Undergraduate Program

Declaring your major is the process of applying for formal acceptance into an academic program. Your eligibility is based on your anticipated completion of ME 120, 121, 123, and 226. Most students declare as sophomores, but some juniors may still need to do so. You are also able to declare a second major or add a minor as late as your senior year.

Important note: Students who are double majoring will submit two major declarations, one to each individual department. If UR Student lists you as an "intended" ME major, you must declare and be accepted into ME before declaring the second major.

Major Declaration Process

You can declare you major using the online Major/Minor Declaration Form. The form asks you to list all the courses you will use to complete the ME major. Once submitted, the form is sent to the undergraduate coordinator for review. If there are errors in your coursework, you will get an email notification and link to edit your submission.

Students almost never submit a correct declaration form on the first, second, or even third try. To avoid this, you're required to attend a Major Declaration Workshop. Your form will not be reviewed if you have not attended a workshop.

Step One: Sign Up for Major Declaration Workshop

These workshops will be announced in the spring semester, likely in early March. During these workshops, the undergraduate coordinator will go through the declaration form step-by-step while you follow along on your own laptop. By the end of the workshop, you will have submitted your first (and hopefully only) declaration form. If you don't have a laptop, please email the undergraduate coordinator at me-ugrad-coordinator@lists.rochester.edu so arrangements can be made.

To prepare for the workshop, please review what courses you'll take to fulfill the following major requirements.

Step Two: Revision Process and Final Review

Please submit a major declaration form by the designated deadline, which is typically in April. Without a form on file, you may lose financial aid and housing eligibility for the next school year.

Once your grades are reported and your major declaration form is approved, the department will vote to formally accept you into the major based on your combined performance in ME 120, 121, 123, and 226.

Any student with a combined 2.0 GPA or lower will be automatically denied, those with a 2.5 GPA or lower will be reviewed within the context of their other coursework. You will be notified of the decision this summer.

An Add/Drop form is used to manually add or remove courses to your schedule because you cannot do so via UR Student. Common reasons to use an Add/Drop Form include:

• Enroll in a graduate-level class as an undergraduate (instructor signature required)
• Register for a course above capacity (instructor signature required, plus their acknowledgment of the capacity)
• Register for two courses that overlap (both instructors' signatures needed on a Time Conflict Resolution Form)
• Enroll in a course after the add deadline (instructor signature required)
• Withdraw from a course after the drop deadline

The add/drop deadlines can be found on the College’s academic calendar.

Completing the Add/Drop Form

Please use the following steps when submitting an Add/Drop Form:

1. Access the online Add/Drop Form and make sure to complete all fields. If you're taking an overload (19 credits or more) or underload (14 credits or less), you must also fill out the fields asking for your GPA and load request. Note that an add/drop for overloading must be submitted upon completion of the online Course Overload Petition form.
2. Get any applicable signatures or acknowledgments
3. Send the Add/Drop Form and all accompanying paperwork to the undergraduate coordinator at me-ugrad-coordinator@lists.rochester.edu, once approved, the coodinator will send the materials to the Records Office and copy you

Approval from the department’s undergraduate coordinator is required on all Add/Drop Forms. Incorrect forms are not corrected, instead they are sent back to be corrected by the student.

The standard processing times for Add/Drop Forms is currently seven to fourteen business days. If you're adding a course, please reach out to the instructor to get a Zoom link and request access to BlackBoard. If your instructor is unsure how to add a student to BlackBoard, let them know that they can use University IT’s learning management system guide.

Welcome to the University of Rochester Department of Mechanical Engineering! We are so excited for you to join us. The following information will help you successfully navigate the transfer process and acclimate to a new campus.

The New Student Checklist

The Orientation Office has a checklist for transfer students to help guide you through the transfer process. Some of the topics covered include:

• Activating your UR student account(s)
• Requesting immigration documents
• Housing and dining contracts
• Academic advising and registration
• Transcripts, course evaluation, and the Writing Placement Exam
• Health insurance and University Health Services
• Tuition payments and the Office of Financial Aid

Meeting with Departmental Advisors & Registering for Courses

Registration for incoming transfer students will occur on August 10 at 9 a.m. EST. Before then, you should plan to have completed the Academic Interest Form and Course Planning Form available on MyROC. You will also need to meet with your advisors and complete any paperwork needed to transfer credits.

You will have three different advisors available to help you though this process.

Transferring Credits via the Course Approval Form

When you transfer to the University of Rochester, the Registrar will provide you with a Transfer Evaluation Report. This report details what courses are eligible to transfer and if any additional paperwork is required. Most STEM courses need to be evaluated by the offering department. To get started:

1. Access the Course Approval Form and read the second page thoroughly
2. Complete the top part of the form and list your courses by subject
3. Send the form along with syllabi or course descriptions to the Authorized Approver in that department
4. Once you get approval via digital signature for all your courses, send the form to the Registrar

Tip: Block courses by subject and send the form to one department at a time. Each approved course requires a digital signature, so going department-by-department means you won’t have multiple forms to keep track of.

Getting Involved with Clubs and Extracurricular

One of the most important things you can do to get acquainted with campus is to join a club! The Department of Mechanical Engineering manages a few clubs that are perfect for those interested in engineering:

UR Baja SAE: A student-run, non-profit organization which designs, fabricates, tests, and competes with a single-seater off-road vehicles.

American Society for Engineers: A non-profit group committed to supporting and developing engineering students through professional development programming and social events.

There are also over 250+ other clubs at the University ranging from knitting to alpine skiing. Many students are also involved in club or varsity sports or fraternities and sororities! Browse clubs and other student organizations using the College Campus Connection (CCC) website.

The University has instructional cards and videos for most functions in UR Student.

Please consult the mechanical engineering undergraduate program page to better understand the program requirements.

Mechanical engineering courses are designed to be non-conflicting if taken in the recommended order. Once a student has a core schedule of mechanical engineering coursework selected, they may add electives in. Electives like the NSDR, Technical, and cluster/plus one can be shuffled to different semesters to avoid time conflicts.

All mechanical engineering students are required to complete a Departmental Registration Form, get it signed by their faculty advisor, and submit it to the undergraduate coordinator. Some students may also need to settle holds with the Bursar or complete outstanding onboarding tasks in UR Student.

Full-time status starts at 12 credits. A student taking less than 12 credits will be considered part-time and will not receive financial aid or quality for some campus services.

No more than three courses in a major or two courses in a minor can be used toward a separate major or minor. This means that no two majors can overlap by more than three courses, no major and minor can overlap by more than two courses, and no two minors can overlap by more than two courses. Prerequisite courses required for the major are not subject to this restriction.

More information can be found in the advising handbook.

If you want to do a double major or add a minor, begin by reviewing the additional program’s requirements.

Prepare a schedule that combines mechanical engineering coursework with the second program, paying close attention to credit hours and potential for overlaps. Schedule a meeting with a mechanical engineering advisor to review the schedule you have created. In general, mechanical engineering students cannot complete a double major without extensive AP/IB credit or summer semesters.

Visit the Cluster Search Engine and search by social sciences or humanities. Let your interests guide you and pick a cluster with one or two courses that you would enjoy taking.

You can visit the Greene Career Center to learn more about professional advancement opportunities.

Explore the mechanical engineering faculty page to see what type of research is occurring in the department. Narrow your interests down to one or two professors, then take the time to read one of their research articles. Prepare a few questions and either send the professor an email, or drop by their office.

An audit is defined as “an official inspection of an individual's accounts.” In the context of your academics, a degree audit is used to measure how close you are to fulfilling the mechanical engineering program requirements and graduating. Your degree audit can be viewed on UR Student under the “Academic Progress” tab.

An overload is any schedule that is 19+ credits and an underload is 14- credits. All overloads and underloads require permission via a Course Overload Petition Form. Students must have a minimum 3.0 GPA to apply to overload. Students are not permitted to take more than 24 credits. Seniors in their spring semester may request to take a 12 credit schedule. Incoming students may not take more than 18 credits their first semester.

Email the instructor directly to request permission. Students should make this email professional and compelling. If an instructor approves, their signature is required on an Add/Drop Form. The add/drop should be accompanied by the instructor’s written recognition of the course capacity.

An Add/Drop Form is used to manually add or remove courses to a schedule because UR Student cannot process the changes. Reasons to use an Add/Drop Form include:

• An undergraduate student enrolling in a graduate-level class (instructor signature required)
• A student attempting to register for a course above capacity (instructor signature required, plus their acknowledgment of the capacity)
• A student attempting to register for two courses that overlap (both instructors' signatures needed on a Time Conflict Resolution form and an add/drop)
• A student who wants to enroll in a course after the add deadline (instructor signature required)
• A student who wanted to withdraw from a course after the drop deadline (no signature required)

1. Access the fillable PDF online and complete all fields. If you're taking an overload (19+) or underload (14-), you must also fill out the fields asking for your GPA and load An add/drop for overloading or underloading must be submitted upon completion of the online Course Overload Petition Form
2. Get any applicable signatures or written acknowledgments
3. Send the Add/Drop Form and all accompanying paperwork to the ME undergraduate coordinator

The standard processing times for Add/Drop Forms is one to two business weeks. If you're adding a course, please reach out to the instructor and request access to BlackBoard. If your instructor is unsure how to add a student to BlackBoard, they can place a request through University IT.

Email the instructor to ask for permission, citing any previous coursework that would help you succeed. Some courses can be taken concurrently, meaning the prerequisites are fulfilled as long as you’re enrolled in both courses. In some cases, courses can be made up in the summer. Some instructors may give you supplemental assignments to better prepare you for the coursework.

Mechanical Engineering students may study abroad their junior spring. To start the process, attend an Information Sessionhosted by the Center for Education Abroadduring the spring semester of your sophomore year. Questions or credit evaluation requests related to study abroad should be directed to John Lambropoulos.

The minimum passing grade for an ME course is a “D,” however a student must maintain a minimum 2.0 GPA in their engineering coursework. Note that the minimum passing grade for basic science sequences is a “C-.”

The weekly time commitment for a four credit course is 12 hours.

If you sent your AP/IB scores to the Admissions Office, your credit will likely be uploaded by the end of your first semester. Conditional credit will be granted upon the completion of the condition. If you’re unsure if your scores were delivered, please contact the Office of Admissions. If your scores were received but have not been processed, please contact the College Center for Advising Services.

The Hajim School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (Hajim) and School of Arts and Sciences (SAS) disciplines typically offer two credit courses. In general, our department recommends EAS 141: Basic Mechanical Fabrication and CASC 104: Design Your Life.

Internal petitions are used to make exceptions to established departmental rules and regulations. Examples include using an equivalent course from another department to fulfill a program requirement or fulfilling the technical elective with a course not on the established list. (Exceptions to the natural science elective will not be considered.)

Petitions are reviewed and voted on by the Undergraduate Committee, which is composed of Mechanical Engineering faculty and the undergraduate coordinator. 

To get the processes started, print out a copy of the petition form and schedule a meeting with your advisor. 

There are three eligible calculus series:

• MATH 141, 142, 143
• MATH 161 and 162
• MATH 171 and 172

We recommend MATH 161 and 162 for most students. Those who feel they would benefit from spreading the coursework across three semesters should consider MATH 14X. MATH 17X is an honors-level calculus series for those who are passionate about math and have extensive calculus experience.

There are three eligible physics sequences:

• PHYS 113 and PHYS 122
• PHYS 121 and PHYS 122
• PHYS 141 and PHYS 142

PHYS 113 is partially calculus-based, while PHYS 121 is predominantly calculus-based. Each prepares students for success in PHYS 122. The Department of Mechanical Engineering recommends most students take PHYS 121 and 122.

PHYS 14X is an honors-level series for those who are passionate about physics and have previous experience. A quick pace and inclusion of advanced concepts make PHYS 14X challenging, even for high-achieving students.

CHEM 137 is specifically for engineering students, whereas CHEM 131 is for natural science students. As such, the examples and applications used in class will vary significantly. Note that these courses are equally challenging.

Center for Advising Services’ (CCAS) Undergraduate Academic Policies and Advising Handbook. For questions regarding exceptions to these policies or for further clarification, schedule a meeting with a CCAS counselor.