Fall 2026

Computer-aided Engineering

Introduction to computer-aided engineering, covering mathematical and programmable methods for modeling mechanical shapes, shape processing for manufacturing, and computer-aided analysis of physical properties.

offering recorded3 credits
Recorded instructors · Fall 2026 Krishnan Suresh4.6/5Aaron RobinsonEvan Turner +2 more

Summary

1 / 7

Homework is described as easy, but labs require attention to NX software, and the final exam is noted as tough despite being open book.

Grade history

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average GPA
letter grades
A
AB
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BC
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All recorded terms · compare terms & instructors

Prerequisites

Course map

M E 231, (MATH 320, 340, 341, or 375), (M E 306 orE M A 303 or concurrent enrollment), (M E 240 orE M A 202), and (COMP SCI 200, 220, 300, 301, 310, or placement into COMP SCI 300), or member of Engineering Guest Students

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ME 331 used by

“Used by” includes alternatives; linked courses may have other requirements. This is a best-effort interpretation; check the catalog requirements above.

Prerequisite text tree

Professors

Fall 2026

Krishnan Suresh

/5Adjusted rating
/5RMP difficulty
captured reviews
About this rating

Raw average: 4.91/5 from 54 quality ratings. The adjusted rating blends this with the UW review average (3.66/5), weighted as 20 additional ratings. Smaller samples stay closer to that average. Each captured review is counted once in the prior; this does not correct who chooses to leave a review.

For this course: 4.5/5 raw quality · 2.5/5 difficulty · 6 reviews

RMP profile ↗ · All captured review dates; profile matched by name.

Krishnan Suresh is described as helpful and caring, with reviewers noting he addresses student confusion and makes the course interesting. Some find his lectures helpful and tests reasonable, while one reviewer states he revitalized the course after previous poor instruction.

One reviewer found the teaching method weird and the lab and lecture components very different. This student felt the professor pushed them hard, which negatively impacted their grading experience.

Recent recorded grades — Fall 2017: 3.29 GPA, 60.0% A/AB (n=90 letter grades); Fall 2018: 3.29 GPA, 60.0% A/AB (n=100 letter grades); Spring 2024: 3.59 GPA, 79.4% A/AB (n=107 letter grades).

Historical instructors & teaching patterns

Historical reviews of Jason Oakley: Krishnan Suresh is the current instructor, but recent reviews for ME 331 focus on Jason Oakley. Reviewers describe Oakley as unprepared, sporadic, and inconsistent with exam formats and homework deadlines. Students report that lectures are pointless and assignments take excessive time, leading to frustration.

JASON OAKLEY is recorded teaching in Fall 2023, Fall 2024, Spring 2025, Fall 2025, Spring 2026. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

JEFFREY ROESSLER is recorded teaching in Spring 2012, Fall 2012, Spring 2013, Fall 2013, Spring 2014, Fall 2014, Spring 2015, Fall 2015, Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Spring 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Spring 2023. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

KRISHNAN SURESH is recorded teaching in Spring 2008, Spring 2009, Fall 2010, Spring 2011, Spring 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2017, Fall 2018, Spring 2024. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

VADIM SHAPIRO is recorded teaching in Fall 2008, Fall 2009, Spring 2010, Fall 2011. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

Calendar & sections

Fall 2026

Schedule loads here as you scroll.

SectionModeEnrolled / capacityWaitlist
LEC 001Classroom Instruction190 / 1960
LAB 305Classroom Instruction25 / 250
LAB 301Classroom Instruction31 / 320
LAB 304Classroom Instruction25 / 250
LAB 302Classroom Instruction32 / 320
LAB 306Classroom Instruction25 / 250
LAB 303Classroom Instruction24 / 250
LAB 307Classroom Instruction28 / 320

Times are Central. Select a meeting for details; export includes recorded dates for the selected sections. Enrollment reflects scan time.

Meeting source records
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Student experience

the class

Krishnan Suresh is recommended by reviewers for his helpfulness and care for student success, with one noting he made the course interesting again.

Recent recorded grades — Spring 2025: 3.26 GPA, 54.5% A/AB (n=134 letter grades); Fall 2025: 3.39 GPA, 61.1% A/AB (n=162 letter grades); Spring 2026: 3.43 GPA, 64.9% A/AB (n=131 letter grades).

difficulty & workload

Homework is described as easy, but labs require attention to NX software, and the final exam is noted as tough despite being open book.

Reviewers appreciate Suresh's responsiveness to confusion and encouragement of questions, though one notes a disconnect between lab and lecture content.

Topics

  • Modeling and design of mechanical shapes and assemblies
  • Shape processing for manufacturing (NC machining, 3D printing)
  • Computer-aided analysis of structural, thermal, and physical properties

Skills

  • Mathematical and programmable modeling of mechanical shapes
  • Shape processing for manufacturing (NC machining, 3D printing)
  • Computer-aided analysis of structural and thermal properties

Grades

Historical instructor

Fall 2026 · Projected

Before grades are released

– average GPA

Approximate 80% prediction interval

About this estimate

The course’s semester-average GPA, not an individual student’s grade. The center uses 5 same-season terms, weighted toward recent results.

The range uses the finite-sample 80th-percentile rank of absolute errors from earlier same-season forecasts. Each forecast uses only records from earlier terms. At least four forecasts are required; bounds are rounded outward and limited to 0–4. This is an empirical estimate: changing instructors or grading policies can reduce its coverage.

8 earlier forecasts · 0.12 GPA average error.

Grades over time

Through Fall 2026

More grade details Grade mix, volume & source data

Where this course fits relative to

Latest available grades · Spring 2026 · all course levels

GPA

Higher than % of other courses in this group.

Course GPAs · red marks this course’s range

letter grades

More recorded grades than % of other courses in this group.

Typical course in this group: letter grades.

About this comparison

1283 courses over the same term, each with at least 30 recorded letter grades. Cross-listed courses count once. GPA is not a measure of difficulty or teaching quality. The typical course is the median by recorded grade count; tied values are not counted as lower. Grade counts describe course scale, not unique students or typical section size.

Descriptions compare GPA with this group’s average: at least 0.20 higher or lower; otherwise close to average. Section size uses median recorded enrollment: small up to 30, mid-sized 31–99, large 100+. Lectures and discussion/lab sections are described separately.

Sources & history

UW–Madison

Catalog & offerings

Descriptions, prerequisites, and recorded course offerings.

Catalog observation history

Observations at scan time; dates do not imply when a catalog change took effect.

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Selected offering source records
ME 331 · Fall 2026

Computer-Aided Engineering

Recorded 2026-09-07
Raw records
[
  {
    "run_id": "20260907T155543-ce3781c4",
    "semester": "1272",
    "observed_at": "2026-09-07 15:55:43.033547+00:00",
    "offering_id": "1272:612:011946",
    "course_id": "ME 331",
    "course_uid": "course_054e190102b9b5bab9f66bad",
    "term_id": "1272",
    "source_course_id": "011946",
    "source_subject_id": "612",
    "title": "Computer-Aided Engineering",
    "credits_min": 3,
    "credits_max": 3,
    "typically_offered": "Fall, Spring"
  }
]
Rate My Professors

Student reviews

Original comments behind the course and instructor summaries.

Read original reviews
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Madgrades

Grade history

Recorded grade distributions by term, section, and instructor.

Explore recorded grades
Dataset & model

Recorded 2026-09-07

Download the original dataset
Model outputs & technical records
nvidia/Qwen3.6-35B-A3B-NVFP4
LLM outputs across runs
Download part 1
Full model traces

Recorded model configuration, reasoning, and tool conversations.

Download part 1
Model & dataset provenance
{
  "model": "nvidia/Qwen3.6-35B-A3B-NVFP4",
  "model_revision": "1355db6a052410cfd62085d94b58866fd0f2c3c5",
  "task_version": "14",
  "output_id": "7566d6288ce1f8f0cbf2a9a7077738d5de5aea8dccd55d4c048455f98cbcf3a8",
  "requirements_status": "needs_review",
  "dataset_revision": "e243353dcb7d79b7247ced91d69443ef4c2a6349",
  "observed_at": "2026-09-07 15:55:43.033547+00:00"
}