Adding Flexibility and Hands-On Experiences while Minimizing Sequential Gaps in the ME Curriculum

The Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering at the University of Denver recently undertook a strategic planning process to identify critical changes to the program needed to address how the modern BSME degree is applied or will be utilized in the future. Three initiatives were implemented as a result of this process: (1) increase the number of hands-on experiences to differentiate from online curricula, (2) add flexibility in general and in technical electives to allow students to tailor their educational experiences to their long term goals, and (3) minimize gaps between courses intended to build on each other. Hands-on experiences now exist in all but one quarter of our four-year curriculum. The experiences incorporate open ended design problems as well as thoughtfully constructed laboratory experiences. Flexibility has been added by allowing students to select three to four courses from pre-approved math and science courses, by opening up the timing of these courses as well as general educational requirements within the four year curriculum, by doubling the number of mechanical engineering technical electives available, and by allowing students to take technical electives from any of our three engineering programs (Mechanical, Electrical, and Computer Engineering). Moreover in collaboration with the University of Denver’s Law School, our students can now satisfy a technical elective requirement by taking the Law School’s Introduction to Intellectual Property course. Finally the faculty worked to identify all follow-on courses and rearranged the curriculum to minimize the gaps between one class to the next.