Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering

The mechanical engineering undergraduate curriculum at Florida Tech presents the fundamentals underlying modern mechanical engineering and prepares the student for a lifetime of continued learning. During the freshman and sophomore years, the emphasis is placed on mathematics and physics. An introduction to engineering in the freshman year previews the field and gives the students their first experience in engineering design. The sophomore and junior years direct the student toward the engineering sciences, including mechanics of solids, thermodynamics and fluid mechanics. Emphasis is also placed on learning computer "tools" used in design, e.g., solids modeling and finite element methods. During the junior and senior years, the study becomes progressively centered about the specific issues facing practicing mechanical engineers. The student uses the basic tools imparted during the first two years and applies them in studies of machine systems, instrumentation, automatic controls, thermal systems and design projects. Other courses taken during the last two years expand the student's knowledge in the fields of heat transfer, electronics, vibrations and mathematics. Electives taken in the junior and senior years allow the student to direct the program toward specific technical areas of personal interest, such as robotics, instrumentation, mechatronics, computer science, manufacturing, and others. Laboratory experiences are essential to the education of engineers, and these are provided in chemistry, physics, computer-aided design, materials, fluids and heat transfer. The capstone of the educational process is the senior mechanical engineering design project, which synthesizes and focuses elements from the various disciplines into a design activity of current mechanical engineering interest. The faculty serve jointly in the supervision and consultation for these projects.

Each student is encouraged to define career objectives early in their program, so that, in consultation with their faculty advisor, electives can be selected that are best suited to the achievement of specific goals.

Students may also choose to benefit from the experience gained through the cooperative education program.

The mechanical engineering graduate is prepared to pursue a career either in industry or government as a practicing engineer, or to begin graduate studies in engineering, engineering management, or related fields of science. In some cases, mechanical engineering graduates enter graduate programs of study in medicine, law or business.