Mechanical Engineering
Design and manufacturing of mechanical systems, thermodynamics, and robotics.
Who It's For
You enjoy understanding how physical things work — engines, machines, robots, and structures. If you like building, sketching designs, and applying physics and math to real-world problems, mechanical engineering is a natural fit. Students who enjoyed physics labs and shop class, and who think spatially, tend to thrive.
If you dislike physics or struggle with visualizing 3D objects and forces, the core curriculum will be challenging. Students who prefer working with people, words, or abstract ideas over physical systems might find engineering coursework tedious.
How Your High School Classes Connect
How much each subject matters in this degree
Common Coursework
Work with matrices, vectors, and systems of equations used in graphics, AI, and engineering.
Cover mechanics, waves, electricity, magnetism, and optics through problem solving and lab experiments.
Extend single-variable calculus into 3D with multivariable functions, vectors, and surface integrals.
Solve equations describing how systems change over time, from circuits to population growth.
Create precise 2D drawings and 3D models of parts using professional design software.
Learn why metals, ceramics, polymers, and composites have different strength and flexibility properties.
Analyze forces on objects at rest and in motion to predict how structures and machines behave.
Calculate stress, strain, and deformation to predict when beams and shafts will break.
Study heat, energy, and work — how engines, refrigerators, and power plants operate.
Analyze how liquids and gases flow through pipes, over wings, and around objects.
Model how heat moves through conduction, convection, and radiation in engineering systems.
Design gears, shafts, bearings, and mechanical assemblies that withstand real-world loads.
Study machining, casting, welding, and 3D printing methods used to make physical parts.
Design feedback loops that keep systems like thermostats, drones, and robots on target.
Common Next Steps
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Is Mechanical Engineering right for you?
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