Mechanical Engineering Partnership
Colorado State University – Adams State University
Mechanical Engineering Partnership Highlights
Adams State, which is celebrating its centennial in 2021, is the first federally designated Hispanic Serving Institution in Colorado and is the Regional Education Provider for southern Colorado. Students can earn a bachelor’s degree in 16 academic programs, with nearly 60 emphases, five teacher licensure programs, and 10 pre-professional programs, in addition to seven master’s degrees and one doctoral degree offered in Counselor Education. Students can also earn an associate of arts or science degree at Adams State.
Colorado State University is one of the nation’s top public research universities with more than 33,000 students and $400 million in annual research funding. The Walter Scott, Jr. College of Engineering at CSU prepares students to engage in and solve global challenges to shape a better world through research, education, innovation and outreach. The college attracts about $80 million in annual research dollars, placing it in the top tier of public institutions of similar size, and is a campus leader in patents, startups, and technology transfer.
Mechanical Engineering Partnership Outcomes
Strong economic growth in the state of Colorado over the past decade has resulted in increased demand for degreed engineers. A degree in mechanical engineering provides a well-defined career path and substantial earning potential with median starting salaries of $68,000 per year. Today, there are currently 64,100 engineers employed in the state of Colorado, of which 5,580 are mechanical engineers with an average annual salary of $103,180.
Mechanical engineering can take you to any end of the technology spectrum. Make an impact on the world in some of many professional areas including air quality, energy, biomedical engineering, environment, robotics, advanced manufacturing, automotive, laser sensing, and aerospace.
- Skills and expertise in applying advanced mathematics and science for analysis, design, manufacturing, and maintenance of mechanical systems.
- Ability to identify, analyze, formulate, and solve engineering problems both independently and in a team environment.
- Skills to manage multi-faceted and multi-disciplinary projects with significant legal, ethical, regulatory, social, environmental, and economic considerations using a broad systems perspective.
- Ability to communicate effectively with colleagues, professional clients, and the public.
- Combined faculty expertise from two award-winning universities
- Access to CSU resources
- Stay local! CSU faculty come to you
- Join a network of accomplished alumni
- Gain an education to begin a fun and high-paying career
Mechanical Engineering Partnership Faculty
Matt Nehring, Ph.D.
Chair of Engineering and Computer Science
Daniel Olsen, Ph.D.
Professor of Mechanical Engineering
Kassiopeia Smith, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Engineering
Scott Clayton
CSU Lab Support Engineer
Jide Williams, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Mechanical EngineeringMechanical Engineering Partnership Overview
| Year | Faculty Instructors | Course Level | Campus |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Adams State | 100-200 | Adams State |
| 2 | Adams State | 100-200 | Adams State |
| 3 | CSU | 300-400 | Adams State |
| 4 | CSU | 300-500 | Adams State |
Adams State also offers an associate’s degree that is linked to the successful completion of the lower division courses. This is an excellent option for students interested in mechanical engineering but not yet ready to commit to a 4-year degree.
Courses
A total of 129 credits are required to complete the degree, specifically 78 lower division credits and 51 upper division credits.
12 credits of technical electives are required to graduate and will be offered face-to-face on the Adams State campus. For students with specific engineering interests, all existing 400-level technical elective courses that are taught via remote instruction are available to students who have a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA.
Accreditation
Students completing the CSU-Adams State University Mechanical Engineering (ME) Partnership Program will receive a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from CSU. All diplomas and transcripts for the degree will be from Colorado State University. As per the requirements of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET), the partnership program will apply for ABET accreditation once the first student graduates from this joint program (anticipated for Spring 2026). Given that the CSU Mechanical Engineering curriculum has been duplicated on the Adams State campus and all student learning outcomes of the partnership correspond to the CSU-Fort Collins ME program, we fully expect ABET will accredit the program once eligibility has been established.
