Degree Planning (BSE)

The Bachelor of Science in Engineering (BSE) degree with a mechanical engineering major requires the completion of 34 courses:

• 19 general requirements, and
• 15 departmental requirements

The freshman year course sequence represents the Pratt Common First Year—enabling all students to fully explore their options before choosing a major. These courses lay the foundation for advanced engineering courses by establishing and reinforcing the principles of mathematics, physics, chemistry, writing and computation.

Core courses for the ME major start in the second year.

Use the downloadable ME check sheet [PDF] and ME curriculum flow chart [PDF] to help with course planning and to chart your progress toward your degree.

Please Note

• One regular course has 2.5 lecture hours per week (3 x 50 min. or 2 x 75 min.)
• One laboratory course has one two-hour laboratory or recitation time per week
• Each semester has 13 weeks of classes, a half-week of reading period, and one week of final exams.

Courses are required unless otherwise noted. These lists also identify prerequisites and corequisites.

Exercise caution. Pre-plan while working closely with your advisor when shifting courses to different semesters.

Notes

¹ Part of a program of approved electives planned with the student’s faculty advisor to suit individual interests and abilities. Five of these nine electives must meet the humanities and social sciences requirements of the Pratt School of Engineering. Also, three of the nine electives must be 100 level or higher, with the exception that engineering courses below the 100 level taken during the freshman or sophomore years may substitute for two of these 100-level electives. ROTC courses cannot count toward the 100-level requirement.

² Restricted to 100 level or higher.

³ A list of approved natural science courses can be found in the Duke ME Undergraduate Handbook.

We strongly encourage students to take advantage of study abroad programs, whether during the academic year, as shown in the list below, or through summer immersion programs. Review programs at the Duke Global Education for Undergraduates website. There are several programs available where students can take engineering courses in a foreign language as well as general education courses.

Below is a modified third- and fourth-year course sequence for study abroad participants.

Notes

¹ Part of a program of approved electives planned with the student’s faculty advisor to suit individual interests and abilities. Five of these nine electives must meet the humanities and social sciences requirements of the Pratt School of Engineering. Also, three of the nine electives must be 100 level or higher, with the exception that engineering courses below the 100 level taken during the freshman or sophomore years may substitute for two of these 100-level electives. ROTC courses cannot count toward the 100-level requirement.

² Restricted to 100 level or higher.