Mechanical Engineering
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Contact the Department of Mechanical Engineering

Email:
ceias​@nau.edu
Call:
928-523-5251
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  • Program of Study-Look up Mechanical Engineering under the year you started the major
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Mechanical Engineering, Bachelor of Science

Beginning Fall 2023, the Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering will also be offered at the Yuma Campus.

This degree produces the thinkers and designers who are concerned with controlling the principles of motion, energy, and force through mechanical solutions. The program emphasizes solid mechanics, thermodynamics, fluid sciences, and energy systems. A solid core of other engineering, math, and computer science coursework ensures well-rounded graduates.

This program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, www.abet.org

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Requirements Accordion Open

  • To receive a bachelor's degree at Northern Arizona University, you must complete at least 120 units of credit that minimally includes a major, the liberal studies requirements, and university requirements as listed below.

    • All of Northern Arizona University's liberal studies, diversity, junior-level writing, and capstone requirements.
    • All requirements for your specific academic plan(s).
    • At least 30 units of upper-division courses, which may include transfer work.
    • At least 30 units of coursework taken through Northern Arizona University, of which at least 18 must be upper-division courses (300-level or above). This requirement is not met by credit-by-exam, retro-credits, transfer coursework, etc.
    • A cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 on all work attempted at Northern Arizona University.
    The full policy can be viewed here.

     

Overview Accordion Closed

In addition to University Requirements:

  • Complete individual plan requirements.
  • At least 60 units of engineering requirements
  • At least 43 units of mechanical engineering requirements
  • Up to 9 units of major prefix courses may be used to satisfy Liberal Studies requirements; these same courses may also be used to satisfy major requirements
  • For this major the liberal studies prefix is ME
  • Elective courses (including 22 units of liberal studies requirements) to reach an overall total of at least 125 units

Please note that students may be able to use some courses to meet more than one requirement. Contact your advisor for details.

Minimum Units for Completion125
Highest Mathematics RequiredMAT 362
University Honors ProgramOptional
Accelerated Undergraduate/Graduate PlanOptional
AZ Transfer Students complete AGEC-SRecommended
Progression Plan LinkNot Available
Licensure

This program may lead to licensure.

Purpose Statement

Mechanical engineering is a diverse and broad discipline of engineering that applies the principles of mathematics, physics, and science for the analysis, design, manufacturing, and maintenance of mechanical systems. It is the branch of engineering that involves the production and usage of heat and mechanical power for the design, production, and operation of machines and tools. It is one of the oldest and broadest engineering disciplines. This exciting engineering field requires a solid understanding of core concepts including solid mechanics, fluid mechanics, kinematics, thermodynamics, heat transfer, materials science, and structural analysis to name a few. Mechanical engineers use these core principles along with tools like computer-aided engineering and product lifecycle management to design and analyze manufacturing plants, industrial equipment and machinery, heating and cooling systems, automobiles, space vehicles, aircraft, watercraft, robotic devices, wind turbines, medical devices, and much more.

Student Learning Outcomes

  • Identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics.
  • 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.
  • Communicate effectively with a range of audiences.
  • 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.
  • Function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives.
  • Develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions.
  • Acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.

Details Accordion Closed

Major Requirements
  • This major requires 103 units distributed as follows:

    • Engineering Requirements: 60 units
    • Mechanical Engineering Common Course Requirements: 31 units
    • Mechanical Engineering Depth Requirements: 6 units
      • Mechanical Design
      • Fluid and Thermal Sciences
    • Mechanical Engineering Breadth Requirements: 6 units


    Take the following 103 units:

    Engineering Requirements (60 units)

    • Mathematics and science courses (27 units):
      • CHM 151*, CHM 151L* (5 units)
      • MAT 136*, MAT 137*, MAT 238*, MAT 239* (15 units)
      • PHY 161*, PHY 262* (7 units)
    • Computer science and engineering courses (33 units):
      • CENE 225*, CENE 251* (6 units)
      • CS 122*, CS 122L* (3 units)
      • EE 188*, EE 188L* (4 units)
      • EGR 186*, ME 286* (6 units)
      • ME 180*, ME 252*, ME 291* (9 units)
      • (ME 476C* and ME 486C) together meet the senior capstone requirement (5 units)

  • Mechanical Engineering Requirements (43 units)
     
    Take the following 31 units, which provide an overview of the two branches of mechanical engineering - solid mechanics and thermal and fluid sciences - and give you background for further specialization:

    • CENE 253*, CENE 253L* (4 units)
    • MAT 362 (3 units)
    • ME 240*, ME 365*, ME 392, ME 395*, ME 450, (ME 440 or ME 465), ME 495 (21 units)
    • ME 386W* which meets the junior-level writing requirement (3 units)

    *Prerequisities and/or corequisites to Engineering coursework that must be completed with grades of "C" or better. In addition, ENG 105 must be completed with a grade of "C" or better.
     
    You must achieve a cumulative GPA of 2.65 in MAT 136, MAT 137, CS 122, PHY 161, PHY 262, CENE 251, MAT 238, and ME 240, in order to enroll in 300-400 level courses.  The calculation of this GPA will include any transferred coursework from other institutions.
        
    Mechanical engineering undergraduate students who have completed all required foundational courses with a "C" or better, but have a GPA in those courses that is below the acceptable GPA for enrollment in upper divisional courses may repeat up to two of the foundational courses in which they earned a "C" to meet the minimum GPA requirement. Students may only repeat a required course in which they earned a grade of "C" one time for it to count toward the foundational coursework GPA.
        
    Any ME course required for the Mechanical Engineering major may only be repeated one time. Petitions for second repeats presented to the ME department will typically be denied and may be considered only in very rare and exceptional cases such as death in the family or extended illness.

     

  • For mechanical engineering depth (6 units):

    Select coursework from either the courses listed here or from other 300, 400, or 500-level mechanical engineering courses with approval from your advisor and department. We encourage you to gain expertise in one of the two primary branches of mechanical engineering, by means of the following groupings (6 units):
       
    • Mechanical design:
      • CENE 376, CENE 477
      • EE 458
      • ME 286L, ME 454, ME 455, ME 456, ME 463, ME 467, ME 473, ME 475, ME 482, ME 484
    •  Fluid and thermal sciences:
      • CENE 430, CENE 480
      • EE 458
      • ME 358, ME 423, ME 425, ME 435, ME 441, ME 442, ME 451, ME 454, ME 456

    Generally these courses have the ME prefix; the only exceptions allowed are the listed EE and CENE courses due to their significant ME content. You can also use ME 500-level courses as depth electives, as a qualified senior with departmental approval. 

    To gain breadth in fields related to mechanical engineering (6 units):

    Select upper-division (300-400 level) courses in engineering (including any course listed above as a depth elective), natural sciences, business, or mathematics. No more than one lower division course (100-200 level) can be used as a breadth elective. You must get approval from your advisor and department for these courses. (6 units)


    Please note that you can't have more than two grades of "D" in your engineering and computer science courses. Furthermore, all prerequisite and corequisite courses for your engineering courses must be completed with grades of "C" or better.

General Electives
  • Additional coursework is required, if, after you have met the previously described requirements, you have not yet completed a total of 125 units of credit. 

    You may take these remaining courses from any academic areas, using these courses to pursue your specific interests and goals. We encourage you to consult with your advisor to select the courses that will be most advantageous to you. (Please note that you may also use prerequisites or transfer credits as electives if they weren't used to meet major, minor, or liberal studies requirements.)

Additional Information
  • Be aware that some courses may have prerequisites that you must also take. For prerequisite information, click on the course or see your advisor.

  • Accelerated Bachelor's to Master's Program

    This program is available as an Accelerated Undergraduate/Graduate Plan wherein a student may start a Master's degree, while simultaneously completing their Bachelor's degree. Departments may allow students to complete both degrees in an accelerated manner by approving up to 12 units applicable to both degrees.

Availability Accordion Closed

  • Flagstaff
  • Yuma

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Timothy A. Becker
Professor of Practice
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Tim.Becker@nau.edu
+1 928 523-1468
Engineering , room 203
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Kate Carroll
Instructor
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Katherine.Carroll@nau.edu
Engineering , room 202A
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Constantin Ciocanel
Chair, Mechanical Engineering; Professor, Mechanical Engineering
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Constantin.Ciocanel@nau.edu
+1 928 523-2439
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Zhongwang Dou
Assistant Professor
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Zhongwang.Dou@nau.edu
+1 928 523-0468
Engineering , room 216
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Heidi Paula Feigenbaum
Associate Chair for Graduate Programs, Mechanical Engineering; Professor, Mechanical Engineering
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Heidi.Feigenbaum@nau.edu
+1 928 523-5326
Engineering , room 201
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Zachary Forest Lerner
Associate Professor
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Zachary.Lerner@nau.edu
+1 928 523-1787
Engineering , room 236
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Carson Marty Pete
Assistant Teaching Professor
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Carson.Pete@nau.edu
+1 928 523-4970
Engineering , room 204
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Michael W Shafer
Associate Professor
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Michael.Shafer@nau.edu
+1 928 523-8696
Engineering , room 207
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Peter Vadasz
Professor
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Peter.Vadasz@nau.edu
+1 928 523-5843
Engineering , room 260
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Jennifer Lynn Wade
Assistant Professor
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Jennifer.Wade@nau.edu
+1 928 523-1528
Engineering , room 205
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David Michael Willy
Associate Chair for Undergraduate Programs, Mechanical Engineering; Associate Teaching Professor, Mechanical Engineering
Department of Mechanical Engineering
David.Willy@nau.edu
+1 928 523-5322
Engineering , room 221
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Perry G Wood
Instructional Laboratory Coordinator, Senior - SPF
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Perry.Wood@nau.edu
+1 928 523-4421
Engineering , room 264

By the numbers

663

Enrolled students

$85,880

Median annual pay in 2017

9%

Job growth to 2026
Annual pay and employment data is drawn from the United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook for Mechanical Engineers.

More resources

Design4Practice Accordion Closed

Our Design4Practice program will prepare you to enter the real world. Check out our award-winning Design4Practice program, which allows engineering undergraduates to learn the details of the product realization process by simulating a corporate engineering environment.

Mechanical Engineering requirements Accordion Closed

The mechanical engineering requirements include courses designed to give you an overview of mechanical engineering plus depth in the field and breadth in related fields.

Liberal Studies requirements Accordion Closed

The following liberal studies requirements will be met concurrently by major requirements in the mechanical engineering program:
  • Foundation English composition: ENG 105 (4)
  • Foundation mathematics: MAT 136 (4)
  • Distribution requirements:
    • Science/lab science: PHY 161/L (4) and CHM 151 (4)
    • Distribution elective:  PHY 262 (3)
  • University requirements:
    • Junior-level writing: EGR 386W (3)
    • Major capstone experience: ME 486C (3)
The following requirements are not met by major requirements and must be met separately:
  • Liberal studies distribution requirements (18)—Social and Political Worlds (6); Aesthetic and Humanistic Inquiry (6) and Cultural Understanding (6)
  • University Diversity Requirement (6)—This requirement may be satisfied by taking liberal studies distribution courses that are cross-listed in the US Ethnic Diversity and Global Diversity blocks.

Electives

Breadth electives (6 Units) Accordion Closed

Breadth electives, totaling 6 credit hours, are upper division (300-400 level) courses from engineering, natural sciences, business, or mathematics. No more than one lower division course (100-200 level) can be used as a breadth elective, and only if the course is required by another major and approved by your adviser.

Depth electives (9 Units) Accordion Closed

Mechanical engineering depth electives, totaling 9 credit hours, include either ME 440 or ME 465 plus 6 units selected from any of the courses listed below, or from other 300- , 400-, or 500-level mechanical engineering courses with approval of your advisor and department. The courses below are grouped to encourage you to focus your electives in one of the two primary branches of mechanical engineering: Mechanical Design or Fluid/Thermal Sciences.
  • See when the ME undergraduate courses are tentatively going to be offered.
  • See when the ME graduate courses are tentatively going to be offered.
Note that you can use 500-level courses as depth electives, as a qualified senior with approval from your advisor. If you are interested in the accelerated bachelor/master’s program, then it is highly recommended that you take graduate level courses for depth electives.

Courses Accordion Closed

  • Mechanical Engineering Depth Electives Tab Open

  • General Depth Electives Tab Closed

  • Breadth Electives Tab Closed

Mechanical Engineering Depth Electives Accordion Open

Mechanical design
  • ME 358-System Dynamics
  • ME 423-Flight Dynamics
  • ME 451-Renewable Energy Systems
  • ME 454-Finite Element Analysis
  • ME 455-Vibrations
  • ME 463-Biomechanical Engineering
  • ME 465-Machine Design II
  • ME 467-Manufacturing Processes
  • ME 467L-Manufacturing Processes Lab
  • ME 473-Biomaterials
  • ME 475-Adaptive Materials and Systems
  • ME 482-Advanced CAD/CAM
  • ME 484-Kinematics
  • EE 325-Engineering Analysis II
  • EE 458-Automatic Controls
  • EE 403-Electric Drives
Fluid/Thermal Sciences
  • ME 425-Applied Computational Fluid Dynamics
  • ME 435-Wind Energy Conversion Systems
  • ME 435H-Wind Energy Engineering Honors
  • ME 440-Fluid Mechanics II
  • ME 441-Compressible Flow
  • ME 442-Aerodynamics
  • ME 451-Renewable Energy Systems
  • ME 456-Engineering Modeling of Nonlinear Systems

General Depth Electives Accordion Closed

 Electives may only be taken once prerequisites are satisfied.
CENE courses
  • CENE 376
  • CENE 436
  • CENE 438
  • CENE 460
  • CENE 477
  • CENE 536
  • CENE 560
  • CENE 577
EE Courses
  • EE 380
  • EE 401
  • EE 402
  • EE 403
  • EE 410
  • EE 458
  • EE 459
  • EE 484
  • EE 502
  • EE 503

Breadth Electives Accordion Closed

  • AS 301
  • AS 302
  • BBA 201
  • BBA 303
  • BBA 305W
  • BIO 301
  • BIO 485
  • CENE 333
  • CENE 336
  • CENE 420
  • CENE 438
  • CENE 450
  • CENE 470
  • CENE 599
  • CHM 320
  • CM 403
  • ECO 284
  • ECO 285
  • ECO 281
  • ECO 464
  • ECO 473
  • ECO 486
  • EE 325
  • EE 364
  • EE 380
  • EE 401
  • HON 293
  • MAT 226
  • MAT 335
  • MAT 411
  • MAT 431
  • MGT 301
  • MGT 303
  • MS 301
  • MS 302
  • PHY 301
  • PHY 331


NAU’s Mechanical Engineering program may lead to professional licensure/certification. State information can be found at NAU’s Professional Licensure by State table.
Mechanical Engineering
Location
Building Building 69
Engineering
15600 S. McConnell Dr. NAU bldg. 69
Flagstaff, AZ 86001-5600
Mailing Address
Northern Arizona University PO Box: 15600
Flagstaff, AZ 86001-5600
Email
CEIAS@nau.edu
Phone
928-523-2704