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The Undergraduate Program

Welcome from the Chairman

Welcome to Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics! As the Undergraduate Curriculum Chair, I'd like to give you a brief introduction to our Undergraduate Program.

The Department of Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics (MEAM) was the second curriculum established in the University (C. 1872), and its many alumni are noted for their distinguished careers and contributions in science, engineering, education and management.  Our program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) with the assistance of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME).  They are responsible for the evaluation of mechanical engineering programs in the U.S.  The ASME web page has a wealth of information about the profession and career opportunities.

Our Undergraduate Curriculum offers you a broad based education that will allow you to adapt to changes in technology in our rapidly changing society.  At the same time, the curriculum offers the flexibility for you to specialize in one or more areas in mechanical engineering (for example, energy engineering, mechanical design, fluid mechanics, or structure mechanics) or even such cross disciplinary areas such as robotics, biomechanics, micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS), or mechanics of materials.  For the mechanical engineering courses, beyond a number of the core courses, you will be offered elective courses in energy engineering, aerodynamics, biomechanics, mechatronic, micro-electromechanical systems, robotics, modeling and control physical systems, etc.  Our program also offers more practical and hands-on experience in our laboratory courses throughout sophomore and junior years.  At the end of the program, you will work on a yearlong design project.  Some of the current projects are listed here.  You will be encouraged to participate in the cutting edge research programs led by our faculty members. You can also design your curriculum to pursue dual degrees, for example, select BSE in MEAM in the Management and Technology Program.

The career opportunities available to our graduates are perhaps the broadest among all fields of engineering.  A wide variety of industries, including aerospace, automotive, electronics and computers, chemical, and biomedical, recruit mechanical engineers.  Positions range from research and development to design and manufacturing to field engineering and marketing.  Some recent graduates have taken positions in consulting and financial institutions, while others have gone on to graduate studies in engineering, business, law, and medicine.

I am always delighted to hear your suggestions and comments about our program and the courses, about your experiences as mechanical engineering students at Penn, or anything else you might want to chat about.  You are always welcome to stop by my office or send me an email at yim@grasp.upenn.edu.

Mark Yim
Associate Professor, Gabel Family Term Junior Professor and Undergraduate Curriculum Chairman