Online Degrees in Mechanical Engineering

Mechanical Engineering Degrees

As a mechanical engineer, you'll be practicing one oldest of the engineering disciplines, using your knowledge to analyze, design, manufacture and/or maintain mechanical systems such as internal combustion engines, gas and steam turbines, electric generators. Some of the fields in which you could be employed include transportation, environmental control, the biomedical industry, the computer industry, or in developing alternate fuel sources.

You will usually start out in the profession by earning a bachelor's degree, focusing on coursework such as instrumentation and measurement, statics and dynamics, material strength, thermodynamics, fluid mechanics and dynamics, mechanism design, manufacturing processes, pneumatics, hydraulics. mechatronics, drafting (including computer-aided drafting, or CAD), and engineering design. Master's programs are also available if you wish to advance in the profession, or to begin your career at a higher level.

Once you've earned your degree in mechanical engineering, you could work in the field of manufacturing, designing and building the machines that turn raw materials into finished products. You could also work in product design, research and development, or in marketing as you help to determine the need for new products and calculate the feasibility of providing them. A career in systems management could find you overseeing a large system such as a hydroelectric or nuclear power plant. The new field of "green technology" is another area in which you may put your skills to good use, helping to develop cleaner, more fuel-efficient machines and vehicles.