Manufacturing Engineering

At a Glance

Degree Type

Bachelor of Science

Total Credits

151-155

Degree Requirements

2023-2024 Catalog

Accreditation

https://www.abet.org

Contacts

Lisa Ochs
Pre-major Advisor

Sura Alqudah
Program Director

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Program Overview

Western's Engineering and Design department offers a Bachelor of Science degree in Manufacturing Engineering. Manufacturing organizations are responsible for creating a vast array of products used in our modern world. These can range from highly personalized products such as a prosthetic device, to complex transportation systems such as a jet airliner. The process of creating these products starts with the identification of a need. This is followed by a systematic sequence of engineering activities that includes the design of the product, the manufacturing processes, the equipment and tooling, and the production systems necessary to produce the final product in sufficient quantities, and with a quality that will be profitable to the organization.

Manufacturing Engineers are responsible for conducting this design effort and for implementing, operating, managing, and continuously improving the facilities and processes necessary for an organization's success. They need to be both critical thinkers and application or "hands-on" oriented. Familiarity with a broad range of technologies in areas such as metals fabrication, polymer processing, CAD/CAM, CNC, machine and tooling design, automation and controls, robotics, and quality control is essential.

Manufacturing Engineers must also be able to work in and lead teams comprised of other engineers, technologists, scientists, and technicians. They must be comfortable functioning in a global setting where the operations of an organization are increasingly dispersed geographically. 

 

Western's Manufacturing Engineering program develops these skills with the help of intensive laboratory components spread throughout its courses. Through these experiences, students learn to apply theoretical knowledge learned in the classroom to solve practical, application-based problems in manufacturing. Our curriculum is based on the Society for Manufacturing Engineering's Four Pillars: Materials & Manufacturing Processes; Product, Tooling, & Assembly Engineering; Manufacturing Systems & Operations; and Manufacturing Competitiveness. Although we no longer offer a separate CAD/CAM degree, students in the Manufacturing Engineering program will choose an emphasis in CAD or Robotics, taking technical elective courses in these disciplines. Courses are designed through close collaboration with a committee of industry experts, preparing our graduates to be professionally competitive upon graduation.

The Manufacturing Engineering program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, https://www.abet.org Accreditation and enrollment numbers are available here.

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Manufacturing Engineering Alumni

class of 2023

Congratulations to the Manufacturing Engineering Class of 2023! 

Good luck in your career and educational journeys. 

Myann

Myann Refai, Class of 2017

Outstanding Graduate

Compartment Manufacturing Engineer, General Motors

"In my role it’s important for me to be a “detective” and look for any and all manufacturing concerns in the 3D virtual CAD space for my given vehicle program before it makes its way to a plant for production. So I look for things such as ergo concerns, locating features on parts, keeping fasteners common across multiple vehicles in the same plant, etc. When I identify issues or opportunities for improvement, I then work with the product team to resolve them!"

Paul

Paul Goins, Class of 2021

Quality Engineer, Janicki Industries

"The Manufacturing Engineering program here at Western was an amazing experience for me. Each class I took brought with it an exciting opportunity to learn more about how the products we see and use every day are created, and I was able to bring home quite the assortment of fascinating parts that I had the satisfaction of making myself. On top of that, all the professors genuinely cared about my success and development as an engineer, and I was able to work alongside a group of my peers who became some of my closest friends."