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Student Handbook

Mechanical Engineering Department Policy No. 01

Title: Undergraduate Program Handbook

Effective date: As of May 20, 2025

This webpage provides an accessible overview of Mechanical Engineering Department Policy No. 01. For advising or official record use, consult the full policy document and its enclosures.

Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to define the policies of the Department of Mechanical Engineering and the requirements for graduation. Students are expected to familiarize themselves with this policy and sign the required acknowledgment form.

Mission Statement

The Mechanical Engineering Department at UMass Dartmouth offers a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering, and also participates in the Ph.D. program in Engineering and Applied Science. The program is intended to serve the needs of students, industry, government, and society through a commitment to teaching, scholarship, outreach, and professionalism.

Program Educational Objectives

The Mechanical Engineering program at UMass Dartmouth is structured to provide our graduates with a broad technical background that is grounded in fundamental principles as well as modern tools of engineering. In addition, the program educates students in ethical standards for the field and culturally broadening general education courses. Students have the option of developing a specialized career plan by concentrating their field of study to focus on areas of interest through the selection of electives. Ultimately, the success of our program is best reflected by the success of our graduates after graduation as reflected in the following Program Educational Objectives (PEOs).

  1. Career and Advancement: Our graduates will be successfully employed and they will be secure or advancing in their professional careers and/or continuing education programs.
  2. Lifelong learning: Our graduates will continue their professional and individual development through participation in activities such as: graduate education, self-study, membership in professional organizations, professional registration, and certifications.

Program Outcomes

Graduates of the Mechanical Engineering program will demonstrate:

  1. An ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems using engineering, science, and mathematics.
  2. An ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs while considering public health, safety, welfare, and broader societal factors.
  3. An ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences through oral presentations and written reports.
  4. An ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities and make informed judgments in engineering contexts.
  5. An ability to function effectively on a team by providing leadership, creating an inclusive environment, establishing goals, planning tasks, and meeting 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.

Recommendations for Student Success

  • Attend every class and arrive on time.
  • Keep up with course material.
  • Study every day and review frequently.
  • Plan to study two to three hours outside class for every hour spent in class.
  • Participate actively in class.
  • Use faculty office hours for technical help.
  • Complete and understand every homework assignment.
  • Present homework neatly to support review for exams.
  • Use academic support resources such as the STEM Learning Lab and the Multiliteracy & Communication Center.

Student Responsibilities

Class Attendance

Students are expected to attend every class session unless excused by the instructor. Planned absences and travel should only be arranged after consultation with the instructor. Make-up exams require instructor approval and valid documentation. Students who miss class are responsible for all material and announcements. Students with religious reasons for missing class must notify the instructor in writing during the first week of class.

Student Effort

Mechanical Engineering is a demanding major. Students should expect to invest substantial time and effort and should consistently study at least two to three hours for every hour spent in class.

Email

Email is an official means of communication at the University. Students are responsible for announcements and assignments sent by email and must check their UMass Dartmouth email account daily.

Academic Planning

Students are expected to monitor their academic progress and maintain records of all approved petitions, substitutions, and exceptions.

Classroom Atmosphere

Students are expected to maintain appropriate academic decorum. Food and drink are prohibited in all laboratories. In classrooms, food and drink may be allowed at the instructor’s discretion if they are not disruptive.

Advising

Advising is essential for both timely graduation and career planning. Students must meet with their advisor before registration each term and bring a completed advising matrix and a current transcript. Students experiencing academic difficulty should meet with their advisor to discuss available support resources.

Students who do not meet with their advisor during the registration period risk being unable to register for needed courses until drop/add.

Academic Requirements

Degree Requirements

Students must meet the degree requirements in effect during the year they began the program. Students who do not maintain continuous registration, or who leave without an authorized leave of absence, are subject to the catalog in effect when they are readmitted.

Course Repeats

Repeating a course requires permission from both the course instructor and the department chair. In Mechanical Engineering, students must request permission using the required petition form and obtain advisor approval.

  • Except in extenuating circumstances, elective courses may not be repeated.
  • Students are generally allowed to repeat a course only once.
  • Failing a laboratory component does not permit repeating the course elsewhere.
  • The department does not allow a third repeat of any required course.
  • This includes taking the course at another institution or in another department under a different course designation.
  • Courses taken elsewhere do not remove the original UMass Dartmouth grade from the GPA and still count toward the maximum of two attempts.

Residence Requirement

To earn an undergraduate degree from UMass Dartmouth, students must complete at least 45 credits at UMass Dartmouth, including 30 credits of specialized courses at the 300 level or higher.

The Mechanical Engineering department also requires that MNE 252 and all required 300-level and higher departmental courses be first taken within the department. Repeats of these courses elsewhere require chair approval.

Grade Point Average

Students must maintain both an overall GPA and an in-major GPA of at least 2.000. Students who do not meet these GPA requirements may not graduate.

The in-major GPA includes:

  • All MNE courses
  • MTH, EGR, and ECE courses above the 100 level
  • All courses used as technical electives

Transfer credits are excluded from the in-major GPA calculation.

Incomplete Grades

Incomplete grades may be given only in exceptional circumstances, at the instructor’s discretion, and at the student’s request no more than 48 hours after the final examination time. Dean’s office approval is also required.

If approved, the student has one year from the date the incomplete is recorded to complete the course. If not completed within one year, the grade automatically becomes an F.

Graduate Electives

With instructor permission, students with a GPA of 2.8 or higher may take graduate courses to satisfy undergraduate curriculum requirements.

If a student earns at least a B in such a graduate course and identifies the course before completing the undergraduate degree, the department allows the course to count toward both the BS and the MS in Mechanical Engineering.

Course Substitutions

Curriculum substitutions must be approved by the department chair and the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. MNE 252 and all 300-level and higher Mechanical Engineering courses must first be taken in the department. Repeats elsewhere require chair approval and completion of any laboratory component on the first attempt.

Independent Study

Independent Study (MNE 495) may be used to pursue topics not regularly offered in the curriculum and may satisfy a technical elective requirement.

  • Requires approval of the instructor, chairperson, and College Associate Dean.
  • A maximum of 3 credits of independent study may be applied toward degree requirements.

Directed Study

Directed Study (MNE 296, 396, and 496) is intended to cover topics normally included in a regular course that is not currently being offered.

Directed Study is generally limited to students unable to complete a required course because of scheduling conflicts or program changes beyond their control and requires approval of the instructor, chairperson, and College Associate Dean.

University Studies Requirement

Many University Studies requirements are already embedded in the Mechanical Engineering curriculum. Students must still select courses in:

  • Literature (3A)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (3B)
  • Human Questions and Context (4A)
  • Nature of U.S. Society (4B)

Students should take care to ensure these requirements are properly met. Some courses may count in more than one category, but no course may be used more than once.

Certification for Graduation

Prior to advising for the final term, students must submit a petition to graduate using the required departmental form.

BS/MS Program

The Department of Mechanical Engineering offers a five-year BS/MS program for highly qualified students.

Engineering Societies

The department and the university offer a range of opportunities through student organizations. To be eligible for leadership positions in co-curricular organizations, non-Continuing Education students must be enrolled full time (at least 12 credits), and Continuing Education students must be enrolled at equivalent full-time levels for their programs. Participation in intercollegiate athletics is also affected by enrollment status.

Departmental Honors Program

The department offers an Honors Program. Students accepted into the program are assigned a specific advisor who guides them through the requirements.

Laboratory Safety

  1. Students must follow all required safety equipment and operating procedures explained at the beginning of each lab.
  2. Students should know the locations of emergency equipment and exits.
  3. Students must wear clothing appropriate for an industrial environment.
  4. Required personal protective equipment will be identified before each lab.
  5. When safety glasses are required, students must provide OSHA-approved safety glasses.
  6. Closed-toe shoes are required in all laboratories.
  7. Loose clothing and jewelry are prohibited around rotating machinery.
  8. Long hair must be tied back around rotating machinery.
  9. Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) will be reviewed when required and may be requested by students.
  10. Food and drinks are not allowed in laboratories, including computer labs.
  11. Horseplay is forbidden and may result in disciplinary action.
  12. Defective equipment must be reported immediately to the professor or teaching assistant.
  13. Students who intentionally damage lab equipment may be removed from lab, denied make-up opportunities, and required to reimburse the university.

Academic Misconduct

Disciplinary Record

Incidents of academic dishonesty are documented and forwarded to the Department Chair and the College Associate Dean. Depending on the severity of the violation, the student may face penalties up to failure of the course and may also be referred to the Student Judiciary for additional disciplinary action.

The Associate Dean maintains a file of alleged academic misconduct and may take further action when a pattern is identified.

Use of Plagiarism Detection Services

At the instructor’s discretion, assignments may be checked for plagiarism using an online detection service. Instructors may submit individual suspicious papers or all papers from a class.

Areas of Concentration

  • Advanced Manufacturing
  • Sustainable Energy

Acknowledgment of Policy

All Mechanical Engineering students must read this policy and acknowledge familiarity with it by signing the required acceptance form. Permission to register for courses may be withheld until that form is on file.