Mechanical Engineering/ Nuclear Engineering Joint Major

University of California, Berkeley

About the Program

Bachelor of Science (BS)

The joint major programs are designed for students who wish to undertake study in two areas of engineering in order to qualify for employment in either field or for positions in which competence in two fields is required. These curricula include the core courses from each of the major fields. While they require slightly increased course loads, they can be completed in four years. Both majors are shown on the student's transcript of record.

This program was established to address the interface between the two major fields. It is intended for nuclear engineering students interested in mechanical design and heat transfer as well as for mechanical engineering students who wish to further their knowledge of nuclear radiological systems and processes. Its objective is to provide students with a strong and competitive background in both majors, leading to professional careers in nuclear and radiation-based industries or to graduate study in nuclear engineering and other engineering disciplines or related fields such as medicine and physics.

Admission to the Joint Major

Admission directly to a joint major is closed to freshmen and junior transfer applicants. Students interested in a joint program may apply to change majors during specific times in their academic progress. Please see the College of Engineering joint majors website for complete details.

Visit Program 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 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
PHYSICS 7CPhysics for Scientists and Engineers4
ENGIN 7Introduction to Computer Programming for Scientists and Engineers4
ENGIN 26Three-Dimensional Modeling for Design2
ENGIN 29Manufacturing and Design Communication4
MEC ENG 40Thermodynamics3
MEC ENG C85/CIV ENG C30Introduction to Solid Mechanics3
1

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

Upper Division 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 Feedback 43
NUC ENG 100Introduction to Nuclear Energy and Technology3
NUC ENG 101Nuclear Reactions and Radiation4
NUC ENG 104Radiation Detection and Nuclear Instrumentation Laboratory4
NUC ENG 150Introduction to Nuclear Reactor Theory4
NUC ENG 170ANuclear Design: Design in Nuclear Power Technology and Instrumentation3
Ethics requirement 13-4
Upper division technical electives: minimum 12 units 2,312
Select 6 units of upper division NUC ENG courses, in consultation with faculty advisor
Select 6 units of upper division MEC ENG courses, in consultation with faculty advisor
1

Students must take one course with ethics content. This may be fulfilled within the humanities/social sciences requirement by taking one of the following courses: ANTHRO 156B, BIO ENG 100, ENGIN 125, ENGIN 157AC, ENGIN 185ESPM 161, ESPM 162, GEOG 31, IAS 157AC, ISF 100EL & S 160BPHILOS 2, PHILOS 104, PHILOS 107, SOCIOL 116

2

Students may receive up to three units of technical elective credit for graded research in MEC ENG H194, MEC ENG 196 or NUC ENG H194.

3

Technical electives cannot include any course taken on a Pass/No Pass basis or MEC ENG 191AC, MEC ENG 190K, or MEC ENG 191K.

4

MEC ENG 132 is only offered in the fall semester.

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 Major Requirements tab.

Freshman
FallUnitsSpringUnits
CHEM 4A or 1A13-5MATH 1B4
MATH 1A4PHYSICS 7A4
ENGIN 262ENGIN 74
Reading & Composition Part A Course44Reading & Composition Part B Course44
Humanities/Social Sciences course43-4 
 16-19 16
Sophomore
FallUnitsSpringUnits
MATH 534MATH 544
PHYSICS 7B4PHYSICS 7C4
ENGIN 294MEC ENG 403
MEC ENG C853MEC ENG 1004
 Humanities/Social Sciences course43-4
 15 18-19
Junior
FallUnitsSpringUnits
MEC ENG 1043ENGIN 1784
MEC ENG 1063MEC ENG 1093
MEC ENG 1084NUC ENG 1044
NUC ENG 1003NUC ENG 1504
Humanities/Social Sciences course with Ethics Content2,43-4Technical Elective33
 16-17 18
Senior
FallUnitsSpringUnits
MEC ENG 1034MEC ENG 102B4
MEC ENG 13253NUC ENG 170A3
NUC ENG 1014Technical Electives36
Technical Electives33Humanities/Social Sciences course43-4
 14 16-17
Total Units: 129-135
1

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

2

Students must take one course with ethics content. This may be fulfilled within the Humanities/Social Sciences requirement by taking one of the following courses: ANTHRO 156B, BIO ENG 100, ENGIN 125, ENGIN 157AC, ENGIN 185, ESPM 161, ESPM 162, GEOG 31, IAS 157AC, ISF 100E, L & S 160B, PHILOS 2, PHILOS 104, PHILOS 107, and SOCIOL 116.

3

Technical elective units must include at least 6 units of upper division mechanical engineering courses and 6 units of upper division nuclear engineering courses. Students may receive up to 3 units of technical elective credit for graded research in MEC ENG H194, MEC ENG 196 or NUC ENG H194. Note: Technical electives cannot include any course taken on a P/NP basis; MECENG 191AC, 190K, 191K.

4

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.

5

MEC ENG 132 is only offered in the fall semester.

Student Learning Goals

Mechanical Engineering

LEARNING GOALS

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

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.

Nuclear Engineering

MISSION

The mission of the Department of Nuclear Engineering is to maintain and strengthen the University of California's only center of excellence in nuclear engineering education and research and to serve California and the nation by improving and applying nuclear science and technology. The mission of the undergraduate degree program in Nuclear Engineering is to prepare our students to begin a lifetime of technical achievement and professional leadership in academia, government, the national laboratories, and industry.

LEARNING GOALS

The foundation of the UC Berkeley Nuclear Engineering (NE) program is a set of five key objectives for educating undergraduate students. The NE program continuously reviews these objectives internally to ensure that they meet the current needs of the students, and each spring the Program Advisory Committee meets to review the program and recommend changes to better serve students. The NE Program Advisory Committee was established in 1988 and is composed of senior leaders from industry, the national laboratories, and academia.

Nuclear engineering at UC Berkeley prepares undergraduate students for employment or advanced studies with four primary constituencies: industry, the national laboratories, state and federal agencies, and academia (graduate research programs). Graduate research programs are the dominant constituency. From 2000 to 2005, sixty-eight percent of graduating NE seniors indicated plans to attend graduate school in their senior exit surveys. To meet the needs of these constituencies, the objectives of the NE undergraduate program are to produce graduates who as practicing engineers and researchers do the following:

  1. Apply solid knowledge of the fundamental mathematics and natural (both physical and biological) sciences that provide the foundation for engineering applications.
  2. Demonstrate an understanding of nuclear processes, and the application of general natural science and engineering principles to the analysis and design of nuclear and related systems of current and/or future importance to society.
  3. Exhibit strong, independent learning, analytical and problem-solving skills, with special emphasis on design, communication, and an ability to work in teams.
  4. Demonstrate an understanding of the broad social, ethical, safety, and environmental context within which nuclear engineering is practiced.
  5. Value and practice life-long learning.

Courses

Courses

Mechanical Engineering 

Nuclear Engineering

Contact Information

Mechanical Engineering Program

6141 Etcheverry Hall

Phone: 510-642-1338

Fax: 510-642-6163

Visit Program Website

Department Chair, ME

Professor Chris Dames

6107 Etcheverry Hall

Phone: 510-643-2582

cdames@berkeley.edu

Department Chair, NE

Professor Karl van Bibber

4151 Etcheverry Hall

Phone: 510-642-3477

karl.van.bibber@nuc.berkeley.edu

Director of Student Services, ME

William Orta

6187 Etcheverry Hall

Phone: 510-642-5085

worta@berkeley.edu

Departmental Advisor, NE

Kirsten Wimple Hall

4149 Etcheverry Hall

Phone: 510-642-5760

kirstenw@berkeley.edu

ESS Adviser/Joint Majors

Shareena Samson

230 Bechtel Eng Cntr

shareena@berkeley.edu

Faculty Advisor

Massimiliano Fratoni, PhD (Department of Nuclear Engineering)

4111 Etcheverry Hall

Phone: 510-664-9079

maxfratoni@berkeley.edu

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