2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog - R 
    
    Dec 08, 2024  
2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog - R

Engineering: Mechanical Engineering, B.S.M.E. (6540)


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Mission 

The mission of the Bachelor of Science in the Engineering Program is to provide relevant, high-quality undergraduate engineering education in a traditional collegiate atmosphere while serving as engineering resource for West Tennessee. The faculty enhances the engineering profession by conducting applied research and providing public service in their fields of expertise. 

Program Educational Objectives 

The following program educational objectives have been adopted by the engineering faculty of the Department of Engineering to meet the criteria established by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, http://www.abet.org. After graduation from our program, engineers will be able to: 

  1. become successful professionals that recognize the complexity of a modern global society and meet the diverse needs of a broad spectrum of employers. 

  1. serve and contribute to the engineering needs of West Tennessee and the broader regional, state, national, and global markets. 

  1. continue to grow professionally, including leadership and communication skills, through life-long learning activities such as becoming a licensed professional engineer, pursuing graduate study, participating in continuing professional education, and active membership in professional engineering societies. 

Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering 

In support of the university’s mission, the Department of Engineering offers the Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering (B.S.M.E.) (accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, http://www.abet.org).  

Engineering majors learn the fundamentals of engineering with an emphasis on problem solving, design and integrated systems, from courses in engineering, mathematics, and the physical sciences, while also taking courses in communications, fine arts, humanities, and social and behavioral sciences. During the junior and senior years, students take a cohesive set of upper-division engineering courses that together provide depth of knowledge and design content in mechanical engineering major. 

Designed for completion in four years (or five years when combined with the engineering Cooperative Education Program), the B.S.M.E. incorporates the latest guidelines from the professional engineering world as well as the advice and guidance of UT Martin’s Department of Engineering Industrial Advisory Board. The B.S.M.E. degree program draws from the classroom, laboratories, and real-world experiences, using the rich resources of the university, the engineering faculty, and the professional engineering community to prepare students for the engineering world of today and the future. 

As a result of the focused efforts of the university, government and industry partnership that led to its development, the comprehensive B.S.M.E. program offers an engineering degree that is uniquely relevant to today’s students and employers. Graduates are prepared for practice as professional engineers. They have acquired the foundation for maintaining professional competence throughout their careers and they have the skills and experiences needed to move quickly into leadership roles in today’s engineering and management environments. 

Students who desire the option of further study at the graduate level are well prepared to continue their engineering education at the master’s and doctoral level. Some students may choose to follow their engineering degree with an M.B.A. degree. Also in today’s highly technological world, this comprehensive engineering degree program provides an excellent core, when combined with the appropriate biology and chemistry courses, for a pre-medical curriculum. 

All UT Martin engineering students develop a firm foundation in engineering science and in engineering design. Our students also gain real-world engineering job experience; acquire knowledge in fundamental business concepts; develop an understanding of ethical, political, and societal issues; and build their skills in written and oral communications, teamwork and leadership. 

Students are required to complete a senior design project (or capstone project) during the senior year.  Senior design projects require previously gained knowledge obtained from a culmination of engineering courses. It integrates and applies the knowledge and skills acquired throughout the courses of the engineering program. Engineering advisor and department approval are required to register for senior design. 

Students are also required to pass the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam administered by the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES).  The National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE) requires passing the FE exam as one of the initial steps in becoming a licensed engineer, also known as a Professional Engineer (PE).  Graduating with the B.S.M.E. from UTM is a great start to an engineering career.  For more information about the FE and becoming a PE, visit https://ncees.org/ and https://www.nspe.org/

Additional information about the B.S.M.E. program may be obtained by visiting The University of Tennessee at Martin website, www.utm.edu, and viewing the Department of Engineering web pages.   

Designation of a Minor

The B.S.M.E. does not require the completion of a minor. 

An engineering student may declare a minor in a non-engineering subject area and have the minor listed on the permanent record under the following conditions: 

  1. minors must be officially approved and described in the university catalog. No unofficial minors will be recognized. 
  2. courses taken to satisfy the minor may also be used to satisfy engineering degree requirements, provided that the courses are a part of the engineering degree requirements even if no minor were declared. 
  3. the intention to complete a minor must be declared at the time of application for a degree if the minor is to appear on the final transcript. 

Admission and Retention

In addition to the university’s admission requirements, a student must meet one of the following requirements to be provisionally admitted to one of the engineering majors: 

  1. obtain an ACT math sub-score of 25 or higher or; 
  2. have completed at least one semester of college trigonometry with a grade of C or better. 

These requirements apply to freshmen, transfer students, and students desiring to change majors. 

Full admission to one of the engineering concentrations requires that a student complete eight core courses with 1) a grade C or better, and 2) a minimum GPA of 2.00 computed using all attempts in a course.  

The Core 8 courses are: 

MATH 251  
MATH 252 
MATH 320  
PHYS 220  
PHYS 221  
ENGR 121  
ENGR 220  
ENGR 241  

Students who have not gained full admission to one of the engineering majors cannot take upper-division (numbered 300-499) engineering courses, with the exceptions of ENGR 315 Engineering Analysis, and ENGR 380 Engineering Economy. 

A student may submit a written appeal to the Department of Engineering to be considered for a readmission approval. 

Prior to qualifying for full admission to one of the engineering majors, a student pursuing an engineering major receives academic advisement from an engineering faculty member and is allowed to take any lower division (numbered 100-299) engineering course if the student 1) meets the course prerequisites and corequisites and 2) meets the department’s prerequisite grade rule.  

An engineering student must earn a minimum grade of C in required economics, engineering, mathematics, and science courses that are prerequisites for another course in the curriculum prior to taking the course that requires the prerequisite; e.g., a student may not take MATH 252  until the student has earned a grade of at least a C in MATH 251  and may not take ENGR 241  until earning minimum grades of C in MATH 252 PHYS 220  and ENGR 121 . Prior to graduation, a grade of C or better must be earned in all economics, engineering, mathematics, and science courses used to fulfill degree requirements. 

Cooperative Education and Internship Programs 

The Department of Engineering Cooperative Education (Co-op) and Internship Programs are designed to provide the services of young men and women committed to pursuing careers in Engineering to the West Tennessee region and beyond. Productive, practical engineering work experiences are a fundamental part of the student’s education. The concept recognizes the value of the three-way partnership between the UT Martin Department of Engineering, the employer, and the student. 

Co-op Program 

The engineering Co-op program is offered as an educational enhancement to the B.S.M.E. program. To complete the Co-op program, a student works full-time in progressive engineering work assignments for at least three semesters (the equivalent of one year) prior to the student’s senior year. Students enrolling in the Co-op program gain the benefits of a planned progression of work experiences which complement and enrich their engineering studies on campus. Participants gain insight into the engineering work world, apply their insights from the real world to their studies, grow in understanding of their own interests and career objectives, and advance in professional maturity. 

Co-op positions must be full-time engineering work experiences supervised by degree holding engineer for a period of at least ten consecutive weeks within each semester. During the full-time work semesters, the College of Engineering and Natural Sciences considers the student full-time.  Co-op work assignments are paid positions, and students are able to help finance their education while gaining real-world engineering experience. 

After completing all the B.S.M.E. freshman year course work, an engineering student with a cumulative GPA of at least 2.50 may elect to participate in the engineering Co-op program. A transfer student must complete at least one full-time academic semester at UT Martin and must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.50 to qualify. 

Co-op work periods are tailored to meet the needs of the student and employer. 

Internship Program 

Intern positions must be full-time engineering work experience supervised by degree holding engineer for a period of at least ten consecutive weeks. During the full-time work semesters, the College of Engineering and Natural Sciences considers the student full-time. The internship should be planned no sooner than the summer between the junior and senior year. 

Students pursuing the Bachelor of Science of Mechanical Engineering (B.S.M.E.) have the following two options concerning fulfilling the internship requirement: 

  1. complete at least a one-semester internship as part of the B.S.M.E. degree requirements. The internship will be scheduled when the student is within three semesters of graduation; or 
  2. complete three co-op semesters. Completion of the co-op program will substitute for the required internship. 

Facilities 

Instructional facilities of the department include: two dedicated, computer labs for engineering students, with a wide range of software that include AutoCAD, Autodesk Civil 3D, Autodesk Inventor, Autodesk Revit, Autodesk Inventor CAM, LabVIEW, MATLAB, PSpice, and the Microsoft Office Suite; a wide range of laboratories to support an engineering hands-on education: Asphalt Lab, Electrical Labs, Embedded Systems and Linear Controls Lab, Environmental Lab, Fluid and Hydraulics Lab, Geotechnical Lab, Industrial Controls and Robotics Lab, Material Lab, Mechanical Lab, Surveying equipment Lab, Structural Lab, Vibrations Lab, students project rooms; and student study rooms. 

Student Organizations 

There are currently four student chapters of professional societies in the Department of Engineering: The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), and the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME). Each society has a faculty adviser and engages in activities and projects of common interest to the membership. Students are encouraged to participate in one or more of these organizations for professional growth. 

For more information about the engineering majors, please contact: 

Department of Engineering 
137 Latimer-Smith Engineering and Science Building 
203 Hurt Street 
Martin, TN 38238 
engineering@utm.edu 
(731)881-7571 

DEGREE REQUIREMENTS


  

All university requirements must be met.  These requirements include, but are not limited to the following: 

  • If a student is admitted to The University of Tennessee at Martin with documented entrance deficiencies OR is subject to mandatory placement requirements, then the student must meet those requirements before graduation. 
  • 128 credit hours are required for the engineering degree. 
  • A minimum of 32 credit hours must be completed at The University of Tennessee at Martin.  
  • A maximum of 9 upper division hours may be transferred to The University of Tennessee at Martin and applied toward the degree. 
  • A minimum 60 credits must be earned at an accredited four-year institution. 
  • A minimum overall GPA of 2.0 is required. 
  • A minimum institutional GPA of 2.0 is required. 
  • All general education requirements must be met. 
  • All major requirements must be met. 
  • All Exit Exam Requirements must be met.  These include the: 

Program-Specific Degree Requirements


All university requirements must be met.  These requirements include, but are not limited to the following: 

  • Students must obtain an ACT math sub-score of 25 or higher or have completed at least one semester of college trigonometry with a grade of C or better. 
  • 128 credit hours are required for the engineering degree. 
  • 60 credit hours in upper division coursework (courses numbered 300-499) in engineering and mathematics are required for a major in mechanical engineering.  
  • Students must earn a minimum grade of C in all required Chemistry, Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, and Physics courses. 
  • Students must complete the Core 8 classes with a Minimum 2.0 GPA with all attempts. 
  • Students may not take upper division classes (numbered 300 - 499) in engineering until the Core 8 Minimum GPA of 2.0 is met with the exception of ENGR 315 and ENGR 380. 
  • Students must complete an internship or Co-op under the supervision of a degree holding engineer. 
  • Students must pass the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) Exam administered by NCEES.  Register at https://ncees.org/ after 90 hours. 
  • A minor is not required for the degree in Engineering. 
  • Students are required to complete a senior design project.  

ADDITIONAL NOTES


Engineering students are required to purchase multiple calculators for different courses from different departments.  For example, mathematics classes such as Calculus I may require a graphing calculator.  But the Fundamentals of Engineering exam from NCEES does not allow graphing calculators.  Visit the NCEES website for the current list of approved calculators:  https://ncees.org/exams/fe-exam/.  For calculator proficiency on the FE exam, the Department of Engineering limits calculators on engineering exams to the approved calculators for the FE. 

Students are expected to purchase textbooks, general office supplies, and some labs may require the purchase of supplies as needed.  Textbooks and laboratory supplies will be listed on the course syllabus. 

COURSEWORK REQUIRED FOR THE DEGREE


  

Guidance for choosing courses to meet general education requirements: 

The following courses satisfy general education requirements, are pre-requisites and co-requisites to the engineering program and/or engineering courses and are required for the degree: CHEM 121 (4), ECON 201 (3), MATH 251 (4) *, PHYS 220 (4), and PHYS 221 (4). 

* Note that Mathematics in general education requirements is only 3 credit hours while MATH 251 is 4 credit hours. The one-hour difference is applied to engineering program requirements.     

If courses other than these are taken to complete the mathematics, science, and social and behavioral science general education requirements, then the degree will require more than 128 credit hours, and it will most likely take more than eight semesters (four years) to complete the degree or to graduate. 

In certain academic programs across the UTM campus, students may be able to complete all general education requirements in their first two years and have no impact on the courses required for their major.  That is, students in other majors may be able to complete the major course requirements during the remaining two years. However, this is not true in engineering because of the structured curriculum.  If an engineering student completes all required general education classes in the first two years, the student will need at least three additional years to complete the engineering degree.  Engineering classes depend on previously gained knowledge in mathematics, physics, chemistry, and engineering courses.  Engineering courses must be taken in sequence. Starting with MATH 251 Calculus I, it takes four years to complete the degree.   

Additionally, a student must be enrolled in at least 12 credit hours each semester to be considered a full-time student.  If a student completes all non-mathematics or non-science general education requirements in the first two years, a student may have trouble finding enough credit hours of coursework during some semesters of the junior and senior years to remain a full-time student.  All ideal four-year schedules for both engineering degrees, the B.S.E. and B.S.M.E., including all concentrations, have students taking non-mathematics and non-science general education classes during the third and fourth year.  It is highly recommended that students meet with an advisor from engineering each semester to ensure they can arrange their schedules to remain full-time while enrolled in an engineering program. 

Engineering Program Requirements


Required courses for engineering (40 Credit Hours) are listed below. However, up to 14 of these credit hours may also be used to satisfy general education requirements: CHEM 121 (4), ECON 201 (3), MATH 251 (4) *, PHYS 220 (4), or PHYS 221 (4). If a student does not complete these courses as part of their general education requirements, then the degree will require more than 128 credit hours to complete.   

  • Credit(s): 4
  • (see Note 1 below) 

  • Credit(s): 3
  • Credit(s): 2
  • (see Note 2 below) 

  • Credit(s): 1
  • Credit(s): 3
  • (see Note 3 below) 

  • Credit(s): 3
  • Credit(s): 1
  • Credit(s): 3
  • Credit(s): 4
  • (see Note 4 below) 

  • Credit(s): 4
  • Credit(s): 4
  • Credit(s): 4
  • Credit(s): 4
  •  

    * Note that Mathematics in general education requirements is only 3 credit hours while MATH 251 is 4 credit hours. The one-hour difference is applied to engineering program requirements.   
     

    Note 1: For Students who have a limited exposure to chemistry or students who do not meet the pre-requisites for CHEM 121 General Chemistry I, students have the option of taking the CHEM 101 Fundamentals of Chemistry (4) - CHEM 102 Fundamentals of Chemistry (4) sequence.  This will increase the total number of hours required for the degree by four credit hours, and the degree will need more than 128 hours to complete. This two-course sequence is the equivalent of CHEM 121.  It is the same material that is covered in CHEM 121 but covered in two semesters.  
     

    Note 2: Students may substitute MATH 310 Linear Algebra (3 credit hours) for ENGR 201 Engineering Methods (2 credit hours). This will increase the total number of hours required for the degree by one credit hour, and the degree will need more than 128 hours to complete. 

     

    Note 3: Students may substitute MATH 330 Differential Equations (3 credit hours) for ENGR 315 Engineering Analysis (3 credit hours).  This will not change the total number of hours required for the degree. 
     

    Note 4:  MATH 251 Calculus I is the foundational mathematics course for degrees in engineering and serves as either a pre-requisite or co-requisite for all courses in engineering and physics.  The importance of MATH 251 Calculus I, along with knowledge of mathematics in general including algebra and trigonometry, cannot be overstated.  If a student does not meet the pre-requisites for MATH 251 Calculus I, the student will have to complete additional courses in mathematics in preparation for calculus.  The number of additional credit hours will depend on mathematics placement.  For example, a student starting in MATH 100 will add 11 additional credit hours: MATH 100 (4), MATH 110 (4), and MATH 170 (3).  A student starting in MATH 140 will add six additional credit hours: MATH 140 (3) and MATH 170 (3).  A student starting MATH 170 will add three additional credit hours: MATH 170 (3). 

Overview of Degree Requirements


General Education Requirements 

38 hours 

Engineering Program Requirements 

26* hours  

Mechanical Engineering Requirements 

64 hours 

Minor (if required) 

Not required  

Electives (or other program requirements etc.) 

Not required  

TOTAL 

128 hours 


*This number (26) assumes that up to 14 credit hours from the engineering program requirements (40) can be taken to satisfy general education requirements (38). The following courses CHEM 121 (4), ECON 201 (3), MATH 251 (4), PHYS 220 (4), or PHYS 221 (4) may be taken to satisfy both general education requirements AND engineering program requirements. If a student does not complete these courses as part of general education, then the degree will require more than 128 credit hours to complete. 

For more information about the engineering major, please contact: 

Department of Engineering 
137 Latimer-Smith Engineering and Science Building 
203 Hurt Street 
Martin, TN 38238 
engineering@utm.edu 
(731)881-7571 

Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering: B.S.M.E. (6540)


Mechanical Engineering is one of the broadest and most diverse engineering disciplines. It includes fields ranging from solid mechanics, materials, machine design, to thermal science and beyond. Mechanical Engineers play key roles in a wide range of industries including automotive, aerospace, biotechnology, computers, electronics, microelectromechanical systems, energy conversion, heating, ventilating and air conditioning, robotics, automation, manufacturing, and others. A Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering is excellent preparation for graduate study. 

Required courses for the B.S.M.E. (64 credit hours) are listed below: 

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