Mechanical Engineering

University of California, Berkeley

About the Program

Bachelor of Science (BS)

Mechanical engineers serve society by solving problems in transportation, energy, the environment, and human health. The activity of mechanical engineers extends from the investigation of physical phenomena governing the behavior of our surroundings to the manufacture and evaluation of products. The mechanical engineering profession encompasses numerous technical areas, including acoustics, automatic control, bioengineering, combustion, cryogenics, design, dynamics, energy conversion, engines, environment, heat transfer, lubrication, mass transfer, manufacturing and sustainability, materials processing, mechanics of solids and fluids, mechanisms, plasma dynamics, propulsion, thermodynamics, vibration, and wave propagation.

The undergraduate program in mechanical engineering seeks to provide students with a broad education emphasizing an excellent foundation in scientific and engineering fundamentals. The objectives of the undergraduate program are to prepare undergraduate students for employment or advanced studies with four primary constituencies: industry, the national laboratories, state and federal agencies, and academia (graduate research programs).

Accreditation

Our programs are accredited by ABET, a non-profit and non-governmental accrediting agency for academic programs in the disciplines of applied science, computing, engineering, and engineering technology. ABET is a recognized accreditor in the United States (U.S.) by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. For information about how the program achieves ABET course outcomes, please see the Department's website.

Admission to the Major

Prospective undergraduates in the College of Engineering will apply for admission to a specific program in the college. For further information, please see the College of Engineering's website.

Admission to Engineering via a Change of College application for current UC Berkeley students is highly unlikely and very competitive as there are few, if any, spaces that open in the college each year to students from other colleges at UC Berkeley. For further information regarding a Change of College to Engineering, please see the College's website.

Five-Year BS/MS Program

This program is for Berkeley ME undergraduates who wish to broaden their education experiences at Berkeley. In contrast to the standard MS program, this BS/MS program is completely course-based. Students in the five-year BS/MS program are also able to take some courses in professional disciplines such as business or public policy. This two-semester program is not intended for students with the desire to continue to the PhD. For further information regarding this option, please see the department's website.

Minor Program

The department offers two minor programs, one in Mechanical Engineering and one in Aerospace Engineering. For admission to either minor program, students must have a minimum overall grade point average (GPA) of 3.00 as well as a minimum 3.00 GPA in the prerequisite courses. For information regarding the prerequisites for each of the minors, please see the Minor Requirements tab on this page.

After completion of the prerequisite courses, students will need to complete and submit to the Mechanical Engineering Student Services Office (Room 6189/6193 Etcheverry) a Petition for Admission form which can be found here. The department will verify the completion of the minor and send the paperwork to the appropriate parties after final grades are available.

Joint Majors

The Department of Mechanical Engineering also offers two joint majors with other departments in the College of Engineering. For further information on these programs, please click the links below:
Materials Science and Engineering/Mechanical Engineering (Department of Materials Science and Engineering)
Mechanical Engineering/Nuclear Engineering (Department of Nuclear Engineering)

Visit Department Website

Major Requirements

In addition to the University, campus, and college requirements, students must fulfill the below requirements specific to their major program.

General Guidelines

  1. All technical courses taken in satisfaction of major requirements must be taken for a letter grade.

  2. No more than one upper division course may be used to simultaneously fulfill requirements for a student’s major and minor programs.

  3. A minimum overall grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 is required for all work undertaken at UC Berkeley.

  4. A minimum GPA of 2.0 is required for all upper division technical courses taken in satisfaction of major requirements.

For information regarding residence requirements and unit requirements, please see the College Requirements tab.

For a detailed plan of study by year and semester, please see the Plan of Study tab.

Lower Division Requirements

MATH 1ACalculus4
MATH 1BCalculus4
MATH 53Multivariable Calculus4
MATH 54Linear Algebra and Differential Equations4
CHEM 1AGeneral Chemistry 13-5
or CHEM 4A General Chemistry and Quantitative Analysis
PHYSICS 7APhysics for Scientists and Engineers4
PHYSICS 7BPhysics for Scientists and Engineers4
ENGIN 7Introduction to Computer Programming for Scientists and Engineers4
ENGIN 26Three-Dimensional Modeling for Design 22
ENGIN 29Manufacturing and Design Communication4
MEC ENG 40Thermodynamics3
MEC ENG C85Introduction to Solid Mechanics3
1

CHEM 4A is intended for students majoring in chemistry or a closely-related field.

2

All junior transfer admits are exempt from completing ENGIN 26

Upper Division Requirements

Students must complete the Upper Division Core Requirements and 15 units of Technical Electives.

Upper Division Core Requirements

ENGIN 178Statistics and Data Science for Engineers4
MEC ENG 100Electronics for the Internet of Things4
MEC ENG 102BMechatronics Design4
MEC ENG 103Experimentation and Measurements4
MEC ENG 104Engineering Mechanics II3
MEC ENG 106Fluid Mechanics3
MEC ENG 108Mechanical Behavior of Engineering Materials4
MEC ENG 109Heat Transfer3
MEC ENG 132Dynamic Systems and Feedback3

Technical Electives (minimum 15 units)1, 2, 3

Students may choose to complete the Aerospace Engineering concentration as part of their technical electives.4 

Select at least one course from the ME-sponsored Design Elective list, or from the expanded list linked in the footnote: 5
Advanced Engineering Design Graphics [3] 1
Introduction to Lean Manufacturing Systems [3]
Introduction to Product Development [3]
Structural Aspects of Biomaterials [4]
Introduction to Nanotechnology and Nanoscience [3]
Introduction to MEMS (Microelectromechanical Systems) [3]
Design of Planar Machinery [3]
Mechanical Vibrations [3]
Feedback Control Systems [4] 6
Design of Microprocessor-Based Mechanical Systems [4]
Robotic Locomotion [4] 6
Energy Conversion Principles [3]
Advanced Heat Transfer [3]
Ocean-Environment Mechanics [3]
Orthopedic Biomechanics [4]
Designing for the Human Body [4]
Augmenting Human Dexterity [4]
Select at least one course from the ME-sponsored Quantitative Science Elective list or from the expanded list linked in the footnote: 7
Methods of Engineering Analysis [3] 1
Basic Modeling and Simulation Tools for Industrial Research Applications [4] 1
Advanced Programming with MATLAB [3] 1
Introduction to Robotics [4]
Computational Biomechanics Across Multiple Scales [3]
Introduction to Composite Materials [3]
Vehicle Dynamics and Control [4]
Feedback Control Systems [4]
Dynamics and Control of Autonomous Flight [3]
Robotic Locomotion [4] 6
Engineering Aerodynamics [3]
Engineering Analysis Using the Finite Element Method [3]
Special Topics in Controls [1-4] 8
1

Technical electives:15 units of technical electives are required and must be chosen from the approved technical elective list. Courses not on this list may be approved via petition. At least 12 of the 15 units must be upper division. At least 9 of the 12 upper division units must be from MECENG-sponsored courses. Any upper division course taught by mechanical engineering faculty may be used as part of the 9 units of upper division mechanical engineering courses. In addition, ENGIN 117ENGIN 128, ENGIN 150, and ENGIN 177 can count toward the 9 units of upper division mechanical engineering courses. Students may receive up to three units of technical elective credit for work on a research project in either MEC ENG 196 or MEC ENG H194.

2

Up to three units of technical elective credit may be lower division and may be chosen from the following approved lower division courses: ASTRON 7A, ASTRON 7B, BIO ENG 10, BIOLOGY 1A plus BIOLOGY 1AL, BIOLOGY 1B, CHEM 1B, CHEM 3A, CHEM 3B, CHEM 4B, CIV ENG 11, CIV ENG 60, CIV ENG 70, CIV ENG 93, COMPSCI C8/DATA C8/INFO C8/STAT C8, COMPSCI 61A, COMPSCI 61B, COMPSCI 61C, COMPSCI 70, DES INV 15, DES INV 90E, EECS 16B, ENGIN 11, EPS 50, INTEGBI C32, MATH 55, MAT SCI 45, MCELLBI 32, PHYSICS 7C, STAT 20, STAT 21.

3

Technical electives cannot include:

  • Any course taken on a Pass/No Pass basis
  • Any course that counts as H/SS
  • Courses numbered 24, 39, 84, or 88
  • Any of the following courses: BIO ENG 100, COMPSCI C79, DES INV courses (except DES INV 15DES INV 90E, DES INV 190E), ENGIN 125, ENGIN 157AC, ENGIN 180, ENGIN 183 series, ENGIN 185, ENGIN 187, ENGIN 195 series, IND ENG 95, IND ENG 171, IND END 185, IND ENG 186, IND ENG 190 series, IND ENG 191, IND ENG 192, IND ENG 195, MEC ENG 191K.
4

The three technical electives required for the Aerospace Engineering concentration are MEC ENG 127, MEC ENG 136, and MEC ENG 163.

5

One of the upper division technical electives courses must be taken from the ME-sponsored design courses above, or from the expanded design list. Note that only the design courses listed  above will count toward the 9 units of ME-sponsored upper division courses.

6

MEC ENG C134/EL ENG C128 and MEC ENG 139 can be used as either the Design Elective or the Quantitative Science Elective, but not both.

7

One of the upper division technical elective courses must be taken from the ME-sponsored quantitative science (QS) courses above, or from the expanded quantitative science list. Note that only the quantitative science courses listed above will count toward the 9 units of ME-sponsored upper division courses.

8

MEC ENG 193B is a Special Topics course and is only approved for QS when it is offered as "Feedback Control of Legged Robots".

Minor Requirements

Minor programs are areas of concentration requiring fewer courses than an undergraduate major. These programs are optional but can provide depth and breadth to a UC Berkeley education. The College of Engineering does not offer additional time to complete a minor, but it is usually possible to finish within the allotted time with careful course planning. Students are encouraged to meet with their ESS adviser to discuss the feasibility of completing a minor program.

All the engineering departments offer minors. Students may also consider pursuing a minor in another school or college.

General Guidelines

  1. All minors must be declared no later than one semester before a student's Expected Graduation Term (EGT). If the semester before EGT is fall or spring, the deadline is the last day of RRR week. If the semester before EGT is summer, the deadline is the final Friday of Summer Sessions. To declare a minor, contact the department advisor for information on requirements, and the declaration process.

  2. All courses taken to fulfill the minor requirements must be taken for graded credit.

  3. A minimum overall grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 and a minimum GPA of 3.0 in the prerequisite courses is required for acceptance into the minor program.

  4. A minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 is required for courses used to fulfill the minor requirements.

  5. No more than one upper division course may be used to simultaneously fulfill requirements for a student’s major and minor programs.

  6. Completion of the minor program cannot delay a student’s graduation.

Mechanical Engineering Minor Requirements

Prerequisites  
PHYSICS 7A Physics for Scientists and Engineers 4
MEC ENG 40 Thermodynamics 3
MEC ENG 104 Engineering Mechanics II 3
MEC ENG C85 Introduction to Solid Mechanics 3
Upper Division Requirements  
Select three additional upper division technical courses in mechanical engineering  

Aerospace Engineering Minor Requirements

Prerequisites
MEC ENG C85Introduction to Solid Mechanics3
MEC ENG 106Fluid Mechanics3
MEC ENG 132Dynamic Systems and Feedback3
Upper Division Requirements
MEC ENG 127Introduction to Composite Materials3
MEC ENG 136Dynamics and Control of Autonomous Flight3
MEC ENG 163Engineering Aerodynamics3

College Requirements

Students in the College of Engineering must complete no fewer than 120 semester units with the following provisions: 

  1. Completion of the requirements of one engineering major program of study. 
  2. A minimum overall grade point average of 2.00 (C average) and a minimum 2.00 grade point average in upper division technical coursework required of the major.
  3. The final 30 units and two semesters must be completed in residence in the College of Engineering on the Berkeley campus.
  4. All technical courses (math, science, and engineering) that can fulfill requirements for the student's major must be taken on a letter graded basis (unless they are only offered P/NP). 
  5. Entering freshmen are allowed a maximum of eight semesters to complete their degree requirements. Entering junior transfers are allowed five semesters to complete their degree requirements. Summer terms are optional and do not count toward the maximum. Students are responsible for planning and satisfactorily completing all graduation requirements within the maximum allowable semesters. 
  6. Adhere to all college policies and procedures as they complete degree requirements.
  7. Complete lower division technical courses before enrolling in upper division technical courses. 

Humanities and Social Sciences (H/SS) Requirement

To promote a rich and varied educational experience outside of the technical requirements for each major, the College of Engineering has a six-course Humanities and Social Sciences breadth requirement, which must be completed to graduate. This requirement, built into all the engineering programs of study, includes two Reading and Composition courses (R&C), and four additional courses within which a number of specific conditions must be satisfied. See the humanities and social sciences section of our website for details.

Class Schedule Requirements

  • Minimum units per semester: 12.0
  • Maximum units per semester:  20.5
  • Minimum technical courses: College of Engineering undergraduates must include at least two letter graded technical courses (of at least 3 units each) in their semester program. Every semester students are expected to make satisfactory progress in their declared major. Satisfactory progress is determined by the student's Engineering Student Services Advisor. (Note: For most majors, normal progress will require enrolling in 3-4 technical courses required of your current major each semester.) Students who are not in compliance with this policy by the end of the fifth week of the semester are subject to a registration block that will delay enrollment for the following semester. 
  • All technical courses (math, science, engineering) that satisfy requirements for the major must be taken on a letter-graded basis (unless only offered as P/NP).

Minimum Academic Requirements

  • Students must have a minimum overall and semester grade point average of 2.00 (C average). Students will be subject to dismissal from the University if during any fall or spring semester their overall UC GPA falls below a 2.00, or their semester GPA is less than 2.00. 
  • Students must achieve a minimum grade point average of 2.00 (C average) in upper division technical courses required for the major curriculum each semester.
  • A minimum overall grade point average of 2.00 and a minimum 2.00 grade point average in upper division technical course work required for the major are required to earn a Bachelor of Science in the College of Engineering.
  • Students must make normal degree progress toward the Bachelor of Science degree and their officially declared major.

Unit Requirements

To earn a Bachelor of Science in Engineering, students must complete at least 120 semester units of courses subject to certain guidelines:

  • Completion of the requirements of one engineering major program of study. 
  • A maximum of 16 units of special studies coursework (courses numbered 97, 98, 99, 197, 198, or 199) is allowed to count towards the B.S. degree, and no more than 4 units in any single term can be counted.
  • A maximum of 4 units of physical education from any school attended will count towards the 120 units.
  • Passed (P) grades may account for no more than one third of the total units completed at UC Berkeley, Fall Program for Freshmen (FPF), UC Education Abroad Program (UCEAP), or UC Berkeley Washington Program (UCDC) toward the 120 overall minimum unit requirement. Transfer credit is not factored into the limit. This includes transfer units from outside of the UC system, other UC campuses, credit-bearing exams, as well as UC Berkeley Extension XB units.

Normal Progress

Students in the College of Engineering must enroll in a full-time program and make normal progress each semester toward their declared major.  Students who fail to achieve normal academic progress shall be subject to dismissal. (Note: Students with official accommodations established by the Disabled Students' Program, with health or family issues, or with other reasons deemed appropriate by the dean may petition for an exception to normal progress rules.)

UC and Campus Requirements

University of California Requirements

Entry Level Writing

All students who will enter the University of California as freshmen must demonstrate their command of the English language by satisfying the Entry Level Writing Requirement (ELWR). The UC Entry Level Writing Requirement website provides information on how to satisfy the requirement.

American History and American Institutions

The American History and Institutions (AH&I) requirements are based on the principle that a US resident graduated from an American university should have an understanding of the history and governmental institutions of the United States.

Campus Requirement

American Cultures

The American Cultures requirement is a Berkeley campus requirement, one that all undergraduate students at Berkeley need to pass in order to graduate. You satisfy the requirement by passing, with a grade not lower than C- or P, an American Cultures course. You may take an American Cultures course any time during your undergraduate career at Berkeley. The requirement was instituted in 1991 to introduce students to the diverse cultures of the United States through a comparative framework. Courses are offered in more than fifty departments in many different disciplines at both the lower and upper division level.

 

Plan of Study

For more detailed information regarding the courses listed below (e.g., elective information, GPA requirements, etc.), please see the College Requirements and Major Requirements tabs.

Freshman
FallUnitsSpringUnits
CHEM 1A or 4A13-5MATH 1B4
ENGIN 262PHYSICS 7A4
MATH 1A4ENGIN 74
Reading & Composition Part A Course74Reading & Composition Part B Course74
 13-15 16
Sophomore
FallUnitsSpringUnits
ENGIN 294MATH 544
MATH 534MEC ENG 403
PHYSICS 7B4MEC ENG C853
Humanities/Social Sciences course7 Humanities/Social Sciences course73-4
Free Electives83 
 15 13-14
Junior
FallUnitsSpringUnits
MEC ENG 1043MEC ENG 1004
MEC ENG 1063MEC ENG 1093
MEC ENG 1084ENGIN 1784
Humanities/Social Sciences course73-4Humanities/Social Sciences Course73-4
Free Electives83Free Electives82
 16-17 16-17
Senior
FallUnitsSpringUnits
MEC ENG 1034MEC ENG 102B4
MEC ENG 13293Technical Electives3,4,5,69-12
Technical Electives3,4,5,66-8Free Electives82
Free Electives83 
 16-18 15-18
Total Units: 120-130
1

CHEM 4A is intended for students majoring in chemistry or a closely-related field.

2

All junior transfer admits are exempt from completing ENGIN 26.

3

Technical electives: 15 units of technical electives are required, of which at least 9 units must be upper division mechanical engineering courses. Any upper division course taught by mechanical engineering faculty may be used as part of the 9 units of upper division mechanical engineering courses. In addition, ENGIN 117, ENGIN 128, ENGIN 150, and ENGIN 177  can count toward the 9 units of upper division mechanical engineering courses. The 15 units of technical electives must include one Design Elective and one Quantitative Science Elective, each chosen from approved lists. Students may receive up to three units of technical elective credit for work on a research project in either MEC ENG 196 or MEC ENG H194

4

Up to three units of technical elective credit may be lower division and may be chosen from the following approved lower division courses: ASTRON 7A, ASTRON 7B, BIO ENG 10, BIOLOGY 1A plus BIOLOGY 1AL, BIOLOGY 1B,CHEM 1B, CHEM 3A, CHEM 3B, CHEM 4B, CIV ENG 11, CIV ENG 60, CIV ENG 70, CIV ENG 93, COMPSCI C8/DATA C8/INFO C8/STAT C8, COMPSCI 61A, COMPSCI 61B, COMPSCI 61C, COMPSCI 70, DES INV 15, DES INV 90E, EECS 16BENGIN 11, EPS 50, INTEGBI C32MATH 55, MAT SCI 45, MCELLBI 32, PHYSICS 7C, STAT 20, STAT 21.

5

Technical electives cannot include:

  • Any course taken on a Pass/No Pass basis
  • Any course that counts as H/SS
  • Courses numbered 24, 39, 84, or 88
  • Any of the following courses: BIO ENG 100, COMPSCI C79, DES INV courses (except DES INV 15, DES INV 90E, DES INV 190E) , ENGIN 125, ENGIN 157AC, ENGIN 180, ENGIN 183 series, ENGIN 185, ENGIN 187, ENGIN 195 series, IND ENG 95, IND ENG 171, IND ENG 185, IND ENG 186, IND ENG 190 series, IND ENG 191, IND ENG 192, IND ENG 195, MEC ENG 191AC, MEC ENG 190K, MEC ENG 191K.
6

To complete the Aerospace Engineering oncentration, students must complete MEC ENG 127, MEC ENG 136, and MEC ENG 163 as part of their technical electives. 

7

The Humanities/Social Sciences (H/SS) requirement includes two approved Reading & Composition (R&C) courses and four additional approved courses, with which a number of specific conditions must be satisfied. R&C courses must be taken for a letter grade (C- or better required). The first half (R&C Part A) must be completed by the end of the freshman year; the second half (R&C Part B) must be completed by no later than the end of the sophomore year. The remaining courses may be taken at any time during the program. See engineering.berkeley.edu/hss for complete details and a list of approved courses.

8

Free electives can be any technical or non-technical course, a course of your interest offered by any department at UC Berkeley. There are no restrictions.

9

MEC ENG 132 is only offered in the fall semester.

Student Learning Goals

Learning Goals for the Major

The objectives of the Mechanical Engineering undergraduate program are to produce graduates who do the following:

  1. Vigorously engage in post-baccalaureate endeavors, whether in engineering graduate study, in engineering practice, or in the pursuit of other fields such as science, law, medicine, business or public policy.
  2. Apply their mechanical engineering education to address the full range of technical and societal problems with creativity, imagination, confidence and responsibility.
  3. Actively seek out positions of leadership within their profession and their community.
  4. Serve as ambassadors for engineering by exhibiting the highest ethical and professional standards, and by communicating the importance and excitement of this dynamic field.
  5. Retain the intellectual curiosity that motivates lifelong learning and allows for a flexible response to the rapidly evolving challenges of the 21st century.

Skills

The Department of Mechanical Engineering has adopted the ABET Outcomes as its Program Outcomes. Mechanical Engineering graduates have the following:

  1. An ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering.
  2. An ability to design and conduct experiments as well as to analyze and interpret data.
  3. 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.
  4. An ability to function on multi-disciplinary teams.
  5. An ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems.
  6. An understanding of professional and ethical responsibility.
  7. An ability to communicate effectively.
  8. The broad education necessary to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global, economic, environmental, and societal context.
  9. A recognition of the need for and an ability to engage in life-long learning.
  10. A knowledge of contemporary issues.
  11. An ability to use the techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools necessary for engineering practice.

Major Map

Major Maps help undergraduate students discover academic, co-curricular, and discovery opportunities at UC Berkeley based on intended major or field of interest. Developed by the Division of Undergraduate Education in collaboration with academic departments, these experience maps will help you:

  • Explore your major and gain a better understanding of your field of study

  • Connect with people and programs that inspire and sustain your creativity, drive, curiosity and success

  • Discover opportunities for independent inquiry, enterprise, and creative expression

  • Engage locally and globally to broaden your perspectives and change the world

  • Reflect on your academic career and prepare for life after Berkeley

Use the major map below as a guide to planning your undergraduate journey and designing your own unique Berkeley experience.

View the Mechanical Engineering Major Map PDF.

Advising

Students in Mechanical Engineering have a number of advising options, listed in sequential order:

College of Engineering (COE)

All undergraduates have an adviser at the College referred to as the Engineering Student Services (ESS) Advisor. ESS advisers assist students in a variety of ways including course selection (primarily for freshmen, sophomores and transfer students), explaining graduation requirements and college policies, monitoring progress toward the degree, suggesting enrichment opportunities, and providing support (or referrals to campus resources) to help students reach their academic goals. They are also the first stop for students who wish to file a petition. Advising assignments are made alphabetically. Students who are unsure of who their adviser is should refer to the COE's undergraduate advising information page.

ME Student Services Office

This office is students' primary source of department-specific administrative information.

ME Faculty Advisor

Faculty advisers for new students will be assigned by the beginning of October and a listing will be available online. Faculty are great sources for information regarding classes, research opportunities, and career planning. Furthermore, all ME students are required to see their faculty advisers (or go to drop-in advising) to get their advising codes before signing up for the next semester's courses.

Vice Chair for Undergraduate Matters

The Vice Chair handles all undergraduate student petitions and can serve as a liaison between students and their respective advisors as well as students and the ME chair. He is also responsible for the ME undergraduate curriculum and heads the Committee on Undergraduate Study.

Department Chair

In rare instances when issues cannot be resolved by the Vice Chair, the Mechanical Engineering chair may become involved.

Courses

Mechanical Engineering

Contact Information

Department of Mechanical Engineering

6141 Etcheverry Hall

Phone: 510-642-1338

Fax: 510-642-6163

Visit Department Website

Department Chair

Chris Dames

6107 Etcheverry Hall

Phone: 510-643-2582

cdames@berkeley.edu

Director of Student Services; Undergraduate Advisor (Temporary)

William Orta

6187 Etcheverry Hall

Phone: 510-642-5085

worta@berkeley.edu

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