Introducing Modularity in the Undergraduate Mechanical Engineering Core Curriculum

During the summer of 2011, the Department of Mechanical Engineering performed a strategic planning exercise to evaluate the current state and to plot a course for both the far- and near-term evolution of the department. One of the key exercises performed was to construct a "green field" vision of the Mechanical Engineering core curriculum. Throughout the course of these discussions it became clear that, one strong impediment to addressing these issues was the constraint imposed by the current two-semester residential sequence. This project proposes an expanded approach to the undergraduate core curriculum of the ME Department by switching to a modular curriculum in which the standard module size is six units rather than twelve. The ability to deliver some key core undergraduate courses remotely and asynchronously in a modular fashion would greatly enhance the department's ability to develop international undergraduate experiences. It would also provide the opportunity for in-depth experiences (e.g., research-based, industry-based, service-based, international) during the academic year. In addition, the increased granularity associated with six-unit modules gives increased flexibility to redistribute units among core courses providing new options to address the "overloading" issue.