Competency-Based Education Courses in Mechanical Engineering Technology
Have an associate's degree in Engineering or a related field?
Want to have a bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering Technology?
Take the online competency-based education courses and complete your B. S. degree in as little as 2 years.
Engineering technology focuses on the applied aspects of science and engineering to prepare graduates for practice in product improvement, manufacturing, and engineering operational functions.
Engineering technologists are suited for multiple industries:
- manufacturing
- implementation
- engineering operation
- sales
- production
The mechanical engineering technology degree prepares students to work in support of the development, manufacturing, and testing of mechanical systems by giving them a foundation in mechanics, energy, materials, circuits, computer-aided design, and experimental methods.
Typical occupations for those with mechanical engineering technology degrees are:
- the development and evaluation of mechanical systems and manufacturing processes
- quality control and the development of maintenance procedures
- technical marketing and sales
- design of mechanical systems for heating and cooling
- energy management
For more information about the program, contact:
Dr. David Bridges - Department of Engineering Chair
cbemcet@tamucc.edu
361.825.5849
Competency-Based Education Courses in Mechanical Engineering Technology at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi
A competency-based education (CBE) program is one in which specific, concrete competencies are defined. The top-level competencies in the CBE program in Mechanical Engineering Technology (MCET) at TAMU-CC are the ABET student learning outcomes for mechanical engineering technology programs. Subject-specific sub-competencies are identified and assessed in each of the CBE MCET courses. When a student demonstrates the competencies for a specific course, the student passes the course. When all of the required courses have been completed with passing grades, this means that all of the competencies for the degree have been demonstrated, and so the student receives the degree. The CBE MCET program at TAMU-CC is a degree-completion program. The student is expected to complete the first two years in a traditional MCET BS program, either at TAMU-CC or elsewhere. Only the upper-division (3000- and 4000-level) courses are being offered in the CBE program at TAMU-CC. Once a student has completed the first two years of the traditional MCET BS program, the student may opt for the CBE MCET program. Each of the courses in the CBE MCET program, with the exception of certain laboratory classes described below, may be completed online. Students must apply to and be accepted in the MCET program at TAMU-CC to take advantage of the CBE MCET program. Non-TAMU-CC students applying to the CBE MCET program will choose that option in Apply Texas when applying to TAMU-CC as transfer students. Students already enrolled at TAMU-CC, including those enrolled in the traditional MCET program, will transfer into the CBE MCET program. Fees and tuition for the CBE MCET program will be the same as those for the regular MCET program, with the addition of an online course fee.
Each course will typically have three to five competencies. These represent specific subject areas within the course that the student must master to pass the course. For each course, there will be a pre-test. The pre-test will contain questions covering all of the competencies. The student can request a pre-test, and if the student passes the pre-test with a score of at least 70% on each competency, the student will receive credit for the course and have to pay only the fee for the pre-test. If the student elects to take the course instead, for each competency, there will be a pre-test and a post- test. If the student can pass the pre-test with a score of at least 70%, the student can move on to the next competency. Otherwise, the student will need to complete the studies outlined in the course for that competency and then take and pass the post-test with a score of at least 70%. Each course will also have a final exam, with problems for each competency. If the student has not passed the majority of the pre-tests or post-tests, the student will be required to complete the entire final exam. Otherwise, the student will be required to complete only those problems on the final exam that correspond to competencies that were not passed in the pre-tests or post-tests. The final grade in the class will be based on a weighted average of the problems associated with each competency, with the top score from the pre-test, post-test, or final exam problem for each competency used in computing the average. The student may complete additional problems on the final exam to improve the overall score in the class if the student so wishes.
Courses that must be completed prior to beginning the CBE MCET program (in addition to meeting the Core Curriculum requirements specified by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, or THECB):
- CHEM 1411 – General Chemistry I 4 sem. hrs. (3 hrs. satisfy core life and physical sciences requirement; 1 lab hour satisfies CAO)
- PHYS 2425 – Physics I 4 sem. hrs. (3 hrs. satisfy core life and physical sciences requirement; 1 lab hour satisfies CAO)
- MATH 2413 – Calculus I 4 sem. hrs. (3 hrs. satisfy core mathematics requirement; 1 lab hour satisfies CAO)
- MATH 2414 – Calculus II 4 sem. hrs. (3 hrs. satisfy CAO)
- PHYS 2426 – Physics II 4 sem. hrs.
- ENGR 1211 – Foundations of Engineering I 2 sem. hrs.
- ENGR 1312 – Engineering Graphics I 3 sem. hrs.
- ENGR 2325 – Statics 3 sem. hrs.
- ENGR 2326 – Dynamics 3 sem. hrs.
- ENTC 2414 – Circuit Analysis I 4 sem. hrs.
Equivalent courses may be taken at other institutions. These courses are not offered as online courses in the CBE MCET program.