Program Overview

Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering (BSME) Degree

The program leading to the Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering (BSME) is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, under the General Criteria and the Mechanical and Similarly Named Engineering Program Criteria.

Program Learning Outcomes (Student Outcomes) for the BSME Degree

Upon completing the BSME degree, students will 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.

Program Educational Objectives

Within 3 to 5 years of graduation, Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering (BSME) degree alumni from Rice will be exceptional engineers who are:

1. Successful and on track to become leaders in the global workforce;
2. Engaged in lifelong learning by pursuing advanced study at top-rated post-graduate programs or new career opportunities in industry, academia, government or non-governmental organizations; and/or
3. Successfully tackling engineering and societal challenges for the betterment of humanity.

Requirements for the BSME Degree

For general university requirements, see Graduation Requirements. Students pursuing the BSME degree must complete:

• A minimum of 31 courses (87 credit hours) to satisfy major requirements.
• A minimum of 127 credit hours to satisfy degree requirements.
• A minimum of 18 courses (50 credit hours) taken at the 300-level or above.
• The requirements for one area of specialization (see below for areas of specialization).

Areas of Specialization

Students must declare one of four areas of specialization:

• Aerospace: covers topics including aerodynamics, propulsion, structures, flight dynamics, controls, and heat transfer that are relevant to research in aero-related fields and topics in the aerospace industry.
• Computational Engineering: covers methods and tools for computational analysis in engineering applications, fluids and solids, to help with design and performance in such applications.
• Mechanics/Dynamics: provides a background in the fundamentals of solid interactions and control systems, and is highly relevant in areas such as robotics, solid mechanics, and tissue mechanics.
• Thermal Fluids: integrates topics from thermodynamics, fluids, and heat transfer to study renewable and conventional energy systems, aerospace/aeronautics, and surface interactions.
• Breadth in Mechanical Engineering: encompasses concepts from across the areas of specialization to prepare students for working in cross-cutting fields.

Degree Requirements

The following courses are required for the BSME degree:

Core Requirements

• Basic Math and Science Courses (Required Pre-Requisites)
  • CHEM 121: GENERAL CHEMISTRY I
  • CHEM 123: GENERAL CHEMISTRY LABORATORY I
  • MATH 101: SINGLE VARIABLE CALCULUS I
  • MATH 102: SINGLE VARIABLE CALCULUS II
  • MATH 211: ORDINARY DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS AND LINEAR ALGEBRA
  • MATH 212: MULTIVARIABLE CALCULUS
  • PHYS 101 & PHYS 103: MECHANICS (WITH LAB) and MECHANICS DISCUSSION 1
  • PHYS 102 & PHYS 104: ELECTRICITY & MAGNETISM (WITH LAB) and ELECTRICITY AND MAGNETISM DISCUSSION 2
• Computational Applied Mathematics and Operations Research
  • CMOR 220: INTRODUCTION TO ENGINEERING COMPUTATION
  • CMOR 302: MATRIX ANALYSIS
  • CMOR 304: DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS IN SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
• Senior Design
  • MECH 407: CAPSTONE DESIGN PROJECT I
  • MECH 408: CAPSTONE DESIGN PROJECT II
• Laboratory Courses
  • MECH 231: SOPHOMORE LAB
  • MECH 331: JUNIOR LABORATORY I
  • MECH 332: JUNIOR LABORATORY II
  • MECH 340: INDUSTRIAL PROCESS LAB
• Mechanical Engineering
  • MECH 200: CLASSICAL THERMODYNAMICS
  • MECH 202: MECHANICS/STATICS
  • MECH 203: MECHANICAL ENGINEERING DESIGN TOOLS
  • MECH 310: RIGID BODY DYNAMICS
  • MECH 315: STRESS ANALYSIS
  • MECH 341 & MECH 342: MODELING OF DYNAMIC SYSTEMS - LECTURE and MODELING OF DYNAMIC SYSTEMS LAB
  • MECH 350: MECHANICAL ELEMENTS
  • MECH 371: FLUID MECHANICS I
  • MECH 420 / ELEC 436: FUNDAMENTALS OF CONTROL SYSTEMS
  • MECH 481: HEAT TRANSFER

Elective Requirements

• Limited Elective: Select 1 course from the following departmental course offerings at the 300-level or above: CMOR, DSCI, MATH, STAT.
• Technical Electives: Select 1 from the following Areas of Specialization (see Areas of Specialization below).

Areas of Specialization

Area of Specialization: Aerospace

To fulfill the BSME degree requirements, students pursuing the Aerospace area of specialization must complete:

• 1 course (3 credit hours) from the area of specialization Core Requirement
• 2 courses (6 credit hours) from the area of specialization Elective Requirements

Area of Specialization: Computational Engineering

To fulfill the BSME degree requirements, students pursuing the Computational Engineering area of specialization must complete:

• 1 course (3 credit hours) from the area of specialization Core Requirement
• 2 courses (6 credit hours) from the area of specialization Elective Requirements

Area of Specialization: Mechanics/Dynamics

To fulfill the BSME degree requirements, students pursuing the Mechanics/Dynamics area of specialization must complete:

• 1 course (3 credit hours) from the area of specialization Core Requirement
• 2 courses (6 credit hours) from the area of specialization Elective Requirements

Area of Specialization: Thermal Fluids

To fulfill the BSME degree requirements, students pursuing the Thermal Fluids area of specialization must complete:

• 1 course (3 credit hours) from the area of specialization Core Requirement
• 2 courses (6 credit hours) from the area of specialization Elective Requirements

Area of Specialization: Breadth in Mechanical Engineering

To fulfill the BSME degree requirements, students pursuing the Breadth in Mechanical Engineering area of specialization must complete:

• 1 course (3 credit hours) from any of the other areas of specialization Core Requirements
• 2 courses (6 credit hours) from any of the other areas of specialization Elective Requirements

Policies for the BSME Degree

Program Restrictions and Exclusions

Students pursuing the BSME degree should be aware of the following program restriction:

• As noted in Majors, Minors, and Certificates, under Declaring Majors, Minors and Certificates, students may not obtain both a BA and a BS in the same major. Students pursuing the Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering (BSME) Degree may not additionally pursue the BA Degree with a Major in Mechanical Engineering.

Transfer Credit

For Rice University's policy regarding transfer credit, see Transfer Credit. Some departments and programs have additional restrictions on transfer credit. Requests for transfer credit must be approved for Rice equivalency by the designated transfer credit advisor for the appropriate academic department offering the Rice equivalent course.

Opportunities for the BSME Degree

Academic Honors

The university recognizes academic excellence achieved over an undergraduate's academic history at Rice. For information on university honors, please see Latin Honors (summa cum laude, magna cum laude, and cum laude) and Distinction in Research and Creative Work.

Fifth-Year Master's Degree Option for Rice Undergraduate Students

In certain situations and with some terminal master's degree programs, Rice students have an option to pursue a master's degree by adding an additional fifth year to their four years of undergraduate studies.