Undergraduate program

The BSME curriculum at Portland State University is distinguished by its emphasis on the design process culminating in the Capstone project in the Senior year. The curriculum allows specialization in fluid systems, mechanical systems, thermal systems, and machine design.

The mechanical engineering curriculum is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, 111 Market Place, Suite 1050, Baltimore, MD 21202-4012 - telephone: (410) 347-7700. This national organization sets standards for engineering education defined in terms of curricular content, quality of faculty, and adequacy of facilities.

The mechanical engineering department is engaged in a continuous program improvement process in which the educational needs of our students have the utmost importance. The goal of the department is to ensure that all of our graduates receive a balanced education that makes them highly desirable to employers.

Degree Maps and Learning Outcomes

Program Objectives

Admission requirements

Mechanical Engineering B.S.

Honors Track

Bachelor's Plus Master's Pathway

Admission requirements

Policy on Admission to the BSME Program

Students may declare Mechanical Engineering as their major at any time after enrolling at Portland State University. However, students must be admitted formally to mechanical engineering before they will (1) be allowed to enroll in restricted upper-division courses offered by the program and (2) be graduated from that program. An online application is available at, http://www.pdx.edu/mme/when-to-apply. Students will apply to the program while they are completing their final term of coursework.

Students transferring from other institutions who want to be admitted must:

  • Meet all eligibility requirements.
  • Apply for admission to PSU.
  • Apply for program admission to the Mechanical and Materials Engineering department.
  • Have one copy of their transcripts sent to the Mechanical and Materials Engineering office.
  • Have one copy of their transcripts sent to the Office of Admissions.

Application deadline for admission to a degree program:

  • Fall term - April 15

Eligibility

To be eligible for admission to the Mechanical Engineering program a student must meet the following minimum requirements:

1. Complete the following courses with a minimum grade of C and a minimum GPA of 2.5:

Ch 221General Chemistry I

4

Ch 227General Chemistry Laboratory

1

ME 120An Introduction to Engineering

3

ME 121Introduction to Systems and Control

3

ME 122Introduction to Design

3

EAS 211Statics

4

EAS 212Strength of Materials

4

EAS 215Dynamics

4

ECE 241Introduction to Electrical Engineering

4

ECE 241LIntroduction to Electrical Engineering Lab

0

Mth 251Calculus I

0-4

Mth 252Calculus II

4

Mth 254Calculus IV

4

Mth 256Applied Differential Equations I

4

Mth 261Introduction to Linear Algebra

0-4

Ph 221General Physics (with Calculus)

3

Ph 222General Physics (with Calculus)

3

Ph 223General Physics (with Calculus)

3

Ph 214Lab for Ph 201, 202, 203 or Ph 211, 212, 213 or Ph 221, 222, 223

1

Ph 215Lab for Ph 201, 202, 203 or Ph 211, 212, 213 or Ph 221, 222, 223

1

Ph 216Lab for Ph 201, 202, 203 or Ph 211, 212, 213 or Ph 221, 222, 223

1

Freshman Inquiry

69

Ph 211, Ph 212, and Ph 213 also accepted.

Freshman Inquiry: Comm 220 and Wr 121 for transfer students.

2. Complete a minimum of 90 credits

Candidates who do not meet all criteria may, upon petition, be granted eligibility when an evaluation of the student’s total record justifies such action and they are recommended by the Maseeh College’s Academic Appeals Committee.

Selective Admission

If the number of eligible applicants for admission to the Mechanical Engineering program exceeds that for which resources are available, acceptance will be competitive.

The selective admission process uses the following criteria:

  1. The number of students admitted to the BSME program will be set with the goal of maintaining the highest quality of the student learning experience.
  2. All applications for admission for a given term are evaluated as a single group (no rolling admission).
  3. Applicants are ranked according to a composite GPA in the following math, science and engineering courses: Mth 251, Mth 252, Mth 254, Mth 256, Mth 261, Ph 211, Ph 214, Ph 212, Ph 215, Ph 213, Ph 216, ME 120, ME 121, ME 122EAS 211, EAS 212, EAS 215, ECE 241. GPAs are computed without using replacement policy for grades of D or below. All attempts at taking a course are included in the computation.
  4. Priority, within reasonable limits, will be given to students from PSU.
  5. The final admission decision is made by a committee of MME faculty and staff.

    Continuation Criteria

    After admission to the Mechanical Engineering program students will be expected to make satisfactory progress toward their declared degree and will be subject to the following rules:

    1. The term GPA in all courses taken at PSU must be 2.00 or higher. 
    2. At the conclusion of each term of the academic year, full-time students are normally expected to complete a minimum of 12 credits applicable toward their degree program. Part-time students are expected to complete a minimum of 12 credits per year applicable toward their degree program.
    3. Students will be placed on probation when their term GPA as described in (1) is below 2.00, or their progress toward the degree is less than that described in (2).
    4. Students placed on probation for two consecutive terms or for a total of three terms will be suspended from the BSME program. Students also will be suspended if not enrolled in engineering and/or computer science courses for three consecutive terms.
    5. Students who are suspended must meet with an advisor to determine whether and under which conditions readmission is feasible.
    6. Students must have a major GPA of at least 2.0 in order to graduate with their BSME.

    Appeals

    Students denied admission or suspended may request reconsideration by submitting a petition. The petition and supporting materials will be reviewed by the Chair of the Mechanical and Materials Engineering Department and the Maseeh College’s Academic Appeals Committee, and a recommendation will be forwarded to the Dean. The appeal must be made within 30 days of notice to the student of denial of admission or suspension.

    Pass/No Pass Grading Policy

    All courses specifically required by the University or by the department must be taken for a letter grade unless a required course is only offered with a pass/no pass option.