What is Mechanical Engineering?

Mechanical engineers are often called the "general practitioners" of engineering because their education is extremely broad and their services span many of the interdisciplinary technical, social, environmental and economic problems that face the world today. The mechanical engineering domain encompasses the wide realm of motion, all forms of energy conversion and transmission; the flow of fluids and heat; the development, design and operation of machinery and equipment; material structure and properties; and transportation processes. Thus mechanical engineers are involved in almost every aspect of our technology.

Because of their training, mechanical engineers are in demand in practically every type of manufacturing operation as well as in research, academic and governmental organizations. Specific assignments involve research and development, design of equipment or systems, supervision of production, plant engineering, administration, sales engineering, the testing and evaluation of machines and entire plants and teaching. Their educational program also prepares them to address current and future problems in areas such as: energy storage, alternative fuels, waste disposal and management, environmental control, more efficient energy conversion methods and biomedical engineering.