PROPOSAL FOR
MAE 499 Professional Development in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Credit Hours:
Prerequisite:
Instructors:
Meeting Times:
1
4th year standing
Various MAE faculty with expertise in course topics
One two hour workshop per week
Course Description: Review of the fundamental topics in Mechanical and Aerospace
Engineering covered on the Fundamentals of Engineering licensure
examination.
Course Objectives:
1. Communicate to students the importance of professional licensure
in engineering and the requirements for obtaining the license.
2. Provide 4th year students with a basic review of fundamental topics
covered by the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and
Surveying (NCEES) Fundamentals of Engineering (FE)
examination that is required for pursuing a professional license in
engineering.
3. Provide an examination experience similar to the FE examination
4. Encourage students to take the FE examination prior to graduation.
Course Topics: A review of basic knowledge in the following Mechanical and
Aerospace Engineering topics:
1. Mathematics
a. Analytic geometry
b. Integral calculus
c. Matrix operations
d. Roots of equations
e. Vector analysis
f. Differential equations
g. Differential calculus
2. Engineering Probability and Statistics
a. Measures of central tendencies and dispersions (e.g., mean,
mode, standard deviation)
b. Probability distributions (e.g., discrete, continuous, normal,
binomial)
c. Conditional probabilities
d. Estimation (e.g., point, confidence intervals) for a single
mean
e. Regression and curve fitting
f. Expected value (weighted average) in decision-making
g. Hypothesis testing
3. Engineering Mechanics (Statics and Dynamics)
a. Resultants of force systems
b. Centroid of area
c. Concurrent force systems
d. Equilibrium of rigid bodies
e. Frames and trusses
f. Area moments of inertia
g. Linear motion (e.g., force, mass, acceleration, momentum)
h. Angular motion (e.g., torque, inertia, acceleration,
momentum)
i. Friction
j. Mass moments of inertia
k. Impulse and momentum applied to:
1. particles
2. rigid bodies
l. Work, energy, and power as applied to:
1. particles
2. rigid bodies
4. Strength of Materials
a. Shear and moment diagrams
b. Stress types (e.g., normal, shear, bending, torsion)
c. Stress strain caused by:
1. axial loads
2. bending loads
3. torsion
4. shear
d. Deformations (e.g., axial, bending, torsion)
e. Combined stresses
f. Columns
g. Indeterminant analysis
h. Plastic versus elastic deformation
5. Material Properties
a. Properties
1. chemical
2. electrical
3. mechanical
4. physical
b. Corrosion mechanisms and control
c. Materials
1. engineered materials
2. ferrous metals
3. nonferrous metals
6. Fluid Mechanics
a. Flow measurement
b. Fluid properties
c. Fluid statics
d. Energy, impulse, and momentum equations
e. Pipe and other internal flow
7. Thermodynamics
a. Thermodynamic laws (e.g., 1st Law, 2nd Law)
b. Energy, heat, and work
c. Availability and reversibility
d. Cycles
e. Ideal gases
f. Mixture of gases
g. Phase changes
h. Heat transfer
i. Properties of:
1. enthalpy
2. entropy
ABET Considerations:
A stated objective of ABET accreditation is “Assure that graduates of an accredited
program are adequately prepared to enter and continue the practice of engineering”.
Preparation and encouragement of students to obtain professional licensure are part of
that assurance. Toward that end, this course addresses the following ABET Outcomes:
(a) an ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering
(e) an ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems
(f) an understanding of professional and ethical responsibility
(i) a recognition of the need for, and an ability to engage in life-long learning
(k) an ability to use the techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools necessary
for engineering practice.
This course address the following AE and ME Program Outcomes:
1.a
1.b.
2.a.
3.a.
3.d.
a knowledge of mathematics (including differential equations), science, and
engineering fundamentals.
an ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems.
a knowledge of the essential fundamentals in mechanical or aerospace
engineering.
recognize the need for and be capable of engaging in lifelong learning.
understand the ethical and professional responsibilities of an engineering
practitioner or researcher.
The examination results for this course will provide additional detailed assessment
of the Program Objectives and Outcomes. Exam problems will be linked to similar
problems given in the fundamental courses covering the exam topics and will provide
comparison between student achievement in the courses and on the exam in this course.
These comparisons will be useful in modifying coverage in the fundamental courses to
improve student performance both in the courses and on the exam in this course. It will
be possible to easily modify the exam problems to emphasize specific Program
Objectives and Outcomes and changes to them that may result from overall Program
assessment.
Course Materials:
Texts (Optional):
FE Review Manual: Rapid Preparation for the General Fundamentals
of Engineering Exam, Michael R. Lindeburg, Professional Publications,
Inc., 2002 (or similar review text)
FE – Supplied Reference Handbook, 7th Edition, NCEES, 2005
FE General Sample Questions and Solutions, NCEES, 2005
This course is a required course in the ME curriculum beginning with the
graduating class of 2009 (current 2nd year students enrolled in the ME program). The
final examination for the course will consist of problems similar to those on the FE
examination. The number of problems and distribution in each topic area will be similar
to that of the FE examination.
Since the topics in the course are part of the General Morning Session of the FE
exam taken by anyone taking the FE exam, this course will be open to any SEAS student
wishing to review FE exam topics. They may enroll in the course as Pass/Fail or Audit
and are not required to take and pass the course examination although they are
encouraged to do so.