Mechanical engineering program is the most versatile of all engineering programs, and is designed for students who are interested in applying their solid backgrounds and knowledge of mathematics, science, and general engineering to design and conduct experiments; analyze and interpret data; and design systems, components, and processes to meet desired needs for a long-lasting societal impact.
Programs
Mechanical engineers pursue careers in the automotive, aerospace, chemical, computer, communication, defense, energy, railroad and robotics industries, just to name a few. Mechanical engineers are also found in almost all manufacturing industries. Increasingly, mechanical engineers are needed in the environmental and bio-medical fields, and many of our graduates have pursued education in medicine and law. Without a doubt, virtually every product or service in modern life has probably been touched in some way by a mechanical engineer!
Our department is also offering a degree in manufacturing systems engineering. Manufacturing jobs have become a major staple in the state economy, and our department, joining forces by the College of Engineering and The University of Alabama, is doing what it can to supply a pipeline of workers. A manufacturing facility has been built as part of an initiative oriented to develop a premier hub for multidisciplinary research and education in intelligent and advanced manufacturing systems and processes. This B.S. program will provide graduates the skills and knowledge for successful careers in manufacturing systems and processes with practical applications ranging from manufacturing processes to cyber-physical systems.
Special Programs
Mechanical Engineering Distance Programs
The Mechanical Engineering offers online degree programs at all three levels of BS, MS and PhD. Our online BSME, MSME and PhDME degree programs are rigorous and identical to their respective degrees earned by campus students at The University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. Students receive the knowledge, skills and confidence needed to excel in a career that promises many challenges and great rewards!
More information on online Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, for online Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering and finally for online PhD in Mechanical Engineering can be found at UA Online. We are confident that distance education students will have a great opportunity to obtain their degrees with minimal travel or job disruption.
Mechanical Engineering Honors Program
The Mechanical Engineering Honors Program is part of the College of Engineering Honors Programs and is designed to provide an enhanced academic experience for highly motivated, high-achieving students. The program develops problem-solving, critical-thinking and communication skills through a mentored experience-based activity. Research is particularly encouraged. Students completing the ME Honors Program will be awarded a certificate and recognized at the Honors Day ceremony in the student’s senior year. Details can be found online at me.eng.ua.edu under the undergraduate program link.
Accelerated Master's Program (AMP)
The Accelerated Master's Program is intended for gifted and highly motivated candidates for BS degree in mechanical engineering at The University of Alabama whose objectives include degrees at the master's or doctoral level. In participating Accelerated Master's departments, with a closely integrated undergraduate and graduate program, qualified students apply for the program when they have earned 90 hours and meet other admission test score/GPA requirements begin graduate study in their senior year. Such a program may lead to simultaneous completion of requirements for both master's and bachelor's degrees, each within its specified framework. Students interested in AMP should contact the director of graduate programs in the department.
Undergraduate Research Program
The Undergraduate Research Experience program provides our students with an enhanced educational experience. This is achieved by teaming the student with a faculty mentor who will work with and guide the student as the student completes a structured research project. Participation in the this program will:
- sharpen the student’s critical thinking skills
- enhance the student’s ability to apply engineering analysis techniques
- improve the student’s ability to communicate technical information
- increase the student’s confidence in his or her engineering skills
- provide exposure to the graduate-level research environment
Details can be found online at me.eng.ua.edu under the undergraduate program link.
Cooperative Education
Many mechanical engineering students participate in the cooperative education program. This is an academic program where students alternate work terms in an engineering environment in industry with full-time terms of course work. Co-op can greatly enhance your academic experience and employment opportunities. More information can be found on the Cooperative Education and Professional Practice Program website.
Faculty
Professor and Department Head
- Shepard, W. Steve
Professors
- Agrawal, Ajay, Robert F. Barfield Endowed Chair in Mechanical Engineering, and Chair of ThermoFluids Science (TFS) Departmental Disciplinary Group
- Balasubramanian, Bharat, Executive Director of The Center for Advanced Vehicle Technology, Chief Mobility Research and Development Officer of Alabama Transportation Institute
- Bell, Stuart, University of Alabama President
- Krishnan, Sundar Rajan
- Shen, Xiangrong, Chair of Dynamic Systems and Control (DSC) Departmental Disciplinary Group
- Srinivasan, Kalyan Kumar, Director of Graduate Programs
Associate Professors
- Amini, Shahriar (Sean)
- Bittle, Joshua A., Associate Director of The Center for Advanced Vehicle Technology
- Fonseca, Daniel, Senior Design Projects Coordinator
- Khandelwal, Bhupendra
- Mahmoodi, S. Nima
- Momeni, Kasra
- Puzinauskas, Paul, Student Challenge Projects Coordinator
- Todd, Beth, Director of Undergraduate Programs
- Vikas, Vishesh
- Volkov, Alexey, Chair of Materials Processing and Manufacturing (MPM) Departmental Disciplinary Group
- Williams, Keith, Distance Learning Education Coordinator
- Yoon, Hwan-Sik
Assistant Professors
- Beck, Sadie
- Carpenter, Joseph, Director of Alabama Industrial Assessment Center
- Davami, Keivan
- Kasemer, Matthew
- Kim, Hyun Jin
- Koutahzadeh, Negin
- Pakniyat, Ali
- Patiballa, Sree Kalyan
- Samadi, Forooza
- Shah, Krishna
- Vaseghi, Majid
- Zargarani, Anahita
- Zhang, Qiang (Jason)
Instructors/Research Engineers
- Hill, Lawrence, Senior Research Engineer, Alabama IMaDE
- Scott, Radley, Research Engineer, Alabama IMaDE
Adjunct/Affiliated Professors
- Brewer, Luke, Adjunct and Professor of MTE
- Daniewicz, Steve, Adjunct and Professor of MTE
- Gong, Jiaqi, Adjunct and Associate Professor of CS
- Rasoulzadeh, Mojdeh, Adjunct and Assistant Professor of Mathematics
Professors Emeriti
- Kavanaugh, Steve
- Midkiff, Clark
- Parker, Joey K.
- Taylor, Robert P.
- Woodbury, Keith, Associate Director of Alabama Industrial Assessment Center
Policies
Prerequisites, Residency/Transfer Credit and Policies
The Department of Mechanical Engineering adheres to the Prerequisite, Residency/Transfer Credit, and Repeating Course Policies of the College of Engineering. See the College of Engineering Policy page for more information.
Mechanical Engineering Department requires students to use a single calculator model for all written exams administered within the department. This calculator, which is also required for some math and chemistry courses at the university, is inexpensive and readily available for purchase at the local supply store. Faculty may restrict access to other calculators during exams.
Required Calculator: Casio fx-260 Solar II NF
Courses
An introduction to the discipline of mechanical engineering and the role of the mechanical engineer, including both mechanical and thermal/fluid stems. Focus is on learning about the discipline through a series of student hands-on activities.
Introduction to engineering thermodynamics. Topics include units and measures, thermodynamic system, property, and surroundings, closed, open and isolated systems, first law of thermodynamics for closed systems including calculations of boundary work and heat transfer interactions, properties of pure substances including determination of thermodynamic state using the state postulate, introduction to thermodynamic tables, ideal gases, first law of thermodynamics for open systems, second law of thermodynamics, absolute temperature scale, heat engine and refrigeration cycles, Carnot cycle, Kelvin-Planck and Claussius statements of the second law, determination of allowable, reversible, and impossible thermodynamic processes and cycles using the second law, introduction to entropy as a thermodynamic property using the second law, calculation of entropy change and entropy generation for closed and open systems. Introduction to isentropic processes and isentropic efficiencies of devices.