About the Program
Bachelor of Science (BS)
Mechanical engineers serve society by solving problems in transportation, energy, the environment, and human health. The activity of mechanical engineers extends from the investigation of physical phenomena governing the behavior of our surroundings to the manufacture and evaluation of products. The mechanical engineering profession encompasses numerous technical areas, including acoustics, automatic control, bioengineering, combustion, cryogenics, design, dynamics, energy conversion, engines, environment, heat transfer, lubrication, mass transfer, manufacturing and sustainability, materials processing, mechanics of solids and fluids, mechanisms, plasma dynamics, propulsion, thermodynamics, vibration, and wave propagation.
The undergraduate program in mechanical engineering seeks to provide students with a broad education emphasizing an excellent foundation in scientific and engineering fundamentals. The objectives of the undergraduate program are to prepare undergraduate students for employment or advanced studies with four primary constituencies: industry, the national laboratories, state and federal agencies, and academia (graduate research programs).
Accreditation
Our programs are accredited by ABET, a non-profit and non-governmental accrediting agency for academic programs in the disciplines of applied science, computing, engineering, and engineering technology. ABET is a recognized accreditor in the United States (U.S.) by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. For information about how the program achieves ABET course outcomes, please see the Department's website.
Admission to the Major
Prospective undergraduates in the College of Engineering will apply for admission to a specific program in the college. For further information, please see the College of Engineering's website.
Admission to Engineering via a Change of College application for current UC Berkeley students is highly unlikely and very competitive as there are few, if any, spaces that open in the college each year to students from other colleges at UC Berkeley. For further information regarding a Change of College to Engineering, please see the College's website.
Five-Year BS/MS Program
This program is for Berkeley ME undergraduates who wish to broaden their education experiences at Berkeley. In contrast to the standard MS program, this BS/MS program is completely course-based. Students in the five-year BS/MS program are also able to take some courses in professional disciplines such as business or public policy. This two-semester program is not intended for students with the desire to continue to the PhD. For further information regarding this option, please see the department's website.
Minor Program
The department offers two minor programs, one in Mechanical Engineering and one in Aerospace Engineering. For admission to either minor program, students must have a minimum overall grade point average (GPA) of 3.00 as well as a minimum 3.00 GPA in the prerequisite courses. For information regarding the prerequisites for each of the minors, please see the Minor Requirements tab on this page.
After completion of the prerequisite courses, students will need to complete and submit to the Mechanical Engineering Student Services Office (Room 6189/6193 Etcheverry) a Petition for Admission form which can be found here. The department will verify the completion of the minor and send the paperwork to the appropriate parties after final grades are available.
Joint Majors
The Department of Mechanical Engineering also offers two joint majors with other departments in the College of Engineering. For further information on these programs, please click the links below:
Materials Science and Engineering/Mechanical Engineering (Department of Materials Science and Engineering)
Mechanical Engineering/Nuclear Engineering (Department of Nuclear Engineering)
Major Requirements
In addition to the University, campus, and college requirements, students must fulfill the below requirements specific to their major program.
General Guidelines
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All technical courses taken in satisfaction of major requirements must be taken for a letter grade.
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No more than one upper division course may be used to simultaneously fulfill requirements for a student’s major and minor programs.
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A minimum overall grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 is required for all work undertaken at UC Berkeley.
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A minimum GPA of 2.0 is required for all upper division technical courses taken in satisfaction of major requirements.
For information regarding residence requirements and unit requirements, please see the College Requirements tab.
For a detailed plan of study by year and semester, please see the Plan of Study tab.
Lower Division Requirements
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| MATH 1A | Calculus | 4 |
| MATH 1B | Calculus | 4 |
| MATH 53 | Multivariable Calculus | 4 |
| MATH 54 | Linear Algebra and Differential Equations | 4 |
| CHEM 1A | General Chemistry 1 | 3-5 |
| or CHEM 4A | General Chemistry and Quantitative Analysis | |
| PHYSICS 7A | Physics for Scientists and Engineers | 4 |
| PHYSICS 7B | Physics for Scientists and Engineers | 4 |
| ENGIN 7 | Introduction to Computer Programming for Scientists and Engineers | 4 |
| ENGIN 26 | Three-Dimensional Modeling for Design 2 | 2 |
| ENGIN 29 | Manufacturing and Design Communication | 4 |
| MEC ENG 40 | Thermodynamics | 3 |
| MEC ENG C85 | Introduction to Solid Mechanics | 3 |
- 1
CHEM 4A is intended for students majoring in chemistry or a closely-related field.
- 2
All junior transfer admits are exempt from completing ENGIN 26.
Upper Division Requirements
Students must complete the Upper Division Core Requirements and 15 units of Technical Electives.
Upper Division Core Requirements
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| ENGIN 178 | Statistics and Data Science for Engineers | 4 |
| MEC ENG 100 | Electronics for the Internet of Things | 4 |
| MEC ENG 102B | Mechatronics Design | 4 |
| MEC ENG 103 | Experimentation and Measurements | 4 |
| MEC ENG 104 | Engineering Mechanics II | 3 |
| MEC ENG 106 | Fluid Mechanics | 3 |
| MEC ENG 108 | Mechanical Behavior of Engineering Materials | 4 |
| MEC ENG 109 | Heat Transfer | 3 |
| MEC ENG 132 | Dynamic Systems and Feedback | 3 |
Technical Electives (minimum 15 units)1, 2, 3
Students may choose to complete the Aerospace Engineering concentration as part of their technical electives.4
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Select at least one course from the ME-sponsored Design Elective list, or from the expanded list linked in the footnote: 5 | ||
| Advanced Engineering Design Graphics [3] 1 | ||
| Introduction to Lean Manufacturing Systems [3] | ||
| Introduction to Product Development [3] | ||
| Structural Aspects of Biomaterials [4] | ||
| Introduction to Nanotechnology and Nanoscience [3] | ||
| Introduction to MEMS (Microelectromechanical Systems) [3] | ||
| Design of Planar Machinery [3] | ||
| Mechanical Vibrations [3] | ||
| Feedback Control Systems [4] 6 | ||
| Design of Microprocessor-Based Mechanical Systems [4] | ||
| Robotic Locomotion [4] 6 | ||
| Energy Conversion Principles [3] | ||
| Advanced Heat Transfer [3] | ||
| Ocean-Environment Mechanics [3] | ||
| Orthopedic Biomechanics [4] | ||
| Designing for the Human Body [4] | ||
| Augmenting Human Dexterity [4] | ||
| Select at least one course from the ME-sponsored Quantitative Science Elective list or from the expanded list linked in the footnote: 7 | ||
| Methods of Engineering Analysis [3] 1 | ||
| Basic Modeling and Simulation Tools for Industrial Research Applications [4] 1 | ||
| Advanced Programming with MATLAB [3] 1 | ||
| Computational Biomechanics Across Multiple Scales [3] | ||
| Vehicle Dynamics and Control [4] | ||
| Feedback Control Systems [4] | ||
| Introduction to Control of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles [3] | ||
| Robotic Locomotion [4] 6 | ||
| Engineering Analysis Using the Finite Element Method [3] | ||
| Special Topics in Controls [1-4] 8 | ||
- 1
Technical electives:15 units of technical electives are required and must be chosen from the approved technical elective list. Courses not on this list may be approved via petition. At least 12 of the 15 units must be upper division. At least 9 of the 12 upper division units must be from MECENG-sponsored courses. Any upper division course taught by mechanical engineering faculty may be used as part of the 9 units of upper division mechanical engineering courses. In addition, ENGIN 117, ENGIN 128, ENGIN 150, and ENGIN 177 can count toward the 9 units of upper division mechanical engineering courses. Students may receive up to three units of technical elective credit for work on a research project in either MEC ENG 196 or MEC ENG H194.
- 2
Up to three units of technical elective credit may be lower division and may be chosen from the following approved lower division courses: ASTRON 7A, ASTRON 7B, BIO ENG 10, BIOLOGY 1A plus BIOLOGY 1AL, BIOLOGY 1B, CHEM 1B, CHEM 3A, CHEM 3B, CHEM 4B, CIV ENG 11, CIV ENG 60, CIV ENG 70, CIV ENG 93, COMPSCI C8/DATA C8/INFO C8/STAT C8, COMPSCI 61A, COMPSCI 61B, COMPSCI 61C, COMPSCI 70, DES INV 15, DES INV 90E, EECS 16B, ENGIN 11, EPS 50, INTEGBI C32, MATH 55, MAT SCI 45, MCELLBI 32, PHYSICS 7C, STAT 20, STAT 21.
- 3
Technical electives cannot include:
- Any course taken on a Pass/No Pass basis
- Any course that counts as H/SS
- Courses numbered 24, 39, 84, or 88
- Any of the following courses: BIO ENG 100, COMPSCI C79, DES INV courses (except DES INV 15, DES INV 90E, DES INV 190E), ENGIN 125, ENGIN 157AC, ENGIN 180, ENGIN 183 series, ENGIN 185, ENGIN 187, ENGIN 195 series, IND ENG 95, IND ENG 171, IND END 185, IND ENG 186, IND ENG 190 series, IND ENG 191, IND ENG 192, IND ENG 195, MEC ENG 191K.
- 4
The three technical electives required for the Aerospace Engineering concentration are MEC ENG 127, MEC ENG 136, and MEC ENG 163.
- 5
One of the upper division technical electives courses must be taken from the ME-sponsored design courses above, or from the expanded design list. Note that only the design courses listed above will count toward the 9 units of ME-sponsored upper division courses.
- 6
MEC ENG C134/EL ENG C128 and MEC ENG 139 can be used as either the Design Elective or the Quantitative Science Elective, but not both.
- 7
One of the upper division technical elective courses must be taken from the ME-sponsored quantitative science (QS) courses above, or from the expanded quantitative science list. Note that only the quantitative science courses listed above will count toward the 9 units of ME-sponsored upper division courses.
- 8
MEC ENG 193B is a Special Topics course and is only approved for QS when it is offered as "Feedback Control of Legged Robots".
Minor Requirements
Minor programs are areas of concentration requiring fewer courses than an undergraduate major. These programs are optional but can provide depth and breadth to a UC Berkeley education. The College of Engineering does not offer additional time to complete a minor, but it is usually possible to finish within the allotted time with careful course planning. Students are encouraged to meet with their ESS adviser to discuss the feasibility of completing a minor program.
All the engineering departments offer minors. Students may also consider pursuing a minor in another school or college.
General Guidelines
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All minors must be declared no later than one semester before a student's Expected Graduation Term (EGT). If the semester before EGT is fall or spring, the deadline is the last day of RRR week. If the semester before EGT is summer, the deadline is the final Friday of Summer Sessions. To declare a minor, contact the department advisor for information on requirements, and the declaration process.
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All courses taken to fulfill the minor requirements must be taken for graded credit.
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A minimum overall grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 and a minimum GPA of 3.0 in the prerequisite courses is required for acceptance into the minor program.
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A minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 is required for courses used to fulfill the minor requirements.
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No more than one upper division course may be used to simultaneously fulfill requirements for a student’s major and minor programs.
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Completion of the minor program cannot delay a student’s graduation.
Mechanical Engineering Minor Requirements
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Prerequisites | ||
| PHYSICS 7A | Physics for Scientists and Engineers | 4 |
| MEC ENG 40 | Thermodynamics | 3 |
| MEC ENG 104 | Engineering Mechanics II | 3 |
| MEC ENG C85 | Introduction to Solid Mechanics | 3 |
| Upper Division Requirements | ||
| Select three additional upper division technical courses in mechanical engineering | ||
Aerospace Engineering Minor Requirements
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Prerequisites | ||
| MEC ENG C85 | Introduction to Solid Mechanics | 3 |
| MEC ENG 106 | Fluid Mechanics | 3 |
| MEC ENG 132 | Dynamic Systems and Feedback | 3 |
| Upper Division Requirements | ||
| MEC ENG 127 | Introduction to Composite Materials | 3 |
| MEC ENG 136 | Introduction to Control of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles | 3 |
| MEC ENG 163 | Engineering Aerodynamics | 3 |
College Requirements
Students in the College of Engineering must complete no fewer than 120 semester units with the following provisions:
- Completion of the requirements of one engineering major program of study.
- A minimum overall grade point average of 2.00 (C average) and a minimum 2.00 grade point average in upper division technical coursework required of the major.
- The final 30 units and two semesters must be completed in residence in the College of Engineering on the Berkeley campus.
- All technical courses (math, science, and engineering) that can fulfill requirements for the student's major must be taken on a letter graded basis (unless they are only offered P/NP).
- Entering freshmen are allowed a maximum of eight semesters to complete their degree requirements. Entering junior transfers are allowed five semesters to complete their degree requirements. Summer terms are optional and do not count toward the maximum. Students are responsible for planning and satisfactorily completing all graduation requirements within the maximum allowable semesters.
- Adhere to all college policies and procedures as they complete degree requirements.
- Complete the lower division program before enrolling in upper division engineering courses.
Humanities and Social Sciences (H/SS) Requirement
To promote a rich and varied educational experience outside of the technical requirements for each major, the College of Engineering has a six-course Humanities and Social Sciences breadth requirement, which must be completed to graduate. This requirement, built into all the engineering programs of study, includes two Reading and Composition courses (R&C), and four additional courses within which a number of specific conditions must be satisfied. See the humanities and social sciences section of our website for details.
Class Schedule Requirements
- Minimum units per semester: 12.0
- Maximum units per semester: 20.5
- Minimum technical courses: College of Engineering undergraduates must include at least two letter graded technical courses (of at least 3 units each) in their semester program. Every semester students are expected to make satisfactory progress in their declared major. Satisfactory progress is determined by the student's Engineering Student Services Advisor. (Note: For most majors, normal progress will require enrolling in 3-4 technical courses each semester). Students who are not in compliance with this policy by the end of the fifth week of the semester are subject to a registration block that will delay enrollment for the following semester.
- All technical courses (math, science, engineering) that satisfy requirements for the major must be taken on a letter-graded basis (unless only offered as P/NP).
Minimum Academic (Grade) Requirements
- Minimum overall and semester grade point averages of 2.00 (C average) are required of engineering undergraduates. Students will be subject to dismissal from the University if during any fall or spring semester their overall UC GPA falls below a 2.00, or their semester GPA is less than 2.00.
- Students must achieve a minimum grade point average of 2.00 (C average) in upper division technical courses required for the major curriculum each semester.
- A minimum overall grade point average of 2.00 and a minimum 2.00 grade point average in upper division technical course work required for the major are required to earn a Bachelor of Science in the College of Engineering.
Unit Requirements
To earn a Bachelor of Science in Engineering, students must complete at least 120 semester units of courses subject to certain guidelines:
- Completion of the requirements of one engineering major program of study.
- A maximum of 16 units of special studies coursework (courses numbered 97, 98, 99, 197, 198, or 199) is allowed to count towards the B.S. degree, and no more than 4 units in any single term can be counted.
- A maximum of 4 units of physical education from any school attended will count towards the 120 units.
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Passed (P) grades may account for no more than one third of the total units completed at UC Berkeley, Fall Program for Freshmen (FPF), UC Education Abroad Program (UCEAP), or UC Berkeley Washington Program (UCDC) toward the 120 overall minimum unit requirement. Transfer credit is not factored into the limit. This includes transfer units from outside of the UC system, other UC campuses, credit-bearing exams, as well as UC Berkeley Extension XB units.
Normal Progress
Students in the College of Engineering must enroll in a full-time program and make normal progress each semester toward the bachelor's degree. The continued enrollment of students who fail to achieve minimum academic progress shall be subject to the approval of the dean. (Note: Students with official accommodations established by the Disabled Students' Program, with health or family issues, or with other reasons deemed appropriate by the dean may petition for an exception to normal progress rules.)
UC and Campus Requirements
University of California Requirements
All students who will enter the University of California as freshmen must demonstrate their command of the English language by satisfying the Entry Level Writing Requirement (ELWR). The UC Entry Level Writing Requirement website provides information on how to satisfy the requirement
American History and American Institutions
The American History and Institutions (AH&I) requirements are based on the principle that a US resident graduated from an American university should have an understanding of the history and governmental institutions of the United States.
Campus Requirement
The American Cultures requirement is a Berkeley campus requirement, one that all undergraduate students at Berkeley need to pass in order to graduate. You satisfy the requirement by passing, with a grade not lower than C- or P, an American Cultures course. You may take an American Cultures course any time during your undergraduate career at Berkeley. The requirement was instituted in 1991 to introduce students to the diverse cultures of the United States through a comparative framework. Courses are offered in more than fifty departments in many different disciplines at both the lower and upper division level.
Plan of Study
For more detailed information regarding the courses listed below (e.g., elective information, GPA requirements, etc.), please see the College Requirements and Major Requirements tabs.
| Freshman | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Units | Spring | Units |
| CHEM 1A or 4A1 | 3-5 | MATH 1B | 4 |
| ENGIN 26 | 2 | PHYSICS 7A | 4 |
| MATH 1A | 4 | ENGIN 7 | 4 |
| Reading & Composition Part A Course7 | 4 | Reading & Composition Part B Course7 | 4 |
| 13-15 | 16 | ||
| Sophomore | |||
| Fall | Units | Spring | Units |
| ENGIN 29 | 4 | MATH 54 | 4 |
| MATH 53 | 4 | MEC ENG 40 | 3 |
| PHYSICS 7B | 4 | MEC ENG C85 | 3 |
| Humanities/Social Sciences course7 | Humanities/Social Sciences course7 | 3-4 | |
| Free Electives8 | 3 | ||
| 15 | 13-14 | ||
| Junior | |||
| Fall | Units | Spring | Units |
| MEC ENG 104 | 3 | MEC ENG 100 | 4 |
| MEC ENG 106 | 3 | MEC ENG 109 | 3 |
| MEC ENG 108 | 4 | ENGIN 178 | 4 |
| Humanities/Social Sciences course7 | 3-4 | Humanities/Social Sciences Course7 | 3-4 |
| Free Electives8 | 3 | Free Electives8 | 2 |
| 16-17 | 16-17 | ||
| Senior | |||
| Fall | Units | Spring | Units |
| MEC ENG 103 | 4 | MEC ENG 102B | 4 |
| MEC ENG 132 | 3 | Technical Electives3,4,5,6 | 9-12 |
| Technical Electives3,4,5,6 | 6-8 | Free Electives8 | 2 |
| Free Electives8 | 3 | ||
| 16-18 | 15-18 | ||
| Total Units: 120-130 | |||
- 1
CHEM 4A is intended for students majoring in chemistry or a closely-related field.
- 2
All junior transfer admits are exempt from completing ENGIN 26.
- 3
Technical electives: 15 units of technical electives are required, of which at least 9 units must be upper division mechanical engineering courses. Any upper division course taught by mechanical engineering faculty may be used as part of the 9 units of upper division mechanical engineering courses. In addition, ENGIN 117, ENGIN 128, ENGIN 150, and ENGIN 177 can count toward the 9 units of upper division mechanical engineering courses. The 15 units of technical electives must include one Design Elective and one Quantitative Science Elective, each chosen from approved lists. Students may receive up to three units of technical elective credit for work on a research project in either MEC ENG 196 or MEC ENG H194.
- 4
Up to three units of technical elective credit may be lower division and may be chosen from the following approved lower division courses: ASTRON 7A, ASTRON 7B, BIO ENG 10, BIOLOGY 1A plus BIOLOGY 1AL, BIOLOGY 1B,CHEM 1B, CHEM 3A, CHEM 3B, CHEM 4B, CIV ENG 11, CIV ENG 60, CIV ENG 70, CIV ENG 93, COMPSCI C8/DATA C8/INFO C8/STAT C8, COMPSCI 61A, COMPSCI 61B, COMPSCI 61C, COMPSCI 70, DES INV 15, DES INV 90E, EECS 16B, ENGIN 11, EPS 50, INTEGBI C32, MATH 55, MAT SCI 45, MCELLBI 32, PHYSICS 7C, STAT 20, STAT 21.
- 5
Technical electives cannot include:
- Any course taken on a Pass/No Pass basis
- Any course that counts as H/SS
- Courses numbered 24, 39, 84, or 88
- Any of the following courses: BIO ENG 100, COMPSCI C79, DES INV courses (except DES INV 15, DES INV 90E, DES INV 190E) , ENGIN 125, ENGIN 157AC, ENGIN 180, ENGIN 183 series, ENGIN 185, ENGIN 187, ENGIN 195 series, IND ENG 95, IND ENG 171, IND ENG 185, IND ENG 186, IND ENG 190 series, IND ENG 191, IND ENG 192, IND ENG 195, MEC ENG 191AC, MEC ENG 190K, MEC ENG 191K.
- 6
To complete the Aerospace Engineering oncentration, students must complete MEC ENG 127, MEC ENG 136, and MEC ENG 163 as part of their technical electives.
- 7
The Humanities/Social Sciences (H/SS) requirement includes two approved Reading & Composition (R&C) courses and four additional approved courses, with which a number of specific conditions must be satisfied. R&C courses must be taken for a letter grade (C- or better required). The first half (R&C Part A) must be completed by the end of the freshman year; the second half (R&C Part B) must be completed by no later than the end of the sophomore year. The remaining courses may be taken at any time during the program. See engineering.berkeley.edu/hss for complete details and a list of approved courses.
- 8
Free electives can be any technical or non-technical course, a course of your interest offered by any department at UC Berkeley. There are no restrictions.
Student Learning Goals
Learning Goals for the Major
The objectives of the Mechanical Engineering undergraduate program are to produce graduates who do the following:
- Vigorously engage in post-baccalaureate endeavors, whether in engineering graduate study, in engineering practice, or in the pursuit of other fields such as science, law, medicine, business or public policy.
- Apply their mechanical engineering education to address the full range of technical and societal problems with creativity, imagination, confidence and responsibility.
- Actively seek out positions of leadership within their profession and their community.
- Serve as ambassadors for engineering by exhibiting the highest ethical and professional standards, and by communicating the importance and excitement of this dynamic field.
- Retain the intellectual curiosity that motivates lifelong learning and allows for a flexible response to the rapidly evolving challenges of the 21st century.
Skills
The Department of Mechanical Engineering has adopted the ABET Outcomes as its Program Outcomes. Mechanical Engineering graduates have the following:
- An ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering.
- An ability to design and conduct experiments as well as to analyze and interpret data.
- An ability to design a system, component, or process to meet desired needs within realistic constraints such as economic, environmental, social, political, ethical, health and safety, manufacturability, and sustainability.
- An ability to function on multi-disciplinary teams.
- An ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems.
- An understanding of professional and ethical responsibility.
- An ability to communicate effectively.
- The broad education necessary to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global, economic, environmental, and societal context.
- A recognition of the need for and an ability to engage in life-long learning.
- A knowledge of contemporary issues.
- An ability to use the techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools necessary for engineering practice.
Major Map
Major Maps help undergraduate students discover academic, co-curricular, and discovery opportunities at UC Berkeley based on intended major or field of interest. Developed by the Division of Undergraduate Education in collaboration with academic departments, these experience maps will help you:
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Explore your major and gain a better understanding of your field of study
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Connect with people and programs that inspire and sustain your creativity, drive, curiosity and success
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Discover opportunities for independent inquiry, enterprise, and creative expression
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Engage locally and globally to broaden your perspectives and change the world
- Reflect on your academic career and prepare for life after Berkeley
Use the major map below as a guide to planning your undergraduate journey and designing your own unique Berkeley experience.
Advising
Students in Mechanical Engineering have a number of advising options, listed in sequential order:
College of Engineering (COE)
All undergraduates have an adviser at the College referred to as the Engineering Student Services (ESS) Advisor. ESS advisers assist students in a variety of ways including course selection (primarily for freshmen, sophomores and transfer students), explaining graduation requirements and college policies, monitoring progress toward the degree, suggesting enrichment opportunities, and providing support (or referrals to campus resources) to help students reach their academic goals. They are also the first stop for students who wish to file a petition. Advising assignments are made alphabetically. Students who are unsure of who their adviser is should refer to the COE's undergraduate advising information page.
ME Student Services Office
This office is students' primary source of department-specific administrative information.
ME Faculty Advisor
Faculty advisers for new students will be assigned by the beginning of October and a listing will be available online. Faculty are great sources for information regarding classes, research opportunities, and career planning. Furthermore, all ME students are required to see their faculty advisers (or go to drop-in advising) to get their advising codes before signing up for the next semester's courses.
Vice Chair for Undergraduate Matters
The Vice Chair handles all undergraduate student petitions and can serve as a liaison between students and their respective advisors as well as students and the ME chair. He is also responsible for the ME undergraduate curriculum and heads the Committee on Undergraduate Study.
Department Chair
In rare instances when issues cannot be resolved by the Vice Chair, the Mechanical Engineering chair may become involved.
Advising Staff and Hours
Undergraduate Student Services Adviser
Ricky Vides
rickyv72@berkeley.edu
6193 Etcheverry Hall
510-642-4094
Academic Opportunities
Student Groups and Organizations
Aero-design Society of Automative Engineers (ASAE)
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics at Cal (AIAA-Cal)
American Society of Mechanical Engineers Student Chapter (ASME)
Berkeley Energy and Resources Collaborative (BERC)
The Black Engineering and Science Students Association (BESSA)
Black Graduate Engineering and Science Students Association (BESSA)
Berkeley Human Powered Vehicle Team
Design + Engineering Collaborative (DEC)
Formula SAE at Berkeley
Hispanic Engineers and Scientists (HES)
Korean Graduate Student Association (KGSA)
Latino Association of Graduate Students in Engineering and Science (LAGSES)
Mechanical Engineering Graduate Student Council (MEGSCO)
Out in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (oSTEM)
Pi Tau Sigma (The Mechanical Engineering Honor Society)
Pioneers in Engineering
Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers (SASE)
Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (Cal_SNAME)
Society of Women Engineers (SWE)
Space Technologies at Cal (STAC)
Space Technologies and Rocketry (STAR)
Super Mileage Vehicle Team (SMV)
Tau Beta Pi
UC Berkeley Solar Vehicle Team (CalSol)
Faculty and Instructors
* Indicates this faculty member is the recipient of the Distinguished Teaching Award.
Faculty
Alice M. Agogino, Professor. New product development, computer-aided design and databases, theory and methods, intelligent learning systems, information retrieval and data mining, digital libraries, multiobjective and strategic product, nonlinear optimization, probabilistic modeling, supervisory.
Research Profile
M. Reza Alam, Associate Professor. Theoretical Fluid Dynamics, Nonlinear Wave Mechanics, Ocean and Coastal Waves Phenomena, Ocean Renewable Energy (Wave, Tide and Offshore Wind Energy), Nonlinear Dynamical Systems, Fluid Flow Control, ocean renewable energy.
Research Profile
David M. Auslander, Professor. Automatic control system design, mini-microcomputer system bioengineering, modeling and simulation of dynamic systems, process control.
Research Profile
David B. Bogy, Professor. Mechanics in computer technology: tribology in hard-disk drives, laser measurement systems, numerical simulations. Static and dynamic problems in solid and fluid mechanics.
Research Profile
Francesco Borrelli, Professor. Model Predictive Control, Model-Based AI, Distributed and Robust Constrained Control, Automotive Control Systems, Energy Efficiency, Energy Efficient Building Control Systems, Solar Power Plants, Mobility Contextual Intelligence, Robotics and Food Systems.
Research Profile
Van P. Carey, Professor. Energy conversion and transport; molecular-level modeling of thermophysics and transport in multiphase systems; statistical thermodynamics; thermal management and energy efficiency of electronic information systems; boiling phenomena in pure fluids and binary mixtures; surface wetting effects in condensation processes; heat pipes; energy-based sustainability analysis of energy conversion systems; high temperature solar collector technologies; radial flow turbines and disk rotor drag turbine expanders for green energy conversion technologies; computer-aided design of energy systems.
Research Profile
James Casey, Professor. Continuum mechanics, finite elasticity, continuum thermodynamics, plasticity, theories of elastic-plastic materials, history of mechanics, dynamics.
Research Profile
Chris Dames, Chair, Professor. Heat transfer and energy conversion at the micro and nano scale. Theoretical and experimental methods. Nanostructured thermoelectric materials. Thermal rectification. Graphene. Nonlinear, anisotropic, and asymmetric heat transfer.
Research Profile
Robert Dibble, Professor. Laser diagnostics in turbulent reactive flows, generation of green fuels from biomass, highest efficiency and lowest pollution combustion of fuels derived from biomass, combustion issues related to global warming, conversion of waste heat to power via Organic Rankine Cycle ( ORC ), spectroscopy, chemical kinetics, turbulent combustion, optics and electronics.
Research Profile
Carlos Fernandez-Pello, Professor. Ignition and fire spread; smoldering and transition to flaming; spacecraft/aircraft fire safety; wildland fire propagation and wildland fire spotting; liquid fuel pool burning; self heating and ignition; small-scale energy generation; biofuels combustion.
Research Profile
Michael Frenklach, Professor. Chemical kinetics; Computer modeling; Combustion chemistry; Pollutant formation (NOx, soot); Shock tube; Chemical vapor deposition of diamond films; Homogeneous nucleation of silicon, silicon carbide, and diamond powders; Interstellar dust formation.
Research Profile
Michael Gollner, Associate Professor. Combustion, Fire Dynamics, Wildland Fire, Fluid Mechanics.
Research Profile
Kosa Goucher-Lambert, Assistant Professor. Design theory, methodology, and automation: decision-making applied to engineering teams and individuals, ideation and creativity, analogical reasoning in design, preference modeling and design attribute optimization, design cognition, neuroimaging methods applied to design, sustainable design, new product development, crowdsourcing and collaboration.
Research Profile
Ralph Greif, Professor. Heat and mass transfer, micro scale transport, fuel cells, cooling at the chip level, semiconductor wafers, materials processing, laser surface interactions, nuclear reactor safety, phase change, buoyancy transport, bio heat transfer, reacting flows, deposition.
Research Profile
Costas P. Grigoropoulos, Professor. Laser processing of materials, ultrafast laser micro/nanomachining, nanotechnology, nanomanufacturing, fabrication of flexible electronics, laser crystal growth for thin film transistors, advanced energy applications, microscale fuel cells, hydrogen storage, heat transfer, electronics cooling, microfluidics, laser interactions with biological materials.
Research Profile
Grace X. Gu, Assistant Professor. Composites, additive manufacturing, fracture mechanics, topology optimization, machine learning, finite element analysis, and bioinspired materials.
Research Profile
Roberto Horowitz, Professor. Adaptive control, learning and nonlinear control, control of robot manipulators, computer mechatronics systems, micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS), intelligent vehicle, highways systems.
Research Profile
David Horsley, Adjunct Professor. Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), ultrasonics, piezoelectric micromachined ultrasonic transducers (PMUTs), piezoelectric sensors and actuators, inertial and acoustic sensors, magnetic sensors, optical MEMS, dynamics and control issues in MEMS.
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Alexis Kaminski, Assistant Professor . Stratified flows, hydrodynamic instabilities, transition to turbulence, mixing and entrainment, internal waves, non-normal stability, upper-ocean dynamics, physical oceanography, geophysical and environmental fluid dynamics.
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Homayoon Kazerooni, Professor. Bioengineering, robotics, control systems, mechatronics, design, automated manufacturing and human-machine systems.
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Tony M. Keaveny, Professor. Biomechanics: mechanical behavior of bone, finite element modeling and experimentation, design of bone-implant systems, tissue engineering.
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Kyriakos Komvopoulos, Professor. Theoretical and numerical studies in nano-/micro-scale contact mechanics, tribology, mechanical behavior of bulk and thin-film materials, deposition and characterization of single and multi-layer ultrathin films by sputtering and filtered cathodic vacuum arc methods, reliability of micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS), surface force microprobe techniques, surface modification of biopolymers, surface chemical functionalization for enhanced biocompatibility and cell activity, mechanotransduction effects at the single-cell and tissue levels, scaffolds for tissue engineering, and flexible/stretchable bioelectronics.
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George Leitmann, Professor. Economics, planning, dynamics systems, control theory, optimal control, dynamic games, & robust control, applications engineering, mechanical systems, business administrations, biological systems.
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Liwei Lin, Professor. MEMS (Microelectromechanical Systems); NEMS (Nanoelectromechanical Systems); Nanotechnology; design and manufacturing of microsensors and microactuators; development of micromachining processes by silicon surface/bulk micromachining; micromolding process; mechanical issues in MEMS including heat transfer, solid/fluid mechanics, and dynamics.
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Fai Ma, Professor. Dynamical systems with inherent uncertainties, vibration, stochastic simulation.
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Simo Aleksi Makiharju, Assistant Professor. Reduction drag on marine vehicles, mitigation of damage and noise caused by cavitation in naval and industrial applications, and efficient handling of single- and multiphase flows in energy production applications.
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Samuel Mao, Adjunct Professor. Professor Mao and his team conduct research in the cross-disciplinary fields of clean energy technologies. The team also develops high throughput material processing and ultrafast laser technologies, in support of clean-energy research.
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Philip S. Marcus, Professor. Algorithms, atmospheric flows, convection, fluid mechanics, nonlinear dynamics, ocean flows, numerical analysis, turbulence.
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Sara McMains, Professor. Geometric and solid modeling, general purpose computation on the GPU (GPGPU), CAD/CAM, computational geometry, layered manufacturing, computer graphics and visualization, virtual prototyping, virtual reality.
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Mohammad R. K. Mofrad, Professor. Multiscale Biomechanics of Cardiovascular Disease and Brain Injury; Molecular and Cellular Mechanobiology; Mechanics of Integrin-Mediated Focal Adhesions; Mechanics of the Nuclear Pore and Nucleocytoplasmic Transport.
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Mark W. Mueller, Assistant Professor. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, dynamics and control; motion planning and coordination; state estimation and localization.
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Grace O'Connell, Associate Professor. Biomechanics of cartilage and intervertebral disc; tissue engineering; continuum modeling of soft tissues; intervertebral disc function, degeneration, and regeneration.
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* Oliver O'Reilly, Professor. Dynamics, Vibrations, Continuum Mechanics.
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Panayiotis Papadopoulos, Professor. Computational mechanics, solid mechanics, biomechanics, applied mathematics.
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* Kameshwar Poolla, Professor. Theory: Modeling & System Identification, Robust Control, Optimization. Applications: Wireless Sensor Networks, Green Buildings, Semiconductor Manufacturing, Medical Imaging.
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Ravi Prasher, Adjunct Professor. Dr. Prasher’s primary research interests are fundamental and applied studies of Nano-to-macroscale thermal energy process and systems, using both theoretical and experimental methods. Some topics of current interest include thermal transport in Lithium ion batteries, microelectronics thermal management using microfluidics, solar thermal energy conversion, high density thermochemical storage, solar thermal desalination, heat and mass transfer in roll-to-roll manufacturing process and applications of machine learning in inverse design of optical metamaterials.
* Lisa Pruitt, Professor. Tissue biomechanics, biomaterial science, fatigue and fracture micromechanisms, orthopedic polymers for total joint replacement, cardiovascular biomaterials, synthetic cartilage, acrylic bone cements, tribology of diamond and DLCs.
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Boris Rubinsky, Professor. Heat and mass transfer in biomedical engineering and biotechnology in particular low temperature biology, bio-electronics and biomedical devices in particular micro and nano bionic technologies and electroporation, medical imaging in particular electrical impedance tomography and light imaging, biomedical numerical analysis in particular genetic and evolutionary algorithms and fractal techniques.
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Omer Savas, Professor. Fluid mechanics: aircraft wake vortices; biofluid mechanics; boundary layers; instrumentation; rotating flows; transient aerodynamics; turbulent flows; vortex dynamics.
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Shawn Shadden, Associate Professor. Cardiovascular biomechanics, computational mechanics, computational fluid dynamics, dynamical systems, fluid dynamics, Lagrangian coherent structures, mathematical modeling, thrombosis.
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Lydia Sohn, Professor. Micro-nano engineering, bioengineering.
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Koushil Sreenath, Associate Professor. Hybrid Dynamic Robotics, Applied Nonlinear Control, Dynamic Legged Locomotion, Dynamic Aerial Manipulation.
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David Steigmann, Professor. Continuum, mechanics, shell theory, finite elasticity, variational methods, stability, surface stress, capillary phenomena, mechanics of thin films.
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Hannah Stuart, Assistant Professor. Dexterous manipulation, bioinspired design, soft and multi-material mechanisms, skin contact conditions, tactile sensing and haptics.
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Hayden Taylor, Associate Professor. The invention, modeling and simulation of micro- and nano-manufacturing processes, materials-testing techniques operating down to the nanoscale, and applications of polymeric materials in micro- and nano-fabrication—including for tissue scaffold engineering.
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Masayoshi Tomizuka, Professor. Adaptive control, computer-aided manufacturing, control systems and theory, digital control, dynamic systems, manufacturing, mechanical vibrations.
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Vassilia Zorba, Associate Adjunct Professor. Energy Science & Technology; MEMS/Nano; Materials.
Affiliated Faculty
Murat Arcak, Professor. Dynamical systems and control theory with applications to synthetic biology, multi-agent systems, and transportation.
Research Profile
Saikat Chaudhuri, Professor. Corporate growth and innovation strategies, Technological innovation in dynamic environments, Digital disruption and transformation,High-technology mergers and acquisitions, High-value strategic partnerships and outsourcing.
Peter Hosemann, Professor. Mechanical performance and microstructural characterization of structural materials as well as in environmental degradation of materials in extreme environments. Multi scale mechanical property quantification and their implications for engineering performance as well as corrosion in unusual environments are part of the research. Furthermore, professor Hosemann is interested in the manufacturing of materials (from ore to product) and most recently in micromanufacturing of geometries using short, pulsed lasers.
Research Profile
Dorian Liepmann, Professor. BioMEMS, microfluid dynamics, experimental biofluid dynamics, hemodynamics associated with valvular heart disease and other cardiac and arterial flows.
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Robert O. Ritchie, Professor. Structural materials, mechanical behavior in biomaterials, creep, fatigue and fracture of advanced metals, intermetallics, ceramics.
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S. Shankar Sastry, Professor. Computer science, robotics, arial robots, cybersecurity, cyber defense, homeland defense, nonholonomic systems, control of hybrid systems, sensor networks, interactive visualization, robotic telesurgery, rapid prototyping.
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Somayeh Sojoudi, Assistant Professor. Control theory, optimization theory, machine learning, algorithms, and data science.
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Lecturers
George Anwar, Lecturer. Model Predictive Control, Distributed and Robust Constrained Control, Automotive Control Systems, Energy Efficient Building Control Systems.
Gabriel Gomes, Lecturer.
Marcel Kristel, Lecturer.
Ala Moradian, Lecturer. Dr. Moradian’s primary research interests are product development, advanced materials processing, semiconductor manufacturing, computational methods for process modeling and virtual fabrication, digital twin, and multi-physics modeling for product design optimization and manufacturing.
Kourosh (Ken) Youssefi, Lecturer.
Emeritus Faculty
Jyh-Yuan Chen, Professor Emeritus. Computational modeling of reactive systems, turbulent flows, combustion chemical kinetics.
Research Profile
George C. Johnson, Professor Emeritus. X-rays, plasticity, elasticity, instrumentation, sensors, acoustoelasticity, materials behavior, materials characterization, texture analysis, thin shells deformation, ultrasonic stress analysis.
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* Dennis K. Lieu, Professor Emeritus. Actuators, magnetics, acoustics, electromechanical devices, rolling elements, spindle motors, structural mechanics.
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Stephen Morris, Professor Emeritus. Continuum mechanics, micro mechanics of solid-solid phase changes, interfacial phenomena (evaporating thin films), electroporation .
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Patrick J. Pagni, Professor Emeritus. Fire safety engineering science: fire physics, fire modeling, compartment fire growth, flamespread, flame shapes and heights, excess pyrolyzates, soot formation, backdrafts, glass breaking in compartment fires, explosions, gravity currents, salt water modeling, self-heating to ignition, brand lofting, urban/wildland intermix and post-earthquake conflagrations.
Robert F. Sawyer, Professor Emeritus. Air pollutant formation and control, motor vehicle emissions, energy and environment, regulatory policy.
Benson H. Tongue, Professor Emeritus. Nonlinear dynamics, vibrations, modal analysis, numerical modeling, acoustics.
Paul K. Wright, Professor Emeritus. Mechanical and electrical engineering design, 3D-printing, manufacturing, energy systems, wireless sensor networks, sensors/MEMS/NEMS, IT systems, automated manufacturing and inspection.
Research Profile
Kazuo Yamazaki, Professor Emeritus. Etc , micro custom diamond tool design and fabrication system, CNC machine tool control software and hardware system, ultrasonic milling, intelligent manufacturing systems, mechatronics control hardware and software for manufacturing processes and equipment, computer aided manufacturing system for five axis, milling - turning integrated machining process, nano/micro mechanical machining processes and equipment, precision metrology for nano/micro mechanical machining, Non-traditional manufacturing processes such as electric discharge machining, laser machining and electron beam finishing.
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Ronald W. Yeung, Professor Emeritus. Mathematical modeling, hydromechanics, naval architecture, numerical fluid mechanics, offshore mechanics, ocean processes, separated flows, wave-vorticity interaction, vortex-induced vibrations, stratified fluid flow, ocean energy, green ships, tidal energy, multi-hull flow physics, Helmholtz resonance, ship motion instabilities, tank resonance.
Research Profile
Xiang Zhang, Professor Emeritus. Mechanical engineering, rapid prototyping, semiconductor manufacturing, photonics, micro-nano scale engineering, 3D fabrication technologies, microelectronics, micro and nano-devices, nano-lithography, nano-instrumentation, bio-MEMS.
Research Profile
Contact Information
Department of Mechanical Engineering
6141 Etcheverry Hall
Phone: 510-642-1338
Fax: 510-642-6163