Mechatronic Engineering is a new discipline that combines many of the skills of a mechanical engineer with those of a computer engineer and an electrical engineer. The mechatronic engineering graduate is prepared to design "intelligent" products such as "jitter-free" camcorders, active vehicle suspension systems that adjust to road conditions, anti-lock braking systems, and laser printers.
Mechatronic Engineering Program Mission
The mechatronic engineering program has the primary mission of providing students a high-quality undergraduate engineering education with
1. A curriculum that is firmly grounded in engineering fundamentals
2. A faculty that provides superior teaching and mentoring both in and out of the classroom
3. A faculty whose focus is undergraduate education
4. Class sizes that encourage student participation
5. Project experiences that build on fundamentals and develop team skills
6. Facilities and equipment that are readily accessible
7. An environment that is conducive to learning and encourages students from different genders and backgrounds.
The faculty is committed to offering a broad undergraduate experience that will promote professional growth and prepare students for a variety of engineering careers, graduate studies, and continuing education
Mechatronic Engineering Program Educational Objectives
The program's educational objectives are best framed in terms of goals for its graduates. Mechatronic engineering graduates will:
1. Be effective interdisciplinary engineers and problem solvers.
2. Be well educated in the basic engineering sciences and fundamentals of mechanical, electrical, and computer engineering.
3. Be able to use engineering tools that will enhance their productivity.
4. Be able to design, analyze, and test "intelligent" products and processes that incorporate suitable computers, sensors, and actuators.
5. Be effective oral, written, and graphical communicators.
6. Be able to function effectively as members of multi-disciplinary teams.
7. Have an appreciation for the individual, society, and human heritage, and be aware of the impact of their designs on human-kind and the environment.
8. Be prepared for a variety of engineering careers, graduate studies, and continuing education.
Mechatronic Engineering Design Experience
The design experience for mechatronic engineers is integrated throughout the curriculum. The courses which include design experiences are:
EECE 144 - Logic Design Fundamentals
CSCI 221 - Assembly Language ProgrammingNote: The highlighted is different from what appears in the printed catalog. What is displayed is current and correct.
EECE 315 - Electronics I
EECE 344 - Digital Systems Design
EECE 343 - Computer Interface Circuits
MECA 440A- Mechatronic Engineering Design Project I
MECA 440B- Mechatronic Engineering Design Project II
MECH 340 - Mechanical Engineering Design
At the freshman level, logic networks are designed in EECE 144. At the sophomore level, software design experience teaches students to think logically in developing efficient, structured computer programs in CSCI 221 Note: The highlighted is different from what appears in the printed catalog. What is displayed is current and correct. . At the junior level, there is an opportunity to learn about safety, failure, reliability, codes and standards, and economic considerations, while carrying out detailed design of mechanical components in MECH 340, and electrical circuits and systems in EECE 315, EECE 343, and EECE 344. In the final senior project (MECA 440A and MECA 440B), students are expected to exercise what they learned throughout the preceding design courses in a final project that includes assembly and testing, as well as the more global aspects of design including product realization, economic factors, environmental issues, and social impact. Together, these experiences prepare graduates to be successful practitioners with an awareness of the multitude of issues involved.
The Bachelor of Science in Mechatronic Engineering
Total Course Requirements for the Bachelor's Degree: 132 units
See "Requirements for the Bachelor's Degree" in the University Catalog for complete details on general degree requirements. A minimum of 40 units, including those required for the major, must be upper division.
A suggested Major Academic Plan (MAP) has been prepared to help students meet all graduation requirements within four years. Please request a plan from your major advisor or view it and other current advising information at http://em.csuchico.edu/aap/ProgramSearch.
General Education Requirement
Mechatronic Engineering is a major with modifications to the University's General Education Requirements. The following courses, together with the approved General Education courses required for the Mechatronic Engineering major marked with an * below, fulfill the General Education Requirement.
1. Two courses, one selected from each of the Core Areas A1 and A2.
2. One course selected from Breadth Area B2.
3. One course selected from Breadth Area C1 or C2 or C3.
4. One course selected from Breadth Area D1 or D2 or D3.
5. Upper-division theme modification has been approved for this major. See the General Education chapter in the University Catalog for specifics on how to apply this modification or go to http//www.csuchico.edu/mmem.
Diversity Requirement: 6 units
Complete two Diversity courses, one U.S. Diversity and one Global Cultures. (See the "Bachelor's Degree Requirements" section.) Both courses must also satisfy one of the General Education Requirements in order for 132 units to fulfill all requirements for the Mechatronic Engineering degree.
U.S. History, Constitution, and American Ideals Requirement: 6 units
This requirement is normally fulfilled by completing HIST 130 and POLS 155. For other alternatives, see the "Bachelor's Degree Requirements" section.
Course Requirements for the Major: 105 units
Completion of the following courses, or their approved transfer equivalents, are required of all candidates for this degree.
Enrollment in any mathematics course requires a grade of C- or higher in all prerequisite courses or their transfer equivalents.
Lower-Division Requirements: 53 units
17 courses required:
|CHEM||111||General Chemistry||4.0||FS *|
|EECE||135||Algorithms and Programs for Engineers||3.0||FS|
|EECE||144||Logic Design Fundamentals||4.0||FS|
|EECE||211||Linear Circuits I||3.0||FS|
|EECE||211L||Linear Circuits I Activity||1.0||FS|
|CSCI||221||Assembly Language Programming||3.0||FS|
|MATH||120||Analytic Geometry and Calculus||4.0||FS *|
|MATH||121||Analytic Geometry and Calculus||4.0||FS|
|MATH||260||Elementary Differential Equations||4.0||FS|
|MECH||100L||Graphics I Laboratory||1.0||FS|
|MECH||210||Materials Science and Engineering||3.0||FS|
|PHYS||204A||Physics for Students of Science and Engineering: Mechanics||4.0||FS *|
|PHYS||204B||Physics for Students of Science and Engineering: Electricity and Magnetism||4.0||FS|
|PHYS||204C||Physics for Students of Science and Engineering: Heat, Wave Motion, Sound, Light, and Modern Topics||4.0||FS|
Upper-Division Requirements: 52 units
14 courses required:
|CIVL||302||Engineering Economy and Statistics||3.0||FS|
|CIVL||311||Strength of Materials||4.0||FS|
|CIVL||495||Professional Issues in Engineering||3.0||FS|
|EECE||311||Linear Circuits II||4.0||FS|
|EECE||343||Computer Interface Circuits||4.0||FS|
|EECE||344||Digital Systems Design||4.0||FS|
|MECA||380||Measurements and Instrumentation||3.0||SP|
|MECA||482||Control System Design||4.0||FA|
|MECA||486||Motion and Machine Automation||4.0||FA|
|MECA||440A||Mechatronic Engineering Design Project I||3.0||FA WP|
|MECA||440B||Mechatronic Engineering Design Project II||2.0||SP|
|MECH||340||Mechanical Engineering Design||3.0||SP|
1 course selected from:
|EECE||337||Embedded Systems Development||4.0||FA|
All courses taken to fulfill major course requirements must be taken for a letter grade except those courses specified by the department as Credit/No Credit grading only.
Advising is mandatory for all majors in this degree program. Consult your undergraduate advisor for specific information.
Honors in the Major
Honors in the Major is a program of independent work in your major. It requires 6 units of honors course work completed over two semesters.
The Honors in the Major program allows you to work closely with a faculty mentor in your area of interest on an original performance or research project. This year-long collaboration allows you to work in your field at a professional level and culminates in a public presentation of your work. Students sometimes take their projects beyond the University for submission in professional journals, presentation at conferences, or academic competition. Such experience is valuable for graduate school and professional life. Your honors work will be recognized at your graduation, on your permanent transcripts, and on your diploma. It is often accompanied by letters of commendation from your mentor in the department or the department chair.
Some common features of Honors in the Major program are
1. You must take 6 units of Honors in the Major course work. All 6 units are honors classes (marked by a suffix of H), and at least 3 of these units are independent study (399H, 499H, 599H) as specified by your department. You must complete each class with a minimum grade of B.
2. You must have completed 9 units of upper-division course work or 21 overall units in your major before you can be admitted to Honors in the Major. Check the requirements for your major carefully, as there may be specific courses that must be included in these units.
3. Your cumulative GPA should be at least 3.5 or within the top 5% of majors in your department.
4. Your GPA in your major should be at least 3.5 or within the top 5% of majors in your department.
5. Most students apply for or are invited to participate in Honors in the Major during the second semester of their junior year. Then they complete the 6 units of course work over the two semesters of their senior year.
6. Your honors work culminates with a public presentation of your honors project.
While Honors in the Major is part of the Honors Program, each department administers its own program. Please contact your major department or major advisor to apply.