Frequently Asked Questions:

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When is ENGR 400 Ethics offered?

ENGR 400 is now taught ONLY during the spring semester. If you need ENGR 400 in order to graduate, you must take it in the spring preceding your planned graduation date.

Which Computer Programming Course should I take?

You must take CSCE 150E taught with language Matlab or Fortran.   The designation "150E" stands for "engineer."  If you take a course with any other designation (such as 150A, 150G, 150M) it will be taught with another programming language and will not satisfy the computer programming requirement of the Mechanical Engineering program.

Can I take a MECH course Pass/Not Pass?

No. Except for ENGR 010, 202 and 400, every required course you take in the MECH curriculum must be taken for a letter grade. The technical, senior, and design electives must also be taken for a letter grade. Students in engineering may take up to 12 credits of humanities and social science electives (also known as ACE electives) under the grading option Pass/No Pass. These are General College Policies outlined in the Undergraduate Bulletin.

What are the Design and Technical Electives?

Design and Technical electives must be chosen from a list of approved 400-level Mechanical Engineering courses.  A complete list is available from the Mechanical Engineering office or from your adviser.  Design electives include MECH 406, MECH 407, MECH 408, METL 466, METL 468, MECH 442, MECH 450, MECH 455, and MECH 457. 

What is the Senior Elective?

The Senior Elective may be an additional design or technical elective, or with prior adviser approval, may be chosen from a list of approved science, engineering or math courses.  Consult your adviser.

How do I get credit for the math classes I skipped because of the UNL Math Placement Exam?

If you take MATH 107 as your first math class at UNL and earn a C or better, you will be given five credits for MATH 106 at no cost. The credit will be added to your transcript upon filing the appropriate paperwork with the Department of Mathematics & Statistics, 203 Avery Hall.

Should you take MATH 208 as your first math class at UNL and earn a C or better, you will receive 10 credits for MATH 106 and 107 at no cost. The credit will be added to your transcript upon filing the appropriate paperwork with the Department of Mathematics & Statistics, 203 Avery Hall.

What are the requirements for graduation with distinction, high distinction, and highest distinction?

The requirements for graduation with distinction and high distinction are currently based on GPA, with the GPA requirements set on a year-by-year basis by a College of Engineering committee. There are no forms to fill out -- the department committee representative will see that you receive appropriate credit. Dr. Wieslaw Szydlowski chairs the Scholarship and Honors Committee in the Mechanical Engineering Department.

The requirements for graduation with highest distinction are set by the department. A mechanical engineering student will be eligible for graduation with highest distinction when he or she meets the following conditions:

1. The student must be eligible for Graduate with High Distinction and
2. One of the following conditions is met:
• The student achieves a grade point average of 4.0, or
• The student writes an honors thesis deemed to be of such a quality to merit Highest Distinction by the Department of Mechanical Engineering representative to the College of Engineering and Technology's Graduate with Distinction Committee and a committee of at least two other Mechanical Engineering faculty members the representative selects for this purpose, or
• The student demonstrates that Highest Distinction is warranted by voluntarily donating time to charitable or UNL causes and by serving as an officer in a major student organization, or
• The student serves as an officer in at least two major student organizations.

If you wish to graduate with highest distinction, please contact the chairman of the Scholarship and Honors Committee in the Mechanical Engineering Department so we can confirm your eligibility and forward the information to the College of Engineering committee.

Can I substitute three credits of English Composition for JGEN 200 or 300?

No, you must take six credits of English composition as a substitute for JGEN 200 or 300.

Where can I find out what courses taken elsewhere will transfer to UNL?

For nearby colleges, UNL maintains a web site listing course equivalencies. See http://admissions.unl.edu/tequiv/
If you are a transfer student, when you apply to UNL the Admissions Office will make a complete determination of which of your courses will transfer, as part of the admissions process.

Are scholarships awarded by the Mechanical Engineering Department?

Yes, there are a limited number of scholarships awarded within the M.E. Department; however, most are for currently enrolled junior or senior students. Contact the chair of the Scholarship and Honors Committee (Dr. Wieslaw Szydlowski ) or the Department Office for more information.

What college grade point average (GPA) is needed for transfer into UNL?

For admittance to the UNL College of Engineering from a Nebraska college, the required GPA is 2.5/4.0. For admittance to the UNL College of Engineering from a college outside of Nebraska, the required GPA is 3.0/4.0.

Which Mechanical Engineering courses have additional fees attached to them, and how much are these fees?

As of June 2009, there are additional fees attached to 20 required courses in the Mechanical Engineering Program of these, 14 are engineering courses and six are in other areas (math, chemistry, and physics). The fees assessed for these 20 courses totals $420 (an average of $21 per fee-carrying course).