School of Engineering
Department of Mechanical Engineering

Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering (BSME)

The BS in Mechanical Engineering program (BSME) program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, https://www.abet.org, under the General Criteria and Program Criteria for Mechanical and Similarly Named Engineering Programs. The program offers students the option of being recognized as professional Mechanical Engineers.

Students typically enter this program after successful completion of the first year of courses common to all engineering students. Of the 120 credits or more required for the professional degrees accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, a minimum of 30 credits must be completed in college level math and basic science subjects appropriate to the discipline and a minimum of 45 credits must be completed in engineering topics, consistent with ABET general and program criteria.

Mission

The mission of the Department of Mechanical Engineering is to graduate students with a sound basis for professional practice and a career in lifelong learning. We do this through classroom experiences, individual advising, undergraduate research opportunities and open-ended, hands-on experiences.

Students master methods of solving challenging problems through learning:

  • The fundamental principles of mechanical engineering and human factors
  • How to discover new knowledge
  • How to communicate these solutions to the technical and non-technical community, and
  • How to think like scientists and engineers, developing opinions / designs and finding evidence to support them.

BSME Program Educational Objectives

  1. Integrate fundamental engineering, mathematics, and science principles to solve engineering or other professional challenges in an interdisciplinary environment.
  2. Develop successful engineering or professional careers, either directly after an undergraduate degree or after pursuing graduate studies.
  3. Communicate both technical and non-technical principles to a wide range of audiences.
  4. Demonstrate leadership both through their individual efforts and through the roles attained within their respective organizations.

BSME Student Outcomes

The student outcomes describe what students are expected to know or be able to do by the time of graduation from the program. All students completing a BSME degree from Tufts should have:

  1. an ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics
  2. an ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors
  3. an ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences
  4. an ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts
  5. an ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives
  6. an ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions
  7. an ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.

Courses are designed to address the outcomes and objectives in a unified way. Students are involved in the accreditation and program evaluation process in several ways. They complete periodic course and program surveys. Students can also elect to be involved more directly in the review and planning process by participating in student-faculty meetings including the annual Student-Faculty dinner sponsored by the ASME Student Section and the Department, serving on student focus groups which are convened periodically, or volunteering to serve on the BSME Program Feedback and Assessment Team. Students interested in any of these opportunities should contact the Department Chair.

We have tried to make this program as flexible as possible to accommodate a wide range of career objectives. Everyone is urged to discuss your selection of electives and any departure from the recommended course sequence in detail with your advisor before attempting to alter your program of study.

Pass/Fail

The opportunity to take certain courses pass/fail offers students a way to extend their interest beyond their core requirements. Taking courses pass/fail is not recommended as a means of reducing one's attention or effort in a particular subject. Guidelines on the pass/fail option are described in the the University Bulletin. The following restrictions apply to the Pass/Fail option:

  • Free Electives and HASS Electives (except ENG 1) may be taken pass/fail.
  • No other courses listed on the BSME degree sheet may be taken pass/fail.
  • No more than one pass/fail per semester.

Study Abroad

The Department of Mechanical Engineering allows students to study abroad for one or two semesters (typically during the junior year). Tufts in London and Tufts in Hong Kong are Tufts programs that offer courses in mechanical engineering. If students are interested in studying abroad in another location, a full list of pre-approved "non-Tufts" programs is available on the study abroad website.

In order to assure good progress in their programs, students should obtain advisor and department approval for transfer course credits through SIS before going abroad in order to avoid problems related to degree requirement completion when they return

Students considering study abroad or at another American university should pay careful attention to course selection and maintaining expected progress through the required portions of the undergraduate curricula. The advantage of the Tufts programs is that courses taken are treated as Tufts courses and grades are transferred.

Past experience has shown that the most problematic course equivalencies involve laboratory and design project courses. The Tufts Abroad Program Office is also a source of useful information in this regard but certification of BSME requirements is the exclusive function of the department.

School of Engineering Minors Available to BSME Students

Students interested in minors should consult the Undergraduate Majors & Minors webpage.

Minor and certificate programs are available in Biotechnology, Computer Science, Engineering Education, Engineering Management, and Entrepreneurial Leadership, Environmental Science & Policy, Human Factors Engineering, Multimedia Arts, and Music Engineering.

Students will often be required to take additional courses (e.g. more than 38 in the BSME program) to fulfill the concentration and minor requirements simultaneously.

Double Major Programs Available to BSME Students

Students interested in pursuing an additional major should contact the second department to understand all major requirements. They must pay close attention to departmental policies regarding the counting of courses towards dual majors or degrees and maintain close consultation with their academic advisor(s).

Students will often be required to take additional courses (e.g. more than 38 in the BSME program) to fulfill the concentration and minor requirements simultaneously.

All of the second major and minor options for engineering students are listed in the University Bulletin.