Mechanical Engineering Program

The Mechanical Engineering program at UM-SJTU Joint Institute is fully supported by the ME Department of the UM and the ME School of the SJTU. It is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, http://www.abet.org.

This program is built on a common science and engineering core. In the first 3 semesters all students will receive strict training in math, physics, chemistry, engineering basics and computer programming. These courses have been verified by the UM College of Engineering as equivalent to corresponding UM courses.

The Mechanical Engineering program provides students with an excellent foundation in the core technical competencies of the discipline: thermal and fluid sciences, solid mechanics and materials, and dynamics and control. Built upon these strengths is a very strong focus on application of these technical abilities through our design and manufacturing sequence. In addition, an array of technical electives is offered to enable students to tailor their mechanical engineering education to best suit their career goals.

Throughout the program students work with modern laboratory equipment and computer systems and they are exposed to the most recent analytical techniques and technological developments in their field. Students have many opportunities to associate with outstanding faculty, most of whom will be actively engaged in research and/or professional consulting.

There are numerous programs offered to enrich students’ education such as the Dual Degree program with UM, JI-Sequential Graduate Undergraduate Study program with UM, Enrichment & Study Abroad Programs and independent study opportunities with ME faculty. Our students are encouraged to seek an advanced degree if further specialization and a higher degree of competence in a particular area are desired.

Program Educational Objectives
Within 3 to 5 years after graduation from the ME program, the graduates are expected to:

  • Further their intellectual growth through graduate education or professional development.
  • Apply their creativity and global perspective in their engineering or non-engineering professions.
  • Assume leadership roles in a variety of contexts.
Student Outcomes

Graduates of the ME program should be able to demonstrate:

1) an ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics

2) an 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

3) an ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences

4) an 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

5) an 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

6) an ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions

7) an ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies

 

Course Requirements

Candidates for the Bachelor of Science in ME must satisfactorily complete 136 credit hours required by the JI ME program, including:

  • Engineering Foundation:             39 credits
  • Program Subjects:                        50 credits
  • Academic Writing                        8 credits
  • Intellectual Breadth:                    16 credits
  • Electives:
    • Advanced Mathematics:                 3 credits
    • Flexible Technical Electives:           11 credits
    • General Electives:                  9 credits

Domestic Chinese students are also required to take all Chinese politics courses required by the Ministry of Education of China. International students are required to take 12 credits of Chinese language and culture courses.

Course requirements for each of the credit categories are listed below:

Engineering Foundation (39 credits)

  • or

Program Subjects (50 credits)

    Academic Writing (8 credits)

      Intellectual Breadth (16 credits)

      This category requires:

      •  2 credits of , and
      • 14 credits of courses in humanities, social sciences, professional development, and natural sciences.
      • At least 3 credits in humanities and at least 3 credits in social sciences must be completed.

      The 14 credits may include courses with code Vr, Vx, Vw, Vf, and Vb. Vz courses are acceptable only for international students. Vy courses are acceptable except and . UM courses that can be used to satisfy the CoE Intellectual Breadth requirements are acceptable. SJTU courses taught in English are acceptable with approval of the JI Undergraduate Committee.

      Humanities category includes, but not limited to, Philosophy, English Language and Literature, Asian Languages and Culture, American Culture, Comparative Literature, Film Studies, etc.

      Social Sciences category includes, but not limited to, International and Comparative Studies, Political Science, Asian Studies, Economics, Environmental Studies, History, etc.

      Professional Development category includes, but not limited to, Engineering Ethics, Business Studies, Entrepreneurship Studies, etc.

      Natural Sciences includes Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Astronomy, and Earth Sciences.

      A complete list of courses is maintained at the JI Undergraduate Education Office.

      Advanced Mathematics (3 credits):

      The advanced mathematics requirement can be fulfilled by taking , , , , , , or other courses approved by the ME Program Advisor. Any qualified credits in excess of 3 may be applied to the Flexible Technical Elective (non-ME) or General Elective categories.

      Flexible Technical Electives (11 credits):

      It is the intent of the flexible technical elective requirement that students take a number of core technical electives to develop a deeper technical knowledge in specific areas of mechanical engineering.

      The flexible technical electives credits are broken down into two categories:

      • Two courses (totaling at least 6 credit hours) on 300-level or higher in mechanical engineering. One of the two courses must be 400-level or higher.
      • Any 300-level or higher courses in ME or in other engineering, biology, chemistry, mathematics, and physics fields, excluding and .

      Up to 3 credits of courses taken from other engineering or science departments of SJTU may be counted in this category but must be 300-level or higher. These courses must be approved by the ME Program Advisor. The JI Undergraduate Education Office keeps a list of pre-approved courses.

      Any credits in excess of 11 may be applied to the General Elective category.

      For students in the UM-JI Dual-Degree program, the Flexible Technical Elective requirement can be satisfied by taking any 300-level or higher courses in ME or in other engineering, biology, chemistry, mathematics, and physics fields, excluding and .

      The technical elective courses are categorized into three disciplinary areas including Design, Manufacturing, and Systems; Solid Mechanics; and Thermal Fluids. The courses JI offers in each area are listed as follows. The Undergraduate Education Office maintains a complete list of the courses.

      Discipline Areas

      Required Courses

      Elective Options

      Design,

      Manufacturing,

      and Systems

      Solid Mechanics

      Thermal and Fluids

      General Electives (9 credits):

      General electives are intended to allow students to explore any dimension of intellectual endeavor that they elect, in both technical (including engineering) and non-technical fields. This requirement can be met by any course subject to the following restrictions:

      • A maximum of 4 credit hours of research work (including PRP, IAP, and independent study) can be counted towards graduation.

      Students should select their general elective classes either to explore an area of cultural interest or to explore an area of professional interest such as:

      • Management, business, or finance classes in preparation for working in industry.
      • Classes to prepare for further study outside engineering such as medicine, dentistry, law or education.
      • Additional language, literature or culture classes to prepare for a career in the global economy.
      • Additional Mechanical Engineering classes to go into more depth than the limited program of technical electives allows.
      • Engineering classes in other departments in preparation for graduate school outside Mechanical Engineering.