UCLA Mechanical Engineering Curriculum Overview
The Mechanical Engineering program at UCLA aims to equip students with a comprehensive understanding of the field, preparing them to meet the evolving demands of the industry. This overview provides a detailed look into the curriculum, covering course offerings, degree requirements, and program objectives.
Program Objectives
The primary goal of the Mechanical Engineering program is to provide students with a broad and deep knowledge base encompassing the major areas of mechanical engineering. These areas include:
- Thermodynamics
- Heat Transfer
- Fluid Mechanics
- Structural and Solid Mechanics
- Dynamics
- Control
- Mechanical Design
- Mechanical Systems
- Micro- and Nano-Electromechanical Systems
- Robotics
The undergraduate and graduate courses are designed to cover a wide range of fundamental concepts and advanced knowledge in each of these areas.
Degree Requirements
The Mechanical Engineering program requires students to complete nine courses (36 units). A key component of the degree is the requirement that five of these courses must be Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MECH&AE or MAE) graduate (200) level courses. It's important to note that ENGR 299, the Capstone Project course, is excluded from this requirement.
These courses must also meet the Comprehensive Exam Requirement. Students should carefully select their courses to ensure they fulfill both the graduate level and breadth requirements, if applicable.
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For students without a B.S., breadth requirements apply. The remaining courses can be selected from a provided list, with a minimum of six courses. One option for meeting requirements is to take and pass three written exams for three different graduate-level courses within the student’s area of specialization. These written exams are held concurrently with the final exams of the graduate-level courses.
Electives are available, and as long as the core requirements are met, students can select courses from other Engineering departments.
Time-to-Degree
Students are expected to complete the degree within two academic years and one quarter, which includes two summer sessions.
Course Offerings
The UCLA General Catalog provides detailed information on course offerings, but the following list provides an overview of some of the courses available within the Mechanical Engineering curriculum.
Introductory Courses
- 19. Fiat Lux Freshman Seminars: A seminar designed to foster critical thinking about current intellectual topics. Taught by faculty members, these seminars illuminate various paths of discovery at UCLA.
- M20. Introduction to Computer Programming with MATLAB: (Same as Civil Engineering M20.) This course teaches the fundamentals of computer programming within the MATLAB environment. Topics include basic data types, control structures, input/output, functions, data visualization, and an introduction to object-oriented programming. Examples and exercises are drawn from engineering, mathematics, and the physical sciences.
- 82. Mathematics of Engineering: This course covers methods for solving ordinary differential equations in engineering. It includes a review of matrix algebra, eigenvalues, and eigenvectors, as well as an introduction to Laplace transforms, boundary value problems, and partial differential equations.
- 94. Introduction to Computer-Aided Design and Drafting: This course introduces students to computer graphics and two- and three-dimensional modeling using computer-aided design and drafting systems.
- 99. Student Research Program: Entry-level research for lower-division students under the guidance of a faculty mentor.
Core Courses
- 101. Statics and Strength of Materials: A review of vector representation of forces, resultant force and moment, equilibrium of concurrent and nonconcurrent forces. Area moments and products of inertia. Support reactions, free-body diagrams. Forces in simple models of mechanical and aerospace structures. Internal forces in beams, shear and moment diagrams. Stress and strain components in solids, equilibrium equations, Hooke’s law for isotropic solids. Bending and shear stresses in beams. Deflection of symmetric beams and indeterminate problems. Stresses in thin-walled pressure vessels and in circular cylinders under torsion.
- 102. Dynamics of Particles and Rigid Bodies: This course covers the fundamental concepts of Newtonian mechanics, including kinematics and kinetics of particles and rigid bodies in two and three dimensions.
- 103. Elementary Fluid Mechanics: An introductory course dealing with the application of principles of mechanics to the flow of compressible and incompressible fluids.
- 105A. Introduction to Engineering Thermodynamics: This course introduces phenomenological thermodynamics, covering concepts of equilibrium, temperature, and reversibility. It also covers the first and second laws of thermodynamics, equations of state, and thermodynamic properties, with engineering applications in the analysis and design of closed and open systems.
- 105D. Transport Phenomena: This course covers heat conduction, mass species diffusion, convective heat and mass transfer, and radiation, with engineering applications in thermal and environmental control.
- 107. Introduction to Modeling and Analysis of Dynamic Systems: Introduction to modeling of physical systems, with examples of mechanical, fluid, thermal, and electrical systems. Description of these systems with coverage of impulse response, convolution, frequency response, first- and second-order system transient response analysis, and numerical solution. Nonlinear differential equation descriptions with discussion of equilibrium solutions, small signal linearization, large signal response. Block diagram representation and response of interconnections of systems. Hands-on experiments reinforce lecture material.
Advanced Courses
- 131A. Intermediate Heat Transfer: This course covers steady conduction, transient conduction, convection, and two-stream heat exchangers, with elements of thermal design.
- C131G. Microscopic Energy Transport: Exploration of basic principles of transportation of energy in natural and fabricated structures by three carriers: electrons, phonons, and molecules.
- 133A. Engineering Thermodynamics: This course applies thermodynamic principles to engineering processes, including energy conversion systems, Rankine cycles, refrigeration, psychrometry, and reactive and nonreactive fluid flow systems.
- 135. Fundamentals of Nuclear Science and Engineering: A review of nuclear physics, radioactivity, and radiation interaction with matter. Nuclear fission and fusion processes and mass defect, chain reactions, criticality, neutron diffusion and multiplication, heat transfer issues, and applications.
- C136. Energy and Environment: This course covers global energy use and supply, electrical power generation, fossil fuel and nuclear power plants, renewable energy, energy conservation, air and water pollution, and global warming.
- C137. Design and Analysis of Smart Grids: Demand response; transactive/price-based load control; home-area network, smart energy profile; advanced metering infrastructure; renewable energy integration; solar and wind generation intermittency and correction; microgrids; grid stability; energy storage and electric vehicles-simulation; monitoring; distribution and transmission grids; consumer-centric technologies; sensors, communications, and computing; wireless, wireline, and powerline communications for smart grids; grid modeling, stability, and control; frequency and voltage regulation; ancillary services; wide-area situational awareness, phasor measurements; analytical methods and tools for monitoring and control.
- C138. Introduction to Statistical Thermodynamics: This course introduces the basic concepts and tools of statistical thermodynamics.
- CM140. Introduction to Biomechanics: (Same as Bioengineering CM140.) Introduction to mechanical functions of human body; skeletal adaptations to optimize load transfer, mobility, and function. Dynamics and kinematics. Fluid mechanics applications. Heat and mass transfer. Power generation. Laboratory simulations and tests.
- 150A. Intermediate Fluid Mechanics: Basic equations governing fluid motion. Fundamental solutions of Navier-Stokes equations. Lubrication theory. Elementary potential flow theory. Boundary layers. Turbulent flow in pipes and boundary layers. Compressible flow: normal shocks, channel flow with friction or heat addition.
- 150B. Aerodynamics: Advanced aspects of potential flow theory. Incompressible flow around thin airfoils (lift and moment coefficients) and wings (lift, induced drag). Gas dynamics: oblique shocks, Prandtl/Meyer expansion. Linearized subsonic and supersonic flow around thin airfoils and wings. Wave drag. Transonic flow.
- 150C. Combustion Systems: Chemical thermodynamics of ideal gas mixtures, premixed and diffusion flames, explosions and detonations, combustion chemistry, high explosives. Combustion processes in rocket, turbine, and internal combustion engines; heating applications.
- C150G. Fluid Dynamics of Biological Systems: Mechanics of aquatic locomotion; insect and bird flight aerodynamics; pulsatile flow in circulatory system; rheology of blood; transport in microcirculation; role of fluid dynamics in arterial diseases.
- C150P. Aircraft Propulsion Systems: Thermodynamic properties of gases, aircraft jet engine cycle analysis and component performance, component matching, advanced aircraft engine topics.
- C150R. Rocket Propulsion Systems: Rocket propulsion concepts, including chemical rockets (liquid, gas, and solid propellants), hybrid rocket engines, electric (ion, plasma) rockets, nuclear rockets, and solar-powered vehicles. Current issues in launch vehicle technologies.
- 154A. Preliminary Design of Aircraft: Classical preliminary design of aircraft, including weight estimation, performance and stability, and control consideration. Term assignment consists of preliminary design of low-speed aircraft.
- 154B. Design of Aerospace Structures: Design of aircraft, helicopter, spacecraft, and related structures. External loads, internal stresses. Applied theory of thin-walled structures. Material selection, design using composite materials. Design for fatigue prevention and structural optimization. Field trips to aerospace companies.
- 154S. Flight Mechanics, Stability, and Control of Aircraft: Aircraft performance, flight mechanics, stability, and control; some basic ingredients needed for design of aircraft. Effects of airplane flexibility on stability derivatives.
- 155. Intermediate Dynamics: Axioms of Newtonian mechanics, generalized coordinates, Lagrange equation, variational principles; central force motion; kinematics and dynamics of rigid bodies. Euler equations, motion of rotating bodies, oscillatory motion, normal coordinates, orthogonality relations.
- 156A. Advanced Strength of Materials: Concepts of stress, strain, and material behavior. Stresses in loaded beams with symmetric and asymmetric cross sections. Torsion of cylinders and thin-walled structures, shear flow. Stresses in pressure vessels, press-fit and shrink-fit problems, rotating shafts. Curved beams. Contact stresses. Strength and failure, plastic deformation, fatigue, elastic instability.
- C156B. Mechanical Design for Power Transmission: Lecture, four hours; outside study.
Additional Resources
The UCLA General Catalog serves as the primary resource for the most current and officially approved courses and curricula. It is published annually in both PDF and HTML formats. While every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information, all courses, course descriptions, instructor designations, curricular degree requirements, and fees are subject to change or deletion without notice.
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Further information about UCLA can be found in materials produced by the various schools, including Arts and Architecture, Dentistry, Education and Information Studies, Engineering and Applied Science, Law, Management, Medicine, Music, Nursing, Public Affairs, Public Health, and Theater, Film, and Television.
Worksheets and class planning tips are available to assist students in planning their schedules and navigating the curriculum.
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