Mechanical Engineering and Design, BSME (Boston) < Northeastern University Academic Catalog

The combined major in mechanical engineering and design integrates the development of new technologies in a variety of fields—energy conversion, solar energy utilization, environmental control, prosthetics, transportation, manufacturing, and new-materials development—with the practice of understanding humans, their surrounding contexts and systems, and designing alternative futures. Students are well prepared to study the design, development, and manufacture of machinery and devices to transmit power or to convert energy from thermal to mechanical form in order to power the modern world and its machines.

The program offers several options for the study of design: experience design, a holistic and integrative approach that focuses on the quality of the human experience in concrete situations; graphic design, the integration of text and image to communicate critical concepts; information design, the visualization and physicalization of data to enhance human understanding of complex knowledge; or interaction design, the creation of navigable interfaces and systems that allow audiences to take an active role to achieve meaningful goals.

Complete all courses listed below unless otherwise indicated. Also complete any corequisite labs, recitations, clinicals, or tools courses where specified and complete any additional courses needed beyond specific college and major requirements to satisfy graduation credit requirements.

Universitywide Requirements

All undergraduate students are required to complete the Universitywide Requirements.

NUpath Requirements

All undergraduate students are required to complete the NUpath Requirements.

NUpath requirements Interpreting Culture (IC), Understanding Societies and Institutions (SI), Engaging Differences and Diversity (DD), and Integrating Knowledge and Skills Through Experience (EX) are not explicitly satisfied by required engineering coursework. Successful completion of a cooperative education experience may fulfill the EX requirement. Students are responsible for satisfying unfulfilled NUpath requirements with general elective coursework.

Engineering Requirements

Course List
Code	Title	Hours
Required Engineering
ME 2340 and ME 2341	Introduction to Material Science and Lab for ME 2340	5
ME 2350	Statics	4
ME 2355 and ME 2356	Mechanics of Materials and Lab for ME 2355	5
ME 2380 and ME 2381	Thermodynamics and Recitation for ME 2380	4
ME 3455 and ME 3456	Dynamics and Lab for ME 3455	5
ME 3475	Fluid Mechanics	4
or ME 3480	International Applications of Fluid Mechanics
ME 4505 and ME 4506	Measurement and Analysis with Thermal Science Application and Lab for ME 4505	5
Senior Capstone Design Project
MEIE 4701	Capstone Design 1	1
MEIE 4702	Capstone Design 2	5
Upper Mechanical Electives
Complete two of the following (at least one must be ME 4550 or ME 4570):		8
ME 4508	Mechanical Engineering Computation and Design
or ME 4565	Introduction to Computational Fluid Dynamics
ME 4550	Mechanical Engineering Design
ME 4555	System Analysis and Control
ME 4570	Thermal Systems Analysis and Design
Supplemental Credit
2 semester hours from the following count toward the engineering requirement:		2
GE 1501	Cornerstone of Engineering 1 ¹
3 semester hours from the following count toward the engineering requirement:		3
GE 1502	Cornerstone of Engineering 2 ¹

Design Requirements

Course List
Code	Title	Hours
Art + Design Fundamentals Required
ARTF 1220	Elements of Visual Composition	2
Art + Design Fundamentals Electives
Complete 6 semester hours from the following:		6
ARTF 1200	Representational Drawing
ARTF 1210	Abstract Drawing
ARTF 1230	Making with Form and Materials
ARTF 1240	Making with Video, Sound, and Animation
ARTF 1250	Designing Interactive Experiences
Design Requirements
ARTG 1001 and ARTG 1002	Design Perspectives: An Introduction to Design in the World and Seminar for Design Perspectives	4
ARTG 1270 and ARTG 1271	Design: Process + Practices and Studio for Design: Process + Practices	4
ARTG 1290 and ARTG 1291	Typographic Systems and Studio for Typographic Systems	4
ARTG 2262 and ARTG 2263	Prototyping with Code and Lab for ARTG 2262 (or ARTG Design elective)	4
Art and Design History Elective
Complete 4 semester hours of ARTH courses. ARTH 1001 Visual Intelligence and ARTH 1002 Seminar in Visual Intelligence are recommended to fulfill this requirement.		4
Art and Design Elective
Complete 4 semester hours of ARTD, ARTE, ARTF, ARTG, ARTH, ARTS, or GAME courses as long as prerequisites have been met.		4

Design Options

Course List
Code	Title	Hours
Complete one of the following options:		8-9
Creative Fabrication
ARTG 2810	Creative Fabrication Design Principles
ARTG 3810	Topics in Creative Fabrication Inquiry
Experience Design
ARTG 3462	Experience Design Principles
ARTG 3464	Topics In Experience Design Inquiry
Graphic Design
ARTG 2252	Graphic Design Principles
ARTG 3452	Topics In Graphic Design Inquiry
Information Design
ARTG 2242	Information Design Principles
ARTG 3444	Topics in Information Design Inquiry
Interaction Design
ARTG 2400 and ARTG 2401	Interaction Design Principles and Interaction Design Principles Tools
ARTG 3400	Topics In Interaction Design Inquiry

Supporting Courses: Mathematics/Science

Complete all mathematics/science courses with a minimum of 30 semester hours.

Course List
Code	Title	Hours
Required Mathematics/Science
CHEM 1151 and CHEM 1153	General Chemistry for Engineers and Recitation for CHEM 1151	4
MATH 1341	Calculus 1 for Science and Engineering	4
MATH 1342	Calculus 2 for Science and Engineering	4
MATH 2321	Calculus 3 for Science and Engineering	4
MATH 2341	Differential Equations and Linear Algebra for Engineering	4
PHYS 1151 and PHYS 1152 and PHYS 1153	Physics for Engineering 1 and Lab for PHYS 1151 and Interactive Learning Seminar for PHYS 1151	5
PHYS 1155 and PHYS 1156 and PHYS 1157	Physics for Engineering 2 and Lab for PHYS 1155 and Interactive Learning Seminar for PHYS 1155	5
Supplemental Credit
1 semester hour from the following counts toward the mathematics/science requirement:		1
GE 1501	Cornerstone of Engineering 1 ¹

Professional Development

Course List
Code	Title	Hours
Professional Development
ENCP 2000	Introduction to Engineering Co-op Education	1
ENCP 3000	Professional Issues in Engineering	1
GE 1000	First-Year Seminar	1
Additional Required Courses
1 semester hour from the following counts toward the professional development requirement:		1
GE 1501	Cornerstone of Engineering 1 ¹
1 semester hour from the following counts toward the professional development requirement:		1
GE 1502	Cornerstone of Engineering 2 ¹

Writing Requirements

Course List
Code	Title	Hours
A grade of C or higher is required in each course:
ENGW 1111	First-Year Writing	4
ENGW 3302	Advanced Writing in the Technical Professions	4
or ENGW 3314	Advanced Writing in the Arts, Media, and Design
or ENGW 3315	Interdisciplinary Advanced Writing in the Disciplines

Required General Electives

Course List
Code	Title	Hours
Complete 4 semester hours of academic, nonremedial, nonrepetitive courses. Selecting a course to fulfill NUpath DD is recommended.		4

Integrative Course

Course List
Code	Title	Hours
This course is already required above and also fulfills the integrative requirement:
MEIE 4702	Capstone Design 2

Major GPA Requirement

2.000 minimum GPA required in IE, ME, and MEIE courses

Program Requirement

139 total semester hours required

¹: Students can substitute Engineering Design (GE 1110) and Engineering Problem Solving and Computation (GE 1111) for Cornerstone of Engineering 1 (GE 1501) and Cornerstone of Engineering 2 (GE 1502) .

Academic Catalog 2026-2027

Mechanical Engineering and Design, BSME (Boston)