Program Flowcharts and Checklists for the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Common First-Year Curriculum

All Coulter School of Engineering students are required to complete these subject areas during their first year:

  • Calculus I
  • Calculus II
  • Engineering & Society
  • General Chemistry I
  • Introduction to Engineering Use of the Computer
  • Physics I
  • Physics II

Mechanical Engineering Core Courses and Electives

Mechanical engineering students are required to complete a total of 120 credit hours across courses for their major, the Coulter School of Engineering's common curriculum and the Clarkson Common Experience. The 73 credit hours in mechanical engineering include classes in applied physics, applied mathematics, engineering science and mechanical engineering. Mechanical engineering majors are required to complete the following courses:

  • Advanced Engineering Mathematics
  • Advanced Experimental Methods in Mechanical & Aeronautical Engineering
  • Calculus III
  • Dynamical Systems
  • Electrical Science
  • Elementary Differential Equations
  • Engineering Analysis Using the Finite Element Method
  • Fluid Mechanics
  • Integrated Design I
  • Integrated Design II
  • Intermediate Fluid Mechanics
  • Introduction to Engineering Design
  • Introduction to Experimental Methods in Mechanical & Aeronautical Engineering
  • Introduction to Heat Transfer
  • Experimental Methods in Mechanical & Aeronautical Engineering
  • Materials Science & Engineering I
  • Mechanical Vibrations & Control (or Thermodynamic System Engineering)
  • Mechanics of Machine Elements
  • Rigid Body Dynamics
  • Statics
  • Strength of Materials
  • Thermodynamics
  • Thermodynamic System Engineering (or Vibrations & Control)

Students must select a three-credit-hour engineering elective in mechanical engineering, aeronautical engineering or engineering science. Typical courses include Computer-Aided Engineering (CAD), Optimal Engineering, Biomechanics, Additive Manufacturing or Welding and Metallurgy.

The professional electives requirement can be satisfied with upper-division courses in mathematics, physics, other engineering disciplines or mechanical engineering (e.g., Applied Statistics, Fourier Series or Boundary-Value Problems).

Students will have at least 15 credit hours available to use toward a Knowledge Area and/or University Course electives. This must include Engineering & Society and a course in economics, such as Engineering Economics. Students will have at least six credit hours available to use toward courses of their choice.

View the undergraduate mechanical engineering curriculum.

Aerospace Engineering Core Courses and Electives

Aerospace engineering students are required to complete a total of 120 credit hours across courses for their major, the Coulter School of Engineering's common curriculum and the Clarkson Common Experience. The 87 credit hours in aerospace engineering include classes in applied physics, applied mathematics, engineering science and mechanical engineering. Aerospace engineering majors are required to complete the following courses:

  • Advanced Experimental Methods in Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering
  • Aerodynamics
  • Aircraft Design I
  • Aircraft Design II
  • Aircraft Performance & Flight Mechanics
  • Aircraft Structural Analysis
  • Design of Aircraft Structures
  • Design of Propulsion Systems
  • Dynamical Systems
  • Experimental Methods in Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering
  • Gas Dynamics
  • Introduction to Engineering Design
  • Introduction to Experimental Methods in Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering
  • Intro to Comp Methods
  • Stability & Control of Aerospace Vehicles

Students must complete these courses:

Electrical Science

  • Electrical Science
  • Fluid Mechanics
  • Materials Science & Engineering I
  • Rigid Body Dynamics
  • Statics
  • Strength of Materials
  • Thermodynamics

Mathematics

  • Calculus III
  • Elementary Differential Equations or
  • Fourier Series & Boundary Value Problem and Probability & Statistics

Students must also complete one of the following:

  • Biology II: Cellular & Molecular Biology
  • General Chemistry

In addition, students must complete nine credits of professional electives, which are upper-division courses in mathematics, physics and other engineering disciplines. Examples include Applied Statistics, Fourier Series and Boundary-Value Problems, Computer-Aided Engineering (CAD), Optimal Engineering, Biomechanics, Additive Manufacturing and Welding and Metallurgy.

Aerospace engineering majors are required to take at least 15 credit hours to satisfy the Knowledge Area and/or University Course electives general education requirement. This must include Engineering & Society and a course in economics, such as Engineering Economics. Students will have at least three credit hours available to use toward courses of their choice.

View the undergraduate aerospace engineering curriculum.

Minor Checklists

Biomedical Engineering Core Courses and Electives

The minor in biomedical engineering is connected closely with the minor in biomedical science and technology. Students from both minors participate in shared core courses along with a multidisciplinary capstone design course. Students can take only one of the two minors.

Students must complete the following courses:

Physiology/Anatomy

  • Anatomy and Physiology I and Anatomy and Physiology I Laboratory
    • or Anatomy & Physiology II and Anatomy & Physiology II Laboratory
    • or Comparative Physiology and Comparative Physiology Laboratory
  • Introduction to Biomedical and Rehabilitation Engineering, Science and Technology
  • Biomedical Engineering, Science and Technology Capstone Design I or equivalent engineering design course with a BEST-approved project
  • Biomedical Engineering Fundamentals

Mathematics/Science

  • Biology II: Cell and Molecular Biology
  • Calculus I
  • Calculus II
  • Physics I
  • Physics II

For the engineering depth elective, students must complete a three-credit-hour course from the approved list of upper-level biomedical engineering-related courses. For the breadth elective, students must complete a three-credit-hour course from the approved list of upper-level courses with a biomedical focus.

View the biomedical engineering minor curriculum.

Materials Engineering Core Courses and Electives

Students seeking to minor in materials engineering must complete these two required courses:

  • Materials Science and Engineering I
  • Materials Science and Engineering II

In addition, students must choose three courses from the extensive lists of engineering and science electives.

View the materials engineering minor curriculum and electives.

Robotics Core Courses and Electives

Students seeking to minor in robotics must complete four core courses:

  • Applied Linear Algebra or Advanced Engineering Mathematics
  • Introduction to Mobile Robotics
  • Introduction to Robot Manipulators
  • Applied Robotics or equivalent robotics project experience

Three elective courses (nine credit hours) allow students to explore various sub-areas within the field or specialize more deeply in one area. To graduate with a minor in robotics, students must earn an average GPA of 2.0 in six courses (18 credit hours).

With elective courses, some course substitutions are possible. A list of acceptable substitutions will be maintained by the Coulter School of Engineering in conjunction with the Departments of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering and Computer Science.

View the robotics minor curriculum and electives.

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