Bachelor of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering

Welcome to YSU's Mechanical Engineering program.  We offer Bachelor of Engineering (BE) and Master of Science in Engineering (MSE) degrees in Mechanical Engineering.  The undergraduate program provides a strong background in mathematics, the sciences, and fundamentals of engineering, as well as tracks in the design and analysis of solid mechanics systems, thermal fluid flow systems, and dynamic systems.  In addition to a quality education, most students participate in co-op or internship job assignments during their time with us, making them more marketable upon completion of their degrees. Graduates of the program enjoy placement in many areas of the diverse mechanical engineering job market.

I hope that you find this web page informative.  If you have any additional questions, please contact me.

Hazel Marie, Ph.D., P.E.

Department of Mechanical, Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

Phone:  (330) 941-3015

E-mail:  hmarie@ysu.edu

Mechanical engineering is the branch of the engineering profession that is concerned with harnessing the power of machines to accomplish tasks and goals faster, safer, and more efficiently. Within the broad field of mechanical engineering, this can vary greatly in complexity and magnitude, from athletic equipment for enhancing performance to household items for living comfort to cars that get us where we’re going to medical devices that keep us healthy.

The challenge of mechanical engineering is to weave together fundamental knowledge of not just mathematics, physics and chemistry, but also fluid and thermal sciences, kinetics and dynamics in order to approach problem solving creatively and design real-world solutions. Our curriculum prepares students for a wide variety of technical and professional careers areas that have their roots in mechanical engineering: aerospace, power generation, transportation, biotechnology, manufacturing, product design, robotics and controls, and many more.

Program Mission

The mission of the mechanical engineering program is to further the missions and objectives of the University and the College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics by providing an opportunity for a quality education in Mechanical Engineering to the people it serves, particularly those in northeast Ohio and western Pennsylvania. The program also strives to provide professional service to the local and regional industry and to the public. The program is committed to meeting regional and state-wide priorities in higher education by providing its students with a broad, general education and an up-to-date technological curriculum in a four-year undergraduate program, and an application-oriented evening graduate program, offering a Master of Science in Engineering degree to practicing engineers and recent engineering graduates. The program also strives to enhance quality research and scholarly activities to be integrated with teaching and meet the needs of the region by providing area schools, businesses, industries, and government agencies with technical expertise.

Program Educational Objectives

The program educational objectives of the mechanical engineering undergraduate program are to educate graduates who will be professional, productive, and ethical members of society. As they progress professionally after graduation, our alumni will do the following:

  1.  Demonstrate successful application of mechanical engineering knowledge and skills through:
    1. employment in leadership roles in industry, academia, government, or other organizations
    2. engagement in research and development in graduate study or industry
    3. analytical problem solving in less traditional careers such as law, medicine, business, public policy, secondary education, service industries, etc.
    4. mentorship of younger engineers in careers involving management or entrepreneurship
  2. Demonstrate the commitment to lifelong learning through:
    1. active participation in professional development opportunities in their disciplines; such as conferences, short courses, graduate education
    2. development of new knowledge and skills necessary for new areas of expertise or careers
    3. adaption of their fundamental engineering knowledge for effectiveness in changing global markets and workforce trends
  3. Demonstrate active engagement in professional service through:
    1. application of their engineering knowledge to advance society and to help solve technical and societal problems
    2. engagement in activities that promote sustainable economic development that enhances the quality of life
    3. promotion of the engineering profession as a source of societal good
    4. participation in community activities where their engineering knowledge adds significantly to their contributions

These Program Educational Objectives describe long-term accomplishments for which we seek to prepare the graduates of Youngstown State University mechanical engineering program. It is expected that progress toward these objectives is measurable.

Student Outcomes

The YSU mechanical engineering program student outcomes ensure that our graduates have been given the skills to attain the program educational objectives after graduation. Student outcomes for direct assessment are ABET specified outcomes (1) through (7). Our students are expected to graduate with:

1. Engineering Expertise - an ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics

2. Design Expertise - an ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors

3. Communication Skills - an ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences

4. Professional Responsibility - an ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts

5. Teamwork Competency - an ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives

6. Experimental Competency - an ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions

7. Life-long Learning - an ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies

Accreditation

The Mechanical Engineering BE program has been accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET,  http://www.abet.org.

Annual Enrollment and Graduation Data

Term                                Enrollment

Fall 2012                                 154

Fall 2013                                 167

Fall 2014                                 194

Fall 2015                                 210

Fall 2016                                 253

Fall 2017                                 252

Fall 2018                                 239

Academic Year                    Degree Awarded

2012-2013                               27

2013-2014                               34

2014-2015                               46

2015-2016                               41

2016-2017                               59

2017-2018                               65

Vision Statement

Mechanical engineering and mechanical engineering education, in particular, face dramatic challenges in the future due to rapidly changing technologies and a new pattern of societal and industrial demands. The vision of the program is to meet these challenges and exceed the expectations of its constituents by focusing on the following primary strategies of the  program:

  •  Continuous improvement of an educational environment for outstanding teaching and learning
  •  Development of a productive research program through a strategic focus on technology development in emerging areas such as green energy, computer simulation, and nanotechnology
  •  Successful co-op and internship programs that provides students with on-the-job training opportunities
  •  An assessment program and procedures in order to insure a high quality program focusing on the needs of the program's constituents (the students, alumni, employers, faculty, administrations, community and the general public)
  •  Healthy enrollment that facilitates diversification of curriculum and faculty research and professional development

In order to achieve its educational objectives and to further the missions and objectives of the University and the College, the program provides an educational environment, teeming with opportunities for students to learn and acquire essential knowledge and skills that are defined in the ABET Criteria 2000, through its curriculum and extra-curricular activities. The program maintains undergraduate and graduate curricula that are well balanced in engineering fundamentals, state-of-the-art technology, and real-world engineering applications, in the primary specialty areas of fluid thermal sciences, and mechanics of deformable bodies. The undergraduate curriculum also contains courses that foster:

  • critical and independent thinking
  • decision making
  • development of interpersonal communication and a life-long learning attitude
  • working within a team
  • integration of knowledge, skills, ethics, and personal responsibility

Although the program intends to cultivate the capabilities of its students' problem solving, fundamental and advanced engineering analyses, design, research, and development, it also intends to provide the students with maximum exposure to hands-on, experimental skills to insure the high quality of its graduates. Through courses like stress analysis, thermal fluid applications, and finite element analysis, students will acquire strong tools for design and pertinent knowledge to solve real-world engineering problems. Our emphasis on engineering applications, computer simulation, and hands-on experience are complementary to each other and encourage students to apply analytical methods to engineering problems.

This approach enhances the effectiveness of teaching and also facilitates the students' understanding of abstract and difficult subjects. The ultimate goal of the program is to provide the society and industry with "whole person" mechanical engineers with superior technical capability.

Mechanical Engineering Laboratories

The mechanical engineering program maintains six physical experimental laboratories in Moser Hall. A wide array of modern equipment, instrumentation devices, and department-owned computers are housed in spacious rooms that support academic instruction and research activities in applied thermodynamics, heating and air conditioning, fluid mechanics, heat transfer, stress analysis, vibrations, and material property characterization. Other mechanical engineering laboratories are simulation and computing-related laboratories that include computer-aided design, machine design, kinematic and dynamic systems, and finite-element analysis. The College and the mechanical engineering program maintain modern computing facilities in Moser Hall and constantly upgrade hardware and software. The students and faculty also use the university computing facilities in Meshel Hall and Kilcawley Center.

For more information, visit Mechanical Engineering.

Cooperative Education

The mechanical engineering program strongly encourages its students to actively participate in the optional cooperative education program. The parallel co-op arrangement which combines work and study each semester is recommended. However, full time employment in the summer can also be included. Students must register for a co-op course and submit documentation as specified by professional practice office.

Advisement

The mechanical engineering program specifies mandatory advisement. Every student in the program is advised every semester before his or her registration. Students cannot finalize their registration without approval of the faculty advisor or chair.

Industrial Advisory Board

The Industrial Advisory Board is another valuable resource in ensuring a quality program.  It is composed of members of various local industries, having a vital interest and purpose in the school and/or department. The industry advisory board members can also serve as mentors on an industry sponsored project, as well as to advise the department in the area of curriculum development and research.  Our board members include:

David Drabison -- Board Chair
Design Engineer
Babcock & Wilcox Company, Nuclear Operations Group

John Divitto
Business Development Manager
Babcock & Wilcox Company, Power Generation Group

Tony Ghioldi
Vice President Sales
Quality Bridge & Fab, Inc.

Don Helle
Director – Global Process Engineering
The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company

Patrick Kiraly
Tooling Specialist
V&M Star

Mike Malito
Babcock & Wilcox Company (Retired)

Anthony J Nackino
Engineering Manager
Advanced Recycling Systems, Inc.

Gorman Ng
Regional Manager
O.E.M. and Government
Linde Hydraulics Corporation

David Peterson
Babcock & Wilcox Company (Retired)

Courtney A. Puhl
Delphi Corporation

Richard Ulam
Business Development Manager
ABB Power Systems Power Generation

Douglas Verenski
President and Chief Engineer
Hunter Lift

COURSE TITLE S.H.
FIRST YEAR REQUIREMENT -STUDENT SUCCESS
YSU 1500Success Seminar1-2
or SS 1500 Strong Start Success Seminar
or HONR 1500 Intro to Honors
General Education Requirements
ENGL 1550Writing 13-4
or ENGL 1549 Writing 1 with Support
ENGL 1551Writing 23
CMST 1545Communication Foundations3
Mathematics requirement (met with MATH in major)
Arts and Humanities (2 courses)
PHIL 2626Engineering Ethics3
or PHIL 2625 Introduction to Professional Ethics
Arts and Humanities elective3
Social Sciences (2 courses)
ECON 2610Principles 1: Microeconomics3
Social Science elective3
Natural Sciences (2 courses, 1 with lab) (6-7 s.h.)
Met with two of the following required courses: CHEM 1515, PHYS 2610, PHYS 2611 and one lab: PHYS 2610L or CHEM 1515L
Social and Personal Awareness (2 courses)
SPA elective3
SPA elective3
Mechanical Engineering Courses
MECH 1560Engineering Communication with CAD2
MECH 2603Thermodynamics 13
MECH 2604Thermodynamics 23
MECH 2606Engineering Materials3
MECH 2641Dynamics3
MECH 3708Dynamic Systems Modeling4
MECH 3720Fluid Dynamics3
MECH 3720LFluid Dynamics Laboratory1
MECH 3725Heat Transfer 13
MECH 3742Kinematics of Machines3
MECH 3751Stress and Strain Analysis 13
MECH 3751LStress and Strain Analysis 1 Laboratory1
MECH 3762Design of Machine Elements3
MECH 3762LDesign of Machine Elements Laboratory1
MECH 4808Mechanical Systems Design 12
MECH 4808LMechanical Systems Design Laboratory1
MECH 4809Mechanical Systems Design 23
MECH 4809LMechanical Systems Design Laboratory 21
MECH 4825LHeat Transfer and Thermodynamics Laboratory1
MECH 5881Mechanical Vibrations3
MECH 5881LMechanical Vibrations Laboratory1
MECH electives (3)9
Other Engineering Courses
ENGR 1500Engineering Orientation1
ENGR 1550Engineering Concepts2
ENGR 1560Engineering Computing2
CEEN 2601Statics3
CEEN 2602Strength of Materials3
CEEN 2602LStrength of Materials Lab1
ECEN 2614Basics of Electrical Engineering3
ISEN 37103-4
or STAT 3743 Probability and Statistics
Mathematics courses
MATH 1571Calculus 14
MATH 1572Calculus 24
MATH 2673Calculus 34
MATH 3705Differential Equations3
Chemistry and Physics courses
CHEM 1515General Chemistry 13
PHYS 2610General Physics 14
PHYS 2610LGeneral Physics Laboratory 11
or CHEM 1515L General Chemistry 1 Laboratory
PHYS 2611General Physics 24
Total Semester Hours130-133
Plan of Study Grid
Year 1
FallS.H.
YSU 1500
Success Seminar
or Strong Start Success Seminar
1-2
ENGL 1550
Writing 1
or Writing 1 with Support
3-4
CHEM 1515 General Chemistry 1 3
MATH 1571 Calculus 1 4
ENGR 1500 Engineering Orientation 1
ENGR 1550 Engineering Concepts 2
GER Elective (SPA) 3
 Semester Hours17-19
Spring
ENGL 1551 Writing 2 3
MATH 1572 Calculus 2 4
PHYS 2610 General Physics 1 4
PHYS 2610L General Physics Laboratory 1 1
CMST 1545 Communication Foundations 3
ENGR 1560 Engineering Computing 2
 Semester Hours17
Year 2
Fall
MECH 1560 Engineering Communication with CAD 2
MECH 2606 Engineering Materials 3
MATH 2673 Calculus 3 4
PHYS 2611 General Physics 2 4
CEEN 2601 Statics 3
 Semester Hours16
Spring
MECH 2603 Thermodynamics 1 3
MECH 2641 Dynamics 3
MATH 3705 Differential Equations 3
CEEN 2602 Strength of Materials 3
CEEN 2602L Strength of Materials Lab 1
ECEN 2614 Basics of Electrical Engineering 3
 Semester Hours16
Year 3
Fall
MECH 2604 Thermodynamics 2 3
MECH 3720 Fluid Dynamics 3
MECH 3742 Kinematics of Machines 3
MECH 3751 Stress and Strain Analysis 1 3
MECH 3751L Stress and Strain Analysis 1 Laboratory 1
ECON 2610 Principles 1: Microeconomics 3
 Semester Hours16
Spring
MECH 3708 Dynamic Systems Modeling 4
MECH 3720L Fluid Dynamics Laboratory 1
MECH 3725 Heat Transfer 1 3
MECH 3762 Design of Machine Elements 3
MECH 3762L Design of Machine Elements Laboratory 1
ISEN 3710

or Probability and Statistics
3-4
 Semester Hours15-16
Year 4
Fall
MECH 4808 Mechanical Systems Design 1 2
MECH 4808L Mechanical Systems Design Laboratory 1
MECH 4825L Heat Transfer and Thermodynamics Laboratory 1
MECH 5881 Mechanical Vibrations 3
MECH Elective 3
PHIL 2626 Engineering Ethics 3
GER Elective (SS) 3
 Semester Hours16
Spring
MECH 4809 Mechanical Systems Design 2 3
MECH 4809L Mechanical Systems Design Laboratory 2 1
MECH 5881L Mechanical Vibrations Laboratory 1
MECH Elective 3
MECH Elective 3
GER Elective (AH) 3
GER Elective (SPA) 3
 Semester Hours17
 Total Semester Hours130-133

Mechanical Engineering Electives

COURSE TITLE S.H.
Heat & Fluid Flow
MECH 4800Special Topics3
MECH 4823Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning3
MECH 4835Thermal Fluid Applications3
MECH 5825Heat Transfer 23
MECH 5836Fluid Power and Control3
MECH 5885Computational Fluid Dynamics4
Soild Mechanics
MECH 4800Special Topics3
MECH 5842Kinetics of Machines3
MECH 5852Stress and Strain Analysis 23
MECH 5884Finite Element Analysis3
MECH 5892Control of Mechanical Systems3
MTEN 5868Failure Analysis Using the SEM3

Student Outcomes

The YSU mechanical engineering program student outcomes ensure that our graduates have been given the skills to attain the program educational objectives after graduation. Student outcomes for direct assessment are ABET specified outcomes (1) through (7). Our students are expected to graduate with:

1. Engineering Expertise - an ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics

2. Design Expertise - an ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors

3. Communication Skills - an ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences

4. Professional Responsibility - an ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts

5. Teamwork Competency - an ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives

6. Experimental Competency - an ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions

7. Life-long Learning - an ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies