The Mechanical Engineering Program consists of required courses and elective courses (the Science Elective, Applied Math Elective, Technical Electives and General Education coursework). The program is intended to provide a broad background in mathematics, physics, chemistry, and engineering science, together with sufficient depth in the required engineering courses to provide the essentials which form the base of the program. Building on the base, the student chooses additional technical and non-technical courses. Technical Elective courses allow students to obtain significant exposure to technical areas of their own choosing.

A good program of non-technical electives will broaden student interests, permitting an appreciation of the various people and cultures within our society and the global community. In fact, current ABET accreditation requirements require that students attain the broad education necessary to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global, economic, environmental, and societal context, a knowledge of contemporary issues, and the ability to communicate effectively. Non-technical electives must be selected to satisfy the University-wide requirements for General Education and any related ABET concerns particularly for transfer students.

Of the total credit hours of coursework required for the B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, 30 credit hours must be completed at this institution to satisfy our residency requirement. The standard program followed by a student making normal progress toward the degree may be completed in four academic years. The course load per semester varies from 15 to 18 credit hours. Those students who wish to attend Summer Session classes may reduce the calendar time required to complete the degree requirements.

Elective Policy

ME students are required to take a total of 12 hours of Technical Elective (TE) coursework, 3 hours of an Applied Math Elective, and 4 hours of Science Elective. A TE course may be a course offered by the departments of the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS), or a course in mathematics or the sciences which is not a required course for the ME degree. TE courses may not substantially duplicate the material in a required course. All TEs must be coursework at the 300 level or above. In some instances graduate level courses may be used as TEs. Nine hours of TE credit must be selected from courses offered by the MAE Department. No more than two of the following courses may be used as TE courses: MAE 496, MAE 499, EAS 480, EAS 498, and EAS 396/496 (for TE purposes EAS 396 and 496 together are equivalent to one MAE course).

The General Education Program

General education focuses on a broad array of skills, knowledge, and issues that the University’s faculty considers to be particularly important for all college graduates. The program is intended to help students prepare for success and fulfillment in a continually changing world. General education complements the departmental major. In particular, the General Education Program at the State University of New York at Buffalo, in accordance with SUNY policy is designed to instill knowledge and skills in: Mathematics, Natural Sciences, Social Sciences, American History, Western Civilization, Other World Civilizations, Humanities, The Arts, Foreign Languages, and Basic Communication. In addition, requirements exist in two competencies: Critical Thinking (Reasoning), and Information Management. General education requirements are detailed in the undergraduate catalog and advisement regarding these requirements is available through the SEAS Office of Undergraduate Education in 410 Bonner Hall.

Academic Integrity

The university has a responsibility to promote academic honesty and integrity and to develop procedures to deal effectively with instances of academic dishonesty. Students are responsible for the honest completion and representation of their work, for the appropriate citation of sources, and for respecting the academic endeavors of others. By placing their name on academic work, students certify the originality of all work not otherwise identified by appropriate acknowledgments.

The university community depends upon shared academic standards. Academic dishonesty in any form by any member of the university community represents a fundamental impairment of these standards. When an instance of suspected or alleged academic dishone sty by a student arises, it shall be resolved first through informal consultation between the student and the instructor and then, if necessary, through the formal proceedings of the MAE Department, the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, and the University.