Undergraduate program

Fundamentals with flexibility

Students will complete the departmental major requirements and the College of Engineering general education requirements.

In addition to our demanding course curriculum, our department offers several optional programs for undergraduates seeking specialization and further experience throughout their studies such as College of Engineering minors.

For the ambitious student, we offer an integrated master’s/bachelor’s degree program.

Professional educational objectives

According to ABET, which evaluates applied science, computing, engineering, and technology programs for accreditation, “program educational objectives are broad statements that describe what graduates are expected to attain within a few years of graduation.”

The core objective of our undergraduate program is to provide our students with an education that enables them to be productive, impactful, and fulfilled professionals throughout their careers. In light of this vision, the objectives of the Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering at Carnegie Mellon are to produce graduates who:

• distinguish themselves as effective problem solvers by applying fundamentals of mechanical engineering
• are innovative and resourceful in their professional activities
• excel in multidisciplinary team settings
• become leaders in their organizations, their profession, and in society
• conduct themselves in a professional and ethical manner in the workplace
• excel in diverse career paths within and beyond the engineering profession, including in industry and academia.

Educational outcomes

The undergraduate curriculum in the Department of Mechanical Engineering offers students significant opportunities to pursue directions of personal interest, including minors, double majors, participation in research projects, and study abroad. Design and teamwork experiences occur at regular intervals in the curriculum and graduates have significant hands-on experience through laboratories and projects.

The faculty of the department has endorsed the following set of skills, or outcomes, that graduates of the program are expected to have gained:

• an ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics
• 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
• an ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences
• 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
• 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
• an ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze, and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions
• an ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.