BSE Degree Planning

Requirements

The general requirements and departmental requirements for a B.S.E. with the mechnical engineering major requires the completion of 34 courses which are comprised of:

• 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.

Below you will find degree check sheets and a typical course sequence that outlines the degree requirements by semester. 

Degree Check Sheet to Track Your Progress

Use the downloadable check sheet and curriculum flow chart to help with course planning and progress towards your degree. One regular course has 2.5 lecture hours per week (3 x 50 min. or 2 x 75 min.). Laboratory courses have one two-hour laboratory or recitation time scheduled per week. Each semester has 13 weeks of class, half a week of reading period, and one week of final exams.

Typical Course Sequence

This plan outlines a student's typical path to graduation by semester. Courses in the table are required unless noted otherwise. This table also identifies pre-requisites and co-requisites. Shifting courses to different semester should be done with caution and preplanning. Work closely with your adviser.

Freshman Year Courses

2nd, 3rd and 4th Year Courses

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 be selected to 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 be counted toward the 100-level requirement.

2. Restricted to 100-level or higher.

3. A list of disallowed natural science courses is maintained in the dean's office for the class of 2012, 2013 and for the class of 2014 and beyond.

Study Abroad

Students are strongly encouraged to take advantage of study abroad programs, whether during the academic year as shown in the table 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 foreign language as well as general education courses.

2nd, 3rd and 4th Year Courses