Mechanical Engineering Electives & Technical Electives in the Mechanical Engineering Curriculum

The Mechanical Engineering curriculum includes nine credit hours of Mechanical Engineering (ME) electives and nine credit hours of Technical (TE) electives. The elective program enables students to specialize their background in a technical area of special interest (e.g., automotive, aerospace, biotechnology, etc.). ME students are permitted to use a maximum of 9 total research credit hours towards the BSME degree.  This also includes research outside the school of Mechanical Engineering (Technical Electives).

Mechanical Engineering (ME) Electives

ME electives are any non-required ME 300, ME 400, or ME 500 level course. Students are required to take nine credit hours of ME electives.

Which of these ME electives are being offered in Spring 2025? >>>

ME 300 Thermodynamics II
ME 363 Principles and Practices of Manufacturing Processes (may not take both ME 363 and IE 370)
ME 413 Noise Control
ME 415 Energy Systems Engineering
ME 430 Power Engineering
ME 433 Principles of Turbomachinery
ME 434 Gas Turbines for Power and Propulsion
ME 440 Automotive Prime Movers: Green Engines and Clean Fuel
ME 444 Computer-Aided Design and Prototyping
ME 455 Vehicle Design and Fabrication (open only to active participants on a sponsored vehicle team)
ME 459 Mechanism and Machine Theory
ME 475 Automatic Control Systems
ME 489 Introduction to Finite Element Analysis
ME 492 Technology and Values
ME 49601 Experimental Courses – variable credit hours (must have approval from Undergraduate office)
ME 497 Mechanical Engineering Projects – variable credit hours (must have approval from Undergraduate Office)
ME 498 Research in Mechanical Engineering I – variable credit hours (must have approval from Undergraduate Office) *** A maximum of 9 total research credits can be used towards the BSME degree
ME 499 Research in Mechanical Engineering II – variable credit hours (must have approval from Undergraduate Office) *** A maximum of 9 total research credits can be used towards the BSME degree
ME 500 Advanced Thermodynamics
ME 501 Statistical Thermodynamics
ME 503 Micro-and-Nano Scale Energy Transfer Process
ME 505 Intermediate Heat Transfer
ME 506 Two-Phase Flow and Heat Transfer
ME 507 Laser Processing
ME 509 Intermediate Fluid Mechanics
ME 510 Gas Dynamics
ME 511 Heat Transfer in Electronic Systems
ME 513 Engineering Acoustics
ME 514 Fundamentals of Wind Energy
ME 518 Analysis of Thermal Systems
ME 522 Indoor Environmental Analysis and Design
ME 525 Combustion
ME 526 Spray Applications and Theory
ME 533 Turbomachinery
ME 540 Internal Combustion Engines
ME 553 Product Design and Process
ME 554 Intellectual Property (1 credit)
ME 556 Lubrication, Friction, and Wear
ME 557 Design for Manufacturability
ME 559 Micromechanics of Materials
ME 562 Advanced Dynamics
ME 563 Mechanical Vibrations
ME 570 Machine Design
ME 572 Analysis and Design of Robotic Manipulators
ME 575 Theory and Design of Control Systems
ME 576 Computer Control of Manufacturing Processes
ME 577 Human Motion Kinetics
ME 578 Digital Control
ME 579 Digital Signal Processing
ME 581 Numerical Methods in Mechanical Engineering
ME 586 Microprocessors in Electromechanical Systems
ME 587 Engineering Optics
ME 588 Mechatronics
ME 597 Advanced Mechanical Engineering Projects I (must have approval from Undergraduate Office).

*Unless otherwise noted, all courses are three credit hours

**Select 500 level courses require a grade of B or better in the undergraduate level pre-requisite course.

Technical (TE) Electives

Students are required to take nine credit hours of TE electives. Generally, students may select courses from the broad classifications listed below.

1. Physics courses of level higher than PHYS 241.
2. Chemistry courses requiring CHM 116 or 124 as prerequisites.
3. Advanced biology courses and veterinary science courses.
4. Mathematics courses more advanced than MA 303.
5. Technical Writing, ENGL 421 (may not be used for general education elective credit – ENGL 420 and ENGL 421 cannot both be used to satisfy degree requirements).
6. 300, 400, or 500 level courses in any engineering school other than Mechanical Engineering that are not duplicates of other courses taken.
7. ME elective classes that are not part of the ME core curriculum.

Please note that NUCL 320/325 may not be used as a Tech Elective.

However, not all courses within these classifications are acceptable for technical elective credit. Before registering for a course, be sure it appears in the list of pre-approved technical electives provided below. If a course does not appear on the pre-approved list, a written request (or email) may be submitted to the Undergraduate Office to have a course considered for technical elective credit.

Technical Selective Topics

To assist students in their selection of technical electives, the list of pre-approved courses is divided into 47 topic areas. Neither the list of topic areas, nor the list of pre-approved courses within each area, is intended to be all-inclusive. Students should refer to the appropriate undergraduate catalog for course description and prerequisite information or click on any of the course links below for online course information.

Students are encouraged to discuss their career plans and technical elective program with faculty members whose expertise are in their area of special interest. Students may wish to consider 3-6 credits of ME 498/499 projects to study contemporary areas of research not covered by the standard curriculum. Undergraduate research is an excellent option for students considering graduate study in engineering.

 

Comprehensive List of Technical Electives

AAE 251 Introduction to Aerospace Design
AAE 301 Signal Analysis for Aerospace Engineering
AAE 334 Aerodynamics
AAE 338 Thermal Sciences
AAE 339 Aerospace Propulsion
AAE 340 Dynamics and Vibrations
AAE 35103 Aerospace Systems Design
AAE 352 Structural Analysis
AAE 364 Control System Analysis
AAE 412 Introduction to Computational Fluid Dynamics
AAE 418 Zero-Gravity Flight Experiment
AAE 421 Flight Dynamics and Control
AAE 439 Rocket Propulsion
AAE 490 Special Problems in Aero Engineering (Must have approval from Undergraduate Office prior to registering for course)
AAE 512 Computational Aerodynamics
AAE 514 Intermediate Aerodynamics
AAE 519 Hypersonic Aerothermodynamics
AAE 520 Experimental Aerodynamics
AAE 532 Orbit Mechanics
AAE 539 Advanced Rocket Propulsion
AAE 550 Multidisciplinary Design Optimization
AAE 553 Elasticity in Aerospace Engineering
AAE 555 Mechanics of Composite Materials
AAE 564 Systems Analysis and Synthesis

ABE 330 Design of Machine Components
ABE 336 All-Terrain Vehicle Design
ABE 435 Hydraulic Control Systems for Mobile Equipment
ABE 450 Finite Element Method in Design and Optimization
ABE 460 Sensors and process Control
ABE 48600 Agricultural Engineering Design
ABE 501 Welding Engineering

ASM 345 Power Units and Power Trains
ASTR 363 The Solar System
ASTR 364 Stars and Galaxies
ASTR 370 Cosmology

BIOL 110 Fundamentals of Biology I (if not taken for science elective)
BIOL 111 Fundamentals of Biology II (if not taken for science elective)
BIOL 121 Biology I: Diversity, Ecology, and Behavior
BIOL 131 Biology II: Development, Structure, and Function of Organisms
BIOL 203 Human Anatomy and Physiology
BIOL 230 The Biology of the Living Cell
BIOL 231-232 Biology II: Cell Structure and Function
BIOL 241-242 Biology IV: Genetics and Molecular Biology

BME 204 Biomechanics of Hard and Soft Tissues
BME 540 Biomechanics
BME 551 Tissue Engineering
BME 562 Regulatory Issues Surrounding Approval Of Biomedical Devices

CE 222 Lifecycle Engineering and Management of Constructed Facilities
CE 311 Architectural Engineering
CE 32201 Project Control and Life Cycle Execution of Constructed Facilities
CE 340 Hydraulics (does not qualify)
CE/EEE 350 Introduction to Environmental and Ecological Engineering
CE 355 Engineering Environmental Sustainability
CE 361 Transportation Engineering
CE 371 Structural Analysis I
CE 413 Building Envelope Design and Thermal Loads
CE 414 Building Mechanical and Electrical System Design
CE 440 Urban Hydraulics
CE/EEE 456 Water and Wastewater Treatment
CE 457 Air Pollution Control and Design
CE 463 Highway Transportation Characteristics
CE 470 Structural Steele Design
CE 473 Reinforced Concrete Design
CE 474 Structural Analysis II
CE 479 Design of Building Components and Systems
CE 497 Civil Engineering Projects (must have approval from the Undergraduate Office)
CE 513 Lighting of Buildings
CE 51401 Building Controls
CE 51501 Building Energy Audits
CE 524 Legal Aspects in Engineering Practice
CE 540 Open Channel Hydraulics
CE 542 Hydrology
CE 557 Air Quality Management
CE 560 Public Mass Transportation
CE 563 Airport Design
CE 570 Advanced Structural Mechanics
CE 573 Structural Dynamics
CE 595 Finite Elements in Elasticity
CE 59601 Entrepreneurship and Business Strategy in Engineering
CE 59801 Breakthrough Thinking For Complex Challenges

CHE 461 Biomedical Engineering
CHE 597 Analytical Approach to Healthcare Delivery Tech Elective

CHM 255 Organic Chemistry
CHM 25501 Organic Chemistry Lab
CHM 256 Organic Chemistry
CHM 25601 Organic Chemistry Lab
CHM 261 Organic Chemistry
CHM 373 Physical Chemistry
CNIT 280 Systems Analysis and Design Methods
CNIT 315 Systems Programming
CNIT 320 Policy Regulation and Globalization in Information Technology
CNIT 325 Object-Oriented Application Development
CNIT 480 Managing Information Technology Projects
CNIT 372 Database Programming
CNIT 392 Enterprise Data Management

CS 240 Programming in C
CS 250 Computer Architecture
CS 251 Data Structures and Algorithms
CS 252 Systems Programming
CS 307 Software Engineering I
CS 314 Numerical Methods
CS 334 Fundamentals Of Computer Graphics
CS 348 Information Systems
CS 352 Compilers: Principles and Practice
CS 354 Operating Systems
CS 381 Introduction to the Analysis of Algorithms
CS 471 Introduction to Artificial Intelligence
CS 514 Numerical Analysis
CS 515 Numerical Analysis of Linear Systems
CS 565 Programming Languages

EAPS 225 Physics of Climate
EAPS 421 Atmospheric Thermodynamics
EAPS 422 Atmospheric Dynamics I
EAPS 423 Atmospheric Dynamics II

ECE 20002 Linear Circuit Analysis II
ECE 20875 Python for Data Science
ECE 255 Introduction to Electronics Analysis and Design
ECE 264 Advanced C Programming
ECE 270 Introduction to Digital System Design
ECE 30010 Introduction to Machine Learning and Pattern Recognition
ECE 301 Signals and Systems
ECE 302 Probabilistic Methods in Electrical Engineering
ECE 311 Electric and Magnetic Fields
ECE 321 Electromechanical Motion Devices
ECE 362 Microprocessor Systems and Interfacing
ECE 423 Electromechanical Motion Control
ECE 432 Elements of Power System Engineering
ECE 433 Power Electronics
ECE 51018 Hybrid Electric Vehicles
ECE 50632 Introduction to Quantum Transport

ECON 451 Gaming Theory (may not be used for general education elective credit)
ECON 461 Industrial Organization (may not be used for general education elective credit)
ECON 471 Behavioral Economics (may not be used for general education elective credit)

EEE 230 Engineering Economics And Environment
EEE 430 Industrial Ecology and Life Cycle Analysis
EEE 495 Environmental and Ecological Engineering Projects*(Must have approval from Undergraduate Office)
EEE 530 LCA: Principles and Applications
EEE 595 Environmental and Ecological Engineering Projects(Must have approval from Undergraduate Office)

ENGL 421 Technical Writing (may not be used for general-education elective credit)
ENGL 49000 - Worksite Internship Practicum

ENGR 305 Fundamentals of Innovation Theory and Practice
ENGR 39697 Global Design Projects
ENGR 37920 Junior Part in VIP
ENGR 47920 Senior Part in VIP
ENGR 49001 Breakthrough Thinking for Complex Challenges
ENGR 49000 Humanities Informed Engineering Projects

ENTR 310 Marketing and Management for New Ventures
ENTR 315 Business Planning for Social Entreprenurship

EPCS 301 Jr. Participation in Engineering Projects in Community Service (EPICS) - 1 Credit
EPCS 302 Jr. Participation in Engineering Projects in Community Service (EPICS) - 2 Credits
EPCS 401 Sr. Participation in Engineering Projects in Community Service (EPICS) - 1 Credit
EPCS 402 Sr. Participation in Engineering Projects in Community Service (EPICS) - 2 Credits

FNR 586 Urban Ecology

HSCI 312 Radiation Science Fundamentals

IE 330 Probability & Statistics in Engineering II
IE 335 Operations Research - Optimization
IE 343 Engineering Economics
IE 370 Manufacturing Processes I (IE 370 and ME 363 cannot both be taken for Elective Credit)
IE 470 Manufacturing Processes II
IE 472 Imagine, Model, Make
IE 490 Special Topics in IE* Must have approval from Undergraduate Office prior to registering for course
IE 530 Quality Control
IE 535 Linear Programming
IE 537 Discrete Optimization Models and Algorithms
IE 556 Job Design
IE 570 Manufacturing Process Engineering
IE 577 Human Factors in Engineering
IE 578 Applied Ergonomics Tech Elective

LC 490 Humanities Informed Engineering Projects

MA 301 Introduction to Proof Through Real Analysis
MA 341 Foundations Through Analysis
MA 353 Linear Algebra II with Applications
MA 35301 Linear Algebra II
MA 362 Topics in Vector Calculus
MA 375 Introduction to Discrete Mathematics
MA 416 Probability
MA 421 Linear Programming and Optimization Techniques
MA 425 Elements of Complex Analysis
MA 428 Introduction to Fourier Analysis
MA 440 Real Analysis (Honors)
MA 442 Multivariate Analysis (Honors)
MA 450 Algebra (Honors)
MA 453 Elements of Algebra I
MA 454 Galois Theory (Honors)
MA 460 Geometry
MA 510 Vector Calculus
MA 511 Linear Algebra
MA 523 Introduction to Partial Differential Equations
MA 527 Advanced Mathematics for Engineers and Physicists I

MFET 248 Introduction to Robotics
MFET 344 Automated Manufacturing Processes
MFET 348 Advanced Industrial Robotics

MGMT 201 Management Accounting I
MGMT 254 Legal Foundations of Business I
MGMT 304 Introduction to Financial Management
MGMT 310 Financial Management
MGMT 323 Introduction to Market Analysis
MGMT 324 Marketing Management
MGMT 350 Intermediate Accounting I
MGMT 351 Intermediate Accounting II
MGMT 352 Strategic Management
MGMT 391 Strategic Thinking And Decision-Making
MGMT 44301 Management of Human Resources
MGMT 44810 Technology Strategy
MGMT 455 Legal Background of Business I
MGMT 488 Data Driven Decisions in Digital Markets

MSE 240 Processing and Properties of Materials
MSE 260 Thermodynamics of Materials
MSE 270 Atomistic Materials Science
MSE 330 Processing and Properties of Materials
MSE 335 Materials Characterization Laboratory
MSE 370 Electrical, Optical, & Magnetic Properties of Materials
MSE 382 Mechanical Response of Materials

MSTE 472 Vehicle Dynamics

NS 212 Naval Weapon Systems
NS 350 Naval Ship Systems

NUCL 200 Introduction to Nuclear Engineering
NUCL 300 Nuclear Structure of Radiation Interactions
NUCL 310 Introduction to Neutron Physics
NUCL 402 Engineering of Nuclear Power Plants
NUCL 460 Introduction to Controlled Thermonuclear Fusion
NUCL 470 Fuel Cell Engineering
NUCL 501 Nuclear Engineering Principles
NUCL 504 Nuclear Engineering Experiments
NUCL 510 Nuclear Reactor Theory I
NUCL 560 Introduction to Fusion Technology
NUCL 563 Direct Energy Conversion
NUCL 570 Fuzzy Approaches In Engineering

OBHR 330 Introduction to Organizational Behavior

PHYS 310 Intermediate Mechanics
PHYS 322 Intermediate Optics
PHYS 330 Intermediate Electricity and Magnetism
PHYS 342 Modern Physics
PHYS 344 Modern Physics
PHYS 360 Quantum Mechanics
PHYS 422 Waves and Oscillations
PHYS 560 Stellar Evolution
PHYS 564 Introduction To Elements Particle Physics

PSY 577 Human Factors In Engineering

STAT 350 Introduction to Statistics
STAT 416 Probability
STAT 417 Statistical Theory
STAT 511 Statistical Methods
STAT 512 Applied Regression Analysis
STAT 513 Statistical Quality Control
STAT 514 Design of Experiments

SYS 300 It's A Complex World - Addressing Global Challenges
SYS 350 Systems Theories and Approaches
SYS 400 Systems Praxis Tech Elective

VIP 37920 Junior Participation in VIP
VIP 37930 Junior Participation in VIP Ext
VIP 47920 Senior Participation in VIP
VIP 47930 Senior Participating in VIP Ext