Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering Program is Established
Starting this fall, students interested in pursuing careers in mechanical engineering will be able to complete a four-year Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering (BSME) degree at Indiana University-Purdue University Columbus (IUPUC).
Students who successfully complete the BSME coursework will earn a Purdue University degree, reports IUPUC’s Vice Chancellor & Dean Marwan Wafa. Currently, the nearest mechanical engineering program for students who live in south central Indiana is located at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI).
The new program will be fully developed in collaboration with IUPUI faculty and staff over the next two years. The initiative reflects a long-standing educational partnership between IUPUC and IUPUI, Purdue University, and the Community Education Coalition (CEC) in Columbus, Dr. Wafa notes.
“Providing educational solutions aligned with the needs of students and business enterprises throughout south central Indiana is a core part of our mission,” explains Wafa. “The need for a mechanical engineering program at IUPUC has been documented by the CEC and our own dialog with key civic leaders and corporate executives. Educating our regional workforce, especially in those professions needed for advanced manufacturing, is critical for continued economic development and growth in this part of the state.”
About 40 percent of IUPUC students are working adults with family and other responsibilities, making it a challenge for many of them to commute to Indianapolis and back for classes. “We believe a BSME program in Columbus has great potential for both traditional and nontraditional students who seek conveniently located classes in their home community,” he adds.
According to Dr. Georgia B. Miller, executive director of IUPUC’s Center for Business & Economic Development, “All but one of the non-engineering required courses are already being offered at IUPUC, as are the freshman-level engineering courses. New courses for the BSME major focusing on technical electives, engineering design, thermal-fluid sciences, and engineering systems, measurements, and controls during the junior and senior years will be added over the next three years.”
IUPUC plans to hire one full-time mechanical engineering faculty member each fall, starting this year, through 2013, Miller says.
Adjunct faculty will supplement instructional needs. “Because of the proximity of Cummins, Inc. and other key employers in the area, Columbus has many well-qualified, experienced engineers with PhDs who live and work in the community. We expect these individuals will integrate their valuable real-world insight, experience, and problem-solving skills into the courses they teach, which will be of great benefit to the students who enroll in the program,” she adds.
Currently, 30 IUPUC students have declared themselves engineering majors. Although most of them would have had to complete their degree program in Indianapolis, enrollment data indicate only about two IUPUC students per year actually transferred to IUPUI over the past six years to complete their degrees.
Miller expects first BSME cohort will be comprised of many of these students. IUPUC will also collaborate with advanced manufacturing enterprises in the region and engage in other outreach activities to identify, recruit, and enroll students. The university will provide BSME “boot camps” in mathematics and other areas if and as needed for students who want to pursue mechanical engineering careers.
“Our region employs a large concentration of engineers, but there is a lack of four-year engineering programs in the area. For Cummins to continue to grow in southern Indiana, we need to hire well-qualified employees and our workers need to be able to further their educations locally. We are excited that this engineering program will be offered and look forward to hiring our first IUPUC engineering graduate,” says Mark Gerstle, vice president and chief administrative officer at Cummins, Inc.