2. Master of Science Degree in Mechanical Engineering

Bachelor of Science Program

The undergraduate program offered by the Department of Mechanical Engineering provides an opportunity for students with an aptitude for physical sciences, mathematics and use of computers to fully develop their capabilities and apply them to the engineering program. Graduates of Mechanical Engineering acquire an excellent background in mechanics and thermal sciences to analyze the conversion and transmission of energy in its many forms. Mechanical engineers use this knowledge to solve new problems and to make things work better, more efficiently, and more economically.

Energy generation and utilization, manufacturing processes and products, and design of mechanical equipment and systems are traditional mechanical engineering fields. Students receive basic preparation in all of these areas. The Mechanical Engineering program prepares students for entrance into industry, for independent business (e.g., consulting, contracting, or manufacturing), or for work in government agencies. A degree in Mechanical Engineering may be used as a background for a business degree, as well as for graduate study in engineering. 

Employment opportunities for graduates from Mechanical Engineering program are in the areas of research and development of new products, design of equipment or systems, supervision of production, maintenance, administration, sales engineering, and testing. Mechanical engineers may work in engineering organizations, in the government sector, and in major industries such as power and desalination plants, heavy equipment, plastic, aerospace, chemical, electronics, materials processing, etc.

Graduation Requirements 

The requirements for the Degree of Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering are 160 credit-hours distributed over 10 levels of study, and 60 days of Industrial Training (Table 1 and Figure 1).

The Mechanical Engineering curriculum is designed as a sequence of increasingly specialized experience. The entering student’s first two years are spent in studying the basics of science: mathematics, physics, and chemistry, English language, computer skills and Arabic language, Islam, and some fundamental courses such as statics, dynamics, materials engineering and mechanics of materials. Building on this base, in the third year, students take more fundamental courses such as thermodynamics, introductory fluid mechanics, basic elements of circuits and electronics, and manufacturing processes. By the fourth year, students study specialized Mechanical Engineering courses in the subfields of fluid mechanics, heat transfer, dynamic systems, automatic control, and engineering design. Finally, during the fifth year, the program offers the opportunity to both broaden and deepen the students’ knowledge of the field through additional technical courses. Furthermore, in the final year, students take a senior project, in which the knowledge and skills they have learned are applied. Engineering design, technical communication, teamwork, and laboratory experiences are integrated throughout the curriculum.

Master of Science Program

The Mechanical Engineering Department started offering a graduate program leading to the degree of Master of Science (M.Sc.) in Mechanical Engineering in 1400 H (1980 G). The M.Sc. program has been designed to cope with the modern trends and development in Mechanical Engineering curricula. The main goal of the program is to enrich the student’s knowledge and understanding of the concepts and problems of engineering, and to increase his expertise in the specific fields of interest. This enhanced program will help in providing the Kingdom with the high quality postgraduates needed in research centers and critical positions in industry. The program is available in the following areas of specialization:

-          Design and Applied Mechanics

-          Thermofluids

M.Sc. Degree Requirements

The department offers two options for a Master Degree in Mechanical Engineering; a Thesis Option and a Non-Thesis Option (see Tables 2(a) and 2(b)).

1. The Thesis Option requires 24 credit hours of course work and successful completion of a thesis.
2. The Non-Thesis Option requires 36 credit hours of course work and successful completion of a project.