Undergraduate Major Mechanical Engineering

Learn How Things Work with a Mechanical Engineering Major from SNHU

Prepare yourself for a future engineering career with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Southern New Hampshire University. Mechanical Engineering is one of the broadest engineering disciplines, and SNHU's program will ensure that you gain the design, analysis, development, and manufacturing knowledge that you need to succeed in a variety of different fields.

You'll gain a thorough understanding of mechanical systems, and be prepared to enter the engineering field in the areas of advanced materials, robotics, thermal-fluid systems, power and energy systems, propulsion systems, manufacturing, and more.

SNHU has modelled its engineering programs in accordance with the international CDIO initiative, "an innovative educational framework for producing the next generation of engineers that stresses engineering fundamentals set in the context of Conceiving, Designing, Implementing, and Operating real-world systems and products." CDIO is a prominent engineering educational philosophy and is intended to achieve a fine balance between project-based, hands-on learning and traditional, theory-based engineering education. No matter your interest, the program will help you develop the necessary skills to begin your chosen career.

Request Info Apply Now

See Yourself Succeed in Mechanical Engineering

At SNHU, you'll have plenty of opportunities to put engineering theory into practice. SNHU's faculty and staff will work to provide you with experiential learning opportunities, and help you to find jobs and internships that allow you to get real, hands-on experience in the field. At SNHU, we are dedicated to providing you with the support and guidance that you need to find the education and career path that is right for you.

As a private, nonprofit university, SNHU has one mission - to help you see yourself succeed. The benefits of majoring in Mechanical Engineering at SNHU include:

Supportive community. Join the SNHU campus community of students who are closely connected with faculty and staff dedicated to your success.
Affordability. SNHU is one of the most affordable private, nonprofit universities in New Hampshire, and students who qualify could receive up to $20,000 in grants and scholarships. (This scholarship amount is only for students who do not need a visa to study in the U.S.)
Innovative programs. Study abroad at little or no extra cost.
Accessible faculty. Learn from highly credentialed faculty members who are experts in their fields and interact with you in the classroom, dining hall, fitness center, and anywhere else you need them.
Opportunity. Tap into our nationwide network of alumni and strong connections with employers for internship and career opportunities.
Campus experience. Enjoy more than 50 student clubs, Division II athletics, and fun events on our 300-acre campus in Manchester, NH, named a "Best Place to Live" by Money magazine.

Program Educational Objectives

Professional careers in Mechanical Engineering or other disciplines utilizing the knowledge and problem-solving skills they developed in the SNHU Mechanical Engineering program;
Increasing responsibility in technical and/or management areas;
Recognition or affirmation from their managers and peers as effective and valued members of their work team;
Increasing discernment and sensitivity in the consideration of global and societal contexts and consequences when making engineering decisions;
Expansion of their professional, personal, and interpersonal skills and engagement in lifelong learning activities, including post-graduate education for some graduates;
Involvement with professional and other service activities that contribute to industry and society.

Internships & Outcomes

Graduates from SNHU’s Mechanical Engineering program will have a thorough understanding of both the technical and economic issues faced by engineers and engineering projects. Students will be well prepared to enter the engineering field in an entry-level position, but will also have a firm grasp on the skills necessary to succeed at all levels.

SNHU embraces a multidisciplinary approach to education, and encourages opportunities for students to gain new skills and perspective by working with students in other disciplines, such as aeronautical engineering or electrical and computer engineering. Engineering is a field that spans many industries, and SNHU is committed to giving students the resources they need to prepare to enter any of them.

Curriculum

Upon completion of the Mechanical Engineering program at SNHU, graduates should possess:

the ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering;
the ability to design and conduct experiments, as well as to analyze and interpret data;
the ability to design a system, component, or process to meet desired needs within realistic constraints such as economic, environmental, social, political, ethical, health and safety, manufacturability, and sustainability;
the ability to function on multidisciplinary teams;
the ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems;
a thorough understanding of professional and ethical responsibility;
the ability to communicate effectively;
the broad education necessary to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global, economic, environmental, and societal context;
a recognition of the need for and an ability to engage in life-long learning;
an understanding of contemporary issues;
the ability to use the techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools necessary for engineering practice;
the ability to apply principles of engineering, basic science, and mathematics (including multivariate calculus and differential equations) to model, analyze, design, and realize physical systems, components, or processes;
the ability to work professionally in both thermal and mechanical systems areas.

Required Core Courses
General Education Program

Courses May Include
EG 207 Instrumentation & Measurements This course is an introduction to the fundamental concepts, principles, procedures, and computations regarding modern instrumentation and measurement systems. Students will gain a sound understanding of a language (LabVIEW ) used to describe modern instrumentation, measurement, and control systems and an appreciation of the various types of systems in common use in industry. Students will use this software to create virtual instruments. Particular emphasis will be given to electrical, mechanical, flow, and thermal measurement systems. The course will also cover statistical analysis to evaluate the quality of measurements, standard methods of characterizing measurement results, and methods for characterizing measurement system response. The students work in teams to conceive-design-implement-operate a project incorporating multiple sensors and data acquisition and analysis.
EG 316 Electrical Circuits This course provides an introduction to the essentials of electrical circuit theory. Topics to be covered include resistive circuits, nodal and mesh analysis using Kirchhoff's laws, superposition, Norton & Th venin equivalences, capacitance & inductance, first and second order transient analysis, RC, RL, and RLC circuits, Laplace transform, and frequency response. A simulation software package is employed throughout this course to analyze various electric circuits.
EG 333 Control Systems Analysis This course provides students an opportunity to model, analyze, and design control systems. It includes mathematical modeling of linear systems for time and frequency domain analysis, transfer function and state variable representations for analyzing control system's performance and stability; and closed-loop control design techniques by frequency response, and root-locus methods. It also involves computer programming and simulation exercises. This course gives a basic understanding and analysis tools of various control systems used in the aeronautical, mechanical, and electric and electronics industries.
MAT 325 Calculus III: Multivariable Calculus Many real-world applications of calculus in science, engineering, economics, and business employ functions with many variables. This course extends the basic concepts of single-variable calculus developed in MAT 225 and MAT 275 to functions of several variables. Topics include vectors, the geometry of space, vector-valued functions, motion in space, partial derivatives and multiple integrals.
MAT 350 Applied Linear Algebra This is a first course in linear algebra and matrices. Topics include systems of linear equations, linear independence, matrices of linear transformations, matrix algebra, determinants, vector spaces, eigenvalues and eigenvectors. After mastering the basic concepts and skills, students will use their knowledge of linear algebra to model a selection of applied mathematics problems in business, science, computer science and economics.
PHY 216 Physics II This is the continuation of PHY-215 with similar characteristics; i.e., it is a calculus based physics course and stresses problem-solving. Topics covered include temperature, thermal equilibrium, thermal expansion, calorimetry, periodic waves, mathematical descriptions of a wave, speed of transverse waves, sound waves in gases, electric charges, atomic structure, Coulomb's Law, Kirchhoff's rules, magnetic fields and flux, motion of charged particles in a magnetic field, reflection and refraction, total internal refraction, Fermat's Principles of Least Time, geometrical optics, refraction of spherical surfaces, lenses, and an introductory topic of modern physics. The required lab component of this course covers introductory methods and techniques of laboratory experimentation in topics covered in this course. Students learn about procedures for measuring physical quantities and methods for collecting and analyzing experimental data. Students are required to complete 12 experiments in areas such as Thermophysics, Sound and Waves, Electricity, Magnetism, Optics, or Atomic and Nuclear Physics.
PHY 216L Physics II Lab This is the continuation of PHY-215 with similar characteristics; i.e., it is a calculus based physics course and stresses problem-solving. Topics covered include temperature, thermal equilibrium, thermal expansion, calorimetry, periodic waves, mathematical descriptions of a wave, speed of transverse waves, sound waves in gases, electric charges, atomic structure, Coulomb's Law, Kirchhoff's rules, magnetic fields and flux, motion of charged particles in a magnetic field, reflection and refraction, total internal refraction, Fermat's Principles of Least Time, geometrical optics, refraction of spherical surfaces, lenses, and an introductory topic of modern physics. The required lab component of this course covers introductory methods and techniques of laboratory experimentation in topics covered in this course. Students learn about procedures for measuring physical quantities and methods for collecting and analyzing experimental data. Students are required to complete 12 experiments in areas such as Thermophysics, Sound and Waves, Electricity, Magnetism, Optics, or Atomic and Nuclear Physics.
Total Credits: 120

Program Outcomes

An ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering.
An ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering.
An ability to design and conduct experiments, as well as to analyze and interpret data.
An ability to design and conduct experiments, as well as to analyze and interpret data.
An ability to design a system, component, or process to meet desired needs within realistic constraints such as economic, environmental, social, political, ethical, health and safety, manufacturability, and sustainability.
An ability to design a system, component, or process to meet desired needs within realistic constraints such as economic, environmental, social, political, ethical, health and safety, manufacturability, and sustainability.
An ability to function on multi-disciplinary teams.
An ability to function on multi-disciplinary teams.
An ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems.
An ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems.
An understanding of professional and ethical responsibility.
An understanding of professional and ethical responsibility.
An ability to communicate effectively.
An ability to communicate effectively.
The broad education necessary to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global, economic, environmental, and societal context.
The broad education necessary to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global, economic, environmental, and societal context.
A recognition of the need for, and the ability to engage in life-long learning.
A recognition of the need for, and the ability to engage in life-long learning.
A knowledge of contemporary issues.
A knowledge of contemporary issues.
An ability to use the techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools needed for engineering practice.
An ability to use the techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools needed for engineering practice.
An ability to apply principles of engineering, basic science, and mathematics to model, analyze, design, and realize physical systems, components or processes.
An ability to apply principles of engineering, basic science, and mathematics to model, analyze, design, and realize physical systems, components or processes.
"An ability to work professionally in both thermo-fluid and electro-mechanical system area. "
"An ability to work professionally in both thermo-fluid and electro-mechanical system area. "

Campus Undergraduate Costs

Undergraduate Day Students Tuition Financial Aid Teaser Image

Our Manchester campus aims to keep tuition and related costs low for our students so that you can pursue your degree and your goals. More than 90% of our students receive some form of financial aid, and students who qualify could receive up to $20,000 in grants and scholarships.

University Accreditation

Southern New Hampshire University is a private, nonprofit institution accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges as well as several other accrediting bodies. More...