Mar 28, 2024  
2013-2014 Catalog 
    
2013-2014 Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Mechanical Engineering Major


The undergraduate major in Mechanical Engineering provides students with a solid foundation and the necessary skills to assume leadership roles in industry and government agencies. The major also offers a number of opportunities for students intending to continue their education in graduate school. Mechanical Engineering impacts society by developing innovative technologies through the application of analysis for the design and synthesis of mechanical components and systems. The employment opportunities for graduates in this field are many and diverse. Mechanical engineers are recruited in a variety of industries, including automotive, aerospace, power generation, environmental, electronics, bioengineering, food processing, and consulting firms, among many others. Because of the variety of fields that are relevant to this profession, the undergraduate program covers areas in dynamics, materials, thermal/fluids, vibrations, controls, computer aided engineering, design and manufacturing. The innovative curriculum at UC Merced provides hands-on education that exposes students to engineering fundamentals, laboratory work and the use of computational tools to solve realistic engineering problems.

The program also prepares students to pursue graduate work in engineering or other disciplines. Mechanical Engineering is an evolving discipline that adapts to the current needs of society. Some of the exciting current areas of research include advanced energy systems, sustainable energy, autonomous vehicles, biomechanics and biosensors, nano/micro-technology, computational modeling, design optimization and complex systems. The programs at UC Merced emphasize a highly interdisciplinary approach; thus the curriculum offers several technical electives in topics inside and outside the Mechanical Engineering program, and a culminating design experience.

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