Disclaimer: This article is a part of The Lewd, a biannual satirical project put together by The Lode staff, typically published the week before finals. Opinions presented in these articles do not reflect The Lode values.
In the past, the Mechanical Engineering (ME) department at Michigan Tech has received complaints that the flowchart of classes for prospective ME majors is too dense and complicated. To remedy this, the department plans to expand the standard amount of time required to complete a Mechanical Engineering degree to six years.
“Really, we think the problem was that there weren’t enough required courses,” said a representative of the ME department. “Students weren’t getting enough prerequisites to truly understand the higher-level content.”
The new curriculum will feature brand-new classes, including Mechanical Engineering Practice 5 and 6, where students will spend an entire two semesters learning additional cutting-edge engineering software recommended by General Motors and used nowhere else in the industry. The new flowchart will also include art classes, for those ME majors who are still struggling with drawing straight lines. Additionally, all concurrent prerequisite options have been removed for ME majors. According to the department representative, “One of our big complaints was that the old flowchart had too many arrows. With our new, streamlined design, students won’t have to worry about accidentally missing out on a class they really should have taken at the same time as others.”
Of course, with so many new classes for mechanical engineers to take, a few options needed to be cut. To ensure that every ME major completes their degree within the six-year timeframe, ME majors will no longer be eligible to register for any co-curricular courses or courses not on the new and improved flowchart.
When asked about their thoughts on the changes, a current ME student responded, “I don’t really care, my curriculum is already locked in.” The changes will be going into effect beginning with the incoming freshmen of the 2024-2025 academic year.
