MNE Advising Frequently Asked Questions

Jump to Enrollment Processes
Jump to MNE Degree Requirements And Flowcharts
Jump to Co-ops and Internships
Jump to FE Exam


ENROLLMENT PROCESSES
1. What is the process of enrolling in the MNE Department?
The MNE faculty provides advising during three sessions during enrollment. These normally occur Thursday evenings from 4:30 to 6:00 p.m.. For current information please click here.

Students must make every effort to attend one of the sessions. If you have a conflict with your scheduled session, you are welcome to come to an earlier session; however, attending an earlier advising session does not allow you to enroll any earlier. If you miss your scheduled session, you will have to wait until the next session to get your enrollment flag changed which will likely delay your enrollment and reduce your class selection.

These advising sessions have the advantage of having other students and numerous faculty available to discuss your situation and answer your questions before you enroll. If you have special advising needs, then you should make an appointment with your advisor.

2. How do I enroll after I’ve been advised?
Simply log onto KATS and click on ‘Enroll’.

3. Where can I get forms for enrollment?
Enrollment forms can be found in the hallway across from 3006 Rathbone. These forms include:
* Enrollment Worksheet
* Mechanical Engineering Flowchart
* Mechanical Engineering Curriculum
* Suggested Technical Elective Worksheet
* College of Engineering University General Education Worksheet
* Recommended Humanities and Social Sciences for Engineering Students
* Time Management Schedule

Forms in the main office, 3002 Rathbone, include:
* Drop/Add Forms
* Course Section Permit
* Course Substitution Forms

4. How do I find out who my advisor is?
Log onto KATS and click on ‘General Information’ under ‘General Inquiry’. Your advisor is also listed on your DARS report on KATS (www.kats.ksu.edu).

5. How do I find out what courses will be offered each semester?
K-State’s course schedule can be found on-line. The course schedule lists days and times courses are offered.

K-State’s Undergraduate Catalog also gives a basic description of courses and lists what semesters courses are normally offered in. In the course description, the I, II, S, and/or intersession following the course title indicate the semester, or semesters, each course is usually offered; I stands for fall semester, II for spring, S for summer semester, and intersession for the term between semesters.

6. How can I predict what days and times a course will be taught?
If you are planning ahead and would like to know when a class might be taught in a semester that is not currently posted, looking back at the previous year’s semester is a good way to gauge the days and time the course may be offered again.

7. How do I drop or add a class?
While enrollment is open, you can add/drop courses through KATS. After enrollment has closed (end of the first week of classes), an add/drop form should be filled out (available in the MNE Office, 3002 Rathbone), and signed by your advisor. The form should then be taken to Enrollment Services, 210 Willard. To add after the first week of classes, permission must be obtained from class instructor.

8. What is a retake?
K-State’s retake policy states “Although there is no limit to the number of times a course may be retaken, a student may retake a course with subsequent removal of the prior grade from calculation of the grade point average only once for each course, and for a total of five courses during the student's academic career at K-State.”

Please also be aware that the replaced grades remain on a student’s transcript, but will not be calculated into the final GPA.

9. What is the Engineering Honors Program?
The Engineering Honors Program is a program for students with a 3.5 or better GPA, and have an interest in working with a faculty member on a research project. Students must complete at least four semester hours of engineering honors courses including a minimum of two honors research hours. To find out who the faculty representative is, please visit the MNE Main Office, 3002 Rathbone.

MNE DEGREE REQUIREMENTS AND FLOWCHARTS
1. Where do I find the official MNE degree requirements?
To view your classes and the MNE degree requirements, see your DARS report on KATS. Please be sure to regularly check and discuss your DARS report with your advisor.

2. What is my key advising tool?
K-State Engineering students use the flowchart system. To view the Mechanical Engineering flowchart, students should go to https://flowcharts.engg.ksu.edu/.

3. Do I need to follow the flowchart exactly?
No. You don't have to take the courses exactly as scheduled on the flowchart as long as you meet the pre-requisites for each course you enroll in. However, following the flowchart does help prevent course conflicts, and assures in general that you are ready for the courses you intend to take.

4. My flowchart does not show all my courses.
Individual flowcharts will only show courses that are a one-to-one match. They will not show Humanities and Social Science electives, transfer courses or equivalent courses (ex. taking SPCH 106 instead of SPCH 105). These courses will print out after your flowchart.

5. Why is my flowchart not available?
Records for students on co-ops or those with an Academic Registration Hold are not available on the flowchart system.

6. What are the requirements of the technical electives?
Three technical electives are to be chosen from MNE courses with at least one course at the 600-level or above. Another technical elective course is to be chosen from the 200-level or above College of Engineering (including MNE) classes. The remaining technical credits are to be chosen from 200-level or above College of Engineering, Math, Chemistry, Physics, Biology, or Business Administration classes or 400-level or above Statistics classes. Other classes that strengthen a student’s program of study will be considered and require advisor and department head approval.

7. Is the Nuclear Option a separate curriculum?
The Nuclear Option is integrated into the Mechanical Engineering curriculum. Students take four technical electives that include: NE 612 Principles of Radiation Detection; NE 690 Radiation Protection and Shielding; NE 630 Nuclear Reactor Theory; and NE 648 Nuclear Reactor Lab.

Students who take the Nuclear Option have a diploma that says ‘Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering’. Their transcript will say ‘Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, Nuclear Engineering Option’.

8. Do I have to take Senior Design I and Senior Design II sequentially?
No, but is important to try to do so. Students normally take these courses sequentially, but due to co-ops/internships or other scenarios, there may be a semester gap between the two.

9. I transferred into K-State, but not all of my hours on courses transferred in.
K-State will only accept hours up to what the equivalent K-State course is offered for. For example, a student that transferred in 5 hours of Calculus I will only receive 4 hours of transfer credit because K-State’s Calculus I is offered for 4 hours.

10. I transferred into K-State and part of my math sequence is different from the required MNE math sequence.
Part of the MNE math sequence includes Calculus I (4 hours), Calculus II (4 hours), Calculus III (4 hours) and Differential Equations (4 hours) for a total of 16 hours. Some transfer students come in with a different number of credit hours for these courses.

One example includes a student that took Calculus I (5 hours), Calculus II (5 hours), Calculus III (3 hours) and Differential Equations (3 hours). This equals 16 hours, and is acceptable. The student’s DARS report will not reflect this, and will have to be manually changed by the Asst. Dean for Student Services in 1042 Rathbone.

Another example includes a student that transfers in with Calculus I (4 hours), Calculus II (4 hours), Calculus III (4 hours) and Differential Equations (3 hours) for a total of 15 hours. This student is one hour short of the required 16, and will need to make it up with a technical elective.

11. Who should take ME 101 Introduction to Mechanical Engineering?
Any new student in the Mechanical Engineering program (freshmen, transfer and students that have switched majors) must take ME 101 their first Fall semester on campus. Exceptions can be made if the student has an equivalent introductory engineering course such as DEN 160 Engineering Concepts.

12. The MNE curriculum changed in Fall 2002 and ME 101 became a required course. Do I have to take it?
For students that started before the curriculum change in Fall 2002, taking ME 101 Introduction to Mechanical Engineering, might not be appropriate. Those students should cover the two hours with a departmental technical elective. See your advisor for more information.

CO-OPS AND INTERNSHIPS
1. How do I learn more about co-ops and internships?
Co-ops and internships are set up through K-State’s Career and Employment Services. For more information, visit CES at 100 Holtz Hall, call them at 532-6506 or visit their webpage at: http://www.k-state.edu/ces/.

Setting up your co-op or internship through CES will allow you to participate in the University Recognition Program, which will allow you to:
* Retain full-time student status while off campus
* Deferment of student loans
* Continued eligibility for scholarships and financial aid upon return
* Enrollment privileges through KATS and the Market Place for football tickets, Royal Purple and other purchases
* Continued use of K-State email account, ability to utilize Student Health Services, Recreational Facilities and Student ID privileges (with payment of student fees)

FE EXAM
1. What is the FE Exam?
To pursue a professional engineering license, you must pass the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam . The exam is not a graduation requirement, but most K-State Mechanical Engineering students take it during their Junior or Senior year. For information on specific dates and steps in registering for the FE exam, please visit the Kansas State Board of Technical Professions website.

2. What is the professional engineering license?
For more information on the professional engineering license, please go to http://www.engineeringlicense.com/.