The online catalog includes the most recent changes to courses and degree requirements that have been approved by the Faculty Senate, including changes that are not yet effective.
Courses
The online catalog includes the most recent changes to courses and degree requirements that have been approved by the Faculty Senate, including changes that are not yet effective. Courses showing two entries of the same number indicate that the course information is changing. The most recently approved version is shown first, followed by the older version, in gray, with its last-effective term preceding the course title. Courses shown in gray with only one entry of the course number are being discontinued. Course offerings by term can be accessed by clicking on the term links when viewing a specific campus catalog.
Mechanical Engineering (ME)
116 Engineering Computer-aided Design and Visualization 2 (0-6) Course Prerequisite: MATH 171 or concurrent enrollment. Introduction to 3-D solid modeling, parts, drawings, assemblies, multi-body parts, sketch editing, sheet metal, weldments, surface and mold tools.
212 Dynamics 3 Course Prerequisite: MATH 172 or 182 with a grade of C or better; CE 211 with a grade C or better. Kinematics and kinetics of particles and rigid bodies; introduction to mechanical vibration. Cooperative: Open to UI degree-seeking students.
216 Integrated CAD Design 2 (0-6) Course Prerequisite: ME 116 with a C or better; CE 215 or concurrent enrollment. CAD based analysis for engineering design, the application of motion, FEA and CFD, CAD simulations to the engineering design process.
220 Materials Laboratory 1 (0-3) Course Prerequisite: CE 215 or concurrent enrollment, or MSE 202 or concurrent enrollment. Mechanical behavior of materials and application to engineering structures.
241 Engineering Computations 3 Course Prerequisite: MATH 273 with a C or better or concurrent enrollment; 4 credits of PHYSICS 201 with a C or better or concurrent enrollment, or PHYSICS 201 and 211 both with a C or better, or both with concurrent enrollment. Introduction to the computational methods used for solving numerical problems in engineering. (Crosslisted course offered as ME 241, MSE 241.)
301 Fundamentals of Thermodynamics 3 Course Prerequisite: 4 credits of PHYSICS 201 with a grade of C or better, or PHYSICS 201 and 211, both with a C or better. Thermodynamic properties of matter, ideal and real gases, work and heat, first and second laws and their application to engineering systems. Cooperative: Open to UI degree-seeking students.
303 Fluid Mechanics 3 Course Prerequisite: ME 212. Fluid statics, laminar and turbulent flow, similitude, pipe flow, boundary layers, lift and drag and measurement techniques. Cooperative: Open to UI degree-seeking students.
304 Heat Transfer 3 Course Prerequisite: ME 301; ME 303; admitted to the major in Mechanical Engineering. Conduction, radiation, and convection heat transfer; analytical, numerical, experimental results for solids, liquids, and gases; heat exchanger design. Cooperative: Open to UI degree-seeking students.
306 Thermal and Fluids Laboratory 2 (1-3) Course Prerequisite: ME 301; ME 303; STAT 370 or concurrent enrollment; admitted to the major in Mechanical Engineering. Instrumentation, data acquisition, and theory verification in the thermal and fluid sciences.
310 Manufacturing Processes 2 Course Prerequisite: MSE 201; admitted to the major in Mechanical Engineering or Materials Science and Engineering. Manufacturing processes, material fabrication, and nontraditional processing.
311 Manufacturing Processes Laboratory 1 (0-3) Course Prerequisite: ME 310 or concurrent enrollment; admitted to the major in Mechanical Engineering. Manufacturing processes laboratory in machining, welding, forming; manufacturing project.
312 Manufacturing Engineering 3 (2-3) Course Prerequisite: MSE 201; admitted to the major in Mechanical Engineering or Material Science Engineering. Traditional and advanced manufacturing processes for metals, plastics, and ceramics.
313 Engineering Analysis 3 (2-3) Course Prerequisite: MATH 315 or concurrent enrollment; CE 215; ME 116; E E 221, CPT S 121, CPT S 131, CPT S 251, ME 241, or MSE 241. Analysis and modeling of engineering problems utilizing numerical and mathematical techniques and computers. Cooperative: Open to UI degree-seeking students.
316 Mechanical Component Analysis and Design 3 Course Prerequisite: CE 215; ME 216 or concurrent enrollment; ME 220 or concurrent enrollment; admitted to the major in Mechanical Engineering. Optimal design of machinery; analysis for prevention of machine elements failure.
348 Dynamics Systems 3 Course Prerequisite: MATH 315; ME 212; ME 241, CPT S 121, CPT S 131, or E E 221; all with a letter grade C or better; admitted to the major in Mechanical Engineering. Fundamentals of vibration analysis, control systems, system modeling and dynamics analysis.
401 Mechatronics 3 (2-3) Course Prerequisite: E E 262; ME 348; admitted to the major in Mechanical Engineering. Integration of mechanical and microprocessor-based systems; control theory implemented with data acquisition systems; sensors; actuators, signal conditioning, programmable logic controllers.
405 Thermal Systems Design 3 Course Prerequisite: ME 304; admitted to the major in Mechanical Engineering. Design and analysis of thermofluid systems using principles of thermodynamics, fluid mechanics and heat transfer.
406 [M] Experimental Design 3 (1-6) Course Prerequisite: ME 220; ME 304; ME 306; ME 348; admitted to the major in Mechanical Engineering. Designing, conducting, and reporting of experimental investigations involving mechanical equipment.
407 Computational Fluid Dynamics 3 Course Prerequisite: ME 303. Basic concepts and applications of computational fluid dynamics to the analysis and design of fluid systems and components.
413 Mechanical Behavior of Materials 3 Course Prerequisite: CE 215 and MSE 201, both with a C or better; OR MSE 202 with a C or better. Elasticity, elastic stress distributions; plastic deformation of single and polycrystals; introduction to dislocation theory and its applications; creep, fracture, fatigue. (Crosslisted course offered as MSE 413, ME 413).
415 [M] Engineering Design 3 Course Prerequisite: ME 304 or concurrent enrollment; ME 316 or concurrent enrollment and ME 348 or concurrent enrollment; admitted to the major in Mechanical Engineering. Systems and component design; product development from specifications to manufacturing; team-based CAD design projects; engineering economics; engineering professional skills.
416 [CAPS] Mechanical Systems Design 3 (1-6) Course Prerequisite: ME major; ME 415; senior standing; OR MSE major; MSE 320; MSE 413 or concurrent; one of MSE 331, 332, or 333; junior standing; OR MSE major; MSE 202 with a C minimum; MSE 318 with a C minimum; MSE 413 or concurrent; junior standing. Integrative design in mechanical engineering; multidisciplinary design project considering both technical and non-technical contexts; organizational dynamics and communications.
419 Air Conditioning 3 Course Prerequisite: ME 304. Principles of heat and moisture transfer; air motion and purity in buildings; design of systems. Cooperative: Open to UI degree-seeking students.
431 Design of Solar Thermal Systems 3 Course Prerequisite: ME 301; ME 303; ME 304; admitted to the major in Mechanical Engineering. Design of solar thermal systems for heating and cooling of buildings, heating of water, electrical generation, industrial processes and distillation.
432 Wind Energy Engineering 3 Course Prerequisite: ME 303 with a C or better; ME 348 with a C or better or concurrent enrollment; STAT 360 or 370 with a C or better. Introduction to wind energy engineering concepts including aerodynamics, controls, resource estimation, turbine design, and wind farm design.
436 Combustion Engines 3 Course Prerequisite: ME 301; ME 303. Internal combustion engines; spark ignition engines, diesels, and gas turbines.
439 Applied Aerodynamics 3 Course Prerequisite: ME 303. Aerodynamic lift and drag; circulation; boundary layers, application to subsonic aircraft wing design.
449 Mechanical Vibration 3 Course Prerequisite: ME 348. Vibrating systems and noise producing mechanisms; design for noise and vibration control. Cooperative: Open to UI degree-seeking students.
461 Introduction to Nuclear Engineering 3 Course Prerequisite: MATH 315; admitted to a major in engineering or physical sciences; senior standing. Applied nuclear physics; application to the nuclear fuel cycle and nuclear reactor core design; nuclear reactor systems and safety. (Crosslisted course offered as ME 461, CHE 461).
462 Introduction to Nuclear Engineering II 3 Fundamentals of nuclear engineering, heat deposition and removal from nuclear reactors, radiation protection, radiation shielding, and licensing, safety, and environmental aspects of nuclear reactor operation.
466 Fundamentals of Engineering Examination Review 1 Course prerequisite: Admitted to a major in engineering or computer science. Review of engineering fundamentals and mechanical engineering discipline specific topics to prepare for the Fundamentals of Engineering Examination. S, F grading.
472 Finite Element Methods in Design 3 Course Prerequisite: ME 414. Design of selected mechanical systems components using finite element analysis.
473 Advanced CAD and Geometric Modeling 3 (2-3) Course Prerequisite: ME 316. Parametric and feature based CAD/CAM; geometric modeling and its mathematical basis; integration of CAD with design processes and other software.
474 Design for Manufacture and Modern Manufacturing Strategies 3 Course Prerequisite: ME 310 or 312. Design for manufacture and assembly; modern manufacturing philosophies and practices; lean manufacturing; manufacturing cost and time analysis; quality control. Cooperative: Open to UI degree-seeking students.
475 Manufacturing Enterprise Systems -- Automation and Product Realization 3 (2-3) Course Prerequisite: ME 310 and 311, or ME 312. Manufacturing automation and product realization; information technology and electronic data in manufacturing enterprise systems; product life-cycle management (PLM); sustainable and green manufacturing. Field trip to manufacturing industries required.
481 Control Systems 3 Course Prerequisite: ME 348. Analysis and design of feedback control systems. Credit not granted for both ME 481 and 581. Offered at 400 and 500 level. Cooperative: Open to UI degree-seeking students.
483 Topics in Mechanical Engineering V 1 (0-4) to 4 (0-16) May be repeated for credit; cumulative maximum 7 credits. Contemporary topics in mechanical engineering.
485 Introduction to Robotics and AI 3 Course Prerequisite: CPT S 121, CPT S 131, ME 241, or MSE 241; ME 348; ME 401. An exploration of the Robot Operating System (ROS) and solutions to simple AI problems using existing machine learning frameworks.
488 Professional Practice Coop/Internship I V 1-2 May be repeated for credit; cumulative maximum 6 credits. Course Prerequisite: By department permission. Practicum for students admitted to the VCEA Professional Practice and Experiential Learning Program; integration of coursework with on-the-job professional experience. (Crosslisted course offered as ENGR 488, BIO ENG 488, CHE 488, CE 488, CPT S 488, E E 488, ME 488, MSE 488, SDC 488). S, F grading.
488 (Effective through Spring 2024) Professional Practice Coop/Internship I V 1-2 May be repeated for credit; cumulative maximum 6 credits. Course Prerequisite: By department permission. Practicum for students admitted to the VCEA Professional Practice and Experiential Learning Program; integration of coursework with on-the-job professional experience. (Crosslisted course offered as ENGR 488, BIO ENG 488, CHE 488, CE 488, CPT S 488, E E 488, ME 488, MSE 488, SDC 488). S, F grading.
495 Internship in Mechanical Industry V 3-6 May be repeated for credit; cumulative maximum 12 credits. Course Prerequisite: Admitted to the major in Mechanical Engineering. By interview only. Students work full time on engineering assignment in approved industries with industrial and faculty supervision. S, F grading.
499 Special Problems V 1-4 May be repeated for credit. Course Prerequisite: By department permission. Independent study conducted under the jurisdiction of an approving faculty member; may include independent research studies in technical or specialized problems; selection and analysis of specified readings; development of a creative project; or field experiences. S, F grading.
501 Continuum Mechanics 3 Unified presentation of principles common to all branches of solid and fluid mechanics; viscous fluids, elasticity, viscoelasticity, and plasticity. (Crosslisted course offered as ME 501, MATH 570.) Cooperative: Open to UI degree-seeking students.
502 Sustainability Assessment for Engineering Design 3 Sustainability assessment, including environmental, societal, and economic assessment, in design and planning for entire product life cycle. Cooperative: Open to UI degree-seeking students.
503 Systems Design Approaches for Sustainability 3 Sustainability in systems design methodologies; systems modeling and decision-making for sustainability; multidisciplinary design optimization; research topics. Cooperative: Open to UI degree-seeking students.
507 Additive Manufacturing 3 Additive manufacturing processes and their applications in ceramic, metallic, polymeric, and composite materials. Recommended preparation: Basic knowledge in materials science and manufacturing. (Crosslisted course offered as MSE 507, ME 507). Cooperative: Open to UI degree-seeking students. Cooperative: Open to UI degree-seeking students.
509 MEMS Engineering 3 (2-3) Introduction to the design, fabrication and application of microelectromechanical systems. (Crosslisted course offered as ME 509, MSE 509). Cooperative: Open to UI degree-seeking students.
513 Theory of Plasticity and its Physical Foundations 3 Phenomenological plasticity and viscoplasticity of polycrystalline metals and alloys, polymers and granular media; deformation mechanisms; dislocation mechanics and interactions; dislocation motion; slip and climb; crystal plasticity; size effects and gradient models. (Crosslisted course offered as MSE 513, ME 513, MATSE 513). Cooperative: Open to UI degree-seeking students.
514 Thermodynamics of Solids 3 Thermodynamic properties of solid solutions; models for substitutional and interstitial solutions; configurational and non-configurational contributions; calculation of phase diagrams. (Crosslisted course offered as MSE 514, ME 514). Cooperative: Open to UI degree-seeking students.
515 Convective Heat Transfer 3 Derivation of the energy conservation equation; laminar and turbulent forced convection heat transfer with internal and external flow; free convection. Cooperative: Open to UI degree-seeking students.
516 Conduction and Radiation Heat Transfer 3 Principles of conduction and radiation heat transfer with focus on solving conduction and radiation problems of engineering interest. Cooperative: Open to UI degree-seeking students.
517 Thin Films 3 Materials science aspect of thin films, including growth, characterization, and properties for electrical, mechanical, corrosion, and optical behavior. (Crosslisted course offered as MSE 517, ME 517). Cooperative: Open to UI degree-seeking students.
520 Multiscale Modeling in Thermomechanics of Materials 3 Multiscale problems in thermomechanics of materials; practical and computational aspects of homogenization, granular materials, dislocation plasticity and atomistic methods. (Crosslisted course offered as ME 520, MSE 520). Cooperative: Open to UI degree-seeking students.
521 Fundamentals of Fluids I 3 Governing equations of fluid mechanics accompanied by applications of Navier-Stokes equation to simple flow situations, boundary layer analysis. Cooperative: Open to UI degree-seeking students.
525 Biomechanics 3 Methods for analysis of rigid body and deformable mechanics; application to biological tissue, especially bone, cartilage, ligaments, tendon and muscle. (Crosslisted course offered as BIO ENG 425/525, ME 525). Credit not granted for more than one of BIO ENG 425, BIO ENG 525, or ME 525. Offered at 400 and 500 level.
525 (Effective through Summer 2024) Biomechanics 3 Methods for analysis of rigid body and deformable mechanics; application to biological tissue, especially bone, cartilage, ligaments, tendon and muscle. (Crosslisted course offered as BIO ENG 425/525, ME 525). Credit not granted for more than one of BIO ENG 425, BIO ENG 525, or ME 525. Offered at 400 and 500 level.
526 Statistical Thermodynamics 3 Microscopic development of equilibrium; classical and quantum particle statistics; statistical description of real and ideal gases, solids, and liquids. Cooperative: Open to UI degree-seeking students.
527 Macroscopic Thermodynamics 3 Advanced thermodynamics from macroscopic viewpoint; basic postulates, equilibrium, stability, property relations; application to thermal-fluid and solid mechanics; irreversible thermodynamics. Cooperative: Open to UI degree-seeking students.
530 Elasticity 3 Theory of kinematics of solid deformable bodies; conservation laws applied to an elastic continuum; generalized linear stress-strain behavior with applications. (Crosslisted course offered as ME 530, MSE 530). Cooperative: Open to UI degree-seeking students.
531 Nanoscience and Nanotechnology 3 Overview of nanoscience and nanotechnology and their biomedical, energy, and environmental applications; structures, properties, synthesis of nanoscale materials and fabrication of nanostructured devices. (Crosslisted course offered as MSE 531, MATSE 531, ME 531.) Recommended preparation: Basic knowledge of materials, engineering, chemistry.
532 Finite Elements 3 Theory of finite elements; applications to general engineering systems considered as assemblages of discrete elements. (Crosslisted course offered as CE 532, ME 532). Cooperative: Open to UI degree-seeking students.
534 Mechanics of Composite Materials 3 Analysis of micromechanical and macromechanical behavior of composite materials with emphasis on fiber-reinforced composite; prediction of properties; stiffness and strength theories; laminated beams and plates; dynamic behavior; environmental effects. (Crosslisted course offered as ME 534, MSE 534). Cooperative: Open to UI degree-seeking students.
537 Fracture Mechanics and Mechanisms 3 Fracture mechanics and mechanisms and the microstructural origins of toughness in metals, polymers and composites. (Crosslisted course offered as MSE 537, ME 537). Cooperative: Open to UI degree-seeking students.
540 Advanced Dynamics of Physical Systems 3 Newtonian dynamics, rotating coordinate systems; Lagrangian and Hamiltonian mechanics; gyroscopic mechanics, other applications. Cooperative: Open to UI degree-seeking students.
556 Numerical Modeling in Fluid Mechanics 3 Fundamental concepts in development of numerical models for fluid flow with applications to steady and unsteady flows. Cooperative: Open to UI degree-seeking students.
565 Nuclear Reactor Engineering 3 Reactor power distribution; thermal and exposure limits; critical heat flux and pressure design; neutronic/thermal hydraulic relationships; transient/accident analysis. Cooperative: Open to UI degree-seeking students.
574 Design for Additive Manufacturing 3 Design considerations and techniques to improve the performance for parts and components fabricated by additive manufacturing, including restrictive design considerations and opportunistic design. Recommended preparation: Basic knowledge in materials science and manufacturing.
575 Computer Control of Manufacturing Automation Systems 3 CNC Machines: component types; selection and integration; drive methods and feedback control; controller programming. Required preparation: ME 348 or equivalent.
579 Advanced Topics in Mechanical Engineering V 1-3 May be repeated for credit. Cooperative: Open to UI degree-seeking students.
581 Control Systems 3 Analysis and design of feedback control systems. Credit not granted for both ME 481 and 581. Offered at 400 and 500 level. Cooperative: Open to UI degree-seeking students.
582 Robot Kinematics and Dynamics 3 Kinematics and dynamics of robotic systems including theoretical and practical treatment of rigid body motion.
583 Machine Vision 3 Theoretical and practical treatment of image formation, camera calibration, stereo vision, image processing algorithms, and vision-based control.
598 Seminar 1 May be repeated for credit. Current research interests. Cooperative: Open to UI degree-seeking students. S, F grading.
600 Special Projects or Independent Study V 1-18 May be repeated for credit. Independent study, special projects, and/or internships. Students must have graduate degree-seeking status and should check with their major advisor before enrolling in 600 credit, which cannot be used toward the core graded credits required for a graduate degree. S, F grading.
700 Master's Research, Thesis, and/or Examination V 1-18 May be repeated for credit. Independent research and advanced study for students working on their master's research, thesis and/or final examination. Students must have graduate degree-seeking status and should check with their major advisor/committee chair before enrolling for 700 credit. S, U grading.
701 Master's Independent Capstone Project and /or Examination V 1-6 May be repeated for credit. Capstone project or final examination for professional master's degree under the Graduate School. The credits will include a balloted evaluation of the student's completion of the program's capstone/examination requirements by the program's graduate faculty. Students must have graduate degree-seeking status and obtain approval from their major advisor/committee chair before enrolling for 701 credit. S, U grading.
702 Master's Special Problems, Directed Study, and/or Examination V 1-18 May be repeated for credit. Independent research in special problems, directed study, and/or examination credit for students in a non-thesis master's degree program. Students must have graduate degree-seeking status and should check with their major advisor/committee chair before enrolling for 702 credit. S, U grading.
800 Doctoral Research, Dissertation, and/or Examination V 1-18 May be repeated for credit. Course Prerequisite: Admitted to the Mechanical Engineering or Engineering Science PhD program. Independent research and advanced study for students working on their doctoral research, dissertation and/or final examination. Students must have graduate degree-seeking status and should check with their major advisor/committee chair before enrolling for 800 credit. (Crosslisted course offered as ME 800, MECH 800). S, U grading.