Mechanical Engineering

Program Description

Mechanical engineers play a significant role in designing and manufacturing all of the products and systems essential to everyday modern life: recreational equipment, automobiles, aerospace systems, airplanes, medical devices, robots, industrial equipment, power generation, and sustainable energy systems. The field of mechanical engineering (ME) is concerned with the mechanical, thermal, and fluid-flow aspects of all of these systems, including computer and feedback control of complex systems. As a mechanical engineering student at the University of Utah, you will learn the professional, technical, critical thinking, and communication skills you need to be successful and make meaningful contributions to this exciting field.

The Student Experience

The ME curriculum consists of courses throughout the broad disipline including: thermal-fluids, solid mechanics, robotics/mechatronics, and design and manufacturing. The major is built upon primarily math and physics prerequisites and culminates in a year long senior capstone design course. As the ME degree is a broad foundational engineering program, students also have the option to complete one of 15 emphasis areas, allowing them to tailor their program to best fit their strengths and interests. Emphasis areas include:

• Aerospace Engineering
• Biomechanics
• Data Science
• Design & Manufacturing
• Dynamics & Control
• Ergonomics & Safety
• Fluid Systems Engineering
• Industrial Engineering
• Mechatronics
• Micro/Nanoscale Engineering
• Robotics & Control
• Solid Mechanics
• Sustainable Energy Engineering
• Systems Engineering
• Thermal Systems Engineering

Regardless of emphasis area, students are encouraged to complete undergraduate research and/or an internship to further solidify ME concepts and their use in real-world problems. In addition to academic opportunities, students can get involved in some of the many engineering related student clubs and societies which can be explored here: https://getinvolved.utah.edu/organizations?categories=12885

Career Opportunities

Mechanical engineers are prepared to pursue work in a variety of fields using the skills gained from coursework, research, or interning. U alumni have found work as engineers in a number of areas such as product design, aerospace, medical devices, robotics, manufacturing, sustainable energy, hi-tech, and software development including artificial intelligence and machine learning. With additional education at the graduate level, students can become project managers, professors, researchers, lawyers, or doctors.

More Info

• Department of Mechanical Engineering
• Degree Plan Flowcharts
• Price College of Engineering
• Department Advising
• U Career Success

Catalog

• Mechanical Engineering BS

Exploratory Classes

• ME EN 1000 - Intro to Mechanical Design for Engineering Systems
• ME EN 1800 - Success in Mechanical Engineering
• ENGIN 1022 - Survey of Engineering