Mechanical Engineering Careers
Toward a Career in Mechanical Engineering
If you have an aptitude for mathematics and a curiosity about science – especially about how things work and why – mechanical engineering may be for you. Study programs in the US leading to a career in mechanical engineering require a commitment of four years, on average, to receive the bachelor’s of science degree.
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There is a wide selection of institutions and faculties supporting engineering education, all with differences in size, location, cost and range of courses offered. After taking the general pre-engineering courses, including mathematics and physics, students are expected to choose an engineering specialty, such as electrical, mechanical, industrial or civil.
Virtually all educational programs in the United States are periodically reviewed by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). ABET uses a demanding set of quality standards that reflect the views of experts from industry, government, and higher education.
Many engineering academic programs today also require a co-op or internship component, in which students receive some on-the-job experience as a part of the course of study.
After graduation, many career paths become open to engineers. In today’s fast-moving technological world, engineers who understand technology are in great demand.
Engineers work in areas as varied as industry, consulting, universities and government research, although the vast majority are employed in the manufacturing and aerospace industries, and at electric power utilities, material processing plants, transportation firms, and petroleum companies. The job functions of these engineers range from basic research and design to plant operations and quality control. However, many engineers choose a management path, where they oversee the work of other engineers, or cross over into corporate sales of products where technological expertise is an advantage.
ASME International (American Society of Mechanical Engineers) has 36 technical divisions reflecting the wide-ranging interests and employment choices for mechanical engineers in the United States and worldwide. These technical divisions are:
- Applied Mechanics
- Management
- Bioengineering
- Safety Engineering and Risk Analysis
- Fluids Engineering
- Technology and Society
- Heat Transfer
- Manufacturing Engineering
- Triboloby
- Materials Handling Engineering
- Fuels and Combustion Technologies
- Plant Engineering and Maintenance
- Internal Combustion Engines
- Process Industries
- Nuclear Engineering
- Textile Engineering
- Power
- Materials
- Advanced Energy Systems
- Nondestructive Evaluation Engineering
- Ocean, Offshore and Arctic Engineering
- Pressure Vessels and Piping
- Petroleum
- Computers & Information in Engineering
- Solar Engineering
- Design Engineering
- Aerospace
- Dynamic Systems and Control
- Environmental Engineering
- Electrical and Electronic Packaging
- Noise Control and Acoustics
- Fluid Power Systems and Technology
- Rail Transportation
- Information Storage and Processing
- Solid Waste Processing
- MicroElectrofMechanical Systems
Some mechanical engineers work in peripheral industries and businesses, such as advising the legal, insurance, and medical industries. Consequently, mechanical engineering is becoming more and more multi-disciplinary. Increasingly, engineers must understand other areas of science and technology (for example, electronics and chemistry), as well as the totality of issues involved in the product, including environmental control, sales and marketing, and consumer expectations.
The website of ASME International is a prime source of information on mechanical engineering education and careers in the field. Visit: www.asme.org.
Author
ASME International, USA
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