Congratulations! You've been admitted to the mechanical engineering major program. Now what?
This page contains links to information relavent to students who have been admitted to the department. Major students should familiarize themselves with all of the information posted through this page, and see their advisor with any questions!
In order to remain in good academic standing in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, major students are required to maintain a minimum 2.00 quarter point-hour ratio (QPHR), cumulative point-hour ratio (CPHR), and major point-hour ratio (MPHR= cumulative point-hour ratio in all ME courses, except for ME 410). Major students who do not meet these minimum standards are eligible for deparmental probation. Repeated failure to meet these standards will result in dismissal from the department.
Our goal is for you to be successful, regardless of your major. In order to earn your B.S.M.E., you need to have at least a 2.00 MPHR when you are ready to graduate. In order to graduate from Ohio State, you need a 2.00 CPHR. Although it may see punitive, probation gives us the means to monitor students who are not meeting these standards, encourage you to resolve any difficulties, or guide you in a more appropriate academic direction.
If you are experiencing academic difficulties, we encougage you to see an undergraduate advisor before you find yourself in danger of being put on probation.
* Students who entered the University or were admitted to the ME major before SU03 fall under a different set of academic standards and should see their advisor for information.
** Additional, detailed information on Academic Standards and reinstatement policies can be found in the ME Undergraduate Handbook.
Students who study mechanical engineering at Ohio State choose a concentration for their studies in their last year. Students choose technical courses based on their concentration, but also have the flexibility to include courses in other concentrations in order to maintain their broad education and to allow them to explore a wide variety of interests.
The Department of Mechanical Engineering at OSU offers 8 concentrations in the following areas, as well as an advanced technical elective track for qualified students:
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Applied Mechanics is the theoretical, numerical, and experimental study of the response of solids and fluids to external forces. Students who concentrate in this area can take courses in finite element analysis, fracture mechanics, advanced strength of materials, and system vibrations.
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A concentration in Automotive Engineering will prepare you for work in the automotive industry, one of the traditional branches of mechanical engineering which remains of great importance. It is concerned with the design and operation of all kinds of engines and vehicle dynamics, and is rapidly expanding to include the research, design, and testing of alternative energy sources for vehicles. Students who pursue this concentration can take courses in land vehicle dynamics, powertrain dynamics, the study of internal combustion engines, modeling of hybrid-electric vehicles, and fuel cell systems.
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Biomechanics is the science that examines forces acting upon and within a biological structure and the effects produced by such forces. A concentration in Biomechanical Systems prepares students for work in the medical industry or in any other area where their is a need to study the effects of forces on the human body.
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A concentration in Design & Manufacturing is appropriate for students who are interested in the design, testing, and manufacturing of consumer products. Students in this concentration can take courses in product design, tool engineering, machine tool control and programming, and rapid prototyping.
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A concentration in Dynamics, Vibrations, and Controls prepares students to understand various system components and how they interact as parts of a mechanical system. Students in this concentration can take courses in control systems design, mechatronics, fracture mechanics, and engineering acoustics.
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The study of Energy Systems concentrates on the production of useful energy from raw materials (i.e. electricity from coal) as well as the process of transforming energy into useful work (i.e. electricity driving a motor), and the optimization of these processes. Students who concentrate thier studies in Energy Systems can take courses in turbomachinery, HVAC (heating, ventilating, and air conditioning), combustion and jet propulsion.
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The field of Nuclear Engineering is experiencing a resurgence as we investigate the option of nuclear power as an alternative to our society's dependence on fossil fuels. Students who concentrate in this area take an introductory course in nuclear science and engineering, and can take courses in reactor theory, nuclear power plants, and radiological safety, as well as reliability engineering.
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There is an advanced technical elective track for qualified students. Students in this area of study are either mechanical engineering honors students or students who are pursuing the BS/MS option. These students work with a faculty advisor to choose their areas of research and study to reflect their interests and the scope of their future graduate work.
Once you are admitted to the major you will be assigned a faculty advisor (in addition to your undergraduate academic advisor). You faculty advisor will play a different, but complementary role, to your undergraduate advisor. Faculty advisors assist students in many areas, including serving as a mentor, helping advisees find undergraduate research opportunities, career guidance, preparation for graduate study, and the selection of technical electives based on a student's area of interest.
Students are required to meet with their faculty advisor for at least three mandatory meetings. Although these three meetings fulfill the Department's requirements, students who benefit the most from having a faculty advisor seek out interactions with their advisor above and beyond their required meetings. Your faculty advisor can be of great assistance to you, but it does take some effort on your part to get to know them, and to give them a chance to get to know you!
Information on Faculty Advising Meetings
The undergraduate advising office will be responsible for providing reminders and instructions for your required meetings; however, it is up to you to contact your faculty advisor to schedule your appointments. All paperwork required for these meetings is below. Completed paperwork should be submitted to the Undergraduate Advising Office in N250 Scott Laboratory.
How to Make the Most of Your Appointments with Your Faculty Advisor
Further details about the faculty advising program can be found in the Department of Mechanical Engineering Undergraduate Student Handbook!
All students need to submit an application in order to be eligible to graduate from The Ohio State University! The Department of Mechanical Engineering has its own application that it would prefer students to submit (below). Applications should be submitted according to the following timeline.
If you wish to graduate: Then your application should be turned in by the end of the previous:
Autumn Quarter Autumn Quarter
Winter Quarter Winter Quarter
Spring Quarter Spring Quarter
Summer Quarter Summer Quarter
These deadlines allow us to check your plan for your last year of major coursework and make any necessary changes to your plan well before they become issues affecting your graduation. Late applications are accepted, but on-time graduation will not be guarenteed in such cases.
Students who submit their application to graduate on time benefit in two ways:
Once a graduation application is approved, it is assumed that the student will follow the plan that they indicated on the application. If you deviate from your original plan, it is recommended that you see an advisor regarding the changes you've made to make sure that you are still fulfilling all graduation requirements. If you change courses but do not let an advisor know, then there is no guarentee that your new courses will be checked by an advisor until the quarter that you are set to graduate, at which time it may be too late to correct any mistakes.
Once your application has been approved, further instructions for the graduation class can be found at www.commencement.osu.edu and through the College of Engineering. Graduating seniors will also receive an email from the College of Engineering during the 5th week of their quarter of graduation with further instructions. If you are planning to graduate but do not receive this email, contact your advisor of the College of Engineering at 292-2651.
The combined BS/MS program is designed to give outstanding students (minimum 3.5 CPHR) an opportunity to reduce the amount of time required to meet the master's degree requirements. Students who are interested in this program must apply no less than 60 days before the start of their BS/MS coursework. If approved, students then begin taking graduate-level courses as seniors in the undergraduate program, and these courses are counted towards both the student's BS and MS degrees. This enables most students in the program to complete the MS requirements in four quarters after completion of their BS degree.
For more information on the BS/MS Program, please see the information posted under Graduate Stduents Mechanical Engineering BS/MS Program. Students interested in pursuing this option can also contact Nick Breckenridge, Graduate Studies Support, at megrad_recruit@osu.edu or at (614) 292-7163.
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There will be an Honors Program Information Session on Monday, March 2nd from 5 - 6:00pm.
If you are interested in the ME Honors Program and cannot attend the information session, please contact Prof. Guezennec (guezennec.1@osu.edu) as soon as possible. ____________________________________________________________________________________
Are you interested in...
Through the Mechanical Engineering Honors Program, students have the opportunity to work one-on-one with a faculty member to develop an individual research project reflecting their area of interest. Students in the program earn 9 credit hours of technical elective credit and successful completion and oral defense of their theses earns them the designation of "With Distinction in Mechanical Engineering" on their diplomas. Past students have found this program to be one of the most exciting and rewarding parts of their educational experience.
Scholarship money is available through the College of Engineering for students who wish to participate in the research proposal competition. Past students from the Department of Mechanical Engineering have fared very well in this competition.
If you would like to learn more about the ME Honors Program, we invite you to explore the links below, which provide an introduction to all aspects of the program, including finding a research advisor and topic, and applying for scholarship funds through the College of Engineering.
If you have further questions about the ME Honors Program, you are encouraged to contact your undergraduate advisor (meadvisor@osu.edu), your faculty advisor, or the ME Department Honors Advisor, Prof. Yann Guezennec (guezennec.1@osu.edu).
Participation in the ME Honors Program requires the following:
* In order to graduate "with Distinction in Mechanical Engineering", a final CPHR of 3.4 must be maintained at the time of graduation.
* Technically, you can enroll in this course any time during your research, but typically it will benefit you the most if you take it before or during your first quarter of research.
SOME NOTES:
Perhaps the least clear part of the process is the initial step of finding a research advisor and topic. Here are some suggestions to help you get started:
Some past research topics have included:
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Analysis of Parallel Vibration Paths with Potential Application to Vehicle Noise Reduction
Design of a Scanning Tunneling Microscope
Design of an X-Y Table for Investigating and Rehabilitating Human Motor Contro
The Dynamics of Bipedal Skipping Gaits
Estimation of Internal Cylinder Pressure in a Homogeneous Charge Compression Ignition Engine Through Torque Estimation
Modeling Brain Motion Due to Impacts to the Skull
Predicting Change in Transmission Pipeline Corrosion from Ultrasonic and Magnetic Flux Leakage In-Line Inspection Instrument Data
A System Analysis and Design Tool for Product Design
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Attached are some past proposals that have faired well in the College of Engineering research scholarship competition.
The College of Engineering has an annual competition for research scholarships. In order to be eligible to receive these scholarships, all application materials must be submitted to the College of Engineering by the 2nd Friday of Spring quarter. Below is a suggested timeline for participation in the ME Honors Program based on application for these funds:
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Jan/Early Feb: Identify possible research advisors and topics; enroll in ME H680 for spring quarter
Mid-Feb: Select research advisor and finalize topic of research
Mid-Feb - End of Winter Quarter: Work on proposal with help of research advisor
Spring Quarter: Take ME H680**; submit proposal and application materials to College of Engineering; enroll in ME H783 for autumn quarter
Autumn / Winter / Spring Quarters*: Enroll in ME H783, do research, write and defend undergraduate thesis!
* If you wish to start your research in a winter or spring quarter but still wish to compete for these funds, then you should follow the first part of this timeline - in essence, you will be completing your research proposal almost a year in advance of when you start your research.
** ME H680 will not be offered SP09. Students who planned to take ME H680 SP09 may instead substitute any 700-level mechanical engineering technical elective in its place.
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As you can see, in order to complete your proposal by the application deadline, you need to be planning ahead!
Why might you want to go to graduate or professional school?
There are a lot of resources available to students who wish to move on to graduate or professional school. Planning early is often key, especially to prepare for professional (law, education, medical) school. Unlike graduate studies in engineering, where your undergraduate work has automatically prepared you to move on, preparation for a professional school often requires typical coursework outside of the engineering curriuclum. Your advisor can help you determine how to incorporate these extra courses into your schedule.
There are some common requirements to move on past your undergraduate degree. A strong undergraduate GPA is generally required, along with letters of recommendation from past instructors. Research is an important aspect of graduate school as well as some professional programs, and so having research as an undergraduate will often help to make you a more competitive applicant. Finally, graduate school applications generally require a statement of purpose, which should identify to the program why you want to continue your studies and where your interests lie. A strong statement of purpose is very important to match your interests with appropriate research opportunities.
The best way you can start to prepare for these options is to look into the requirements for various program early in your academic career, as well as to consult with an advisor in that area. Following are some links that will be of assistance to you in learning more about common graduate and professional paths for engineering students.
The Ohio State University Graduate Admissions
You can find admission requirements and contact information for every graduate program offered at OSU, as well as information about the admissions process, financial aid, and answers to frequently asked questions.
College of Engineering Information for New Graduate Students
Contact information for all the graduate programs offered through the College of Engineering.
Department of Mechanical Engineering Graduate Program
Would you like to stay at OSU for a few more years? Why not earn your graduate degree in mechanical engineering?
Pre-health, pre-law- and pre-education aren't majors at OSU, but are official areas of academic interest. This website has a wealth of information about preparing for these programs, as well as contact information for advisors who specialize in these areas of academic interest.
Students who are within six months of graduation should consider taking the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) Exam. The FE Exam is the first step towards professional licensure. Why might it be important to be a licensed engineer?
According to the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES), by becoming a professional engineer you:
The Licensure Process
Step #1: Graduation (from an ABET-accredited engineering program)
Step #2: The FE Exam
Step #3: Work Experience
Step #4: The Professional Engineering Exam
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The FE Exam (http://www.ncees.org/exams/fundamentals/)
The best time to take the FE exam is before or immediately after graduation while the technical information is still fresh in your mind. You are eligible to take the exam as soon as you are within 6 months of graduation.
The exam is offered bi-annually in April and October. To download the application for eligibility to take the exam, go to http://ohiopeps.org/exams/student.html. You will need to start the application process approximately four months ahead of when you wish to take the exam, so plan ahead!
**The 2008 exams will be on April 12th and Oct. 25th.**
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ENGINEERING 510 - FUNDAMENTALS OF ENGINEERING (FE) EXAM REVIEW
The College of Engineering offers a review course, ENG 510, to assist students in preparation for this exam. ENG 510 is offered every winter quarter, and is worth 1 credit hour. This course is very useful for preparation of the content and style of the exam.
* Students who entered the University before WI04 may use ENG 510 as List A TE credit.
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Final Note: Statistics show that 95% of the Department of Mechanical Engineering students who take this exam within 6 months of graduation pass the test. The pass rate decreases as time after graduation increases, so plan to take the test as soon as possible after you graduate, before you graduate if possible!
* Additional, detailed information about the benefits of being a licensed engineering and the licensure process can be found in the ME Undergraduate Student Handbook.
Students are required to choose one of seven concentrations as the focus to their technical elective coursework. Students typically choose their concentration and develop a plan for their technical electives with the assistance of their faculty advisor before the start of their final three quarters of coursework. Detailed information, includining program requirements and available technical elective courses, can be found below.
The Department of Mechanical Engineering also offers qualified students the opportunity to participate in advanced technical elective programs to compliment their participation in the Mechanical Engineering Honors Program and/or the BS/MS Program, as well as the opportunity for all students to take additional courses in math, science, and engineering as part of their technical elective program.
* Students who entered the University AU03 and before may follow the previous technical elective program requirements, also below.
Undergraduate research is one of the opportunties that students can pursue to complement their coursework. Why pursue undergraduate research?
Although many students are involved with undergraduate research through the ME Honors Program, you do not need to be an honors student to be involved in research as an undergraduate!
How to Find Undergraduate Research Opportunities