UNDERGRADUATE STUDY - Information for Prospective Students
Overview
The undergraduate program of study in Mechanical Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley addresses both the quest to understand how things work and the desire to put this understanding to practical use. The student body is guided by faculty who merit national and international recognition, who are members of prestigious engineering societies and counted among the outstanding scholars in their profession. The faculty is committed to the advancement of the fundamental engineering sciences encountered by undergraduates in a curriculum that is heavy in "basics." This is balanced by their demonstrated interest and active participation in practical developments as well. Thus, our graduates can function at the leading edge of engineering practice, tackling jobs that are far from dull or routine. Mechanical Engineering includes the science and art of formulation, design, development and control of systems and components involving thermodynamics, mechanics, fluid mechanics, mechanisms and the conversion of energy into useful work. The undergraduate program provides a broad scientific and technical background in mechanical engineering.
Undergraduate specialization is provided in the choice of
technical
electives from the subject areas of applied mechanics, automatic controls, electro-mechanical systems, energy conversion, fluid mechanics, heat and mass transfer, manufacturing systems and materials processing, mechanical design, cryogenics, thermodynamics, robotics and automation, biomedical and environmental engineering, ocean engineering, and nuclear engineering. The Department of Mechanical Engineering has adopted a set of educational objectives that frame the undergraduate curriculum. During the first two years, coursework emphasizes mathematics, physics, chemistry, computing, materials, statics and graphics -- much of this in common with the other engineering curricula.
In the last two years, the emphasis is on mechanics of
solids and fluids, thermodynamics, heat
transfer manufacturing, design and controls;
instrumentation, experimentation and system synthesis.
The requisite laboratory course in the senior year is the
cornerstone of the curriculum.
Students may also participate in group design
projects or research projects as part of their program.
Specialization may be pursued through a wide selection of
elective courses, double major programs and
programs jointly offered by other departments.
Click
here
to go directly to the
Table of Contents page of the 2007-2008 Announcement of
the College of Engineering (PDF, 1.46 MB).
Note: the covers from the hard copy version do not appear
in this PDF version. To find specific text in the PDF
Announcement, do the following: On a PC: Type Control + F
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Click on
this
link for a flowchart of course study in Mechanical Engineering.
Classes in Mechanical Engineering are
relatively small. Students become easily
acquainted with faculty and fellow students
who come from all parts of the world and
from different cultural backgrounds to
find an academic home here.
This exciting environment
provides numerous opportunities for
cultural enrichment, personal development,
and recreation for the hard-working
engineering student.
Engineering students and faculty
at Berkeley take a serious competitive
interest in their achievements. Our
students are strongly represented each year
among the top scholars on campus.
With a generous gift from William G.
and Mary C. Drake, the Department
established a four year, fully funded,
merit-based Drake Scholarship which is
awarded to about six incoming Freshmen
each year. For further information about
the Drake Scholarship and other scholarships
available to undergraduates,
contact the Undergraduate Instruction Office
(telephone 510-642-4094; email
anayancy@me.berkeley.edu).
Because of the widening range of technological
needs and the limited areas of specialization
in the undergraduate curriculum, students
should consider graduate study to expand
their scientific and technological capabilities
in preparation for their engineering careers.
Additional details on the undergraduate degree
in Mechanical Engineering, as well as
information regarding joint degree and
interdisciplinary programs of study may be
obtained from the
College
of Engineering or the
Mechanical
Engineering Undergraduate Instruction Office.
Drake Scholarship
The Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University
of California at Berkeley
invites incoming freshmen to apply for the
Drake Scholarship which offers awardees
all expenses paid for four years of undergraduate study
in the field of mechanical
engineering. Awardees will be selected on the
basis of interest in mechanical
engineering and outstanding achievements in
academic studies and extracurricular
activities. Financial resources of the applicant are
not a criterion for this award.
The scholarships are available only to applicants
who are U.S. citizens by August
15, 2008.
