Oct 10, 2024  
2024-2025 Undergraduate Bulletin 
    
2024-2025 Undergraduate Bulletin

Mechanical Engineering, BS Major in


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Accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission(s) of ABET, https://www.abet.org, under the General Criteria and the Mechanical and Similarly Named Engineering Programs Program Criteria.

Associate Professor Vaccaro, Program Director

Program Requirements - Total Semester Hours: 131


Candidates for graduation with the BS degree in mechanical engineering must fulfill the following requirements:

1. The Successful Completion of 131 Semester Hours


The successful completion of 131 s.h. and a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 in work completed at Hofstra. Military Science may not be counted toward this total semester hour requirement.

2. Liberal Arts


At least 68 semester hours must be completed in the liberal arts, with at least 48 of these semester hours taken outside of engineering.

3. Residence Requirements


There are two requirements that must ordinarily be completed in residence at Hofstra: 15 semester hours in the major field of specialization and the last 30 semester hours. The 15 semester hours need not be included within the last 30 hours.

4. General and Major Requirements


The general and major requirements as listed under the programs below. Courses may not be taken on the Pass/D+/D/Fail basis. Transfer credit will only count toward the major for engineering courses completed with a minimum grade of C-.

In addition to fulfilling the degree requirements listed above, the following courses must be successfully completed: WSC 001 or placement examination* and WSC 002; 3 hours in literature, literature in translation or comparative literature (chosen from Distribution Courses designated LT); 3 hours in behavioral social sciences (chosen from distribution courses designated BH); 3 hours in history, philosophy, religion in social sciences (chosen from distribution courses designated HP), and 6 hours in humanities or social sciences. Students transferring in with previous social science/humanities credits may use them in place of distribution requirements in the same category as the transferred credits.

Courses


Fifteen (15) Semester Hours in Technical Electives

Mechanical engineering majors will choose five technical electives from the following list of courses.

Cumulative Average

A cumulative average of C or better is required in the courses below, while a cumulative average of C or better is required in all engineering courses.

General Information


This program provides intensive study at the undergraduate level in the field of mechanical engineering. A healthy mix of theory, experiment and design informs the curriculum. Design is introduced early in the curriculum, and all graduates are expected to be broadly enough educated to complete capstone senior design courses in two distinct areas of mechanical engineering. Extensive laboratory involvement inculcates valuable insights into experimental methods and, in some cases, original research. Through technical electives (decided on in consultation with a mechanical engineering faculty adviser) students have the opportunity to develop a greater in-depth knowledge of one or more specialized areas of mechanical engineering. In addition, the program provides a strong foundation in the engineering sciences, mathematics, and liberal arts.

Program Educational Objectives


Graduates of the Program will have the ability to:

  1. Become successful professionally and excel in their chosen field.
  2. Integrate their engineering and liberal arts backgrounds to improve society
  3. Develop the intellectual tools and confidence to support lifelong learners

Student Outcomes


  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.

Concentration Option: Aerospace Engineering


The Concentration in Aerospace Engineering is aimed at educating mechanical engineering students in the performance and design of aerospace systems.

Students majoring in Mechanical Engineering are eligible to register for this concentration.

Concentration Program Requirements – Semester Hours: 12


To satisfy the requirements of the aerospace concentration, four technical electives within this program must be satisfied from the following list of courses:

Footnotes


* If this requirement is fulfilled by passing the placement examination, three (3) semester hours in the humanities or social sciences should be taken with the adviser’s approval.

** With the adviser’s approval.

 

Recommended Program Sequence - Total Hours: 131


  

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