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, https://www.abet.org, 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:
- 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.
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:
- Successful and on track to become leaders in the global workforce;
- 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
- 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). When students declare the major in Mechanical Engineering (associated with the BSME degree), students must additionally identify and declare one of four areas of specialization, either in:
- 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; or
- Computational Engineering: covers methods and tools for computational analysis in engineering applications, fluids and solids, to help with design and performance in such applications; or
- 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; or
- Thermal Fluids: integrates topics from thermodynamics, fluids, and heat transfer to study renewable and conventional energy systems, aerospace/aeronautics, and surface interactions; or
- Breadth in Mechanical Engineering: encompasses concepts from across the areas of specialization to prepare students for working in cross-cutting fields.
Because of the common core requirements, it is possible for students to change their area of specialization at any time, even after initially declaring the major. To do so, please contact the Office of the Registrar.
The BSME degree prepares students for the professional practice of engineering. The degree program's goals and objectives are available on the departmental website. Lists of representative undergraduate courses and the usual order in which they are taken are available from the department.
The courses listed below satisfy the requirements for this major. In certain instances, courses not on this official list may be substituted upon approval of the major’s academic advisor or, where applicable, the department's Director of Undergraduate Studies. (Course substitutions must be formally applied and entered into Degree Works by the major's Official Certifier.) Students and their academic advisors should identify and clearly document the courses to be taken.
Summary
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Total Credit Hours Required for the Major in Mechanical Engineering | 87 | |
| Total Credit Hours Required for the BSME Degree | 127 | |
Degree Requirements
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Requirements | ||
| Basic Math and Science Courses (Required Pre-Requisites) | ||
| CHEM 121 | GENERAL CHEMISTRY I | 3 |
| or CHEM 111 | AP/OTH CREDIT IN GENERAL CHEMISTRY I | |
| CHEM 123 | GENERAL CHEMISTRY LABORATORY I | 1 |
| or CHEM 113 | AP/OTH CREDIT IN GENERAL CHEMISTRY LAB I | |
| MATH 101 | SINGLE VARIABLE CALCULUS I | 3 |
| or MATH 105 | AP/OTH CREDIT IN CALCULUS I | |
| MATH 102 | SINGLE VARIABLE CALCULUS II | 3 |
| or MATH 106 | AP/OTH CREDIT IN CALCULUS II | |
| MATH 211 | ORDINARY DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS AND LINEAR ALGEBRA | 3 |
| or MATH 220 | HONORS ORDINARY DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS | |
| MATH 212 | MULTIVARIABLE CALCULUS | 3 |
| or MATH 232 | HONORS MULTIVARIABLE CALCULUS | |
| Select 1 from the following: | 4 | |
| MECHANICS (WITH LAB) and MECHANICS DISCUSSION 1 | ||
| HONORS MECHANICS (WITH LAB) 1 | ||
| Select 1 from the following: | 4 | |
| ELECTRICITY & MAGNETISM (WITH LAB) and ELECTRICITY AND MAGNETISM DISCUSSION 2 | ||
| HONORS ELECTRICITY & MAGNETISM (WITH LAB) 2 | ||
| Computational Applied Mathematics and Operations Research | ||
| CMOR 220 | INTRODUCTION TO ENGINEERING COMPUTATION | 3 |
| or MECH 210 | INTRODUCTION TO NUMERICAL METHODS | |
| CMOR 302 | MATRIX ANALYSIS | 3 |
| or CMOR 303 | MATRIX ANALYSIS FOR DATA SCIENCE | |
| or MATH 355 | LINEAR ALGEBRA | |
| or MATH 354 | HONORS LINEAR ALGEBRA | |
| CMOR 304 | DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS IN SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING | 3 |
| Senior Design 3 | ||
| MECH 407 | CAPSTONE DESIGN PROJECT I | 4 |
| MECH 408 | CAPSTONE DESIGN PROJECT II | 3 |
| Laboratory Courses | ||
| MECH 231 | SOPHOMORE LAB | 1 |
| MECH 331 | JUNIOR LABORATORY I | 1 |
| MECH 332 | JUNIOR LABORATORY II | 1 |
| MECH 340 | INDUSTRIAL PROCESS LAB | 1 |
| Mechanical Engineering | ||
| MECH 200 | CLASSICAL THERMODYNAMICS | 3 |
| MECH 202 | MECHANICS/STATICS | 3 |
| MECH 203 | MECHANICAL ENGINEERING DESIGN TOOLS | 3 |
| MECH 310 | RIGID BODY DYNAMICS | 3 |
| MECH 315 | STRESS ANALYSIS | 3 |
| Select 1 from the following: | 4 | |
| MODELING OF DYNAMIC SYSTEMS - LECTURE and MODELING OF DYNAMIC SYSTEMS LAB | ||
| MODELING OF DYNAMIC SYSTEMS -LECTURE & LAB | ||
| MECH 350 | MECHANICAL ELEMENTS | 3 |
| MECH 371 | FLUID MECHANICS I | 3 |
| MECH 420 / ELEC 436 | FUNDAMENTALS OF CONTROL SYSTEMS | 3 |
| MECH 481 | HEAT TRANSFER | 3 |
| Elective Requirements | ||
| Limited Elective 4 | ||
| Select 1 course from the following departmental course offerings at the 300-level or above: CMOR, DSCI, MATH, STAT. | 3 | |
| Technical Electives 5 | ||
| Select 1 from the following Areas of Specialization (see Areas of Specialization below): | 9 | |
Aerospace | ||
Computational Engineering | ||
Mechanics/Dynamics | ||
Thermal Fluids | ||
Breadth in Mechanical Engineering | ||
| Total Credit Hours Required for the Major in Mechanical Engineering | 87 | |
| Additional Credit Hours to Complete Degree Requirements * | 9 | |
| University Graduation Requirements * | 31 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 127 | |
Footnotes and Additional Information
| * | Note: University Graduation Requirements include 31 credit hours, comprised of Distribution Requirements (Groups I, II, and III), FWIS, and LPAP coursework. In some instances, courses satisfying FWIS or distribution requirements may additionally meet other requirements, such as the Analyzing Diversity (AD) requirement, or some of the student’s declared major, minor, or certificate requirements. Additional Credit Hours to Complete Degree Requirements include general electives, coursework completed as upper-level, residency (hours taken at Rice), and/or any other additional academic program requirements. |
| 1 | The Mechanical Engineering department has determined that credit awarded for PHYS 141 CONCEPTS IN PHYSICS I is not eligible for meeting the requirements of the MECH major. |
| 2 | The Mechanical Engineering department has determined that credit awarded for PHYS 142 CONCEPTS IN PHYSICS II is not eligible for meeting the requirements of the MECH major. |
| 3 | During their senior year, mechanical engineering students in the BSME program complete these courses in design application while completing a major design project. |
| 4 | DSCI 305 may not be used to fulfill the Limited Elective requirement. |
| 5 | Students must complete a total of 3 technical electives (9 credit hours) in one area of specialization: Computational Engineering, Mechanics/Dynamics, Thermal Fluids, or Breadth in Mechanical Engineering. |
Areas of Specialization
Students must complete the requirements as listed for one of the following areas of specialization for the BSME degree program. A minimum of 3 courses (minimum of 9 credit hours) must be taken in the area 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
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Requirement | ||
| MECH 594 | INTRODUCTION TO AERONAUTICS | 3 |
| Elective Requirements | ||
| Select 2 courses from the following: | 6 | |
| DYNAMICS AND CONTROL OF MECHANICAL SYSTEMS | ||
| VIBRATIONS | ||
| FINITE ELEMENT ANALYSIS | ||
| COMPUTATIONAL FLUID MECHANICS | ||
| THERMAL SYSTEMS DESIGN | ||
| ADVANCED COMPUTATIONAL MECHANICS | ||
| CONVECTIVE HEAT TRANSFER | ||
| DESIGN OF MECHATRONIC SYSTEMS | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO ROBOTICS | ||
| NONLINEAR SYSTEMS: ANALYSIS AND CONTROL | ||
| COMPUTATIONAL FLUID-STRUCTURE INTERACTION | ||
MECH 571 | ||
| ORBITAL MECHANICS AND MISSION DESIGN | ||
| AEROSPACE PROPULSION | ||
| GAS DYNAMICS | ||
| DESIGN FOR AEROSPACE ENVIRONMENTS | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO FLIGHT MECHANICS | ||
| RADIATIVE HEAT TRANSFER I | ||
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
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Requirement | ||
| MECH 417 / CEVE 417 | FINITE ELEMENT ANALYSIS 1 | 3 |
| or MECH 454 / BIOE 454 / CEVE 454 | COMPUTATIONAL FLUID MECHANICS | |
| Elective Requirements | ||
| Select 2 courses from the following: | 6 | |
| INTRODUCTION TO OPERATIONS RESEARCH AND OPTIMIZATION | ||
| NUMERICAL METHODS FOR PARTIAL DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS | ||
| FINITE ELEMENT ANALYSIS 1 | ||
| PHYSICS GUIDED MACHINE LEARNING & DATA DRIVEN MODELING FEM | ||
| COMPUTATIONAL FLUID MECHANICS 1 | ||
| SYSTEM IDENTIFICATION OF DYNAMIC SYSTEMS WITH MACHINE LEARNING | ||
| ADVANCED COMPUTATIONAL MECHANICS | ||
| RENEWABLE AND ADVANCED ENERGY SYSTEMS | ||
| NEUROMUSCULOSKELETAL MODELING AND SIMULATION | ||
| NUMERICAL METHODS FOR ENGINEERS | ||
| COMPUTATIONAL FLUID-STRUCTURE INTERACTION | ||
| APPLIED MONTE CARLO ANALYSIS | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 9 | |
Footnotes and Additional Information
| 1 | MECH 417 or MECH 454 may fulfill the area of specialization Elective Requirements if they are not selected as the area of specialization Core Requirement. |
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
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Requirement | ||
| MECH 412 | VIBRATIONS | 3 |
| Elective Requirements | ||
| Select 2 courses from the following: | 6 | |
| STRUCTURAL DYNAMIC SYSTEMS | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO MODERN ROBOTICS 1 | ||
| ADVANCED MECHANICS OF MATERIALS | ||
| DYNAMICS AND CONTROL OF MECHANICAL SYSTEMS | ||
| ADVANCED MACHINE DESIGN AND MECHANICAL SYSTEMS | ||
| FINITE ELEMENT ANALYSIS | ||
| PHYSICS GUIDED MACHINE LEARNING & DATA DRIVEN MODELING FEM | ||
| TRIBOMECHADYNAMICS | ||
| ALGORITHMIC AND AI-DRIVEN ROBOTICS | ||
| ADVANCED COMPUTATIONAL MECHANICS | ||
| DESIGN OF MECHATRONIC SYSTEMS | ||
| NEUROMUSCULOSKELETAL MODELING AND SIMULATION | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO ROBOTICS 1 | ||
| NONLINEAR SYSTEMS: ANALYSIS AND CONTROL | ||
| TRIBOLOGY: THE STUDY OF FRICTION, LUBRICATION, AND WEAR | ||
| ORBITAL MECHANICS AND MISSION DESIGN | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO FLIGHT MECHANICS | ||
| APPLIED STOCHASTIC MECHANICS | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 9 | |
Footnotes and Additional Information
| 1 | Either COMP 462 or MECH 498/COMP 498/ELEC 498 may fulfill the Mechanics/Dynamics Area of Specialization, but not both courses. |
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
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Requirement | ||
| Select 1 course from the following: | 3 | |
| COMPUTATIONAL FLUID MECHANICS | ||
| THERMAL SYSTEMS DESIGN 1 | ||
| RENEWABLE AND ADVANCED ENERGY SYSTEMS 1 | ||
| Elective Requirements | ||
| Select 2 courses from the following: | 6 | |
| FINITE ELEMENT ANALYSIS | ||
| COMPUTATIONAL FLUID MECHANICS 1 | ||
| THERMAL SYSTEMS DESIGN 1 | ||
| RENEWABLE AND ADVANCED ENERGY SYSTEMS 1 | ||
| CONVECTIVE HEAT TRANSFER | ||
| MICROSCOPIC THERMODYNAMICS AND TRANSPORT | ||
| INTERFACIAL PHENOMENA, CAPILLARITY, AND WETTING | ||
| MICROFLUIDICS: FUNDAMENTALS AND APPLICATIONS | ||
| COMPUTATIONAL FLUID-STRUCTURE INTERACTION | ||
| TRIBOLOGY: THE STUDY OF FRICTION, LUBRICATION, AND WEAR | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO HYDRODYNAMIC STABILITY | ||
| AEROSPACE PROPULSION | ||
| GAS DYNAMICS | ||
| DESIGN FOR AEROSPACE ENVIRONMENTS | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO AERONAUTICS | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 9 | |
Footnotes and Additional Information
| 1 | MECH 454/BIOE 454/CEVE 454, MECH 472, or MECH 475 may fulfill the area of specialization Elective Requirements if they are not selected as the area of specialization Core Requirement. |
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
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Requirement | ||
| Select 1 course from the following: | 3 | |
| VIBRATIONS 1 | ||
| FINITE ELEMENT ANALYSIS 1 | ||
| COMPUTATIONAL FLUID MECHANICS 1 | ||
| THERMAL SYSTEMS DESIGN 1 | ||
| RENEWABLE AND ADVANCED ENERGY SYSTEMS 1 | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO AERONAUTICS 1 | ||
| Elective Requirements | ||
| Select 2 courses from the following: | 6 | |
| INTRODUCTION TO OPERATIONS RESEARCH AND OPTIMIZATION | ||
| NUMERICAL METHODS FOR PARTIAL DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS | ||
| STRUCTURAL DYNAMIC SYSTEMS | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO MODERN ROBOTICS | ||
| ADVANCED MECHANICS OF MATERIALS | ||
| DYNAMICS AND CONTROL OF MECHANICAL SYSTEMS | ||
| VIBRATIONS 1 | ||
| ADVANCED MACHINE DESIGN AND MECHANICAL SYSTEMS | ||
| FINITE ELEMENT ANALYSIS 1 | ||
| TRIBOMECHADYNAMICS | ||
| ALGORITHMIC AND AI-DRIVEN ROBOTICS | ||
| COMPUTATIONAL FLUID MECHANICS 1 | ||
| SYSTEM IDENTIFICATION OF DYNAMIC SYSTEMS WITH MACHINE LEARNING | ||
| THERMAL SYSTEMS DESIGN 1 | ||
| ADVANCED COMPUTATIONAL MECHANICS | ||
| RENEWABLE AND ADVANCED ENERGY SYSTEMS 1 | ||
| CONVECTIVE HEAT TRANSFER | ||
| MICROSCOPIC THERMODYNAMICS AND TRANSPORT | ||
| INTERFACIAL PHENOMENA, CAPILLARITY, AND WETTING | ||
| DESIGN OF MECHATRONIC SYSTEMS | ||
| MICROFLUIDICS: FUNDAMENTALS AND APPLICATIONS | ||
| NEUROMUSCULOSKELETAL MODELING AND SIMULATION | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO ROBOTICS | ||
| NUMERICAL METHODS FOR ENGINEERS | ||
| NONLINEAR SYSTEMS: ANALYSIS AND CONTROL | ||
| COMPUTATIONAL FLUID-STRUCTURE INTERACTION | ||
| TRIBOLOGY: THE STUDY OF FRICTION, LUBRICATION, AND WEAR | ||
MECH 571 | ||
| ORBITAL MECHANICS AND MISSION DESIGN | ||
| AEROSPACE PROPULSION | ||
| GAS DYNAMICS | ||
| DESIGN FOR AEROSPACE ENVIRONMENTS | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO AERONAUTICS 1 | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO FLIGHT MECHANICS | ||
| APPLIED STOCHASTIC MECHANICS | ||
| APPLIED MONTE CARLO ANALYSIS | ||
| RADIATIVE HEAT TRANSFER I | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 9 | |
Footnotes and Additional Information
| 1 | MECH 412, MECH 417, MECH 454/BIOE 454/CEVE 454, MECH 472, MECH 475, or MECH 594 may fulfill the area of specialization Elective Requirements if they are not selected as the area of specialization Core Requirement. |
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 (corresponding to the subject code of the course content). The Office of Academic Advising maintains the university’s official list of transfer credit advisors on their website: https://oaa.rice.edu. Students are encouraged to meet with the applicable transfer credit advisor as well as their academic program director when considering transfer credit possibilities.
Additional Information
For additional information, please see the Mechanical Engineering website: https://mech.rice.edu/.
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. Some departments have department-specific Honors awards or designations.
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.
Advanced Rice undergraduate students in good academic standing typically apply to the master’s degree program during their junior or senior year. Upon acceptance, depending on course load, financial aid status, and other variables, they may then start taking some required courses of the master's degree program. A plan of study will need to be approved by the student's undergraduate major advisor and the master’s degree program director.
As part of this option and opportunity, Rice undergraduate students:
- must complete the requirements for a bachelor's degree and the master's degree independently of each other (i.e. no course may be counted toward the fulfillment of both degrees).
- should be aware there could be financial aid implications if the conversion of undergraduate coursework to that of graduate level reduces their earned undergraduate credit for any semester below that of full-time status (12 credit hours).
- more information on this Undergraduate - Graduate Concurrent Enrollment opportunity, including specific information on the registration process can be found here.
Rice undergraduate students completing studies in science and engineering may have the option to pursue the Master of Mechanical Engineering (MME) degree. For additional information, students should contact their undergraduate major advisor and the MME program director.
Additional Information
For additional information, please see the Mechanical Engineering website: https://mech.rice.edu/.