Mechanical Engineering

Welcome to Mechanical Engineering

Accreditation & licensure

The Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Washington, Bothell began in autumn 2014 and received full ABET accreditation in September 2019. All graduates of the program are retroactively included under the umbrella of the ABET accreditation.

Learn more about ABET accreditation. Students who have questions about licensure requirements and the effect ABET accreditation has in the State of Washington should access the related Department of Licensing site for more information.

The Mechanical Engineering degree curriculum is designed, in line with its program educational objectives, to provide students not only solid fundamentals of mathematics and science, strong design and analysis skills of mechanical engineering, but also develop graduates who are conscientious citizens and aware of their ethical responsibilities in a global society.

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Objectives & outcomes

Program educational objectives

Within three to five years after graduation our graduates will:

1. attain successful employment in mechanical engineering and related fields
2. exhibit practical ingenuity and creativity as members of engineering teams and communities.
3. be contributing citizens who are conscientious of ethical and societal responsibilities.
4. Independently extend their learning to excel in fields about which they are passionate.

Student outcomes

The Accrediting Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) has established voluntary educational standards for postsecondary programs in applied science, computing, engineering, and technology.

The BSME curriculum is designed to meet requirements set forth by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET. Each student completing the BSME degree will demonstrate mastery of the following competencies as established by ABET:

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.

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Program overview

To prepare the graduates to achieve the educational objectives set out by the program, the curriculum of the ME degree includes total 180 credits for graduation.  View the flowchart of the structure of the major's curriculum.

• 30 credits of mathematics courses (Table 1)
• 21 credits of science courses (Table 2)
• 86 credits of engineering courses (Table 3 and Table 4)
• 20 credits of general education (arts and humanities or writing/composition) (Table 5)
• 13 credits of skills courses (Table 6)

View the catalogs with current course descriptions here.

Table 1: Summary of mathematics courses

Summary of Mathematics Courses

Mathematics Courses	Credits
ST MATH 124 Calculus I	5
ST MATH 125 Calculus II	5
ST MATH 126 Calculus III	5
ST MATH 207 Intro to Differential Equations	5
ST MATH 224 Multivariable Calculus	5
ST MATH 390 or IND E 315 Probability and Statistics in Engineering	5
Total	30

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Table 2: Summary of science courses

Summary of Science Courses

Science Courses	Credit
B CHEM 143/144 General Chemistry I/Lab 1	6
B PHYS 121 Mechanics	5
B PHYS 122 Electromagnetism and Oscillatory Motion	5
B PHYS 123 Waves	5
Total	21

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Table 3: Summary of engineering and applied science courses

Summary of Engineering Courses

Engineering Courses	Credits
B ENGR 320 Fund. of Material Science	4
B ENGR 321 Materials Engineering Lab	2
B ME 221 Statics	4
B ME 222 Mechanics of Materials	4
B ME 223 Dynamics	4
B ME 301 Introduction to Mechanical Engineering	1
B ME 315 Intro to 3D Modeling, Design, and Analysis	4
B ME 331 Thermodynamics	4
B ME 332 Fluid Mechanics	4
B ME 333 Heat Transfer	4
B ME 334 Thermal Fluids Lab	2
B ME 341 Mechanical Systems Design I	4
B ME 342 Mechanical Systems Design II	4
B ME 343 Mechanical Systems Design III	5
B ME 410 Electric Power and Machinery	5
B ME 481 The Citizen Engineer	5
B ENGR 494 Engineering Design and Innovation	3
B ME 495 Capstone Project in ME I	3
B ME 496 Capstone Project in ME II	4
ME electives	16
Total	86

Students select courses from the list given in Table 4 to meet the 16 credit ME elective requirements. UW Seattle college of Engineering courses will also fulfill UWB ME requirements but students should assume the responsibility of consulting the appropriate academic adviser for permission.

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Table 4: Summary of engineering elective courses

Summary of Engineering Elective Courses

Engineering Elective Courses	Credit
B ME 345 Machining Fundamentals	4
*B ME 433 Advanced Thermal Fluids	4
B ME 435 Intro to Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning	4
B ME 440 Mechanical Behavior of  Materials	4
B ME 446 Sustainable Energy	4
B ME 450 Intro to Ocean Engineering and Sciences	4
B ME 460 Intro to Mechatronics	4
B ME 483 Fundamentals of Engineering Mechanical Exam Preparation	2
B ME 493 Intro to Biomaterials	4
B ME 493 Ocean Sensor Data Analysis	4
B ME 493 Finite Element Analysis	4
B ME 493 Aircraft Stability and Loads	4
B ME 493 Intro to Vibration and Structures	4
B ME 493 Sustainable Energy in Japan	5
B ME 498 Independent Study in Mechanical Engineering	(1-5) max 4 counted as degree credit
B ME 499 Undergraduate Research in Mechanical Engineering	(1-5) max 4 counted as degree credit
*B EE 381 Electric Power Generation	5
*B ME 431 Acoustical Engineering: Fundamentals	4
*B ME 432 Acoustical Engineering: Medical Devices	4
* Electives not currently offered

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Table 5: General education courses

General Education Courses

General Education Courses	Credit
B WRIT 134 Composition	5
B WRIT 135 Research Writing (or ENGL 141, ENGL 182, HCDE 231, ENGR 231)	5
Arts and Humanities electives	5
Social Science electives	5
Total	20

Table 6: Skills courses

Summary of skills courses

Skill Courses	Credits
CSS 112 Introduction to Programming for Scientific Applications	4
BIS 121 Intro to Drawing (or equivalent) (Suggested)	5
B ENGR 310 Computation Physical Modeling	4
Total	13

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Missions & vision

Mission

To provide the educational environment necessary to develop mechanical engineering graduates who are distinguished by their skills in design, analysis, hands‐on engineering, problem solving, communication, and leadership; and who are keenly aware of their ethical responsibilities in a global society.

Vision

To graduate students who are exceptionally prepared to practice mechanical engineering mindful of their responsibility to society.

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Message from the Mechanical Engineering Program Coordinator

Mechanical Engineering is a vibrant discipline in the exploration of new technology and knowledge. The Mechanical Engineering program at UW Bothell, one of three engineering programs of the division of Engineering & Math in the School of STEM, is recognized for the diversity, innovation and strength of its undergraduate program, and a dedicated profession to serving our community. Known for UW Bothell’s energetic and forward-looking atmosphere, we have recruited outstanding faculty and staff who conduct a broad scope of research and help students grow their skills and knowledge as well as cultivate critical thinking. As such, we seek to graduate students who are distinguished by their skills in design, analysis, problem-solving, communication, and leadership. Our students are also well aware of their ethical responsibilities to society.  (Vision and Mission Statement and Degree Description)

UW Bothell ME has just started an awesome legacy! Our faculty are committed to interdisciplinary work and collaboration and they are passionate about cutting-edge research. We have strong research activities in biomedical devices, underwater acoustics, granular composites, ultrasound, robotic surgery, advanced materials characterization, power/energy, and engineering policy. Our dedicated faculty keep studying and updating our curriculum to improve our students’ learning experience. The innovative curriculum enables the program to provide high-quality, hands-on training to prospective engineers and future leaders for industry and society. For example, to further make our graduates more competitive in obtaining jobs post-graduation, a small-size and hands-on machining course for our senior students began being offered after input from our ME Advisory Board, particularly from the three Boeing Company board member engineers. Moreover, the curriculum includes extensive 3 quarter-long Capstone design courses which give the students major design experience. Our project-based pedagogy also embraces our local community. Local sponsors (typically also collaborators) of our research/capstone projects range from small farms (e.g., SAgE, 21 Acres, Farmer Frog) and UW labs (APL) to start-up and international companies (e.g., Stormsensor, OceanGate, Ventec, Spiration, and many). Finally, there are several very active engineering clubs that you can join (e.g., robotics, ASHRAE, ASME, Marine technology, and Manufacturing: Student Organizations) within the ME program.

It is an exciting time in Washington and the region as high-tech industries are thriving and there are more exciting things happening at UW Bothell mechanical engineering. We invite you to be a part of it– you can apply here or support our program! Through this and other connected web sites, you can learn more about us. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me. I hope you will consider joining us to launch or further your studies in Mechanical Engineering.

Sincerely,

Jong Yoon, Associate Professor and Program Coordinator

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Enrollment & Graduation Data

This table provides annual enrollment and graduation data for each academic year in the Mechanical Engineering program.

Year	Annual Enrollment	Degree Awarded
2014 - 2015	29	0
2015 - 2016	57	28
2016 - 2017	75	27
2017 - 2018	96	48
2018 - 2019	100	43
2019 - 2020	130	44
2020 - 2021	136	52
2021 - 2022	126	51
2022-2023		50*

Note: 2022-2023 numbers are an estimate.

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