The educational objective of the undergraduate program in mechanical engineering is to prepare graduates so that, within three years of graduation, they will have successfully established themselves in professional careers and/or obtained a graduate degree, and will have begun to generate new knowledge or exercise leadership in their positions to the benefit of society.
Each graduate of the mechanical engineering program is expected to:
Course code for this program is MCEN.
The undergraduate curriculum in mechanical engineering incorporates engineering science, physical science, mathematics, and the humanities and social sciences. The engineering science component provides basic theoretical and practical concepts in solid mechanics, materials, thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, design, and manufacturing. Required courses in engineering science, physical science, and mathematics are interwoven throughout the curriculum to provide a balanced education in the fundamentals of the profession and comprise three-fourths of the minimum curriculum requirement of 128 semester hours; they are complemented by four technical electives, five electives in the humanities and social sciences, a junior-level writing course, and a free elective.
Options in environmental and biomedical engineering are available for students interested in these interdisciplinary areas.
Required Courses and Semester Credit Hours
Freshman Year
Fall Semester
Spring Semester
Sophomore Year
Fall Semester
Spring Semester
Junior Year
Fall Semester
Spring Semester
Senior Year
Fall Semester
Spring Semester
The department offers master of science (MS), master of engineering (ME), and doctor of philosophy (PhD) degree programs to students whose career plans include advanced practice, research and development, and/or teaching at the college or university level.
Students pursuing the degree of master of science or master of engineering in mechanical engineering may follow either Plan I, which requires the writing of a thesis, or Plan II, which involves only course work. A student following Plan I must complete a minimum of 24 semester hours of course work and 6 semester hours of thesis work; at least 15 semester hours of the course work must be in the mechanical engineering department. A student following Plan II must complete a minimum of 30 semester hours of course work, of which at least 18 semester hours must be in the mechanical engineering department. Up to 9 semester hours of graduate course work may be transferred from another accredited institution as long as those hours were not used to satisfy another degree requirement. Students should consult with an academic advisor to decide what course of study best meets their academic objectives.
A student pursuing the PhD in mechanical engineering must complete a minimum of 30-36 semester credit hours in courses numbered 5000 or above (9 of these credits must include MCEN 5020, 5040, and 5208), as well as 30 semester hours of dissertation credit. Up to 21 semester hours of graduate course work may be transferred from another accredited institution; there is no credit limit for appropriate courses taken at the University of Colorado, such as those taken for the master of science degree.
Every student desiring to pursue the PhD degree must first pass a preliminary examination. As a part of this evaluation, students must pass two written examinations designed to test research and fundamental mechanical engineering competency. They must also pass a research presentation given to a committee of at least three faculty members. Overall performance in the required examinations will determine pass/fail status.
After passing the preliminary examination, students continue their course work and prepare a written thesis prospectus. When ready, they take an oral comprehensive examination covering the graduate course work and the thesis prospectus. After passing the comprehensive examination, students are admitted into the PhD program and conduct original research required to satisfy the thesis requirement. This research culminates in the writing of the thesis, which students defend in a final examination.
PhD students are assigned an academic advisor to review their progress toward the degree. Students are expected to meet with the advisor at least once each semester prior to registration. Once students have selected a research topic for the thesis, academic advising is done by their thesis advisor. Additional information on graduate study may be found in the Graduate School section.
Research activities are concentrated in three contemporary themes: micro/nano scale engineering, energy/environment, and bioengineering. Faculty engage in these theme areas through three disciplinary areas of mechanical engineering: fluid mechanics/thermal sciences, solid mechanics/material sciences, and design/manufacturing. Faculty and students collaborate with universities and laboratories across the United States and throughout the world.
Example research efforts in micro/nano systems include: design and reliability of MicroElectroMechanical Systems (MEMS), nanosystems, carbon nanotubes, mechanical properties of nanowires, nanomaterial processing, nanocomposites, disk drive shock analysis, microporous membranes, polymer derived ceramics, active materials and structures, multi-scale computational fluids modeling, and MEMS/electronics packaging.
Example research efforts in energy/environment include: flame treatment of polymer films, microgravity combustion of metals, urban air quality modeling, indoor air pollution, aerosal particle characterization and health effects, energy policies and climate impacts, and theoretical/computational fluid dynamics.
Example research efforts in bioengineering include: optical biopsy of prostate cancer, shape memory polymers/alloys, cardiovascular fluid/bio mechanics, MEMS-based biosensing, ultrasound imaging, device design, nanoparticle diagnostics, and metallic/polymer biomaterials. These efforts are facilitated by collaborations with the Anschutz Medical Campus of the University of Colorado Denver, the Children’s Hospital, and the Colorado State Veterinary College.
Department research activities are supported by a wide range of industrial and federal agencies such as the National Science Foundation (NSF), Department of Energy (DOE), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), National Institute of Health (NIH), Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR), and Defense Agency Research Project Association (DARPA). Some research activities are carried out through interdisciplinary department research centers including the Joint Center for Combustion and Environmental Research (JCCER), Membrane Applied Science and Technology (MAST) Center, and Integrated Micro/Nanoelectro-mechanical Transducers (iMINT).