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Mechanical Engineering Technology

Offering:
Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering Technology

Technology is rapidly changing machinery, systems, and the industries that produce them. If you want your career to grow just as rapidly—and offer you interesting problems to solve ever day—this program gives you plenty of hands-on experience. The Mechanical Engineering Technology degree leads to diverse, well-paid specialties, from manufacturing operations and management to systems design, sales, and plant engineering. Working step by step with your professors and fellow students, you'll learn to apply engineering concepts in many industrial settings. In the process, you'll gain marketable skills and a proven degree.

Building on core courses in calculus and physics, our curriculum develops your hands-on ability to solve engineering problems. A strong background in algebra and trigonometry can enable you to opt out of pre-calculus and move more quickly toward courses where you design machines, tools, and manufacturing systems. These classes teach you to go beyond the analysis of existing solutions, by creating designs that maximize efficiency and save costs.

In the lab, in your first year, welding and metal cutting helps you understand how materials and machinery behave—and how to specify or design materials economically. Combined with your core courses, these fundamentals prepare you to use CAD software and advanced equipment, such as the three-dimensional prototype printer, in hands-on design. One example: Our students fabricate a complete yo-yo assembly system that operates with no hand touching. These challenges help you develop a very organized way of documenting your solutions—whether you're making a power plant more efficient or specifying architectural support equipment.

Bridging the gap between research engineers and skilled technicians, our graduates fill a vital role in many industries. Elective courses offer students the opportunity to concentrate in an area of specialization, and every student masters such marketable skills as graphics, manufacturing processes, and clear communication on team projects. MET careers challenge our alumni in exciting ways, and many of our students are employment-ready before graduation.

Our purpose is to develop students into Mechanical Engineering Technologists capable of applying current engineering concepts to industrial applications. Instruction is in the broad area of technological education, bridging the gap between the research engineer and the skilled craftsman and technician trained in the vocational-technical schools.

Our graduates apply engineering principles to today's industrial needs in the areas of manufacturing, machine design, heating, ventilating and air conditioning, and power production. We emphasize practical, applications-oriented laboratory experience in manufacturing processes and techniques, instrumentation and controls, and equipment and machinery performance testing and evaluation, with particular emphasis on the needs of industries prevalent in the Southeast.

In addition to the common core of courses taken by all MET students, a student may concentrate in an area of specialization by the appropriate choice of elective courses.

The Faculty:

Mir M. Atiqullah, Associate Professor

Gregory M. Conrey, Associate Professor

Kenton R. Fleming, Assistant Professor

Donald D. Horton, Associate Professor

Ali Khazaei, Assistant Professor

Simin Nasseri, Assistant Professor

Jeffrey Ray, Professor and Dean

Norman A. Russell, Associate Professor

John F. Sweigart, Associate Professor and Department Chair

David R. Veazie , Professor

Mission Statement

The Mechanical Engineering Technology Program at Southern Polytechnic State University prepares graduates with the necessary knowledge and skills to perform in professional positions in mechanical engineering. Positions include careers in the design, development, implementation, analysis, manufacturing, testing, evaluation, sales, or maintenance of mechanical systems. Graduates will possess knowledge in math, basic sciences, the traditional engineering sciences, engineering graphics, manufacturing processes, and principals of automation. Students will develop skills in problem solving; written and oral communications; and the use of computer tools. Graduates will apply this knowledge in the design and analysis, development, selection, implementation and control of mechanical systems.

Educational Objective

Graduates of the mechanical engineering technology program will:

Be prepared for applied mechanical engineering positions that require specialized knowledge and skills in a particular area of mechanical engineering, such as mechanical design; manufacturing and automation; plant engineering; or heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration (HVAC-R).
Be aware of the impacts of their decisions on the health and safety of workers and on the environment, and of ethical and societal concerns.
Solve problems that require critical thinking, use of teamwork, research, and communication skills.
Understand the need for lifelong learning and continued professional development, including Professional Engineer registration.

Outcomes

Graduates of the Mechanical Engineering Technology program will demonstrate:

an ability to apply knowledge of engineering materials, applied mechanics, thermal sciences, fundamentals of electricity, manufacturing processes, mechanical design, computer-aided engineering graphics, and electro-mechanical devices and controls.
an ability to apply current knowledge and adapt to emerging applications of mathematics, science, engineering and technology
an ability to conduct, analyze and interpret experiments and apply experimental results to improve processes
an ability to apply creativity in the design of systems, components, and processes
an ability to function effectively on teams,
an ability to identify, analyze and solve technical problems,
an ability to communicate effectively,
a recognition of the need for, and an ability to engage in lifelong learning,
an ability to understand professional, ethical and social responsibilities,
a respect for diversity and a knowledge of contemporary professional, societal and global issues.
a commitment to quality, timeliness, and continuous improvement.
technical expertise in engineering materials, statics, dynamics, strength of materials, solid and fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, industrial electronics.
technical expertise with added depth in mechanical design and computer-aided design.
added technical depth in at least one of the following (selected by the student): analysis and design of HVAC&R systems, including economic analysis and computerized energy evaluation methods; engineering materials; or manufacturing.
ability to use calculus to solve applied physics problems in mechanics and thermodynamics.

The Program:

General Concentration

The MET bachelor degree with a general concentration permits the selection of five elective courses in the major. It is strongly encouraged (but not required) that students concentrate these five elective courses in one of the following areas to enhance their knowledge and preparation in an area in which they are most interested in working.

Energy Systems/Thermal Systems Design: The Heating, Ventilating, Air Conditioning (HVAC) and Refrigeration area specializes in the design and operation of heat and mass transfer systems which produce the needed environments for manufacturing operations, industrial processes and human comfort.

Systems that utilize mechanical equipment such as pumps, blowers, fans, compressors and heat exchanges are found in fields as diverse as air conditioning, low temperature metallurgy, food preservation, chemical processing and industrial manufacturing.

Graduates of this program are employed as systems designers for consulting firms and mechanical contractors; as manufacturer sales representatives; and as maintenance supervisors.

The Heat/Power area of specialization deals with energy conversion, i.e., the study of internal combustion engines, steam turbines, boilers, air compressors, pumps and fans. The program includes study in thermodynamics, heat transfer and fluid mechanics.

Graduates with this specialty are employed as systems designers in architectural companies; as process plan engineers in the petrochemical and pulp and paper industries; as power generation plant engineers; and as sales representatives for manufacturers. Specialty courses in this area include:

MET 3402	Thermodynamics II
MET 4341	Automation Systems and Controls
MET 4411	Refrigeration
MET 4412	Air Conditioning and/or
MET 4431	Plant and Power Applications

Machine/Mechanical Design: This area of specialization is concerned with the application of fundamental principles of design to new and existing machines, machine parts, mechanical structures, and systems.

Graduates may be employed as designers of machinery and/or machine parts for the improvement of production operations and cost; as product designers; and as sales and service representatives of industrial and manufacturing firms.

Specialty courses in this area include:

MET 3123	Dynamics of Machines
MET 4124	Vibrations and Advanced Dynamics
MET 4133	Advanced Engineering Materials
MET 4142	Machine Design II
MET 4112	Computer Aided Engineering and Analysis
MET 4341	Automation Systems and Controls
EDG 3212	Advanced Engineering Graphics

NOTE: MET 4801 - 4805 Special Projects and MET 4901 - 4905 Special Topics may also be applicable to this area.

Manufacturing Systems

The area of specialization called Manufacturing is concerned with manufacturing production processes and operations: tool and jig design, and the design and layout of manufacturing facilities. Graduates may be employed in areas such as steel production and fabrication, aircraft and automobile fabrication and assembly, cable manufacture, and textile mills.

The MET bachelor degree with a manufacturing concentration is obtained by the appropriate selection of elective courses. These courses emphasize a variety of topics in modern manufacturing and are as shown below. The following courses must be completed to obtain this designation. A student may take some, but not all of the listed courses and elect the General Concentration if desired. A student in the General Concentration would need to petition to use Project Management as an MET elective.

MET 3331	Tool Design
MET 4133	Advanced Engineering Materials
MET 4341	Automation Systems and Controls
MET 4342	Numerical Control of Machines
MGNT 4135	Project Management

NOTE: In approximately 40 states in the U.S., including Georgia, bachelor degree Engineering Technology graduates with the appropriate work experience are eligible to take examinations for registration as Professional Engineers.

*Since Physics I and II are requirements for the degree, it is strongly recommended that they be taken to satisfy the Lab Science component of Area D of the Core Curriculum. It is also recommended that you discuss Lab Science options with your assigned Faculty Advisor and/or the Mechanical Engineering Technology Department Chair.

Mechanical Engineering Technology - Bachelor of Science Requirements