Mechanical Engineering

Accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission(s) of ABET, http://www.abet.org, under the General Criteria and the Mechanical and Similarly Named Engineering Programs Program Criteria.

Mechanical engineering is one of the broadest engineering disciplines. Mechanical engineers research, design, develop, build, and test mechanical devices, including tools, engines, and complex dynamical systems. Design is introduced early in the curriculum, and all graduates are expected to be knowledgeable in both the thermal/fluids and the solid mechanics areas of mechanical engineering. Extensive laboratory involvement provides valuable insights into experimental methods and, in some cases, original research. Mechanical engineering students become proficient in working with computers to produce and analyze designs and simulate and test dynamical systems. A concentration in aerospace engineering is available to students interested in careers in the aircraft industry.

Mechanical Engineering Degree Requirements

Career Potential in Mechanical Engineering

The median annual wage for mechanical engineers was $87,370 in May 2018. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10% earned less than $56,270, and the highest 10% earned more than $136,550.

In May 2018, the median annual wages for mechanical engineers in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:

Most mechanical engineers work full time and some work more than 40 hours a week.

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Mechanical Engineers, on the internet at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/architecture-and-engineering/mechanical-engineers.htm (visited November 27, 2019).