Undergraduate Catalog

2008-09 Academic Year

Department of Mechanical and Energy Engineering

Main Departmental Office
Discovery Park, Room F101
Mailing address:
1155 Union Circle #311098
Denton, TX 76203-5017
940-565-2400

Fax: 940-369-8675

Web site: www.mee.unt.edu

Miguel Acevedo, Interim Chair

Faculty

Professor Prasad. Assistant Professors Boetcher, Choi, Feng, Traum.

Introduction

The Department of Mechanical and Energy Engineering at the University of North Texas is committed to academic excellence in undergraduate and graduate education and research in all areas pertinent to the discipline of mechanical engineering and in particular to thermal-fluid sciences, energy production, and conservation. The goals of the Department and its faculty are: (1) to provide high quality and innovative educational programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels; (2) to foster lifelong learning by promoting professionalism and ethical standards and helping students develop leadership qualities; (3) to pursue excellence in scholarly research in areas of mechanical and energy engineering; and (4) to collaborate with engineers in industry, national laboratories, and government agencies in finding the solutions to national and global problems related to energy use and its environmental impacts.

Mission and Vision

The mission of the Department of Mechanical and Energy Engineering is to harness the power of ideas by providing a student-centered environment, fostering a strong culture of learning, promoting high quality scholarly activities, and servicing the engineering profession and society. We seek to accomplish this mission by:

The vision of the Department of Mechanical and Energy Engineering is to create an outstanding, innovative, and interdisciplinary student-centered academic program that emphasizes the fundamentals of mechanical engineering, modern applications pertaining to energy production, power management and distribution, and life-long learning skills, within a research-and-project oriented environment.

Programs of Study

The department currently offers programs in the following areas:

Bachelor of Science with a Major in Mechanical and Energy Engineering

The Bachelor of Science degree with a major in mechanical and energy engineering follows an interdisciplinary and innovative curriculum that combines the essentials of the classical discipline of mechanical engineering with the deeper knowledge of the dynamic field of energy studies. Thus, the BS degree combines the fundamentals of mechanical engineering with a broad specialization on subjects related to energy production, management, and distribution. The goal of the mechanical and energy engineering department is to provide a curriculum and course of training that will prepare today’s undergraduate not only for today’s challenges, but also for future challenges in a fast-paced, global, and diverse society. As a consequence, this program emphasizes the fundamentals of engineering science and modern methods, processes and technologies, and it also gives students the tools to learn by themselves and to pursue lifelong learning. Graduates of this program are well-prepared for industry careers or pursuit of advanced engineering degrees.

The mechanical and energy engineering curriculum is very broad. It is similar to a traditional mechanical engineering curriculum with the notable addition of several required energy-related courses and elective courses that emphasize energy applications and materials. In their first year, students in this program will take preparatory courses in mathematics and the basic sciences, including physics, computer science and chemistry. The required upper-division engineering courses are in the broad areas of thermal science, fluid flow and energy; mechanics and materials; dynamics, design and controls; and environmental impact of energy production and use. Technical elective courses range from alternative energy to nuclear power. The program also emphasizes studies in the humanities and social sciences, artistic ingenuity, professionalism and engineering ethics.

The BS degree with a major in mechanical and energy engineering is a new program at the University of North Texas. The curriculum of this program has been designed to meet the ABET criteria for accreditation in the general category of “Mechanical Engineering.” According to the ABET procedures, accreditation for this program will be sought as soon as the program graduates its first class of students, which is expected to happen in spring 2010.

Degree Requirements

1. Hours Required and General/College Requirements: A minimum of 127 semester hours, of which 42 must be advanced, and fulfillment of degree requirements for the Bachelor of Science degree as specified in the “General University Requirements” in the Academics section of this catalog and the College of Engineering requirements.

2. Major Requirements: A minimum of 43 semester hours, including MEEN 1110, 1210, 2130, 2210, 2250, 3110, 3120, 3125, 3130, 3210, 3230, 3240, 3242, 4150, 4250.

3. Other Required Courses:

a. MATH 1710, 1720, 2700, 2730 and 3310

b. CHEM 1415/1435 (or CHEM 1410/1420 and CHEM 1430/1440)

c. PHYS 1710/1730, PHYS 2220/2240

d. CSCE 1020; EENG 2610; ENGR 2060 (may be used to satisfy a portion of the Understanding the Human Community requirement of the University Core Curriculum and College of Engineering Foundations requirement), 2332, 3450, 3451

e. ENGL 2700 (College of Engineering Foundations requirement)

4. Energy Engineering Electives: 6 semester credit hours from the list of approved departmental energy engineering elective courses

5. Technical Electives: 6 semester credit hours from the list of approved departmental general advanced elective courses.

6. Other Requirements: A grade point average of at least 2.5 is required for all mechanical and energy engineering courses.

BS with a Major in Mechanical and Energy Engineering

The following is one suggested four-year degree plan. Students are encouraged to see their advisor each semester for help with program decisions and enrollment. Students are responsible for meeting all course prerequisites.

Freshman Year

Fall Hours
Course Hours
CHEM 1415, General Chemistry for Engineering Majors** 3
CHEM 1435, General Chemistry Laboratory for Engineering Majors** 1
CSCE 1020, Program Development 4
ENGL 1310, College Writing I or ENGL 1313, Computer Assisted College Writing I* 3
MATH 1710, Calculus I 4
MEEN 1110, Mechanical and Energy Engineering Practice I 1
Total 16
Spring Hours
Course Hours
ENGL 2700, Technical Writing* 3
HIST 2610, United States History to 1865* 3
MATH 1720, Calculus II 3
MEEN 1210, Mechanical and Energy Engineering Practice II 1
PHYS 1710, Mechanics 3
PHYS 1730, Laboratory in Mechanics 1
Visual and Performing Arts* (ART 1300, Art Appreciation for Non–Art Majors, recommended) 3
Total 17

Sophomore Year

Fall Hours
Course Hours
ENGR 2060, Professional Presentations (may be used to satisfy the Understanding the Human Community requirement*) 3
MATH 2700, Linear Algebra and Vector Geometry 3
MATH 3310, Differential Equations for Engineering Majors 3
MEEN 2130, Statics and Dynamics 4
PHYS 2220, Electricity and Magnetism 3
PHYS 2240, Laboratory in Wave Motion, Electricity, Magnetism and Optics 1
Total 17
Spring Hours
Course Hours
ENGR 2332, Mechanics of Materials 4
HIST 2620, United States History Since 1865* 3
MATH 2730, Multivariable Calculus 3
MEEN 2210, Thermodynamics 3
MEEN 2250, Computer Aided Engineering 3
Total 16

Junior Year

Fall Hours
Course Hours
EENG 2610, Circuit Analysis 3
MEEN 3110, Applied Thermodynamics 3
MEEN 3120, Fluid Mechanics 3
MEEN 3125, Thermal Engineering Projects 2
MEEN 3230, Dynamics, Vibrations and Control 3
MEEN 3240, Mechanical and Energy Engineering Laboratory I 2
Total 16
Spring Hours
Course Hours
ENGR 3450, Engineering Materials 3
ENGR 3451, Engineering Materials Laboratory 1
MEEN 3130, Machine Elements 3
MEEN 3210, Heat Transfer 3
MEEN 3242, Mechanical and Energy Engineering Laboratory II 2
Humanities* (PHIL 2500, Introduction to Contemporary Environmental Issues, recommended) 3
Total 15

Senior Year

Fall Hours
Course Hours
PSCI 1040, American Government* 3
MEEN 4150, Mechanical and Energy Engineering Design I 3
MEEN Energy Engineering Elective 3
MEEN Technical Elective (advanced) 3
Understanding the Human Community* (SMHM 4750, Managing a Diverse Workforce, recommended) 3
Total 15
Spring Hours
Course Hours
MEEN 4250, Mechanical and Energy Engineering Design II 3
PSCI 1050, American Government* 3
MEEN Energy Engineering Elective 3
MEEN Technical Elective (advanced) 3
Social and Behavioral Sciences* (GEOG 1170, Culture, Environment and Society, recommended) 3
Total 15

*See the University Core Curriculum section of this catalog for approved list of course options.
** See College of Engineering degree requirements section of this catalog for approved list of course options.

Actual degree plans may vary depending on availability of courses in a given semester.
Some courses may require prerequisites not listed.

Graduate Degrees

The Department of Mechanical and Energy Engineering offers a degree program leading to the Master of Science. For information, consult the Graduate Catalog.

Courses of Instruction

All Courses of Instruction are located in one section at the back of this catalog.

Course and Subject Guide

The “Course and Subject Guide,” found in the Courses of Instruction section of this book, serves as a table of contents and provides quick access to subject areas and prefixes.

Undergraduate Working Catalog

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