College of Engineering

Courses

Mechanical and Industrial Engineering

The Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering offers distinct undergraduate and graduate degrees and research programs in industrial engineering and in mechanical engineering.

Industrial Engineering

Industrial engineers have many opportunities for employment and service in industrial, government, research, and public service organizations. Employment opportunities are among the most varied in the engineering field. Industrial engineers hold positions as advisors to management or may participate directly in management decisions. Representative job titles include industrial engineer, manufacturing engineer, systems analyst, quality specialist, operations research analyst, internal consultant, human factors specialist, supervisor, and manager. Industrial engineers are employed by manufacturing firms, government agencies, and service organizations such as airlines, banks, hospitals, and consulting companies.

Mechanical Engineering

Thermal-fluid phenomena occur in many engineering systems and devices, such as aircraft; automobiles; off-road vehicles; ships; gas turbines; heat exchangers; material processes; heating, ventilating, air-conditioning, and refrigerating systems; hydraulic turbines; airbag inflators; fuel cells; biofuel processes; environmental control devices; and biomedical systems. Mechanical systems and machines are the foundations of human technology. Examples are found in manufacturing equipment, medical equipment, automobiles, tractors, aircraft, ships, home appliances, packaging machinery, and robots.

Mechanical engineers find a wide variety of career opportunities in industry, government, and education. Mechanical engineers form an integral part of most industries, including aerospace firms, energy companies, automobile manufacturers, health care providers, food- and metal-processing industries, petroleum refineries, electronic and computer manufacturers, heavy construction and agricultural vehicle manufacturers, thermal comfort equipment firms, farm equipment firms, and consulting companies.

Undergraduate Programs

Industrial Engineering

have a strong foundation of mathematical, scientific, and technical knowledge and are equipped with skills in problem solving, teamwork, and communication that will serve them throughout their careers;

are able to pursue successful careers as practicing industrial engineers in manufacturing industries, medical institutions, and engineering consulting firms;

are able to successfully pursue advanced studies in industrial engineering; in other engineering disciplines; or in diverse nontechnical fields such as medicine, law, or business; and

are able to assume professional leadership roles.

Mechanical Engineering

have a strong foundation of knowledge in mathematics, science, and mechanical engineering and are equipped with skills in problem solving, design, teamwork, and communication that will serve them throughout their careers;

are able to pursue successful careers as practicing mechanical engineers in manufacturing industries, energy and utility companies, and engineering consulting firms;

are able to successfully pursue advanced studies in mechanical engineering; in related technical areas such as physics, applied mathematics, and other engineering disciplines; and in other professional fields; and

are able to assume professional leadership roles.

B.S.E. in Industrial Engineering

The B.S.E. in industrial engineering requires a minimum of 128 s.h. The curriculum covers four major stems: mathematics and basic sciences, engineering topics, elective focus area, and general education (15 s.h. of humanities and social science courses). All students take 059:005-059:006 Engineering Problem Solving I-II and 010:003 Accelerated Rhetoric. General education component courses must be selected to satisfy the requirements of the College of Engineering. See "Curriculum Stems" and "General Education Component" under "Bachelor of Science in Engineering" in the College of Engineering section of the Catalog.

Elective focus area courses must be selected according to guidelines established by the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering. See "Elective Focus Area" after the following curriculum list.

Some courses in the curriculum are prerequisites to others. Students who take courses in the order below satisfy the prerequisite requirements automatically. Students who do not follow this sequence still must satisfy all course prerequisites.

FIRST YEAR

First Semester

Second Semester

SECOND YEAR

First Semester

Second Semester

THIRD YEAR

First Semester

Second Semester

FOURTH YEAR

First Semester

Second Semester

Elective Focus Area

Combined B.S.E./M.S. in Industrial Engineering

To be admitted to the program, students must have completed at least 80 s.h., must have a cumulative g.p.a. of at least 3.25, and must submit a letter of application to the chair of the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering.

Some students in undergraduate majors other than industrial engineering may be admitted to the combined program; they must meet the same admission requirements as industrial engineering majors. In some cases, they may be required to take additional course work to meet the prerequisite requirements for upper-level courses.

B.S.E. in Mechanical Engineering

The B.S.E. in mechanical engineering requires a minimum of 128 s.h. The curriculum covers four major stems: mathematics and basic sciences, engineering topics, elective focus area, and general education (15 s.h. of humanities and social science courses). All students take 059:005-059:006 Engineering Problem Solving I-II and 010:003 Accelerated Rhetoric. General education component courses must be selected to satisfy the requirements of the College of Engineering. See "Curriculum Stems" and "General Education Component" under "Bachelor of Science in Engineering" in the College of Engineering section of the Catalog.

Elective focus area courses must be selected according to guidelines established by the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering. See "Elective Focus Area" after the following curriculum list.

Upper-level students work on team projects in a senior capstone design course, 058:086 Mechanical Engineering Design Project. Participation in established research projects may be arranged.

Some courses in the curriculum are prerequisites to others. Students who take courses in the order below satisfy the prerequisite requirements automatically. Students who do not follow this sequence still must satisfy all course prerequisites.

FIRST YEAR

First Semester

Second Semester

SECOND YEAR

First Semester

Second Semester

THIRD YEAR

First Semester

Second Semester

FOURTH YEAR

First Semester

Second Semester

Elective Focus Area

Combined B.S.E./M.S. in Mechanical Engineering

To be admitted to the program, students must have completed at least 80 s.h., must have a cumulative g.p.a. of at least 3.25, and must submit a letter of application to the chair of the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering.

Graduate Programs

Research and Study in Industrial Engineering

The program offers six principal academic focus areas: design and manufacturing, human factors engineering and ergonomics, engineering management, reliability and production systems, operations research and applied statistics, and information systems. Graduate students participate in research in their academic concentration areas.

MANUFACTURING

HUMAN FACTORS AND ERGONOMICS

Human factors and ergonomics studies concentrate on designing systems compatible with human capabilities and limitations. Human factors engineering integrates components from the fields of psychology, cognitive sciences, physiology, statistics, and technical sciences to address issues of human-interface design and human-systems design. Specific considerations include human cognitive abilities and limitations, visual performance, error reduction, workload assessment and mitigation, design of jobs in the industrial environment, information acquisition and processing, choice of action, operator performance measurement, and economic concerns. This area is covered by courses in the 40 series.

ENGINEERING MANAGEMENT

QUALITY CONTROL AND PRODUCTION SYSTEMS

OPERATIONS RESEARCH AND APPLIED STATISTICS

INFORMATION SYSTEMS

Research and Study in Mechanical Engineering

Students may develop programs emphasizing fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, heat transfer, fatigue and fracture mechanics, and mechanical systems. Some may pursue more general programs that combine emphases. Others may specialize in interdisciplinary areas (e.g., energy engineering, materials engineering, automatic control, chemical processes), which involve a combination of departmental courses and appropriate electives from other departments of the College of Engineering and the University. Ph.D. programs may center on any one of these areas through choice of appropriate course work and research topic.

For more information, see the Mechanical Engineering Graduate Student Handbook, available from the department.

The mechanical engineering program offers the following research and study areas.

FLUID MECHANICS

Although most of the relevant courses are offered by the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, students are strongly encouraged to take applied mathematics and classical mechanics courses offered by the Departments of Mathematics and Physics and Astronomy in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and by other College of Engineering departments.

Current research projects include computational modeling of viscous and turbulent flows; vortex dynamics; unsteady flows; pulmonary flow; flow separation and control; atmospheric flows; environmental flows; ship hydrodynamics; thin liquid films; viscous flow around ships; propulsor flow and propulsor-body interactions; free-surface effects; nonlinear wave theory; hydraulic turbines; quantitative flow visualization and image processing; computational fluid dynamics; LDV and thermal anemometry for flow analysis; and uncertainty analysis.

THERMAL SCIENCES

Most courses relevant to the specialization areas are offered by the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering. Students are encouraged to supplement these with courses from other areas, such as mathematics and physics, and courses offered by other College of Engineering departments in order to balance their programs.

Current research projects include analytical, numerical, and experimental investigations of convective heat transfer; turbulent flames; combustion of biomaterials; alternative and renewable fuels; natural convection; spray atomization and combustion; microgravity diffusion flames; transport modeling of fuel cells; transport phenomena in materials processing, melting, and solidification; optimal control of thermal systems; and flow visualization of complex convection processes.

MECHANICAL SYSTEMS

Although most courses relevant to the specialization areas are offered by the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, students are encouraged to consider appropriate courses from other areas, such as mathematics, statistics, physics, and other College of Engineering departments.

Current research projects include design sensitivity analysis of rigid and flexible mechanical systems; computer-aided design; mechanism and manipulator workspace analysis; real-time dynamic simulation; vehicle system dynamics; finite element and meshfree methods for nonlinear mechanics, tissue mechanics, multiphysics, and multiple-scale problems; stochastic meshfree and finite element methods; design sensitivity analysis of nonlinear structural systems; reliability-based design optimization; shape optimal design of elastoplastic materials; optimal design of metal stamping process; multibody dynamics; probabilistic and elastic-plastic fracture mechanics; damage-tolerant design; and fatigue behavior and life prediction under constant and variable amplitude loading.

M.S. in Industrial Engineering

Students who intend to pursue a Ph.D. should select the thesis option; those who hold research or teaching assistantships may be required to select the thesis option.

M.S. students must earn a minimum of 9 s.h. in 200-level industrial engineering courses. They must complete at least one 100- or 200-level course from each of three focus areas: human factors, operations research, and reliability and systems design. Thesis students who plan to pursue a Ph.D. may choose to take two 200-level courses in each of the three focus areas in order to complete their Ph.D. breadth requirement before entering the doctoral program. Students select other courses in consultation with their advisors; choices are documented in the student's plan of study.

All graduate students must register for 056:191 Graduate Seminar: Industrial Engineering (1 s.h.) each semester of enrollment. They may not substitute seminar credit for regular course work or research credit.

M.S. students must maintain a g.p.a. of at least 3.00 on all graduate work at The University of Iowa and must pass a final comprehensive examination as specified by their examining committees.

Entering students must have strong verbal and written skills in English and a background in computer programming (e.g., C++, C, VB), probability, statistics, and mathematics equivalent to that required by accredited undergraduate engineering programs. Students with insufficient academic background must remedy deficiencies by taking appropriate courses beyond those normally required for the study plan.

Entering students are advised by the department chair or by a designated faculty advisor. The department chair or the graduate program coordinator assigns an advisor to each student during his or her first regular semester in residence.

During that semester, the student and the advisor prepare a study plan, which they submit to the department chair for approval. Once the plan is approved, it is filed with the student's record. It is the student's responsibility to assure that the study plan is submitted to the department chair.

M.S. students must pass a final comprehensive examination, as specified by their examination committees. Examination committees consist of at least three Graduate College faculty members and must be approved by the department chair.

The comprehensive examination may consist of both oral and written parts. Its purpose is to assess the adequacy of the student's defense of thesis and/or course preparation. The final study plan, approved by the Graduate College dean, is prerequisite to the exam. The student should consult with his or her advisor on the composition of the advisory/examination committee and the time and place for the exam.

It is the student's responsibility to submit a degree application to the Graduate College by the college's deadline.

For more detailed information about M.S. program requirements, including a list of focus area courses, see the Industrial Engineering Graduate Handbook or link to industrial engineering graduate programs on the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering web site.

M.S. Concentration in Wind Power Management

WIND POWER MANAGEMENT RECOMMENDED COURSES

WIND POWER MANAGEMENT ELECTIVES

Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering

A maximum of 36 s.h. earned toward the M.S. may be counted toward the 72 s.h. required for the Ph.D. Students must spend at least two semesters in residence at The University of Iowa. They also must maintain a g.p.a. of at least 3.25 on all graduate work done at the University.

The degree requires broad academic background with considerable depth in at least one area of specialization that clearly demonstrates the student's capability to do high-level research. Ph.D. students must complete a series of written and oral examinations and a written dissertation based upon the results of an original investigation.

Students without a Master of Science in industrial engineering or a closely allied area must satisfy all requirements for the M.S. in industrial engineering before they may be admitted to the Ph.D. program.

Entering students are advised by the department chair or by a designated faculty advisor. During the student's first regular semester in residence, an advisor is assigned by the department chair or the graduate program coordinator. Students are expected to identify an industrial engineering family member willing to serve as their advisor by the end of their first regular semester in the program.

Once the student is assigned an advisor, he or she works with the advisor to prepare a study plan, which is submitted to the department chair for approval. Once the plan is approved by the department chair, it is filed with the student's record. At the beginning of each academic year, the industrial engineering faculty reviews the study plan and gives the student feedback regarding progress toward his or her degree objective. It is the student's responsibility to assure that the study plan is submitted to the program chair.

Admission to degree candidacy requires a g.p.a. of at least 3.25 on all graduate work taken at The University of Iowa, demonstration of capacity for individual research achievement (typically a dissertation research proposal), and successful completion of the comprehensive examination given by the examining committee.

The comprehensive examination is scheduled with approval of the student's advisor and the industrial engineering program coordinator or the graduate coordinator once the student's study plan is essentially completed. The examining committee determines the composition of the exam, including written and oral parts, and determines whether the student is ready to begin dissertation research.

For more detailed information about Ph.D. program requirements, see the Industrial Engineering Graduate Handbook or link to industrial engineering graduate programs on the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering web site.

All Ph.D. students must satisfy the following requirements.

Graduate students must register for 056:191 Graduate Seminar: Industrial Engineering (1 s.h.) each semester of enrollment. They may not substitute seminar credit for regular course work or research credit.

INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING BREADTH REQUIREMENT

QUALIFYING EXAM

FOCUS AREA STUDY

COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION

FINAL EXAMINATION (THESIS DEFENSE)

Ph.D. Concentration in Wind Power Management

Health Informatics Certificate

The certificate may be earned in conjunction with the M.S. or Ph.D., or as postgraduate study. Completion of the Certificate in Health Informatics is noted on the student's transcript.

M.S. in Mechanical Engineering

All M.S. students must register for 058:191 Graduate Seminar: Mechanical Engineering each semester.

To earn the M.S., the student must maintain a g.p.a. of at least 3.00 on graduate work used to satisfy the degree requirements and must be successful in the final examination. This examination is administered by the student's committee, which consists of at least three faculty members, including at least one with primary appointment in the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering.

The requirements for the M.S. may be completed within one calendar year. However, students with assistantship duties or other constraints may take up to two calendar years to complete the degree.

Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering

Each student takes the comprehensive examination after passing the qualifying examination and when the course work specified in the study plan is nearly completed; in any case, the comprehensive examination should be taken no later than 28 months after the first registration in the Ph.D. program. To be admitted to the comprehensive examination, a student must be in good academic standing and must be recommended by his or her advisor. The exam is administered by the student's committee. Admission to Ph.D. candidacy is recognized upon successful completion of the comprehensive examination.

Having satisfactorily completed the exam, the student usually has only to complete and defend the dissertation at the final examination.

Requirements for the Ph.D. usually can be completed in three to four years beyond the M.S.

Admission

Industrial Engineering

M.S. applicants may be admitted from an ABET, Inc.-accredited baccalaureate curriculum in any engineering discipline, or in the mathematical sciences, the physical sciences, or the computer sciences with a g.p.a. of at least 3.00 and an acceptable score on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test. Applicants from institutions outside the United States must meet equivalent conditions for regular admission. Students with lesser qualifications may be considered for conditional admission.

Students from business or social science programs who have mathematical preparation similar to that of engineering students are considered for regular or conditional admission. Students on conditional status must achieve regular status within two sessions of their first registration by attaining an acceptable grade-point average and gaining regular acceptance by the industrial engineering program faculty; otherwise, they are dismissed. Admissions may be limited by available resources.

Ph.D. applicants may be admitted from an ABET, Inc.-accredited baccalaureate curriculum or a postbaccalaureate curriculum in any engineering discipline or in the mathematical sciences, computer science, or physical sciences with a g.p.a. of at least 3.25 and an acceptable GRE General Test score. Applicants from outside the United States must meet equivalent standards for regular admission as determined by The University of Iowa. Students also may be admitted from business or social science programs as determined individually.

Applicants who intend to pursue a Ph.D. and who have a B.S. or an M.S. without thesis usually are admitted first to the M.S. program. All admissions to the Ph.D. program are reviewed by the graduate studies committee.

Mechanical Engineering

Applicants with a lower grade-point average and/or GRE or TOEFL test scores may be considered for conditional admission, under exceptional circumstances. Applicants admitted conditionally must achieve regular standing within one semester (excluding summer sessions) after admission by attaining a g.p.a. of at least 3.00 on their first 9 s.h. at The University of Iowa. The Graduate College cancels registration for the subsequent semester for students who have not submitted their GRE and/or TOEFL scores by the end of the first semester after admission.

Financial Support

Industrial Engineering

Mechanical Engineering

M.S. students with assistantship appointments of one-quarter-time or more are required to register for a minimum of 9 s.h. during fall and spring semesters until they have completed 30 s.h. of course and research work beyond the baccalaureate degree. Ph.D. students with assistantship appointments of one-quarter-time or more must register for a minimum of 9 s.h. during fall and spring semesters until they have completed 72 s.h. of course and research work beyond the baccalaureate degree. Once they meet these minimums, graduate students must register for a graduate seminar each semester until they have successfully completed their final examination or thesis defense. All registrations should accurately reflect the amount and type of work undertaken, the use of University facilities, and the amount of consultation with the faculty.

Facilities and Laboratories

Industrial Engineering: Undergraduate and Graduate Facilities

ACTIVE LEARNING FACILITY

ADVANCED SYSTEM LABORATORY

COGNITIVE SYSTEMS LABORATORY

GROK LABORATORY

OPERATOR PERFORMANCE LABORATORY

E-COMMERCE LABORATORY

Activities at the E-Commerce Laboratory include working with companies to improve their use of the Internet; providing assistance in advanced uses of the World Wide Web; providing seminars and workshops to improve Internet education; and carrying out research in key Internet technologies.

Research is under way in a number of key areas, including videoconferencing using the Internet; rapid product development through Internet links with suppliers and customers; virtual reality over the Internet; use of remote databases to access corporate data; use of the Internet to support team-based activities; security of Internet-based activities; and CAD file viewing and manipulation through the World Wide Web.

COMPUTER NUMERICAL CONTROL MACHINING LABORATORY

INTELLIGENT SYSTEMS LABORATORY

The Intelligent Systems Laboratory is furnished with the latest computer technology to support research on numerous computing platforms. Diverse software is available for modeling, design, and construction of intelligent systems--for example, data mining software, neural networks, expert systems, and simulation software.

Mechanical Engineering: Undergraduate Instruction

ENGINEERING CORE

For information about laboratories affiliated with core courses coordinated by other College of Engineering departments, see the departments' Catalog sections.

REQUIRED AND ELECTIVE COURSE LABORATORIES

The laboratory for mechanical engineering design projects provides for either team or individual project activities in mechanical engineering design, construction of mechanisms, and testing.

The thermal and heat transfer laboratory is equipped with data acquisition systems to process data online on computers. Experiments in heat transfer measurements are made in this laboratory.

Mechanical Engineering: Graduate Facilities

FLUID MECHANICS

Facilities available in the department include a flow visualization and imaging system with CCD (charge-coupled devices) camera, and a low-speed wind tunnel. IIHR and College of Engineering shops provide the necessary support. In addition to using in-house workstations and computers, the department's faculty members and students make extensive use of supercomputers at national centers.

THERMAL SCIENCES

MECHANICAL SYSTEMS

Computer-based simulation research activities in the mechanical systems area are carried out mainly in the Center for Computer-Aided Design (CCAD). CCAD maintains a variety of high-performance computer systems in support of its technology research and development efforts. General computing services are supported by a number of UNIX and Windows applications servers connected to centralized file servers. CAD/CAE, software development, virtual prototyping, and virtual environment development applications are hosted on numerous high-performance workstations. Standard desktop, multimedia, and office productivity applications are hosted on a network of more than 40 workstations.

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