

Master of Engineering in Manufacturing

Manufacturing is a bedrock of a strong economy, supporting a solid employment base in the manufacturing industry as well as in multiple related service industries. Now, more than ever, there is a critical need for leaders and engineers who are innovators in technology and have the broad knowledge and skills regarding how to streamline manufacturing processes and make managerial decisions.

Students in the Master of Engineering (M.Eng.) in Manufacturing program acquire the advanced engineering and management skills to become a dynamic leader in manufacturing. Students learn how to improve the quality and efficiency of manufacturing systems through advanced technologies and skills in their engineering discipline, acquiring knowledge across disciplines, leading project teams, and understanding the complete product development and manufacturing process, including its management. The Manufacturing degree is available for on-campus and online study.

This degree can be completed fully online from almost anywhere in the world, or on-campus here in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

The basic requirements include 30 credit hours. Of the 30 credits, a 3 credit MFG 503 Manufacturing project is required. Details may be found at the Master of Engineering in Manufacturing  webpage.

Sequential Undergraduate / Graduate Study with the M.Eng. in Manufacturing

This Sequential Undergraduate/Graduate Study (SUGS) program leads to a Master of Engineering in Manufacturing. University of Michigan students who are pursuing a B.S.E. in Aerospace Engineering, B.S.E. in Chemical Engineering, B.S.E. in Civil and Environmental Engineering, B.S.E. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, B.S.E. in Industrial & Operations Engineering, B.S.E. in Materials Science & Engineering, B.S.E. in Mechanical Engineering, B.S.E. in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering, or B.S.E. in Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences and who meet all the SUGS requirements may apply to the Master of Engineering in Manufacturing program to pursue the SUGS program, which allows them to complete their B.S.E. and M. Eng. in five years total.  For more detailed information about Manufacturing SUGS, please visit the SUGS webpage.

Dual Master of Engineering in Manufacturing/M.B.A.

In this dual degree program, qualified students can pursue concurrent work in manufacturing engineering and business administration which leads to both a Master of Engineering in Manufacturing from the College of Engineering and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the Ross School of Business. The program is arranged so that all requirements are satisfied simultaneously. The dual degree can be earned in two and one-half years by full-time students. It is also offered part-time through the Ross School of Business Evening Program. Please visit the Manufacturing Program – Dual M. Eng. in Mfg. and MBA site for more information.

Doctor of Engineering in Manufacturing

The Doctor of Engineering in Manufacturing is a graduate professional degree in engineering for students who already have earned a bachelor’s degree in engineering and a master’s degree in any field of engineering or MBA.  If the student does not have a Master’s degree, the student may apply to the Doctor of Engineering in Manufacturing program directly and complete the Master of Engineering in Manufacturing along the way. Students work with a faculty advisor to develop a custom plan of study that blends engineering disciplines with management and business. Graduates of this doctoral program possess a depth of knowledge in manufacturing systems and the skills to carry out high-quality engineering research and development.  To learn more, please visit the Doctoral of Engineering in Manufacturing webpage.

M.Eng. Admission prerequisites
D.Eng. Admission prerequisites
M.Eng. and D.Eng. Application and Admission Process
M.Eng. and D. Eng. Admission Deadlines

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