ME 370 provides an overview of the professional practice of mechanical engineering. The course begins with the development of a five-year plan for students' career in engineering. Intellectual property – patents, copyright, and trademark – are explained and related to the role of innovation. Engineering ethics and the participation in society as a professional engineer is a major component of the class. Students are exposed to topics related to effective and responsible practice of mechanical engineering, business norms and practices, life-long learning, the relationship of engineering to society, and an awareness of contemporary local and global issues.
Gerald Recktenwald, Associate Professor, Mechanical Engineering Department, Engineering Building, Suite 400, 503-725-4290,
As a result of taking this course students will be able to
Students do not need to purchase a textbook.
Course readings can all be obtained either on-line or via the D2L interface. Several of the required readings will come from the book Citizen Engineer: A handbook for socially responsible engineering, by David Douglas, Greg Papadopoulos, and John Boutelle, 2010, Prentice Hall, ISBN 978-0-13-714392-4. The chapters of this book can be downloaded for free from the book's web site.
Other reading materials will provided via links on the D2L site or on the Lecture notes page.