Mar 03, 2025

2025-2026 Undergraduate Catalog

Mechanical Engineering (B.S.M.E.)

Program: B.S.M.E.
Department of Civil and Mechanical Engineering
College of Engineering, Technology, and Computer Science

Engineering, Technology, and Computer Science Building, Room 321 ~ 260-481-6965

Mechanical engineering is a broad technical discipline covering the design, development, analysis, control and testing of machines, devices, and processes to improve quality of life for all.

Areas of specialization include engineering mechanics (solid mechanics, machine dynamics and mechanical design), energy systems (thermodynamics, fluid mechanics and heat transfer), manufacturing (materials selection and materials processing), and computer-aided engineering (solid modeling and finite element analysis).

Our students, while drawn from diverse backgrounds, are able and committed to learning. Purdue University Fort Wayne delivers an exceptional educational experience to engineering students, encouraging collaboration and teamwork throughout the curriculum. In addition to coursework, the department supports and encourage student participation in undergraduate research, co-op and internships, and several active student organizations.

In its recently (2022) released rankings of the best colleges and universities in the United States, U.S. News & World Report deemed the engineering programs at Purdue University Fort Wayne to be among the best in the country.

Educational Objectives:

As a framework for the continuous improvement policy, the Mechanical Engineering program has adopted a set of programs objectives that describe the anticipated accomplishments of our graduates within a few years after graduation.

The Mechanical Engineering program educational objectives are to produce graduates who:

Function and communicate effectively both as individuals and in multidisciplinary teams to solve technical problems.
Advance professionally to roles of greater mechanical engineering responsibilities and/or by transitioning into leadership positions in business, government, and/or education.
Participate in life-long learning through the successful completion of advanced degree(s), professional development, and/or engineering certification(s)/licensure.
Demonstrate a commitment to community by applying technical skills and knowledge to support various service activities.

Student Learning Outcomes:

The graduates from the Mechanical Engineering Program will demonstrate that they have:

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

Accreditation:

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

Program Delivery:

The B.S.M.E. program is delivered primarily through on-campus courses; however, some of the required General Education courses are available as hybrid and/or on-line courses and those can be used to satisfy the program requirements.

Declaring this Major:

Students interested in declaring Mechanical Engineering as their major may do so in one of two ways:

1. On their application when they first apply to Purdue Fort Wayne

2. After meeting with a ME faculty advisor, who will determine that the student has the required math background to begin in our program.

General Requirements:

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/?151102-Purdue-University-Fort-Wayne&fos_code=1419&fos_credential=3

Program Requirements

Mechanical Engineering 4-Yr. Plan:

In order to start in the Mechanical Engineering program, a student must meet the following criteria:

1. Math Placement at or above MA 15400

General Education: Credits 30

Effective Fall 2025, the General Education program at PFW requires 30 credits to be completed, such that students pass each course listed below with a grade of C- or better:

Category A. Foundational Intellectual Skills (Foundational Intellectual Skills Course Lists)
- One course in A1. Written Communication Cr. 3.
- One course in A2. Speaking and Listening Cr. 3.
- One course in A3. Quantitative Reasoning Cr. 3.
Category B. Ways of Knowing (Ways of Knowing Course Lists)
- One course in B4. Scientific Ways of Knowing Cr. 3.
- One course in B5. Social and Behavioral Ways of Knowing Cr. 3.
- One course in B6. Humanistic Ways of Knowing Cr. 3.
- One course in B7. Artistic Ways or Knowing Cr. 3.
- One course in B8. Interdisciplinary Ways of Knowing Cr. 3.
Six additional credits from any Foundational Skills (A1-A3) or Ways of Knowing (B4-B8) categories
At least one Ways of Knowing course that is designated as having a focus on diversity, equity, inclusion, and/or global awareness

Some programs recommend courses and/or require a specific course as part of the major that may also be used to fulfill General Education requirements. Please see below or your Academic Advisor for courses that fulfill both purposes. You can familiarize yourself with other program regulations at General Education Requirements .

Supporting Courses Required for the BSME

ENGL 13100 - Reading, Writing, And Inquiry I Cr. 3. (also fulfills General Education A.1)
COM 11400 - Fundamentals Of Speech Communication Cr. 3. (also fulfills General Education A.2)
MA 16500 - Analytic Geometry And Calculus I Cr. 4. (also fulfills General Education A.3)
MA 16600 - Analytic Geometry And Calculus II Cr. 4. (also fulfills General Education A.3)
CHM 11500 - General Chemistry Cr. 4. (also fulfills General Education B.4)
PHYS 15200 - Mechanics Cr. 5. (also fulfills General Education B.4)
PHYS 25100 - Heat, Electricity, And Optics Cr. 5.
MA 26100 - Multivariate Calculus Cr. 4.
MA 35100 - Elementary Linear Algebra Cr. 3.
MA 36300 - Differential Equations Cr. 3.

Program Courses Required for the BSME

ENGR 12700 - Engineering Fundamentals I Cr. 4.
ENGR 12800 - Engineering Fundamentals II Cr. 4.
ME 16000 - Solid Modeling Cr. 2.
ME 20000 - Thermodynamics I Cr. 3.
ME 25000 - Statics Cr. 3.
ME 25100 - Dynamics Cr. 3.
ME 25200 - Strength Of Materials Cr. 3.
ME 29300 - Measurements And Instrumentation Cr. 2.
ME 30100 - Thermodynamics II Cr. 3.
ME 30300 - Materials Science And Engineering Cr. 2.
ME 30400 - Mechanics And Materials Laboratory Cr. 1.
ME 31800 - Fluid Mechanics Cr. 3.
ME 31900 - Fluid Mechanics Lab Cr. 1.
ME 32100 - Heat Transfer Cr. 3.
ME 32200 - Heat Transfer Laboratory Cr. 1.
ME 33100 - System Dynamics Cr. 3.
ME 33300 - Automatic Control Systems Cr. 3.
ME 36100 - Kinematics And Dynamics Of Machinery Cr. 3.
ME 36900 - Design Of Machine Elements Cr. 3.
ME 48700 - Mechanical Engineering Design I Cr. 3.
ME 48800 - Mechanical Engineering Design II Cr. 3.

Other Courses Required for the BSME

ECE 20100 - Linear Circuit Analysis I Cr. 3.
CS 22700 - Introduction To C Programming Cr. 2.

Technical Elective Courses

Twelve (12) credit hours of Technical Electives are required. Students must select at least three (3) courses from Group 1 and may select at most one (1) course from Group 2.

New courses approved and added to the curriculum in future Catalogs may satisfy Technical Elective requirements.

Group 1*

ME 42100 - Heating And Air Conditioning I Cr. 3.
ME 42400 - Design And Optimization Of Thermal Systems Cr. 3.
ME 42700 - Sustainable Energy Sources And Systems Cr. 3.
ME 43200 - Manufacturing Processes Cr. 3.
ME 44500 - Biomaterials Cr. 3.
ME 47100 - Vibration Analysis Cr. 3.
ME 48000 - Finite Element Analysis Cr. 3.
ME 50500 - Intermediate Heat Transfer Cr. 3.
ME 50900 - Intermediate Fluid Mechanics Cr. 3.
ME 54400 - Modeling And Simulation Of Mechanical Engineering Systems Cr. 3.
ME 54500 - Finite Element Analysis: Advanced Theory And Applications Cr. 3.
ME 54700 - Mechatronics, Robotics, And Automation Cr. 3.
ME 55000 - Advanced Stress Analysis Cr. 3.
ECE 48300 - Digital Control Systems Analysis And Design Cr. 3.
* Other 5xx‐level courses offered by the Civil & Mechanical Engineering Department may be included in Group 1 with approval.

Group 2*

ME 49800 - Research In Mechanical Engineering I Cr. 0-6.
MET 33500 - Basic Machining Cr. 3.
ECE 25500 - Introduction To Electronic Analysis And Design Cr. 3.
ECE 31000 - Motor Engine Control Cr. 3.
SE 52000 - Engineering Economics Cr. 3.
SE 53000 - Systems Engineering Management Cr. 3.
SE 55000 - Manufacturing System Design For Sustainability Cr. 3.
CS 32100 - Introduction To Computer Graphics Cr. 3.
CS 38400 - Numerical Analysis Cr. 3.
MA 52300 - Introduction To Partial Differential Equations Cr. 3.
MA 52500 - Introduction To Complex Analysis Cr. 3.
STAT 51100 - Statistical Methods Cr. 3.
PHYS 32200 - Intermediate Optics Cr. 3.
PHYS 34200 - Modern Physics Cr. 3.
*Other 5xxx-level courses offered by the CME, Math, or Physics departments may be included in Group 2 with approval.

GPA Requirement

The required courses (ENGR, ME, and ECE) and technical elective courses must have a combined minimum GPA of 2.0.

For the latest information please visit www.pfw.edu/cme

Total: Credits 123

Probation/Dismissal Policy of BSME Program

A student enrolled in the Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering program shall be placed on Mechanical Engineering (ME) core probation if his/her ME core GPA at the completion of any semester (excluding summer) falls below 2.0.
The ME core GPA is the overall GPA of ME core courses listed in Table 1. These courses are required by the ME program. Technical elective courses are not included as the purpose of having this probation policy is to promote student preparedness early in his/her academic career.
Freshmen are not subjected to the ME core probation policy, and grades in ENGR 127 and ENGR 128 are used to compute their ME core GPA.
A student placed on ME core probation status shall complete an Action Plan for Success and sign a probation agreement with his/her academic advisor and the department chair. The advisor may limit the number of credit hours so that the student can focus on improving his/her ME core GPA. Failure to do so by the assigned deadline shall drop the student from the CME courses.
A student on ME core probation shall be removed from that standing at the end of the first subsequent fall or spring semester in which he/she achieves ME core GPA >= 2.0.
Three Strike Policy 1: If a student is on ME core probation for three semesters, the student shall be dismissed from the ME program and shall not be considered for readmission to the mechanical engineering program at Purdue University Fort Wayne.
Three Strike Policy 2: If a student fails the same ME core course three times, the student shall be dismissed from the ME program and shall not be considered for readmission to the mechanical engineering program at Purdue University Fort Wayne.

**Table 1. ME Core Courses**
First-Year	ENGR 12700 \| ENGR 12800 \| ME 16000
Sophomore	CS 22700 \| ECE 20100 \| ME 20000 \| ME 25000 \| ME 25100 \| ME 25200
Junior	ME 29300 \| ME 30100 \| ME 30300 \| ME 30400 \| ME 31800 \| ME 31900 \| ME 32100 \| ME 33100 \| ME 33300 \| ME 36100 \| ME 36900
Senior	ME 32200 \| ME 48700 \| ME 48800

Student Responsibility

You are responsible for ensuring that you satisfy all graduation requirements specified for each selected program. Thus, it is essential that you develop a thorough understanding of the required courses, academic policies, and procedures governing your academic career. If you cannot complete all program requirements by your stated graduation date but fail to remove those from your plan of study, the Registrar’s Office in consultation with your academic advisor will remove unmet pursuits from your plan of study. Changing curricular records during the graduation term of application may affect state or federal financial aid awards. All requests for exceptions to specific requirements must be made in writing and may be granted only by written approval from the appropriate chair or dean.