Mechanical Engineering, BS

Program Mission, Goals, and Outcomes

Program Mission

The mission of the Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering program is to equip students with a comprehensive understanding of mechanical systems and the skills necessary to innovate, design, and implement cutting-edge solutions across a range of industries. The program emphasizes a strong theoretical foundation coupled with laboratory and co-op education experience to foster critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Graduates will be prepared to address real-world engineering challenges and contribute to the advancement of technology for the betterment of society.

BSME Program Educational Objectives

Graduates of the Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering will:

1. Demonstrate competent application of mechanical engineering principles as employees in industry or government.
2.  Function effectively in the workplace as demonstrated through communication, collaboration, and ethical decision-making.
3. Demonstrate maintaining currency with technological advancements and evolving industry practices through engaging in professional development and/or acquiring certifications or advanced degrees.

Program Outcomes

Students will develop:

1. an ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics;
2. an ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors;
3. an ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences;
4. 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;
5. an ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives;
6. an ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusion; and
7. an ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.

Legend

C = Number of lecture hours per week

L = Number of laboratory hours per week

T = Total Quarter Credit Hours where each lecture hour per week is one credit, every 2-4 laboratory hours are one credit depending on the expected amount of pre- or post-lab work.

PLEASE NOTE:  All liberal arts core courses are listed in italics.

All bachelor’s degree students are required to take 60 credits of liberal arts and math/science courses as selected from the liberal arts core. See the course descriptions section of this catalog for a list of the core area courses.  Students who place out of MA 105/110 must still take 32 credits of core courses.

Subject to change.

Q&A and Technical Standards

Questions & Answers

1. When do my classes meet?
   Day Classes: Technical classes normally meet for at least three hours a day for up to five days a week. Classes normally begin in the early morning (7:45 a.m.), late morning (usually 11:25 a.m.), or mid-afternoon. A technical time slot may vary from term to term.
   Evening Classes: Technical classes meet on the average of three nights a week, although there may be times when they will meet four nights a week. Classes normally begin at 5:45 p.m.In addition, to achieve your bachelor’s degree, you will take a total of approximately seven liberal arts courses, which will be scheduled around your program schedule over the course of your entire program. Each liberal arts course meets approximately four hours per week. Liberal arts courses are offered days, evenings, and Saturdays.At the beginning of each term you will receive a detailed schedule giving the exact time and location of all your classes. The College requires that all students be prepared to take classes and receive services at any of NEIT’s locations where the appropriate classes and services are offered.When a regularly scheduled class falls on a day which is an NEIT observed holiday (Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, and Memorial Day), an alternate class will be scheduled as a make up for that class. The make up class may fall on a Friday. It is the student’s responsibility to take note of when and where classes are offered.
2. How large will my classes be?
   The average class size is approximately 20 to 25 students; however, larger and smaller classes occur from time to time.
3. How much time will I spend in lab?
   

   Nearly all of your  major-specific courses consist of laboratory work. In order for you to get the most out of your laboratory experiences, you will first receive a thorough explanation of the theory behind your lab work.

4. Where do my classes meet?
   

   Students should be prepared to attend classes at any of NEIT’s classroom facilities: either at the Post Road, Access Road, or East Greenwich campus.

5. How long should it take me to complete my program?
   

   To complete your degree requirements in the shortest possible time, you should take the courses outlined in the prescribed curriculum. For a typical 14-term curriculum, a student may complete the requirements in as little as 3.5 years.

   Students may also elect to complete some of their liberal arts requirements during Intersession, a five-week term scheduled between Spring and Summer Terms.

   Students wishing to extend the number of terms needed to complete the required courses in their curriculum will be assessed additional tuition and fees.

6. Is NEIT accredited?
   

   NEIT is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education. Accreditation by NECHE is recognized by the federal government and entitles NEIT to participate in federal financial aid programs. Some academic departments have specialized professional accreditations in addition to accreditation by NECHE. For more information on accreditation, see NEIT’s catalog.

7. Can I transfer the credits that I earn at NEIT to another college?
   

   The transferability of a course is always up to the institution to which the student is transferring. Students interested in the transferability of their credits should contact the Office of Teaching and Learning for further information.

8. Can I transfer credits earned at another college to NEIT?
   

   Transfer credit for appropriate courses taken at an accredited institution will be considered upon receipt of an official transcript for any program, biology, science, and mathematics courses in which the student has earned a “C” or above within the past three years and for English or humanities courses in which the student has earned a “C” or above within the last ten years. official transcript from the other institution must be received before the end of the first week of the term for transfer credit to be granted for courses to be taken during that term. Students will receive a tuition reduction for the approved technical courses based on the program rate and will be applied against the final technical term of the curriculum’s tuition amount. No tuition credit is provided for courses which are not a part of the technical curriculum.

9. What is the “Feinstein Enriching America” Program?
   New England Institute of Technology is the proud recipient of a grant from the Feinstein Foundation. To satisfy the terms of the grant, the College has developed a one-credit community enrichment course which includes hands-on community enrichment projects. The course can be taken for a few hours per term, spread over several terms. Students who are already engaged in community enrichment on their own may be able to count that service towards course credit.

10. How many credits do I need to be eligible for Financial Aid?
    In order to be eligible for the maximum financial aid award, you need to maintain at least 12 credits per academic term.

11. What does my program cost?
    

    The cost of your program will be as outlined in your enrollment agreement, along with your cost for books and other course materials. Students who decide to take more terms than the enrollment agreement describes to complete the technical courses in their curriculum will be subject to additional fees and possible additional tuition costs. Students who elect to take the technical portion of the degree requirements at a rate faster than the rate prescribed in the curriculum and the enrollment agreement will be assessed additional tuition.

    Students who require prerequisite courses will incur additional tuition and fees above those outlined in their enrollment agreement.

    If a student elects to take a course(s) outside of the prescribed curriculum, additional tuition and fees will be assessed.

    Remember, students who withdraw and re-enter, one time only, pay the tuition rate that was in effect for them at the time of their last day of attendance for up to one year from their last day of attendance.  Second re-entries and beyond pay the tuition rate in effect at the time they re-enter.  The most economical way for you to complete your college degree is to begin your program now and continue your studies straight through for the fourteen terms necessary to complete your degree requirements.

12. What kind of employment assistance does NEIT offer?
    

    The Career Services Office assists NEIT students and graduates in all aspects of the job search, including resume writing, interviewing skills, and developing a job search strategy. Upon completion of their program, graduates may submit a resume to the Career Services Office to be circulated to employers for employment opportunities in their fields.  Employers regularly contact us about our graduates.  In addition, our Career Services Office contacts employers to develop job leads. A strong relationship with employers exists as a result of our training students to meet the needs of the industry for over fifty years. No school can, and NEIT does not guarantee its graduates employment or a specific starting salary.

13. Where will job opportunities exist?
    

    NEIT graduates have obtained employment in the local area. However, one of the most exciting aspects of this program is the ability to look nationally for employment opportunities.

14. Is this degree program accredited?
    

    The Bachelor of Science Degree program in Mechanical Engineering is being developed using the criteria of the Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) of ABET, http://www.abet.org. Application for a Readiness Review by ABET will be submitted in accordance with ABET policies.

15. Is there any state or federal licensing required in my field?
    

    Under existing (1996) Rhode Island law no license is required for any of the careers which you will be preparing to enter. Because of the complex nature of licensing requirements and because these requirements change periodically, we cannot list all the requirements for all the types of licenses available in all the states. NEIT IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY CHANGES IN LICENSING REQUIREMENTS THAT ANY STATE LEGISLATURE, INCLUDING RI’S, MAY IMPLEMENT AT ANY TIME. Each student should take personal responsibility for determining the licensing requirements in the specific trade and state in which he or she plans to work. Your instructor or department chair can give you help as needed.

16. What kind of jobs will I be qualified to look for?

    Generally, jobs will exist in industrial and manufacturing firms and with government labs and contractors. These jobs include:

    • Mechanical Engineer
    • Manufacturing Engineer
    • Project Engineer
    • Operations Engineer
    • Design Engineer
    • Product Manager
    • Process Engineer
    • Quality Engineer
    • R&D Engineer
    • Automation Engineer
    • Production Engineer

17. How do I obtain a cooperative education (Co-Op) position?
    Generally, students who maintain the minimum GPA to remain in good standing in the program, have a 90% or higher attendance record, have no NEIT conduct violations, complete a background check, and secure a letter of recommendation from their Department Chair, are eligible for Co-Op. Students may be required to complete a background check for some Co-Op employment opportunities. See Questions 23 and 24 below.

18. How do I obtain a cooperative education (Co-Op) position?
    The Career Services Office will assist students in securing a Co-Op position. Students may also independently coordinate with an employer to obtain a Co-Op position. The Career Services Office and Department Chair will assess independently secured positions to ensure they meet programmatic standards and comply with University policies.

19. What does a Co-Op schedule look like?

    Typically, your Co-Op schedule will include:

    • 35+ hours per week
    • Up to 17 weeks
    • On-site, remote, or on-campus
20. What if I can’t obtain a Co-Op position?
    Students are expected to participate in a Co-Op experience as part of their academic experience. If a student is unable to obtain a Co-Op position, the university may allow participation in the Certificate Intensive
21. What are the standards for admission into the program?

    It is expected that students applying for admission into the Mechanical Engineering program will have completed:

    • 3 years of high school science (with grades of C or higher)
    • 4 years of high school math, including pre-calculus (with grades of C or higher).
22. Do I need to maintain a certain grade point average?
    Students need to earn a minimum grade of C in the following courses: MA 330, MA 340, ME 120, ME 435.
23. Do I need to have a Criminal Background check?
    Students may be required to have a criminal background check for some Co-Op employment opportunities. Some Co-Op employers may also require a national criminal background check. It will be necessary for students to sign a Consent and Disclaimer permitting NEIT to perform a criminal background check and a Release and Authorization permitting NEIT to disclose the results of the criminal background check to Co-Op employers that require the check for hiring. If a background check reveals any criminal convictions, the student may be disqualified from a Co-Op employment opportunity. Students assume the cost of all background checks. Some facilities may also require a drug screen before accepting a student for Co-Op employment. NEIT makes no guarantee that once a student is matriculated, the student will be able to obtain any Co-Op position. It is the student’s responsibility to discover what they must do to manage a positive criminal background investigation.

24. Am I required to obtain a criminal background check as part of the admission process?
    No. However, certain Co-Op employers may subject students to a criminal background check. Co-op employers reserve the right to restrict entrance to those persons who do not satisfy their security protocols and regulations. 

Technical Standards

These technical standards set forth by the Mechanical Engineering Department establish the essential qualities considered necessary for students admitted to this program to achieve the knowledge, skills, and competencies to enter these fields. The successful student must possess the following skills and abilities or be able to demonstrate that they can complete the requirements of the program with or without reasonable accommodation, using some other combination of skills and abilities.

Cognitive Ability:

• Ability to concentrate for long periods of time and retain information on intricate details of component theory and analysis of engineering design and operation of computers and machinery.
• Ability to deal with materials and problems such as organizing or reorganizing information.
• Ability to deal with materials and problems such as organizing or reorganizing information.
• Ability to use abstractions in specific concrete situations.
• Ability to break information into its component parts.
• Ability to understand spatial relationships.
• Possession of basic math skills through addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division of whole numbers and fractions using both the U.S. and Metric systems of measurement.
• Ability to perform tasks by observing demonstrations.
• Ability to perform tasks by following written instructions.
• Ability to perform tasks following verbal instructions.

Communications Skills:

• Ability to communicate effectively with faculty and students.
• Ability to demonstrate and use the knowledge acquired during the classroom training process and in the lab setting.

Adaptive Ability:

• Ability to maintain emotional stability and the maturity necessary to interact with other members of the faculty and students in a responsible manner.

Physical Ability:

• An ability to work in a standing, sitting, squatting, kneeling, or lying position.
• An ability to lift, lower, push, and pull using both arms and legs.
• Ability to lift objects weighing up to 35 pounds.
• Ability to stand on a hard surface, usually concrete, for 4-6 hours at a time.
• Sufficient upper body strength to carry 20 pounds.
• Sufficient strength and agility to lift equipment and move large pieces of equipment independently.
• Sufficient strength and agility to grasp and maintain tension for long periods of time.
• Ability to wear and tolerate ear plugs, safety glasses, and other protective equipment.
• Ability to perform learned skills, independently, with accuracy and completeness within
• Reasonable time frames in accordance with procedures.

Manual Ability:

• Ability to manipulate wrenches, screwdrivers, and other tools.
• Sufficient motor function and sensory abilities to participate effectively in the classroom laboratory.
• Sufficient manual dexterity and motor coordination to coordinate hands, eyes, and fingers in the operation of tools and other equipment.

Sensory Ability:

Visual

• Visual ability, with or without correction, to enable the student to differentiate tools and instruments, wires, and components.
• Acute enough to read dials and position of control settings of measurement and industrial equipment.
• Acute enough to read small print.
• Acute enough to read small numbers on precision measuring instruments.

Auditory

• Acute enough to hear and understand words spoken by others in an environment with a high level of noise in the background.