Welcome to Mechanical Engineering

What is a Mechanical Engineer?

Mechanical engineers are often called the "general practitioners" of engineering because their education is extremely broad and their services span many of the interdisciplinary technical, social, environmental and economic problems that face the world today. The mechanical engineering domain encompasses the wide realm of motion, all forms of energy conversion and transmission; the flow of fluids and heat; the development, design and operation of machinery and equipment; material structure and properties; and transportation processes. Thus mechanical engineers are involved in almost every aspect of our technology.

Because of their training, mechanical engineers are in demand in practically every type of manufacturing operation as well as in research, academic and governmental organizations. Specific assignments involve research and development, design of equipment or systems, supervision of production, plant engineering, administration, sales engineering, the testing and evaluation of machines and entire plants and teaching. Their educational program also prepares them to address current and future problems in areas such as: energy storage, alternative fuels, waste disposal and management, environmental control, more efficient energy conversion methods and biomedical engineering.

Who we are:

Mechanical Engineering, University of Nebraska- Lincoln, is to provide quality educational programs for undergraduate and graduate students planning careers in mechanical engineering or allied fields; to create and disseminate knowledge through research, publication, and other scholarly activities; to engage in professional activities to promote the mechanical engineering profession; and, to provide support to enhance the economic well-being of the State and the Nation. Objectives. The undergraduate and graduate programs offered by the Department of Mechanical Engineering are intended to prepare students for successful careers and lifelong learning in mechanical engineering or allied fields in which the academic discipline serves as an educational base.

Mission Statement:

The mission of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, is to provide quality educational programs for undergraduate and graduate students planning careers in mechanical engineering or allied fields; to create and disseminate knowledge through research, publication, and other scholarly activities; to engage in professional activities to promote the mechanical engineering profession; and, to provide support to enhance the economic well-being of the State and the Nation.

Program Objectives:

• to attract, develop, and retain a dedicated and competent faculty capable of fulfilling the mission of the Department in teaching, research, and service;
• to maintain, update, and improve an undergraduate program which is designed to prepare graduates for successful careers and lifelong learning. The program should have a solid base of physical and natural sciences, mathematics, social sciences and humanities, and communications. The curriculum should be broad-based with required courses in two stems of coherent course offerings in thermal and mechanical systems, including the design and realization of such systems;
• to provide educational opportunities to offcampus students and practicing engineers through extended education;
• to create and disseminate knowledge through research, publication, and other scholarly activities; and
• to engage in professional activities to promote the mechanical engineering profession.

Mechanical engineering is concerned with all forms of energy conversion and transmission; the flow of fluids and heat; the development, design, and operation of machinery and equipment, material structure and properties; and transportation processes. The course of study is designed to give the student fundamental preparation to enter the fields of research, design, operation, production, sales, or management. The Mechanical Engineering Department is structured into three major academic areas: thermal-fluid science engineering, systems and design engineering, and materials science engineering. From these three major areas, a student can develop an emphasis area of study by utilizing the various technical elective courses in the major academic areas or an emphasis area could be directed toward studies in aerospace engineering, automotive engineering, robotics, biomedical engineering, computational methods, and others depending upon the technical courses available and the interest of the student.