Mechanical Engineering BS/MS

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Do you want to develop technologies that improve people’s lives? Do you care about things like helping people with health conditions, making transportation more sustainable and assisting those who live in poverty?

Mechanical engineering is one of the most flexible-and practical-degrees. It’s for people who want to know how different types of machines, engines and systems work so they can make them better. Whether you want to design self-driving cars, improve wind turbines, build life-saving robots-or find other ways to change the world by solving problems-let’s get started.

Visit the Mechanical Engineering academic program page for more information about the academic experience, who you will learn from, opportunities outside of class and what you can do with this degree.

Visit the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering department page for contact information, a brief overview of the department and the curricular options.

Admission Criteria

Mechanical Engineering (ME) students interested in joining the combined degree program must first apply for the combined degree program through the BS/MS Application Form. Students may apply using this form after semester 5 (typically Fall Junior year) grades have been posted, but no later than the start of semester 8 (typically Spring Senior year). Within this Application Form, they are required to indicate that they have completed at least 80 credit hours, hold a minimum GPA of 3.1 among all required coursework for the ME BS degree. Two letters of reference are required from Mechanical Engineering faculty, which should provide general comments on the applicant’s talent, training, and character, as well as specific comments on the suitability of the applicant for an accelerated program in Mechanical Engineering.

The application is reviewed by the ME Director of Undergraduate Studies, and the MAE Director of Graduate Studies. If approved, students will be eligible to take two graduate courses in their final two semesters of the BS degree program (semesters seven and eight). Transfer students must complete at least one semester in the Mechanical Engineering BS program before applying to the combined degree program.

Upon completion of the eighth semester, students must officially apply through the University’s online application portal (Slate). Once officially admitted, this will indicate the student will be a full-time Graduate student at the University in their ninth semester.

Major Requirements

Mechanical Engineering Core (99 credits)

CHE 107LR - General Chemistry for Engineers I Credits: 3.5 AND
CHE 127LAB - General Chemistry for Engineers Laboratory 1 Credits: 0.5 OR
CHE 101LR - General Chemistry Credits: 4 AND
CHE 113LAB - General Chemistry Credits: 1 OR
CHE 105LLR - Chemistry: Principles and Applications Credits: 5
EAS 199SL - UB Seminar Credits: 3
EAS 202SEM - Engineering Impact On Society Credits: 1
EAS 207LR - Statics Credits: 3
EAS 208LR - Dynamics Credits: 3
EAS 209LR - Mechanics of Solids Credits: 3
EAS 230LLB - Engineering Computations Credits: 3 *
EAS 360LEC - STEM Communications Credits: 3
EAS 200LR - Electrical Engineering Concepts for Non-Majors Credits: 3 OR
EE 202LR - Circuit Analysis Credits: 3
MAE 177LLB - Introduction to CAD Credits: 1 **
MAE 204LR - Thermodynamics I Credits: 3
MAE 277LEC - Introduction to Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Practice Credits: 3
MAE 311LEC - Machines and Mechanisms I Credits: 3
MAE 334LLB - Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Lab I Credits: 2
MAE 335LR - Fluid Mechanics Credits: 3
MAE 336LEC - Heat Transfer Credits: 3
MAE 338LAB - Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Lab II Credits: 2
MAE 340LEC - Dynamic Systems Credits: 3
MAE 341LEC - Feedback Control Systems Credits: 3
MAE 364LEC - Manufacturing Processes Credits: 3
MAE 376LLB - Applied Mathematics for MAE Credits: 3
MAE 377LLB - Product Design in a CAE Environment Credits: 3
MAE 381LEC - Engineering Materials Credits: 3
MAE 385LAB - Engineering Materials Laboratory Credits: 1
MAE 451LEC - Design Process and Methods Credits: 3
MAE 494LEC - Design Project Credits: 3
MTH 141LR - College Calculus I Credits: 4
MTH 142LR - College Calculus 2 Credits: 4
MTH 241LR - College Calculus 3 Credits: 4
MTH 306LR - Introduction to Differential Equations Credits: 4
PHY 107LR - General Physics I Credits: 4
PHY 108LR - General Physics II Credits: 4
PHY 158LAB - General Physics II Lab Credits: 1 *****

General Technical Elective (3 credits minimum)

The following courses can be used to satisfy the General Technical Elective in Mechanical Engineering BS (beginning Fall 2025):

Any 300/400 level 3-credit course that is offered by a department within SEAS (i.e. EAS, ENS, MAE, CIE, IE, etc.).
- Excluded courses (too much overlap with MAE courses):
MTH 300/400-level courses except MTH 337 , MTH 437 , and MTH 49X courses.

BIO 200LLB - Evolutionary Biology Credits: 5
BIO 201LEC - Cell Biology Credits: 3
CHE 102LR - General Chemistry Credits: 4
CHE 106LLR - Chemistry: Principles and Applications Credits: 5
CHE 108LR - General Chemistry for Engineers II Credits: 3.5
PHY 207LR - General Physics III Credits: 4
PHY 301LEC - Intermediate Mechanics I Credits: 3
PHY 403LEC - Electricity and Magnetism I Credits: 3
MGO 330LEC - Entrepreneurship and Small Business Credits: 3
MGO 365SEM - Technology Entrepreneurship Credits: 3

Three MAE Technical Electives (9 credits)

Any 300/400 level 3-credit course in MAE that is not a required course qualifies as an MAE technical elective. EAS 496 (3 credits minimum) also satisfies a technical elective requirement.

Graduate Course Requirements

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Core (30 credits)

30 additional MAE 500 level credits.

One Applied Math Elective (3 or 4 credits)

EAS 305LR - Applied Probability and Statistics Credits: 4 OR ******
MTH 411LR - Probability Theory Credits: 4 OR ******
STA 301LEC - Intro to Probability Lecture Credits: 3 ****** AND
STA 301REC - Intro to Probability Credits: 1 ******
MAE 345LEC - Intermediate Dynamics Credits: 3
MAE 425LEC - Spacecraft Dynamics and Control Credits: 3
MTH 309LR - Introductory Linear Algebra Credits: 4
MTH 417LR - Survey of Multivariable Calculus Credits: 4
MTH 418LR - Survey of Partial Differential Equations Credits: 4

Total Credits Required for Major: 111

Additional Degree Requirements Include:

Additional coursework to fulfill UB Curriculum requirements
Elective courses as needed to complete the 128 credit hour total

Total Credits Required for Graduation: 128

Total Credit Hours Required represents the minimum credits needed to complete this program, and may vary based on a number of circumstances. This should not be used for financial aid purposes.

Notes

*Students are permitted to take alternative programming courses EAS 240 or CSE 115 in lieu of EAS 230 , however EAS 230 is strongly preferred for Mechanical Engineering majors. The alternative programming courses should only be utilized by students transferring into the program with EAS 240, CSE 115, or EAS 999TRCP (general programming for transfer students) already completed. View our Computer Programming Requirement website for more information on the programming alternatives and self-study packages.

**Students are permitted to use CIE 177 or EAS 999TR177 (general graphics for transfer students) to satisfy this requirement. However, MAE 177 is strongly preferred for Mechanical Engineering majors. CIE 177 or EAS 999TR177 should only be utilized by students transferring into the program with these courses already completed. View our Graphics Requirement website for more information on graphics alternatives and self-study packages.

***Transfer students with Senior standing must replace MAE 277 with a 200+ level SEAS technical elective. Transfer students with Junior standing should consult with an MAE academic adviser to determine if they should take MAE 277 or replace it with a 200+ level SEAS technical elective.

****A maximum combined total of 6 credits from the following courses can be used to satisfy degree requirements: EAS 496 , MAE 496 , MAE 498 , MAE 499 .

*****Students are permitted to use PHY 151 and PHY 152 in lieu of PHY 158 , however PHY 158 is preferred for engineering majors.

******Students cannot complete both EAS 305 or STA 301 /MTH 411 as a degree requirement.

Academic Requirements

Undergraduate students in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences must have a minimum GPA of 2.000 in technical classes (engineering, math, and science classes) to be in good standing and graduate with an undergraduate degree.

A minimum average of B (3.0/4.0) must be maintained during all graduate work. This requirement takes effect after nine (9) credit hours, and all work taken for graduate credit which could be applied to the degree is used in calculating the grade point average. Courses should not be taken using “S/U” grading unless approval is obtained ahead of time from the Director of Graduate Studies.

Transfer Credit Policy

Students seeking an undergraduate engineering degree from the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences must complete 30 undergraduate credit hours of junior/senior level courses required in their major at the University at Buffalo.

Curricular Plan

A Curricular Plan provides a roadmap for completing this academic program and the UB Curriculum on time. Your actual plan may vary depending on point of entry to the university, course placement and/or waivers based on standardized test scores, earned alternative credit and/or college transfer credit.

All students are encouraged to use this plan in conjunction with other academic planning resources such as your academic advisor, the HUB Academic Advisement Report, My Planner and Path Finder tool.

In addition to following this course roadmap, all other admission and academic requirements of this major as listed in the Undergraduate Catalog must be met in order to successfully complete this degree.

YEAR 1

Fall Semester