Mechanical Did You Know?

Mechanical
Did You Know?
CU’s ME Department has
active chapters of a number
of professional societies
including the American
Society for Mechanical
Engineering, Society of
Manufacturing Engineers,
and Pi Tau Sigma, the ME
honor society.
M
Degrees Offered
BS
MS
PhD
BS/MS
Rankings (USNWR)
Mechanical Engineering
■ 18th among public
graduate programs
nationwide
College
■ 17th among public
undergraduate engineering
programs nationwide
■ 20th among public
graduate engineering
programs nationwide
echanical engineering is a core discipline which encompasses the general areas of
design and manufacturing, fluid and solid mechanics, and thermal and materials
science. From developing new energy technologies to improving the design and functionality
of artificial limbs, many career directions are open to mechanical engineers, who work in
both the public and private sectors.
Biomedical Engineering Option (BIM)
Biomedical Engineering is the application of engineering technology to medical research
and equipment. Contributions to this important and growing area by mechanical engineers
include the design and manufacture of biomedical devices ranging from prostheses to
micromechanical blood flow sensors and artificial heart valves. Application of mechanical
engineering fundamentals (thermofluids, mechanics, and materials science) to questions
in biophysics also contributes to improvements in medical diagnosis and treatment. BIM
provides an opportunity to augment an ME degree with a background in biomedical topics.
Environmental Engineering
Option (ENV)
Hands-on Learning
Students may elect the
At CU, students learn by doing. A first-year projects course
Environmental Engineering
allows students to design, plan, and create solutions to realOption within Mechanical
world challenges. Mechanical engineering senior design
Engineering. Important areas
projects are sponsored by local and national industry,
include pollution detection/
providing hands-on, relevant design experiences. Students
can also participate in
control/prevention and
undergraduate
environmental aspects of
research,
energy conversion. ME can
internships
tie into designing detection
What can I do with a degree
and industry
equipment, devising cleanin mechanical engineering?
co-ops.
up strategies, and improving
■Research
■ Design
manufacturing processes.
■ Testing
Students pursuing the Environmental Option
satisfy
■Manufacturing
the requirements for a Mechanical Engineering
■ Operation and maintenance
degree by choosing Technical Electives relating
to
■ Marketing and sales
environmental engineering and science.
Mechanical
Course Highlights
*Photo by Aaron Brown, student in the
2004 Flow Visualization course, an
interdisciplinary course in mechanical
engineering and fine arts photography
An ME degree can be
applied to industries
including:
■ Automotive
■ Aerospace
■ Biomedical
■ Chemical
■ Computer
■ Electronic
■ Environmental
■ Industrial
Machinery
■ Manufacturing
■ Mining
■ Nanotechnology
■ Oceanographic
■ Petroleum
■ Pharmaceutical
■ Power
■ Printing
■ Publishing
■ Textile
Component Design
Advanced Product Design
This course introduces students to fundamental
machine design concepts. Active style lectures
are utilized to teach design against failure for a
combination of loading scenarios. The application
of springs, bearings, gears, and fasteners is also
explored. A significant portion of the course is
dedicated to a semester long hands-on design
project. The project integrates professional
skills (communication, teamwork, project
management) and machine design, with students
using product specification to design components
and fabricate a functioning prototype.
This course focuses on the development and
design of consumer products. By consumer
products, we mean products you interact
with: bicycles, climbing gear, power tools,
etc. Through review of existing products,
high level frameworks and hands-on design
assignments, this course will give you an
overview of the processes and methods
you will need to design products. Content
covered in this course will include: sketching,
brainstorming, idea generation, design thinking,
user-centered design, product requirements
and specifications, product constraints,
human factors, aesthetics, industrial design,
intellectual property, concept prototyping, idea
selection, tolerancing, cost estimating, design
for manufacturing, and materials selection.
This is not your typical class — expect a very
fast pace, difficult assignments (where there
is no ‘right’ answer), lots of reading about
design, and A LOT of teamwork and group
projects. In short, very similar to what it is like
to work in the field of product design. Teams
of ~3 students will each focus on a different
assigned consumer product throughout the
semester, and will apply materials taught to the
redesign of each product.
For more information visit me.colorado.edu