Bourns Hall

Graduate Program

• Admission
• Application
• Deadlines
• Research
• Graduate Courses
• Current Students
• External Links & Resources
• MEGSA
• Contact Us

Graduate Courses (Teaching Schedules)

ME 200. Methods of Engineering Analysis (4)

Lecture, 4 hours. Prerequisite(s): graduate standing in engineering or consent of instructor. Topics include linear algebra theory, vector spaces, eigenvalue problems, complex analytic functions, contour integration, integral transforms, and basic methods for solving ordinary and partial differential equations in mechanical engineering applications.

ME 201. Computational Methods in Engineering (4)

Lecture, 4 hours. Prerequisite(s): graduate standing or consent of instructor. Explores numerical methods with computer applications. Topics include solution of nonlinear algebraic equations, solution of systems of linear equations, interpolation, integration, statistical description of data, model fitting, Fast Fourier Transform and applications, and numerical solution of ordinary and partial differential equations.

ME 220. Theoretical Kinematics (4)

Lecture, 3 hours; discussion, 1 hour. Prerequisite (s): ME 200 or consent of instructor. Introduces spatial rigid body kinematics using homogeneous transformations, product of exponentials, and dual quaternion formulations. Covers screw theory, Lie theory, and Clifford algebras to provide students with the mathematical foundation for advanced studies in robot kinematics, computer graphics, and mechanics.

ME 221. Advanced Dynamics (4)

Lecture, 4 hours. Prerequisite(s): ME 103 or consent of instructor. Introduces spatial kinematics and dynamics of a rigid body, multi-rigid-body systems, and robot manipulators. Topics include Newton's and Euler's laws, Lagrange's equations, Hamilton's equations, and variational principles.

ME 222A. Introduction to Robotics (4)

Lecture, 3 hours; discussion, 1 hour. Prerequisite(s): EE 132 or equivalent, ME 120, ME 130; or consent of instructor. Introduces the mechanics of robotics systems. Topics include kinematics, dynamics, task planning, open- and closed-loop control strategies, and robot programming languages. Explores the concept of parallel kinematic machines.

ME 222C. Robot Dynamics and Control (4)

Lecture, 4 hours, Prerequisite (s): EE 235, ME 221, ME 222A; or consent of instructor. Introduces recursive formulations for serial and parallel manipulator dynamics using Newton-Euler and Lagrangian approaches. Explores the structure of dynamics equations, trajectory generation and motion control, linear controllers, feedback linearization, and force controllers.

ME 230. Computer-Aided Engineering Design (4)

Lecture, 3 hours; laboratory, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): graduate standing or consent of instructor. Introduces fundamentals of interactive computer graphics, three-dimensional representations of curves and surfaces, Bezier parameterizations, and optimization methods. Demonstrates applications of computer graphics and computational geometry to mechanical system simulations, computer-aided design, and engineering design.

ME 231. Pen-Based Computing (4)

Lecture, 3 hours; discussion, 1 hour. Prerequisite (s): graduate standing or consent of instructor; computer programming experience. Introduction to computational techniques for pen-based user interfaces. Covers fundamental issues such as ink segmentation, sketch parsing, and shape recognition. Explores the topic of sketch understanding, including reasoning about context and correcting errors, and issues related to building practical penbased systems. Includes a project in which students build a pe-based application. May be taken Satisfactory (S) or No Credit (NC) with consent of instructor and graduate advisor.

ME 236. Geometric Nonlinear Control

(4) Lecture, 4 hours. Prerequisite (s): EE 235 or consent of instructor. Introduces methods of differential geometry and manifold theory applied to nonlinear control systems. Topics include stability of nonlinear systems, center-manifold theory, controllability, and feedback linearization.

ME 240A. Fundamentals of Fluid Mechanics (4)

Lecture, 4 hours. Prerequisite(s): graduate standing or consent of instructor. Introduction to fluid mechanics. Explores equations of motion, stress tensor, the Navier-Stokes equations, boundary conditions, exact solutions, vorticity, and boundary layers.

ME 240B. Fundamentals of Fluid Mechanics (4)

Lecture, 4 hours. Prerequisite(s): ME 240A or consent of instructor. Covers inviscid flow, the Euler and Bernouli equations, potential flow, and wing theory and introduces stability theory and turbulence.

ME 241A. Fundamentals of Heat and Mass Transfer (4)

Lecture, 4 hours. Prerequisite(s): ME 240A or consent of instructor. Introduces in-depth derivations of equations and principles governing heat and mass transfer with an emphasis on formulation of problems. Topics include equations involved in conduction, convection, radiation, energy, and species conservation and the analytical and numerical solution of transport problems.

ME 241B. Transport through Porous Media (4)

Lecture, 4 hours. Prerequisite(s): graduate standing. Covers current theories on flow, heat, and mass transfer and the mechanisms of multiphase transport in porous media.

ME 241C. Electronic Cooling and Thermal Issues in Microelectronics (4)

Lecture, 4 hours. Prerequisite(s): graduate standing. Discusses thermal issues associated with the life cycle of electronic products. Covers passive, active, and hybrid thermal management techniques, computational modeling approaches, and advanced thermal management concepts such as single phase, phase change and heat pipes.

ME 246. Computational Fluid Dynamics with Applications (4)

Lecture, 3 hours; laboratory, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): ME 240A or consent of instructor. Introduces finite difference, finite volume, and finite element; spectral methods, governing equations for nonreacting and reacting flows; and stability and convergence for steady and unsteady problems. Students use commercial computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software for the course project.

ME 247. Applied Combustion and Environmental Applications (4)

Lecture, 4 hours. Prerequisite(s): graduate standing or consent of instructor. Topics include chemical reaction thermodynamics and kinetics of fuel-air mixtures, governing equations for reacting flows, premixed flame structure and propagation, diffusion flame analysis, ignition theory, droplet and spray combustion, pollutant formation in internal combustion engines, pollution control, principles of air pollution, and atmospheric transport.

ME 250. Seminar in Mechanical Engineering (1 or 2)

Seminar, 1 or 2 hours. Prerequisite(s): graduate standing. Seminar in selected topics in mechanical engineering presented by graduate students, staff, faculty, and invited speakers. Students who present a seminar receive a letter grade; other students receive a Satisfactory (S) or No Credit (NC) grade. Course is repeatable.

ME 261. Theory of Elasticity (4)

Lecture, 4 hours. Prerequisite(s): ME 110 or consent of instructor. Introduction to tensors, strain, equations of motion, and constitutive equations. Topics include typical boundary value problems of classical elasticity, problems of plane strain and plane stress, and variational principles.

ME 266. Mechanics and Physics of Materials (4)

Lecture, 4 hours. Prerequisite(s): graduate standing or consent of instructor. Introduces the structure and properties of materials; the characterization and modeling of mechanical, thermal, electric, and magnetic properties of materials; and coupling properties. Topics include phase transformations and brittle-to-ductile transitions.

ME 267. Finite Element Methods in Solid Mechanics (4)

Lecture, 4 hours. Prerequisite(s): ME 261 or consent of instructor. Covers the formulation and implementation of finite element methods, including the Galerkin and energy methods. Topics include the static and dynamic analysis of mechanical and multiphysical systems and techniques of automatic mesh generation.

ME 270. Introduction to Microelectromechanical Systems (4)

Lecture, 4 hours. Prerequisite(s): ME 014, ME 110, or equivalents. An introduction to the design and fabrication of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). Topics include bulk and surface micromachining processes; material properties; mechanisms of transduction; applications in mechanical, thermal, optical, radiation, and biological sensors and actuators; fabrication of microfluidic devices; Bio-MEMS and applications; packaging and reliability concepts; and metrology techniques for MEMS. Also discusses directions for future research.

ME 272. Nanoscale Science and Engineering (4)

Lecture, 3 hours; laboratory, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): ME 01H or consent of instructor. An overview of the machinery and science of the nanometer scale. Topics include patterning of materials via scanning probe lithography; electron beam lithography; nanoimprinting; self-assembly; mechanical, electrical, magnetic, and chemical properties of nanoparticles, nanotubes, nanowires, and biomolecules (DNA, protein); self-assembled monolayers; and nanocomposites and synthetic macromolecules.

ME 278. Imperfections in Solids (4)

Lecture, 3 hours, discussion, 1 hour. Prerequisite(s): graduate standing in Chemical and Environmental Engineering or Computer Science or Electrical Engineering or Mechanical Engineering. Covers fundamentals of crystal structures and crystal defects, including the generation of point defects; nucleation and propagation of dislocations; perfect and partial dislocations; twins, stacking faults, and transformations; mechanics of semiconductor and metallic thin films and multilayered structures.

ME 290. Directed Studies (1-6)

Individual study, 3-18 hours. Prerequisite(s): graduate standing; consent of instructor and graduate advisor. Individual study, directed by a faculty member, of selected topics in mechanical engineering. Graded Satisfactory (S) or No Credit (NC). Course is repeatable to a maximum of 9 units.

ME 297. Directed Research (1-4)

Outside research, 3-18 hours. Prerequisite(s): graduate standing; consent of instructor. Research conducted under the supervision of a faculty member on selected problems in mechanical engineering. Graded Satisfactory (S) or No Credit (NC). Course is repeatable to a maximum of 9 units.

ME 299. Research for the Thesis or Dissertation (1-12)

Outside research, 3-36 hours. Prerequisite(s): graduate standing; consent of instructor. Research in mechanical engineering for the M.S. thesis or Ph.D. dissertation. Graded Satisfactory (S) or No Credit (NC). Course is repeatable.