What mechanical engineering college course did you take? Or are you looking to find out what course will be right for you? This is our summary of the mechanical engineering college courses out there right now.

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Mechanical engineering is one of the fundamental types of engineering, and because it is so diverse, it contains a large variety of sub-categories, including;  thermodynamics, manufacturing engineering, heating and cooling etc. There always has been and always will be a need for mechanical engineers, and these engineers will need mechanical engineering college courses. Especially since there are very innovative solutions coming up in specialized mechanical engineering fields like industrial engineering and robotics. Even Google’s Director of Engineering has been quoted saying that robotics engineering is the future!

Options

There are numerous options for mechanical engineering degrees both on-campus and online, nowadays it makes no difference whether you complete your course online or in-person. It is now very common to earn your degree online and most employers view the curriculum as the same. As a study by the Department of Education stated, those that completed a significant section of their coursework online learned more and performed better in tests. In addition to completing your degree online, additional course can be taken on learning platforms like LinkedIn Learning.

Generally, many people interested in mechanical engineering are also interested in other related engineering programs like electronics, industrial engineering and aeronautics. It is recommended to speak to a couple of different mechanical engineering schools or similar departments to have multiple options in order to be able to make the best decision for you. If you’re similar to the majority of people and you have a general idea of what you would like to do, you can always talk to the university’s engineering department to get a better idea of what decision to make.

Types

There are a lot of different mechanical engineering sub-categories. Most mechanical engineers choose to complete the more general Mechanical Engineering degree, particularly for their undergrad/bachelor’s degrees. Some then decide to stick with the Mechanical Engineering degree for the master’s degree, the vast majority (but not all) of post-doctoral candidates specialize in one of the below categories.

• Mechanical Engineering Technology
• Industrial Engineering
• Automotive Engineering
• Robotics Engineering

Most mechanical engineering technology programs focus more on theory, while the majority of mechanical engineering programs are focused on practical application. Mechanical engineering and mechanical engineering technology programs are not to be confused, while it may seem obvious, mechanical engineers complete engineering degree programs and mechanical engineering technicians complete engineering technology programs. Engineering technology programs are usually associate degrees. It is important to obtain skills in the correct modern technologies like 3D CAD programs such as AutoCAD, Revit, Inventor and Fusion 360, among others.

Those who want to work as mechanical engineers must have bachelor’s degrees but those who wish to work as teachers, in management or in research & development generally need to have graduate degrees. Some colleges offer programs that span 5 or 6 years that offer the opportunity to complete earn both bachelor’s and master’s degrees. Many engineering departments offer their students scholarships as well as an opportunity to become a member of their engineering organizations.

Online

Universities have made bringing mechanical engineering college courses online one of their top priorities. This does take a considerable amount of time as the curriculum and coursework must be developed in such a way that it keeps in-line with on-campus programs. Those that must choose an online program have chosen a more general engineering degree in the past.

Online education has become very popular lately, and it is offered by many mechanical engineering schools within universities. This allows students to work and/or continue to meet other responsibilities while also completing a mechanical engineering degree in their own time. Distance learning students can complete most of their classes online but have to complete the obligatory internship at an engineering company.

Electronics and industrial engineering are two very common areas that students interested in mechanical engineering venture into because they are both such similar fields. Their respective degree programs actually include a lot of mechanical engineering classes.

Associates/Bachelor’s

These are two types of undergraduate degrees that are essential to starting your career as a mechanical engineer. Associates degrees are quite hard to come by for mechanical engineering, so a lot of students choose a more general engineering route or a similar engineering field such as industrial engineering.

Bachelor’s degrees are much more common, but unfortunately these are find outside of state colleges and universities, which are not an option for everyone. As mentioned there are some online courses starting to surface, but this is taking time and is not available to everyone just yet. Because of this, alternative routes are being chosen in specialized fields such as robotics, manufacturing or industrial engineering.

Master’s/Doctorates

As you progress to higher levels of education in engineering, you will typically become more specialized in terms of what you are studying/researching. Buildings, machinery, or software are all areas that engineers have an impact on, and for this reason there needs to be engineering specifically trained as experts in these fields. While there are options for a general MS or ME in Mechanical Engineering, students tend to go for specialized courses when doing a post-grad. There are also options for those who get chosen to go into management, as engineering management course are available online and campus-based.

ABET

The ABET (Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology) accredited engineering programs which have met the strict standards regarding mechanical engineering college courses, while also meeting the curriculum and training requirements. Completing an ABET-accredited formal training program will be one of the first steps on a student’s journey to becoming a mechanical engineer, and there are currently more than 315 mechanical engineering programs across the US, including associate, bachelor and graduate.

Colleges

Below is a list of the top undergraduate schools in the US where the highest engineering degree is offered in a doctorate:

• Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• University of California – Berkeley
• Georgia Institute of Technology
• Stanford University
• University of Michigan – Ann Arbor
• University of Illinois – Urbana – Champaign
• California Institute of Technology
• Purdue University – West Lafayette
• Carnegie Mellon University
• Cornell University

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