Contact Information:

Ronald H. Knapp , Chair
Mechanical Engineering
University of Hawai`i at Manoa
2540 Dole St. - Holmes Hall 302
Honolulu HI 96822

Phone: (808) 956-7167
Fax: (808) 956-2373
Email:meoffice@eng.hawaii.edu

Degrees Offered: BS in mechanical engineering

Mission Statement 

The overriding objective of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at UHM is to prepare students for successful professional careers and lifelong learning and to instill in them principles of ethical behavior that will lead to their being concerned, good citizens of their community and the world. Achievement of this overriding objective requires the achievement of the following three major “component objectives”:

Objectives

• to teach our students the basic laws of nature that are relevant to the fields of mechanical engineering, and to closely related fields, and how to use those laws to formulate and solve engineering problems using applicable analytical, computational, and experimental techniques; 
• to develop in our students the skills pertinent to the design process, to think creatively, to communicate effectively, and to work collaboratively; 
• to instill in our students an understanding and acceptance of their professional and ethical responsibilities, a respect for diversity of opinion and culture, and a concern for a healthy and aesthetic environment.

The Academic Program

Mechanical engineering (ME) is concerned with the design of all types of machines, conversion of energy from one form to another, instrumentation and control of all types of physical and chemical processes, the manufacturing and utilization of engineering materials, and control of human and machine environments. Mechanical engineers conceive, plan, design, and direct the manufacture, distribution, and operation of a wide variety of devices, machines, instruments, materials, and systems used for energy conversion, heat and mass transfer, environmental control, control of human and machine environment, physical and chemical process control, materials processing, transportation, manufacture of consumer products, materials handling, and measurements. Mechanical engineers also employ Computer Aided Design (CAD), Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM), Computer Aided Testing (CAT), Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), computer modeling and simulations, novel materials, robotics, and mechatronics (integration of computers with electromechanical systems) in their day-to-day activities. Mechanical engineers find opportunities for employment in every branch of industry and in a variety of government agencies. Work may involve research, development, design, analysis, manufacture, testing, marketing, or management.

U n d e r g r a d u a t e.-S t u d i e s

Bachelor’s Degree

The BS degree requires completion of at least 122 credit hours of course work. The curriculum consists of a group of required courses chosen to provide the students with the basic tools for the professional practice of mechanical engineering and to assist students in developing a sense of responsibility as professionals. The objectives of the lower division curriculum are to build a foundation in the basic sciences and mathematics, provide an introduction to engineering design and professional ethics, develop communications and computer programming skills, and acquire an appreciation for the humanities and social sciences. The objectives of the upper division program are to provide a sound foundation in the engineering sciences; build on that foundation for applications in the areas of energy conversion, mechanical systems and control, experimentation, and manufacturing; and encourage creativity culminating in a “capstone” design experience. To provide sufficient flexibility, technical elective courses enable students to acquire additional competence in areas compatible with their career objectives.

All electives are subject to the approval of an adviser.

College Requirements

Students must complete the College Requirement courses for engineering (see “Undergraduate Programs” within the College of Engineering).

Departmental Requirements

Students must complete the following coursework:

• ME 113 Introduction to Engineering Design (2)
• CEE 270 Applied Mechanics I (3)
• CEE 271 Applied Mechanics II (3) 
• MATH 190 Basic and Fortran Programming (1)
• MATH 302 Introduction to Differential Equations I (3)
• ME 360 Computer Methods in Engineering (3)
• EE 211 Basic Circuit Analysis I (4)
• ME 213 Introduction to Engineering Design II (2)
• ME 331 Material Science and Engineering (3)
• ME 341 Manufactory Processes/Lab (3/1)
• ME 371 Mechanics of Solids (3)
• ME 372 Component Design (3)
• ME 374 Kinematics/Dynamics Machinery (3)
• ME 375 Dynamics of Machines and Systems (3)
• ME 311 Thermodynamics (3)
• ME 312 Applied Thermodynamics (3)
• ME 322 Mechanics of Fluids (3)
• ME 422 Heat Transfer (3)
• ME 301 Mechanical Engineering Experimentation (3)
• ME 401 Measurements Lab (2)
• ME 481 Design Project I (3)
• ME 482 Design Project II (3)
• Technical electives (9). Three courses that can be selected from ME 400-level technical electives (3), CEE 405 and another that can be replaced with a non-ME course (3) (with approval from chair), and a second that can be replaced with an ME 600-level course (3) (3.00 GPA minimum and approval from chair) or ME 499 (3).