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

The combined mechanical engineering and history major is designed to help students develop skills across different intellectual domains. A solid grounding in history helps students better understand the political, cultural, and economic context in which technologies are developed and deployed. Indeed, history offers a myriad of case studies that highlight both the transformative potential and the unintended consequences of new technologies and technological processes. By studying different phases of the past and different societies in the past, students will gain a broad perspective that gives them the range and flexibility required in many work situations. History also provides a terrain for moral contemplation. Greater sensitivity to historical context also helps students see beyond commonly accepted narratives valorizing individual entrepreneurs and appreciate the different ways in which innovation, disruption, official support, and even contingency give rise to new technologies. Finally, by writing effective papers and engaging in productive discussions at the heart of history courses, students also cultivate skills in critical analysis and persuasive communication that could be employed in any future careers.

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 requirement Interpreting Culture (IC) is not explicitly satisfied by required courses. Students are responsible for satisfying this requirement with electives.

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
ME 4550	Mechanical Engineering Design	4
or ME 4570	Thermal Systems Analysis and Design
Complete one of the following :		4
ME 4508	Mechanical Engineering Computation and Design
or ME 4565	Introduction to Computational Fluid Dynamics
ME 4555	System Analysis and Control
Supplemental Credit
2 semester hours from the following course count toward the engineering requirement:		2
GE 1501	Cornerstone of Engineering 1 ¹
3 semester hours from the following course count toward the engineering requirement:		3
GE 1502	Cornerstone of Engineering 2 ¹

History Requirements

Course List
Code	Title	Hours
HIST 1200	Historical Research and Writing	1
HIST 1201	First-Year Seminar	4
HIST 2220	History of Technology	4
Research Methods
HIST 2301	The History Seminar	4
HIST 2302	Historical Writing	1
Introductory History
Complete one course from HIST 1001 to HIST 1999 (excluding HIST 1200 and HIST 1201).		4
History Elective
Complete two HIST courses at any level in any field.		8
Pre-1800 History Elective
Complete one of the following:		4
HIST 1100	Law and History
HIST 1185	Introduction to Middle Eastern History
HIST 1187	Introduction to Latin American History
HIST 1218	Pirates, Planters, and Patriots: Making the Americas, 1492–1804
HIST 1252	Japanese Literature and Culture
HIST 1272	Europe in the Middle Ages, 500–1500
HIST 1389	History of Espionage 1: Antiquity to World War II
HIST 2000	Native American Resistance: Past and Present
HIST 2311	Colonialism/Imperialism
HIST 2330	Colonial and Revolutionary America
HIST 2370	Renaissance to Enlightenment
HIST 2375	The Tudors, the Stuarts, and the Birth of Modern Britain
HIST 2390	Africa and the World in Early Times
HIST 3334	Assassinations in World History
Intermediate History
Complete minimum of one HIST course numbered 2000 to 2999 (Excluding HIST 2301 and HIST 2302).		4
Advanced History
Complete minimum one HIST course numbered 3000 to 4999 (Excluding HIST 4701).		4

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 course counts toward the mathematics/science requirement:		1
GE 1501	Cornerstone of Engineering 1 ¹

Professional Development

Course List
Code	Title	Hours
Professional Development
GE 1000	First-Year Seminar	1
ENCP 2000	Introduction to Engineering Co-op Education	1
ENCP 3000	Professional Issues in Engineering	1
Additional Required Courses
1 semester hour from the following course counts toward the professional development requirement:		1
GE 1501	Cornerstone of Engineering 1 ¹
1 semester hour from the following course 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 3315	Interdisciplinary Advanced Writing in the Disciplines

Integrative Courses

Course List
Code	Title	Hours
This course is already required above and also fulfills the integrative requirement.
HIST 2220	History of Technology

Required General Elective

Course List
Code	Title	Hours
Complete 4 semester hours of academic, nonremedial, nonrepetitive courses.		4

Major GPA Requirement

Minimum 2.000 GPA required in ME courses

Minimum 2.000 GPA required in all HIST courses

Program Requirement

141 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).

Sample Plans of Study

Four Years, One Co-op in Spring/Summer Session A

Year 1
Fall	Hours	Spring	Hours	Summer Session A	Hours	Summer Session B	Hours
CHEM 1151 and CHEM 1153 (ND)	4	GE 1502 (ER)	4	Vacation		Vacation
ENGW 1111 (WF)	4	HIST 1200 and HIST 1201	5
GE 1000	1	MATH 1342 (FQ)	4
GE 1501	4	PHYS 1151 and PHYS 1152 and PHYS 1153 (ND)	5
MATH 1341 (FQ)	4
	17		18		0		0
Year 2
Fall	Hours	Spring	Hours	Summer Session A	Hours	Summer Session B	Hours
ENCP 2000	1	HIST 2301 and HIST 2302	5	Vacation		ME 3475 or 3480	4
MATH 2321 (FQ)	4	MATH 2341	4			Introductory history course	4
ME 2340 and ME 2341 (WI)	5	ME 2355 and ME 2356	5
ME 2350	4	ME 2380 and ME 2381	4
PHYS 1155 and PHYS 1156 and PHYS 1157 (ND)	5
	19		18		0		8
Year 3
Fall	Hours	Spring	Hours	Summer Session A	Hours	Summer Session B	Hours
HIST 2220 (SI, DD)	4	Co-op	0	Co-op	0	MEIE 4701 (EI, CE, WI)	1
ME 3455 and ME 3456	5					Upper Mechanical Elective	4
ME 4505 and ME 4506 (AD)	5					Intermediate history course	4
Pre-1800 history elective	4
	18		0		0		9
Year 4
Fall	Hours	Spring	Hours
ENCP 3000	1	Advanced history course	4
ENGW 3302 or 3315 (WD)	4	General elective	4
MEIE 4702 (EI, CE, WI)	5	Intermediate history course	4
Intermediate history course	4	Upper Mechanical Elective	4
Intermediate history course	4
	18		16
Total Hours: 141

Four Years, One Co-op in Summer Session B/Fall

Year 1
Fall	Hours	Spring	Hours	Summer Session A	Hours	Summer Session B	Hours
CHEM 1151 and CHEM 1153	4	GE 1502	4	Vacation		Vacation
ENGW 1111	4	HIST 1200 and HIST 1201	5
GE 1000	1	MATH 1342	4
GE 1501	4	PHYS 1151 and PHYS 1152 and PHYS 1153	5
MATH 1341	4
	17		18		0		0
Year 2
Fall	Hours	Spring	Hours	Summer Session A	Hours	Summer Session B	Hours
ENCP 2000	1	ENCP 2000	1	ME 3475	4	Co-op	0
ME 2340 and ME 2341	5	MATH 2341	4	Introductory History Course	4
ME 2350	4	ME 2355 and ME 2356	5
MATH 2321 and MATH 2322	4	ME 2380 and ME 2381	4
PHYS 1155 and PHYS 1156 and PHYS 1157	5	HIST 2301 and HIST 2302	5
	19		19		8		0
Year 3
Fall	Hours	Spring	Hours	Summer Session A	Hours	Summer Session B	Hours
Co-op	0	ME 4505 and ME 4506	5	Vacation		Intermediate history Course	4
		ME 3455 and ME 3456	5			Upper Mechanical Elective	4
		HIST 2220	4			MEIE 4701	1
		Pre-1800 History Elective	4
	0		18		0		9
Year 4
Fall	Hours	Spring	Hours
MEIE 4702	5	Advanced History Course	4
ENCP 3000	1	General Elective	4
Intermediate History Course	4	Intermediate History Course	4
Intermediate History Course	4	Upper Mechanical Elective	4
ENGW 3302 or 3315	4
	18		16
Total Hours: 142

Academic Catalog 2026-2027

Mechanical Engineering and History, BSME (Boston)