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Mechanical Engineering, B.S.

Mechanical Engineering, B.S.

What is a Mechanical Engineering Degree?

Mechanical Engineering Degree

Mechanical engineering is dedicated to the analysis, design, and fabrication of systems—machines, engines, products, and technologies—that effect a conversion between mechanical, electrical, and thermal energies. Choosing Florida Tech for a mechanical engineering degree puts you in a program listed among the Fiske Guide’s “Engineering/Top Technical Institutes” and Parade Magazine’s “College A-List in Engineering.”

Whether you want to design a more efficient power generator, develop new methods of automation, or engineer the latest machine system, a mechanical engineering degree from Florida Tech develops a strong background in engineering and experience in fields like instrumentation and thermal systems.

Gain Practical Experience

Mechanical engineering encompasses four major subfields: design and structures, thermal-fluid sciences, control systems, and materials science and manufacturing. You’ll get started on your mechanical engineering degree concentration right away, taking core courses like Introduction to Mechanical Engineering and Calculus-Based Physics in your first year. New technical electives allow you to specialize in unique career-track subfields such as systems engineering, nuclear technology, and energy engineering, making you a hot prospect in the eyes of future employers.

As a senior working toward your mechanical engineering degree, you’ll complete an exciting senior design project in collaboration with a team of your peers. Together, you’ll conceptualize, design, construct, and present a machine, gadget, or structure that fulfills a real-world need. You’ll present your project to industry leaders and employers, and may compete in international events. As a result, you get practical experience, an expanded professional network and perhaps even a pre-graduation job offer.

Why Pursue a Mechanical Engineering Degree at Florida Tech?

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Get the facts about graduate studies at Florida Tech

You have two graduate study opportunities:

  1. On Campus
  2. Download the Grad Guide!

  3. At an Education Center near you
  4. Get the Education Center Brochure

You have three graduate study opportunities:

  1. On Campus
  2. Download the Grad Guide!

  3. At an Education Center near you
  4. Get the Education Center Brochure

  5. 100% Online
  6. Learn more about Florida Tech Online

You have two graduate study opportunities:

  1. On Campus
  2. Download the Grad Guide!

  3. 100% Online
  4. Learn more about Florida Tech Online

You have two graduate study opportunities:

  1. At an Education Center near you
  2. Get the Education Center Brochure

  3. 100% Online
  4. Learn more about Florida Tech Online

Florida Tech’s small class size and strong community of ambitious undergraduate students are just two of the benefits our students enjoy. Other mechanical engineering colleges may have a tough time competing with low faculty-to-student ratios and a family-oriented learning environment. Students at Florida Tech also find a team environment for classwork and homework, and as part of design or research teams.

AccreditationABET | Engineering Accreditation Commission

The undergraduate mechanical engineering program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, http://www.abet.org. Additional information can be found on the department’s ABET information page.

Experienced Faculty of Professional Engineers

The mechanical engineering faculty comprises a mix of well-established professors in their field who bring new expertise and development in novel technical areas—something you would expect from top mechanical engineering colleges. Students work closely with professors who are committed to providing superior education and personalized attention. Our professors are active researchers who primarily focus in areas such as design, structures, and mechanisms; thermal-fluid sciences; controls and mechatronics; and material science.

High-Tech Lab Facilities

Students have access to state-of-the-art facilities housed in the F.W. Olin Engineering Complex, a three-story cutting-edge facility equipped with the latest electronic and communications technology, specialized research and teaching laboratories, and a 142-seat multimedia auditorium. Within the department, students have access to the Fluid Mechanics Laboratory, Shock Tube and Rocket Test Stand, Robotics Laboratory, Dynamic Systems and Controls Lab, Aerospace Systems and Propulsion Laboratory, and Materials Testing Laboratory.

Located in the Heart of Florida’s High-tech Corridor

Florida Tech is the perfect place for a BS in Mechanical Engineering. The 130-acre campus is located on the Space Coast (so named because of the presence of NASA and the Kennedy Space Center on Cape Canaveral just north of us), minutes away from the Indian River Lagoon, the most diverse estuary in North America.

The area has the fifth largest high-tech workforce in the country, with more than 5,000 high-tech corporations and government and military organizations located nearby. This workforce also provides an abundance of internship and employment opportunities.

Florida Tech is just over the causeway from the Atlantic Ocean with its 72 miles of beautiful beaches, and a short trip to the Florida Keys or the Orlando theme parks. We also have a rich campus life that includes a wide range of intramural and collegiate sports, clubs, and social activities.

Build Lasting Professional Relationships through Campus Organizations

Beyond the classroom, mechanical engineering majors build leadership and professional experience through participation in academic organizations like Sigma Gamma Tau (the mechanical engineering honor society), the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, student government, and over 100 other campus-wide student organizations.

Florida Tech’s chapter of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers is an active organization that holds meetings, facility tours, competitions and other events that cover a wide variety of topics within the field. Tau Beta Pi is an honor society for student engineers who excel academically and are recognized for their achievements. The Society of Women Engineers promotes both female and male engineers through lectures and meetings.

How Will a Mechanical Engineering Degree Prepare Me For The Future?

Peerless Study and Internship Opportunities

Our students can participate in a wide array of mechanical engineering internships with companies around the Space Coast, including:

  • NASA
  • Boeing
  • Lockheed Martin
  • Harris Corporation
  • Pratt and Whitney

These mechanical engineering internships allow Florida Tech students to work hand-in-hand with professional engineers working to solve problems in the field. Some students even find that these cooperative experiences later lead to job offers from the companies in which they interned.

Participate in Cutting-Edge Faculty-Led Research

Mechanical engineering internships are not the only learning opportunities outside of classroom study. Florida Tech students can take part in real-world research that prepares them for their future career or graduate school. Select students are handpicked to work with department professors on research teams. Our students are also able to conduct research during their mechanical engineering internships and in preparation for their capstone senior design project. Some student research is even supported and sponsored by local employers, including NASA.

Senior Design Projects

Mechanical engineering students create a capstone senior design project in their last year at Florida Tech. These cooperative endeavors are the culmination of years of studying and research and take a variety of forms. Some previous projects have included:

  • Panther 1 Pathfinder Rocket
  • Formula SAE Race Car
  • SAE Mini Baja
  • The Racing Electric Vehicle
  • The Performance Hybrid Race Car

These projects are displayed at the annual Student Design Showcase and are often entered into national competitions against other student projects.

What Can You Do with a Mechanical Engineering Degree?

Mechanical engineering careers involve a variety of job skills and typically involve research, design, development, building, and testing of mechanical devices, tools, engines, and machines. According to the US Department of Labor, it is one of the broadest engineering disciplines, making the career opportunities just as broad.

Get Recruited Upon Graduation

Employers seek out graduates with a mechanical engineering degree from Florida Tech. Employers that have recruited our students for internships and careers include:

  • Boeing
  • Lockheed Martin
  • Northrop Grumman
  • General Electric
  • Harris Corp.
  • Airbus Consortium
  • Local, state and regional governmental agencies across the US

Career Outlook

The Occupational Outlook Handbook, published by the United States Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), provides information about specific jobs including median annual pay, working conditions and job outlook, among other things. According to the Bureau of Labor, mechanical engineering careers are the second-largest engineering occupations in the country, providing jobs in engineering services, research and development, manufacturing, and the federal government.

Additionally, they report that employment growth for mechanical engineering careers is expected to grow 9% from 2010–2020, with the best jobs going to those who stay knowledgeable of advances in technology. Some growth is expected to come from new industries such as alternative energy, nanotechnology, and remanufacturing.

Other Career Options

Mechanical engineering careers include such jobs as:

  • Architectural and engineering manager
  • Materials engineer
  • Mechanical engineering technician
  • Natural science manager
  • Petroleum engineer
  • Sales engineer
  • Aerospace engineer
  • Agricultural engineer
  • Chemical engineer
  • Civil engineer
  • Electrical and electronic engineering technician
  • Electrical and electronics engineer
  • Industrial engineer
  • Marine engineers and naval architect
  • Mechanical engineer
  • Mining and geological engineer
  • Surveyor

Graduate and Doctoral Programs

After receiving their mechanical engineering degree, about 20% of our students go on to graduate school at Florida Tech or such prestigious universities as:

  • Johns Hopkins
  • Virginia Tech
  • Yale
  • California Institute of Technology (CalTech)
  • Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
  • Stanford University
  • Cornell
  • Georgia Tech
  • Emory University
  • Columbia
  • Princeton University
  • University of Florida
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