Mechanical engineering is one of the oldest and broadest engineering disciplines. Mechanical engineers design and analyze machines of all types, including automobiles, airplanes, rockets, submarines, power generation systems, biomedical instrumentation, robots, manufacturing systems, household appliances and many, many more.

In addition, mechanical engineers design and analyze the energy sources that provide power to machines, fluids that interact with machines and the materials from which machines are constructed. Mechanical engineers also work in cutting-edge fields such as nanotechnology, alternative energy sources and environmentally friendly "green" manufacturing processes. Another important application of mechanical engineering is in medicine, where artificial organs, surgical tools and drug-delivery systems are vital to human well-being.

Mechanical engineers are in continuous demand by virtually all industries and are also employed by state and federal governments and enjoy one of the highest starting salaries of all college majors. Mechanical engineering graduates can, if they wish, continue their studies and obtain advanced degrees in fields such as business, law, medicine and engineering.

The VCU Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering is the largest in the College of Engineering and offers an accredited B.S. degree in mechanical engineering, including the option of obtaining a major concentration nuclear engineering. The curriculum for the freshman year is the same with or without the nuclear concentration.

As part of the B.S. degree in mechanical engineering, all students complete an approved internship or cooperative education experience.

Student learning outcomes

Upon completing this program, students will demonstrate:

  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 conclusions
  7. An ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies
 

Special requirements

Students must earn a minimum grade of C in all required engineering courses; in all courses used to satisfy nuclear engineering elective requirements; and in the following:

Course Title Hours
MATH 200Calculus with Analytic Geometry I4
MATH 201Calculus with Analytic Geometry II4
MATH 301Differential Equations3
MATH 307Multivariate Calculus4
PHYS 207University Physics I5

Students must maintain a minimum major GPA of 2.0.

Degree requirements for Mechanical Engineering, Bachelor of Science (B.S.) with a concentration in nuclear engineering

Course Title Hours
General education
Select 30 credits of general education courses in consultation with an adviser.30
Major requirements
• Major core requirements
EGMN 102Engineering Statics3
EGMN 110Engineering Visualization2
EGMN 190Introduction to Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering1
EGMN 201Dynamics and Kinematics3
EGMN 202Mechanics of Deformables3
EGMN 203Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering Practicum1
EGMN 204Thermodynamics3
EGMN 210Computational Methods2
EGMN 300Mechanical Systems Design3
EGMN 301Fluid Mechanics3
EGMN 302Heat Transfer3
EGMN 303Thermal Systems Design3
EGMN 309Material Science for Engineers3
EGMN 311Solid Mechanics Lab1.5
EGMN 312Thermal Sciences Lab1.5
EGMN 315Process and Systems Dynamics3
EGMN 321Numerical Methods3
EGMN 402Senior Design Studio (Laboratory/Project Time)2
EGMN 403Senior Design Studio (Laboratory/Project Time)2
EGMN 420CAE Design3
EGRE 206Electric Circuits4
ENGR 395Professional Development1
ENGR 402Senior Design Studio (Seminar)1
ENGR 403Senior Design Studio (Seminar)1
• Concentration requirements
EGMN 351Nuclear Engineering Fundamentals3
EGMN 352Nuclear Reactor Theory3
EGMN 355Radiation Safety and Shielding3
EGMN 359Nuclear Power Plants3
EGMN 456Reactor Design and Systems3
EGMN 530System Analysis of the Nuclear Fuel Cycle3
• Additional major requirements
Approved internship or cooperative education experience0
Part-time Internship Experience
Internship Experience
Cooperative Education Experience
Review of internship or cooperative education experience0
Internship Review
Review of Cooperative Education Experience
• Major electives
Select nuclear engineering electives as described below.6
Ancillary requirements
CHEM 101General Chemistry I (satisfies general education BOK for natural sciences and AOI for scientific and logical reasoning)3
CHEZ 101General Chemistry Laboratory I1
MATH 200Calculus with Analytic Geometry I (satisfies general education quantitative foundations)4
ECON 205The Economics of Product Development and Markets (satisfies general education BOK for social/behavorial sciences and AOI for global perspectives)3
MATH 201Calculus with Analytic Geometry II4
MATH 301Differential Equations3
MATH 307Multivariate Calculus4
MGMT 310Managing People in Organizations3
or SCMA 350 Introduction to Project Management
PHYS 207University Physics I (satisfies general education BOK for natural sciences and AOI for scientific and logical reasoning)5
PHYS 208University Physics II5
Total Hours130

The minimum number of credit hours required for this degree is 130.

Nuclear engineering electives

Mechanical engineering students completing the nuclear engineering concentration will choose two nuclear engineering elective courses from the following list. A special topic, independent study or other course may be used as a nuclear engineering elective with prior written approval of the department chair.

Course Title Hours
EGMN 510Probabilistic Risk Assessment3
EGMN 545Energy Conversion Systems3
EGMN 550Energy and Sustainability3
EGMN 560Monte Carlo Simulations3
EGMN 574Nuclear Safeguards, Security and Nonproliferation3
EGMN 575Fast Breeder Reactors3

All courses used to satisfy nuclear engineering elective requirements must be completed with a minimum grade of C.

Courses taken at other institutions

Students enrolled in degree programs at VCU must receive prior approval to take courses at other institutions to ensure credits earned concurrently at another institution are accepted for transfer at VCU. After enrolling in the VCU undergraduate mechanical engineering program, a student must receive prior approval to complete any course at another institution, and the following policies apply. 

  1. A student will not be approved to take an EGMN-equivalent course at another institution in a semester when the VCU course is offered. The department chair may approve an exception to this policy in extraordinary circumstances.
  2. A total of no more than two EGMN-equivalent courses can be taken at another institution after enrolling in the VCU mechanical engineering program. The department chair may approve additional courses in exceptional circumstances.
  3. A student may not transfer an EGMN-equivalent course from another institution for an EGMN course in which the student has a VCU honor code violation. The department chair may approve an exception to this policy in extraordinary circumstances.
  4. Courses other than EGMN-equivalent courses (EGRE, MATH, PHYS, etc.) may be approved to be taken outside of VCU if the student receives prior approval for each course using the appropriate VCU form.

What follows is a sample plan that meets the prescribed requirements within a four-year course of study at VCU. Please contact your adviser before beginning course work toward a degree.

Freshman year
Fall semesterHours
CHEM 101 General Chemistry I (satisfies general education BOK for natural sciences and AOI for scientific and logical reasoning) 3
CHEZ 101 General Chemistry Laboratory I 1
EGMN 110 Engineering Visualization 2
EGMN 190 Introduction to Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering 1
MATH 200 Calculus with Analytic Geometry I (satisfies general education quantitative foundations) 4
UNIV 111 Play VideoPlay course video for Focused Inquiry I Focused Inquiry I (satisfies general education UNIV foundations) 3
General education course 3
 Term Hours: 17
Spring semester
EGMN 102 Engineering Statics 3
EGMN 203 Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering Practicum 1
MATH 201 Calculus with Analytic Geometry II 4
PHYS 207 University Physics I (satisfies general education BOK for natural sciences and AOI for scientific and logical reasoning) 5
UNIV 112 Play VideoPlay course video for Focused Inquiry II Focused Inquiry II (satisfies general education UNIV foundations) 3
 Term Hours: 16
Sophomore year
Fall semester
EGMN 201 Dynamics and Kinematics 3
EGMN 202 Mechanics of Deformables 3
EGMN 351 Nuclear Engineering Fundamentals 3
ENGR 395 Professional Development 1
MATH 301 Differential Equations 3
PHYS 208 University Physics II 5
 Term Hours: 18
Spring semester
EGMN 204 Thermodynamics 3
EGMN 210 Computational Methods 2
EGMN 359 Nuclear Power Plants 3
EGRE 206 Electric Circuits 4
MATH 307 Multivariate Calculus 4
 Term Hours: 16
Junior year
Fall semester
EGMN 300 Mechanical Systems Design 3
EGMN 301 Fluid Mechanics 3
EGMN 311 Solid Mechanics Lab 1.5
EGMN 321 Numerical Methods 3
EGMN 355 Radiation Safety and Shielding 3
UNIV 200 Advanced Focused Inquiry: Literacies, Research and Communication (satisfies general education UNIV foundations) 3
 Term Hours: 16.5
Spring semester
EGMN 302 Heat Transfer 3
EGMN 303 Thermal Systems Design 3
EGMN 312 Thermal Sciences Lab 1.5
EGMN 352 Nuclear Reactor Theory 3
EGMN 420 CAE Design 3
Nuclear engineering elective 3
 Term Hours: 16.5
Summer semester
ENGR 396 Internship Experience 0
 Term Hours: 0
Senior year
Fall semester
ECON 205 The Economics of Product Development and Markets (satisfies general education BOK for social/behavorial sciences and AOI for global perspectives) 3
EGMN 309 Material Science for Engineers 3
EGMN 402 Senior Design Studio (Laboratory/Project Time) 2
EGMN 456 Reactor Design and Systems 3
ENGR 402 Senior Design Studio (Seminar) 1
ENGR 496 Internship Review 0
General education course (select AOI for diversities in the human experience or AOI for creativity, innovation and aesthetic inquiry; select a course that also satisfies BOK for humanities/fine arts if not already satisfied by another course) 3
 Term Hours: 15
Spring semester
EGMN 315 Process and Systems Dynamics 3
EGMN 403 Senior Design Studio (Laboratory/Project Time) 2
EGMN 530 System Analysis of the Nuclear Fuel Cycle 3
ENGR 403 Senior Design Studio (Seminar) 1
MGMT 310
Managing People in Organizations
or Introduction to Project Management
3
Nuclear engineering elective 3
 Term Hours: 15
 Total Hours: 130

The minimum number of credit hours required for this degree is 130.