American University of Beirut

Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering (BE)

​​​​​Program Description

The Mechanical Engineering Program extends over a four-year period offered exclusively on a daytime, on-campus basis. The program is offered in 11 terms whereby eight terms are 16-week Fall/Spring semesters given over four years, and three terms are eight-week summer terms taken during the first three years of the program. In the summer term of the third year (Term IX), students are required to participate in a practical training program with a local, regional, or international organization. The entire program is equivalent to five academic years but is completed in four calendar years with three summer terms.

The undergraduate program also provides the students with options to pursue minors in the following:

  • Applied Energy Minor
  • Other minors offered by the Maroun Semaan Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, and the Suliman S. Olayan School of Business

Program Educational Objectives

The undergraduate program in Mechanical Engineering seeks to empower students to pursue successful careers and to create a learning environment in which they can develop their creative and critical thinking skills, grow into lifelong learners in light of ever-increasing challenges of modern technology, and commit to the ethical and professional responsibilities required in their calling at the global level while focusing on the needs of Lebanon and the region.

We offer world-class educational programs that prepare students for the engineering, architecture, and design professions.  Rooted in the liberal education model, our programs also prepare students to be engaged citizens and leaders, entrepreneurs, and researchers who deploy their skills with ingenuity, integrity, and a sense of responsibility towards future generations. Our Faculty produces transformative knowledge and technology through internationally-recognized research and design, and seeks to leverage the special contexts of Lebanon and the region to define highly novel and relevant research programs.  We impact policy and practice through our alumni and by directly engaging industry, government, and the public at large.

The ME department has two educational objectives for the undergraduate program in mechanical engineering that are:

  • Our graduates will be able to advance successfully in their careers as reflected in continued employment, job satisfaction, leadership responsibilities, and professional recognition.
  • Our graduates will be able to succeed in graduate studies as reflected in admission to highly ranked programs, timely completion of degree requirements, and recognition by competitive fellowships and other awards.​

Mechanical Engineering Optional Tracks​

The core courses in the Mechanical Engineering Program are offered in the following track areas:

  • Thermal and Fluid Engineering
  • Mechatronics
  • Design, Materials, and Manufacturing
The student may opt for any track (Thermal and Fluid Engineering; Mechatronics; or Design, Materials, and Manufacturing) by taking at least three technical electives in the selected track. Normally one technical elective is allowed from outside the mechanical engineering major.

The ME Focus area in Control and Robotics provides a coherent academic framework between the ECE and ME departments in the areas of control, instrumentation, and robotics. This track is open to all undergraduate ME and ECE students.​​

​Student Outcomes

​​The following program educational outcomes have been adopted from ABET EC 2000. Each student receiving a BE degree will demonstrate:

  • ​An ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics

  • An ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors

  • An ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences

  • An ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider ​the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts

  • An ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives

  • An ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions

  • An ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies


​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Bachelor of Mechanical​ Engineering (BE) ​​was accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, https:/www.abet.org​​, from October 1, 2008.​​​​​​​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
​​

Undergraduate Enrollment and Degrees A​warded

Enrollment – Fall Term 2023–2024

Class

E1

​E2

​E3

​E4

​Total

​GR

​PhD

Number of
students

130

109

83

88

410

24

18



Enrollment – ​Fall Term 2021–2022

Class

E1

​E2

​E3

​E4

​Total

​GR

​PhD

Number of
students

106

89

99

115

409

32

23



Graduates – Spring Term 2020–2021

Level​

​UG

​GR​

​PhD

​Number of students

63​

​/

​/

​​​​​

​Degree Requirements

The BE curriculum in Mechanical Engineering is a four-year program (with three Summers). Students admitted at the sophomore level will be required to complete 143 credits to earn the degree as outlined here:

General Engineering: FEAA 200, CIVE 210, EECE 210, EECE 231, EECE 312, EECE 312L, INDE 301

Mathematics: MATH 201, MATH 202, MATH 212, MATH 218, MATH 251, STAT 230

Sciences: PHYS 211, PHYS 211L, CHEM 202, and one biology elective (BIOL 201 level or above, except BIOL 209)

General Education: Arabic course (based on APT), ENGL 206, one English elective, two social sciences courses, three humanities courses, and a course on ethics approved for the GE program

ME Core Courses: MECH 201 MECH 230, MECH 310, MECH 314, MECH 320, MECH 332, MECH 340, MECH 341, MECH 410L, MECH 412, MECH 414, MECH 420, MECH 421, MECH 430, MECH 432, MECH 436, MECH 510, and MECH 520

Technical Electives: Five courses with at least three from the selected ME track, one elective (a science senior level course) can be from outside the major and one free elective.

Approved Experience: MECH 500

Final Year Project: MECH 501 and MECH 502​​

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