The BS in the Engineering Mechanics degree program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, under the General Criteria and the Program Criteria for Engineering Mechanics and Similarly Named Engineering programs.
The mission of the B.S. in engineering mechanics degree program is to provide a rigorous educational experience that prepares a select group of students for leadership positions in the profession and a lifetime of learning. The faculty is committed to maintaining a modern and flexible curriculum which, building on a foundation of basic sciences and mathematics, develops a solid education in the mechanical engineering sciences. The aim of the Engineering Mechanics program is to build competence in the analysis, design, and modeling of fluid and solid systems, and to develop the professional skills necessary to excel as an engineer.
The curriculum is intended to enable graduates to explore fundamental questions in many fields of engineering. Emphasis is placed on the basic sciences (mathematics, physics, and chemistry) and on the analysis, modeling, and design aspects of solid and fluid engineering systems. Although specific core courses are required, the student is encouraged and guided by their advisor to select an individual program of study, within ABET guidelines, according to the student’s particular goals. This program of study may range from a general study of mechanics or engineering science to more specialized programs in a variety of areas, such as robotics, fluid dynamics, environmental engineering, mechanics of solids, experimental mechanics, dynamical systems, mechanics of materials, or biomechanics.
This flexibility makes the program ideal for double-majors and for those wishing to tailor a strong foundation for graduate work in a wide range of disciplines. All engineering science and technical elective courses must be at the 300-level or higher. Exceptions can be considered in consultation with the student's advisor, but will be uncommon.
The information below describes the academic requirements for students entering JHU as degree-seeking students in Fall 2024. Students who entered JHU as degree-seeking students prior to Fall 2024 should view the appropriate archived catalogue.
Students must meet the University requirements and the Whiting School of Engineering requirements (see Requirements for a Bachelor's Degree in this catalogue), as well as the departmental major requirements, to complete a bachelor’s degree.
Students will earn at least 125 credits while completing the Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering Mechanics.
The Mechanical Engineering department recognizes students with exemplary academic records by awarding Departmental Honors to students with a cumulative Grade Point Average of 3.50.
UNIVERSITY AND WSE SCHOOL REQUIREMENTS
These requirements are described in this section of the catalogue.
First-Year Seminar (FYS)
All students entering Hopkins from high school are required to complete a First-Year Seminar with a Satisfactory (S) grade in their first year of study. First-Year Seminars are offered only with the Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory grading system; they are not offered for letter grades.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| One FYS course 1 | 3 | |
| Total Credits | 3 | |
- 1
Mechanical Engineering encourages students to take a 3-credit discussion-based FYS course in the fall.
Writing Intensive for BS in Engineering Mechanics
A grade of C- or higher is required. No Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory grades will be accepted. Courses must be at least 3 credits each and courses applied here may also be used towards satisfying the Distribution requirement.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Two Writing Intensive courses 1 | 6 | |
| Total Credits | 6 | |
- 1
EN.530.404 MechE Senior Design Project II is a required Senior Design course that can be used to count as one of the Writing Intensive courses.
Distribution for BS in Engineering Mechanics
A maximum of 10 credits of D grades may be accepted; all other credits for this requirement must be C- or above grades. No Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory grades will be accepted. Courses must be at least 3 credits each and may overlap with the Writing Intensive requirement. Elementary language courses, which do not carry an area designator, can be used to satisfy the Distribution requirement for engineering students.
Engineering Mechanics majors may count no more than one course taught in the Whiting School (numbered EN.xxx.xxx) with Humanities or Social Sciences area designation toward this requirement.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Six Humanities (H) or Social Science (S) courses that are comprised of the following: | 18 | |
Four H or S courses at any level | ||
Two H or S courses at 300-level or higher 1 | ||
| Total Credits | 18 | |
- 1
Intermediate language courses that are at the 200 level can satisfy the upper-level requirement, even though they are not 300-level or higher.
MAJOR REQUIREMENTS
A grade of C- or higher is required on all core Engineering Mechanics courses. No Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U) grade will be accepted.
MATHEMATICS
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| AS.110.108 | Calculus I (Physical Sciences & Engineering) | 4 |
| AS.110.109 | Calculus II (For Physical Sciences and Engineering) | 4 |
| AS.110.202 | Calculus III | 4 |
| or AS.110.211 | Honors Multivariable Calculus | |
| EN.553.291 | Linear Algebra and Differential Equations | 4-8 |
| or AS.110.201 & AS.110.302 | Linear Algebra and Differential Equations and Applications | |
| EN.553.311 | Intermediate Probability and Statistics | 4 |
| Mathematics Elective | 4 | |
| Total Credits | 23-24 | |
- 1
EN.553.311 Intermediate Probability and Statistics is preferred. Other Probability and Statistics courses of at least 3 credits will be considered with advisor pre-approval.
BASIC SCIENCES
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| AS.030.101 | Introductory Chemistry I | 3 |
| AS.171.102 | General Physics: Physical Science Major II | 4 |
| or AS.171.108 | General Physics for Physical Science Majors (AL) | |
| AS.173.112 | General Physics Laboratory II 1 | 1 |
| EN.530.123 | Introduction to Mechanics I 2 | 3 |
| EN.530.124 | Introduction to Mechanics II 2 | 2 |
| Basic Science Elective | 4 | |
| Total Credits | 17 | |
- 1
Students who obtain credits for AS.171.102 General Physics: Physical Science Major II by exam credit are required to take the lab, AS.173.112 General Physics Laboratory II.
- 2
Students who obtain credits for AS.171.101 General Physics: Physical Science Major I by exam credit are not required to take EN.530.123 Introduction to Mechanics I. However, they must take EN.530.124 Introduction to Mechanics II.
INTRODUCTORY ENGINEERING AND COMPUTING
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| EN.500.114 | Gateway Computing: Matlab 1, 2 | 3 |
| EN.530.107 | MechE Undergraduate Seminar I | 0.5 |
| EN.530.108 | MechE Undergraduate Seminar II | 0.5 |
| EN.530.111 | Intro to MechE Design and CAD 3 | 2 |
| EN.530.115 | MechE Freshman Lab I 3 | 1 |
| EN.530.116 | MechE Freshman Lab II | 1 |
| Total Credits | 8 | |
- 1
EN.500.114 Gateway Computing: Matlab is the strongly preferred computing option. Students may choose to take EN.500.112 Gateway Computing: JAVA or EN.500.113 Gateway Computing: Python instead, which is acceptable. However, all students will be expected to know MATLAB for their future MechE courses. Students who do not take Gateway Computing: Matlab should consider taking the one-credit online course EN.500.134 Bootcamp: MATLAB to learn MATLAB.
- 2
Students who scored a 5 on the AP Computer Science exam have two options: 1. Take EN.500.113 Gateway Computing: Python or EN.500.114 Gateway Computing: Matlab and forfeit the exam credit, or 2. take EN.601.220 Intermediate Programming or EN.601.226 Data Structures. If option 2 is chosen, then the AP Computer Science credit will count towards the computing requirement and EN.601.220 or EN.601.226 will count as one of the student's Technical Electives.***
- 3
If EN.530.111 and EN.530.115 are not taken, students must take one of the introductory engineering courses: EN.500.101 What Is Engineering?, EN.520.137 First Year ECE Design, or EN.570.108 Introduction to Environmental Engineering and Design.
- ***
Correction 10/30/2024: EN.601.226 was inadvertently mislabled 661.626 at publication.
ENGINEERING MECHANICS CORE COURSES
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| EN.530.202 | Mechanical Engineering Dynamics | 3 |
| EN.530.212 | MechE Dynamics Laboratory | 1 |
| EN.530.215 | Mechanics-Based Design | 3 |
| or EN.530.405 | Mechanics of Advanced Engineering Structures | |
| EN.530.216 | Mechanics Based Design Laboratory | 1 |
| EN.530.231 | Mechanical Engineering Thermodynamics | 3 |
| EN.530.232 | Mechanical Engineering Thermodynamics Laboratory | 1 |
| EN.530.327 | Introduction to Fluid Mechanics | 3 |
| EN.530.329 | Introduction to Fluid Mechanics Laboratory | 1 |
| EN.560.201 | Statics & Mechanics of Materials | 3 |
| EN.560.211 | Statics and Mechanics of Materials Laboratory | 1 |
| Total Credits | 20 | |
CAPSTONE DESIGN
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| EN.530.403 | MechE Senior Design Project I | 4 |
| EN.530.404 | MechE Senior Design Project II | 4 |
| Total Credits | 8 | |
ENGINEERING SCIENCE ELECTIVES
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| One Dynamics course | ||
| One Fluid Mechanics course | ||
| One Materials course | ||
| One Solid Mechanics course | ||
| Total Credits | 12-14 | |
Dynamics Courses
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| EN.530.343 | Design and Analysis of Dynamical Systems | 3 |
| EN.530.420 | Robot Sensors/Actuators | 4 |
| EN.530.421 | Mechatronics | 3 |
| EN.530.424 | Dynamics of Robots and Spacecraft | 3 |
| EN.530.470 | Space Vehicle Dynamics & Control | 3 |
| EN.553.391 | Dynamical Systems | 4 |
Fluid Mechanics Courses
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| EN.530.425 | Mechanics of Flight | 3 |
| EN.530.427 | Intermediate Fluid Mechanics | 3 |
| or EN.530.627 | Intermediate Fluid Mechanics (graduate) | |
| EN.530.432 | Jet & Rocket Propulsion | 3 |
| EN.530.464 | Energy Systems Analysis | 3 |
| or EN.530.664 | Energy Systems Analysis (graduate) | |
| EN.530.483 | Applied Computational Modeling in Aerodynamics and Heat Transfer | 3 |
| or EN.530.683 | Applied Computational Modeling in Aerodynamics and Heat Transfer | |
Materials Courses
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| EN.510.311 | Structure Of Materials | 3 |
| EN.510.313 | Mechanical Properties of Materials | 3 |
| EN.510.314 | Electronic Properties of Materials | 3 |
| EN.510.315 | Physical Chemistry of Materials II | 3 |
| EN.530.352 | Materials Selection | 4 |
| EN.530.405 | Mechanics of Advanced Engineering Structures | 3 |
| EN.530.414 | Computer-Aided Design | 3 |
| EN.530.418 | Aerospace Structures | 3 |
| or EN.530.619 | Aerospace Structures | |
| EN.530.438 | Aerospace Materials | 3 |
| or EN.530.638 | Aerospace Materials | |
| EN.530.455 | Additive Manufacturing | 3 |
| or EN.530.655 | Additive Manufacturing (Graduate) | |
| EN.530.605 | Mechanics of Solids and Materials | 3 |
| EN.530.606 | Mechanics of Solids and Materials II | 3 |
| EN.560.330 | Foundation Design | 3 |
| EN.560.730 | Finite Element Methods | 3 |
Solid Mechanics Courses
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| EN.530.405 | Mechanics of Advanced Engineering Structures | 3 |
| EN.530.414 | Computer-Aided Design | 3 |
| EN.530.418 | Aerospace Structures | 3 |
| or EN.530.619 | Aerospace Structures | |
| EN.530.430 | Applied Finite Element Analysis | 3 |
| EN.530.438 | Aerospace Materials | 3 |
| or EN.530.638 | Aerospace Materials | |
| EN.530.448 | Biosolid Mechanics | 3 |
| EN.530.605 | Mechanics of Solids and Materials | 3 |
| EN.530.606 | Mechanics of Solids and Materials II | 3 |
| EN.530.655 | Additive Manufacturing (Graduate) | 3 |
| EN.560.330 | Foundation Design | 3 |
TECHNICAL ELECTIVES
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Courses that have Engineering, Quantitative, or Natural Science area designations at 300-level or higher 1 | ||
| Total Credits | 18 | |
- 1
Students should consult their advisor about the technical elective courses.
- 2
A maximum of six credits of letter-graded Customized Academic Learning (CAL) may be applied towards the Technical Electives.
- A maximum of three credits of undergraduate research (EN.530.501 Undergraduate Research, EN.530.511 Group Undergraduate Research, EN.530.597 Research - Summer, or equivalent course numbers from other departments)
- A maximum of three credits of independent study (EN.530.526 Undergrad Independent Study, EN.530.527 Independent Study, EN.530.599 Independent Study, or equivalent course numbers from other departments)
- Students may not count six credits of undergraduate research or six credits of independent study toward the elective.
TRACKS
A grade of C- or higher is required. No Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U) grade will be accepted.
Aerospace Track
A student may specialize in aerospace engineering once a solid background in the fundamentals of mechanical engineering has been developed through the basic Engineering Mechanics courses. This track requires knowledge and background in several fields including advanced dynamics, flight mechanics, propulsion, aerospace materials and structures, signal processing, control systems, astrophysics, and space systems.
Students pursuing the Aerospace Engineering Track must take at least five of the following courses, which can be counted toward the Engineering Science Elective and Technical Elective requirements in the general Engineering Mechanics program. A sixth course is highly recommended, though not required.
Required Courses
At least five courses are required. These required courses can be counted toward the Engineering Science Elective and Technical Elective requirements. A sixth course is highly recommended, though not required.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Complete five courses from the following: | 15 | |
| Introduction to Space, Science, and Technology | ||
| Remote Sensing of the Environment | ||
| Aerospace Structures | ||
or EN.530.619 | Aerospace Structures | |
| Dynamics of Robots and Spacecraft | ||
or EN.530.624 | Dynamics of Robots and Spacecraft (Graduate) | |
| Mechanics of Flight | ||
| Intermediate Fluid Mechanics | ||
or EN.530.627 | Intermediate Fluid Mechanics (graduate) | |
| Jet & Rocket Propulsion | ||
| Aerospace Materials | ||
or EN.530.638 | Aerospace Materials | |
| Space Vehicle Dynamics & Control | ||
| Applied Computational Modeling in Aerodynamics and Heat Transfer | ||
| Total Credits | 15 | |
Biomechanics Track
Engineering Mechanics is a highly flexible program offered by the Department of Mechanical Engineering, which is ideal for students who want to specialize in any area of mechanics, including biomechanics. The essence of mechanics is the interplay between forces and motion.
In biology, mechanics is important at the macroscopic, cellular, and subcellular levels. At the macroscopic length scale, biomechanics of both soft and hard tissues plays an important role in computer-integrated surgical systems and technologies (e.g. medical robotics). At the cellular level, cell motility and chemotaxis can be modeled as mechanical phenomena. At the subcellular level, conformational transitions in biological macromolecules can be modeled using molecular dynamics simulation (nothing more than computational Newtonian mechanics), statistical mechanics, or coarse-grained techniques that rely on principles from the mechanics of materials. In addition, much of structural biology can be viewed from the perspective of Kinematics (e.g. finding spatial relationships in data from the Protein Data Bank).
Required Courses
At least six courses are required. Courses should be concentrated either at the cellular/subcellular length scale or in macroscopic biomechanics. These courses can be counted toward the Engineering Science Elective and Technical Elective requirements.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Complete at least six courses from the following: | 18-20 | |
| Biochemistry | ||
| Developmental Biology | ||
| Microfabrication Laboratory | ||
| Biomechanics of the Cell | ||
| Musculoskeletal Biomechanics | ||
| Bioinspired Science and Technology | ||
| Introduction to Biophotonics | ||
| Introduction to Biomechanics | ||
| Biosolid Mechanics | ||
| Locomotion Mechanics: Fundamentals | ||
or EN.530.668 | Locomotion Mechanics: Fundamentals | |
| Locomotion Mechanics: Recent Advances | ||
or EN.530.669 | Locomotion Mechanics: Recent Advances | |
| Effective and Economic Design for Biomedical Instrumentation | ||
or EN.530.674 | Effective and Economic Design for Biomedical Instrumentation | |
| Fabrication of Biomaterials, Engineered Tissues and Food | ||
| Biosensing & BioMEMS | ||
| Dynamic Modeling and Control | ||
| Micro/Nanotechnology: The Science and Engineering of Small Structures | ||
| Cell and Tissue Engineering Lab | ||
| Neural and Rehabilitation Engineering | ||
| Introduction to Rehabilitation Engineering: Design Lab | ||
| Total Credits | 18-20 | |
Sample Program of Study
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| First Semester | Credits | Second Semester | Credits |
| AS.030.101 | 3 | AS.110.109 | 4 |
| AS.110.108 | 4 | EN.500.114 | 3 |
| EN.530.107 | .5 | EN.530.108 | .5 |
| EN.530.111 | 2 | EN.530.116 | 1 |
| EN.530.115 | 1 | EN.530.124 | 2 |
| EN.530.123 | 3 | Writing Intensive (also count as Humanities/Social Sciences ) | 3 |
| First-Year Seminar1 | 3 | Basic Science Elective | 3 |
| 16.5 | 16.5 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| First Semester | Credits | Second Semester | Credits |
| AS.110.202 | 4 | EN.530.202 | 3 |
| AS.171.102 | 4 | EN.530.212 | 1 |
| AS.173.112 | 1 | EN.530.215 | 3 |
| EN.530.231 | 3 | EN.530.216 | 1 |
| EN.530.232 | 1 | EN.553.291 | 4 |
| EN.560.201 | 3 | Humanities/Social Science | 3 |
| EN.560.211 | 1 | ||
| 17 | 15 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| First Semester | Credits | Second Semester | Credits |
| EN.530.327 | 3 | Engineering Science elective | 3 |
| EN.530.329 | 1 | Engineering Science elective | 3 |
| EN.553.311 | 4 | Technical Elective | 3 |
| Engineering Science elective | 3 | Mathematics Elective | 4 |
| Technical Elective | 3 | Humanities/Social Sciences | 3 |
| Humanities/Social Sciences | 3 | ||
| 17 | 16 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| First Semester | Credits | Second Semester | Credits |
| EN.530.403 | 4 | EN.530.404 (also count as Writing Intensive) | 4 |
| Engineering Science elective | 3 | Technical Elective | 3 |
| Technical Elective | 3 | Technical Elective | 3 |
| Humanities/Social Sciences | 3 | Technical Elective | 3 |
| Humanities/Social Sciences | 3 | ||
| 16 | 13 | ||
| Total Credits 127 | |||
- 1
Mechanical Engineering encourages students to take a 3-credit discussion-based FYS course.
Accreditation Statement
The BS in Engineering Mechanics degree program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, under the General Criteria and the Program Criteria for Engineering Mechanics and Similarly Named Engineering programs.
Program Educational Objectives
The educational objectives for the B.S. in engineering mechanics degree are designed to educate a select group of science-oriented engineers who, after graduation, will be successful and on track to become leaders among their peers
- in the best graduate programs in engineering, science, medical schools, or law schools, and
- in industry, government laboratories, and other organizations.
Student Outcomes
Students graduating with a B.S. in Engineering Mechanics will have demonstrated:
- An ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics.
- An ability to apply both analysis and synthesis in the engineering design process, resulting in designs that meet desired needs.
- An ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions.
- An ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences.
- An ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts.
- An ability to recognize the ongoing need for additional knowledge and locate, evaluate, integrate, and apply this knowledge appropriately.
- An ability to function effectively on teams that establish goals, plan tasks, meet deadlines, and analyze risk and uncertainty.
Enrollments and Graduates
Enrollment*
| Term | Total | First-Year | Sophomore | Junior | Senior |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall 2014 | 15 | 5 | 2 | 6 | 2 |
| Fall 2015 | 14 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 4 |
| Fall 2016 | 12 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 5 |
| Fall 2017 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 6 |
| Fall 2018 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Fall 2019 | 9 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 3 |
| Fall 2020 | 8 | 3 | - | 4 | 1 |
| Fall 2021 | 11 | 3 | 3 | - | 5 |
| Fall 2022 | 11 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 1 |
| Fall 2023 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
B.S. Degrees Awarded**
| Academic Year | Total |
|---|---|
| 2014-2015 | 1 |
| 2015-2016 | 3 |
| 2016-2017 | 5 |
| 2017-2018 | 3 |
| 2018-2019 | 2 |
| 2019-2020 | 3 |
| 2020-2021 | 1 |
| 2021-2022 | 4 |
| 2022-2023 | 1 |
- *
Based on Fall census each year
- **
Includes August, December, and May conferral each academic year