Mechanical Engineering, Bachelor of Science
VCU
Mechanical engineering is one of the oldest and broadest engineering disciplines. Mechanical engineers design and analyze machines of all types including automobiles, airplanes, rockets, submarines, power generation systems, biomedical instrumentation, robots, manufacturing systems, household appliances and many, many more. In addition to well-known areas such as nuclear energy, nuclear propulsion and nuclear medicine, nuclear engineers are involved in many other applications of nuclear science and technology in fields as diverse as agriculture, industry, homeland security, forensics, environmental protection, and even art.
Current areas of research within the department include but are not limited to energy conversion systems, smart materials, corrosion, medical devices, aerosol science, sensors, radiation detection and measurement, nuclear reactor design, robotics, fluid mechanics, nanotechnology, and biomechanics.
Mechanical engineers research, design, develop, manufacture, and test tools, engines, machines, and other mechanical devices. Mechanical engineering is one of the broadest engineering disciplines. Engineers in this discipline work on power-producing machines such as electric generators, internal combustion engines, and steam and gas turbines. They also work on power-using machines such as refrigeration and air-conditioning equipment, machine tools, material-handling systems, elevators and escalators, industrial production equipment, and robots used in manufacturing. Some mechanical engineers design tools that other engineers need for their work.The key characteristics of the profession are its breadth, flexibility, and individuality. The career paths of mechanical engineers are largely determined by individual choices, a decided advantage in a changing world.
- Automation Engineer
- Automotive Engineer
- Design Engineer
- Maintenance Engineer
- Manufacturing Engineer
- Mechanical Engineer
- Nuclear Engineer
- Product Development Engineer
- Robotics Engineer
- Sales Engineer
- College Professor
- Lead Research Scientist
- Project Lead Engineer
- Research & Development Engineer
- Research Engineer
- Simulation & Modeling Engineer
Telephone: (804) 827-1349
Email: transferinfo@vcu.edu
VCCS Transfer Planning Checklist
Telephone: (804) 828-1222 or (800) 841-3638
Email: ugrad@vcu.edu
Apply Here.
- Completion of associate degree (A.A.&.S. or A.S. in Engineering)
- Minimum GPA of 3.0
- All courses must be completed with a grade of "C" or better
- Earn a minimum grade of "B" in all your math, science and engineering classes
- MATH 307
- STAT 212
- 5+ additional science courses
- No
- Yes
- 2.0+ cumulative GPA, 2.0+ major GPA
Mechanical Engineering, Bachelor of Science
Virginia Community College System (Associate of Science in Engineering)
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING | GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY | DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY | EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS | PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE | ||
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Explore | Year 1 |
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Experience | Year 2 |
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MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
- Schedule an appointment with your community college advisor to map out your associate degree course plan.
- Enroll in the SDV student success course.
- Complete your english and start your math requirements in your first year.
- Be prepared for academic challenges and utilize tutoring resources to get ahead.
- Explore GRASP financial aid resources and submit the FAFSA on time.
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
- Explore the VCU mechanical engineering department website.
- Learn about the transfer admission process for VCU.
- Review admission information for engineering transfer students.
- Get involved with student clubs and organizations at your community college.
- Volunteer for community service projects.
- Register to vote.
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
- Identify a mentor in a diversity organization.
- Attend diversity-focused events on your community college campus and in your community (e.g., international festival).
- Make friends with people with diverse perspectives and join a cultural or identity-related student organization.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
- Create LinkedIn profile.
- Complete career assessments through the Virginia Education Wizard.
- Browse information about occupations and job titles associated with mechanical engineering.
- Assess your preparation for a career by completing a Gap Analysis.
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
- Practice independent living skills such as money and time management, self-care, and personal responsibility.
- Develop personal and career goals and create SMART steps for 2-3 "dream jobs."
- Create a weekly and monthly budget.
- Prepare for a career after college by creating a brand for yourself.
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
- Submit a transfer advising request to the VCU Transfer Center.
- Research scholarship opportunities and explore your eligibility for the Two-Year College Transfer Grant.
- Visit the VCU mechanical engineering department website to become familiar with upcoming course offerings, syllabi, and professors.
- Meet with your community college advisor to finalize plans to complete your associate degree.
- Be prepared for academic challenges. Use tutoring resources to get ahead.
- Explore the accelerated BS and MS in Mechanical Engineering program.
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
- Apply to VCU.
- Visit the VCU campus and attend a transfer admission session.
- Research housing options for next year.
- Attend a talk or other event sponsored by the VCU mechanical engineering department, consider joining a VCU club, or meeting with VCU students to make professional and personal connections.
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
- Consider learning a foreign language to open doors to international organizations and future study.
- Learn about short-term, semester and year-long study abroad options.
- Check out the VCU Office of Multicultural Student Affairs (OMSA) and follow @vcuomsa.
- Attend VCU cultural events, including the monthly Global Café, VCU Diversity Scholars in Research week, or VCU mechanical engineering department-related events.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
- Find out about VCU REAL and learn about VCU's REAL graduation requirement.
- Attend Career & Internship Fairs throughout the year.
- Acquire career related experience (e.g., job, internship, organization involvement).
- If your GPA is 3.5 or higher, consider applying for the VCU Honors College.
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
- Using LinkedIn, connect to at least 10 people. Check out the VCU alumni page in My Network.
- Conduct informational interviews or shadow someone in a field of career interest.
- Use the cost calculator to estimate your tuition/fees as an upperclassman at VCU.
- Explore the types of aid available at VCU.
- Consider who you would like to have serve as professional and academic references for future letters of recommendation.
Mechanical Engineering, Bachelor of Science
Virginia Community College System (Associate of Science in Engineering)
Course | Title | Equivalent course | Credits | Requirements |
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Students who earn this associate degree before enrolling at VCU will be eligible for a waiver of VCU's general education requirements. | ||||
SDV 100 or 101 | College Success Skills | UNIV 101 | 1 | Elective |
ENG 111 | College Composition I Note: students with credit for AP English Language and Composition will only receive credit for UNIV 111 at VCU and should take ENG 112 to fulfill the VCU composition requirement. | UNIV 111-112 | 3 | General education |
ENG 112 | College Composition II | UNIV 200 | 3 | General education |
ECO 202 | Principles of Microeconomics (substitutes for the ECON 205 requirement) | ECON 201 | 3 | Major (Ancillary) |
MTH 263 | Calculus I (earn minimum grade of "B") | MATH 200 | 4 | Major (Ancillary) |
MTH 264 | Calculus II (earn minimum grade of "B") | MATH 201 | 4 | Major (Ancillary) |
MTH 265 | Calculus III (earn minimum grade of "B") | MATH 307 | 4 | Major (Ancillary) |
MTH 267 | Differential Equations (earn minimum grade of "B") | MATH 301 | 3 | Major (Ancillary) |
PHY 241 | University Physics I (earn minimum grade of "B") | PHYS 207 | 4 | Major (Ancillary) |
PHY 242 | University Physics II (earn minimum grade of "B") | PHYS 208 | 4 | Major (Ancillary) |
CHM 111 | General Chemistry I (earn minimum grade of "B") | CHEM/Z 101 | 4 | Major (Ancillary) |
EGR 121 + EGR 122 | Foundations of Engineering + Engineering Design (both must be completed to receive credit for VCU equivalents) (earn minimum grade of "B") | EGMN 110 + EGMN 190 + EGMN 210 | 5 | Major |
EGR 271 | Electric Circuits I (earn minimum grade of "B") | EGRE 206 | 4 | Major |
EGR 240 | Solid Mechanics (Statics) (earn minimum grade of "B") | EGMN 102 | 3 | Major |
EGR 245 | Engineering Mechanics-Dynamics (earn minimum grade of "B") | EGMN 201 | 3 | Major |
EGR 246 | Mechanics of Materials (earn minimum grade of "B") | EGMN 202 | 3 | Major |
EGR 248 | Thermodynamics for Engineering (earn minimum grade of "B") | EGMN 204 | 3 | Major |
Complete general education requirements for associate degree | VCU equivalents | 8 | General education | |
Community college credits transferred to VCU | 66 |
Course | Title | Credits | Requirements |
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Your GPA Doesn't Transfer With You Although you worked hard to earn your grades at your current institution, they will only be considered by VCU for an admission decision. Once you enroll at VCU, your GPA will reset to 0.0, and your new GPA will be determined by your level of success in your classes at VCU. | |||
EGMN 203 | Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering Practicum II | 1 | Major |
EGMN 300 | Mechanical Systems Design | 3 | Major |
EGMN 301 | Fluid Mechanics | 3 | Major |
EGMN 302 | Heat Transfer | 3 | Major |
EGMN 303 | Thermal Systems Design | 3 | Major |
EGMN 309 | Material Science for Engineers | 3 | Major |
EGMN 311 | Solid Mechanics Lab | 1.5 | Major |
EGMN 312 | Thermal Sciences Lab | 1.5 | Major |
EGMN 315 | Process and Systems Dynamics | 3 | Major |
EGMN 321 | Numerical Methods | 3 | Major |
EGMN 402 | Senior Design Studio (Laboratory/Project Time) | 2 | Major |
EGMN 403 | Senior Design Studio (Laboratory/Project Time) | 2 | Major |
EGMN 420 | CAE Design | 3 | Major |
ENGR 395 | Professional Development | 1 | Major |
ENGR 402 | Senior Design Studio (Seminar) | 1 | Major |
ENGR 403 | Senior Design Studio (Seminar) | 1 | Major |
EGMN 416 | Mechatronics | 3 | Major |
EGMN 421 | CAE Analysis | 3 | Major |
Approved internship or cooperative education experience | 0 | Major | |
Review of internship or cooperative education experience | 0 | Major | |
Engineering electives | 6 | Major | |
Engineering or professional electives | 6 | Major | |
MGMT 310 or SCMA 350 | Managing People in Organizations or Introduction to Project Management | 3 | Major (Ancillary) |
STAT 441 | Applied Statistics for Engineers and Scientists | 3 | Major (Ancillary) |
Open electives | 5 | Elective | |
REAL | The REAL requirement may be satisfied by successfully completing a 300-level (or higher) course that has received a REAL attribute of Level 2, 3 or 4 or through an approved “REAL” co-curricular experience that has received a REAL attribute of Level 3 or 4. See VCU advisor for options. | 0 | Major |
Credits completed at VCU | 64 | ||
Minimum credits required for bachelor's degree | 130 | ||
The accelerated B.S. and M.S. program allows qualified students to earn both the B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and M.S. in Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering (either thesis or non-thesis option) in a minimum of five years by completing approved graduate courses during the senior year of their undergraduate program. Minimum qualifications for entrance to this accelerated program include completion of 90 or more credits including EGMN 300, EGMN 301, EGMN 302, EGMN 303, EGMN 315, EGMN 321, EGMN 352, EGMN 355, EGMN 420 and EGMN 421; an overall GPA of 3.0; and a GPA of 3.0 in mechanical engineering course work. |