Careers in ME

Real-world. Meet really prepared.

As a mechanical engineer, you’ll help create improvements in technological problems that ultimately make life better by applying principles of motion, energy, and force. You’ll have opportunities to stay active working in cutting-edge research, development, design, testing, production, technical sales, technical management, as well as applications to medicine, agriculture, clean energy, law, and business. Because of your personal creativity, curiosity, breadth of knowledge, and versatility you’ll function and thrive as a valuable member and leader of multidisciplinary teams.

Almost every type of industry employs mechanical engineers including agricultural/heavy equipment, biotechnology, biomedical, aerospace, computer and electronics, consulting, energy and power, manufacturing, product design, transportation, and more.

Check out the Career Cornerstone Center, an online resource that explores ME career planning resources.

Relevant courses for any engineering area

ME 425, ME 443, ME 466, ME 484; EM 425; IE 305; any courses for a minor in Non-Destructive Evaluation

Professor Elliot Winer is an expert in the area of optimization; he teaches ME 425.

“How Engineering Stuff Works”

Agriculture

Companies: CargillJohn DeereVermeer

Relevant Courses: ME 413, ME 414, EM 425, EM 544, TSM 335, AE 342, Other relevant courses can be found at the Tech Elective lists under “Agricultural Engineering”

Biomedical

Companies: Boston ScientificStrykerMedtronic

Relevant Courses: Chem 331, Chem 331L, Chem 332, Chem 332L; Other relevant courses can be found under courses for a minor in Non-Destructive Evaluation

More to Explore:

Computer-Aided Design

Companies: PTCSolid EdgeSolidworks

Relevant Courses: ME 415, ME 417, ME 419, ME 475, ME 625, EM 425

More to Explore:

  • Rapid Prototyping | The skill of solid modeling is required in rapid prototyping. Do you know who on the ME faculty is an expert in solid modeling and various applications of solid modeling?
  • What is virtual reality?
  • Finite Element Analysis is widely used in the industry. To learn more about FEA follow these links and take EM 425 in the Spring term.
  • Algor, ANSYSCosmosWorks, IDEAS

Construction and Heavy Equipment

Companies: AltecBlack & Veatch CorporationBobcatCaterpillarEFCO CorpKiewitJohn DeereVermeer, Weiler. 

Relevant Courses: ME 414, ME 449, ME 549, EM 425, TSM 335, AE 342

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Consulting

Companies: AccentureBibb and Associates Inc., Burns & McDonnellKJWWStanley ConsultantsTrinity Consultants

Relevant Courses: Con E 380, ME 412, ME 441, ME 442, ME 466

More to Explore:

  • If you would like to open your own consulting firm, you will need to acquire a P.E. license. The very first step in getting a P.E. license is passing the Fundamentals of Engineering exam.

Controls

Companies: Emerson ElectricGARMIN International Inc.,Collins AerospaceDanfoss

Relevant Courses: ME 411, ME 413, ME 414, ME 511, ME 574, ME 575; EE 475; Cpr E 308

More to Explore:

  • What is control theory?
  • People interested in dynamic stability, robotics, avionics, or correcting mechanical error should consider courses involving control theory.
  • What is a dynamical system?

Energy

Companies: Alliant EnergyBlack & VeatchBurns & McDonnell, Halliburton, MidAmerican EnergyOmaha Public Power DistrictSchlumberger Technology Corporation

Relevant Courses: ME 433, ME 443, ME 444, ME 446, ME 475, ME 484, ME 530, ME 540; any Biorenewable Resources Technology (BRT) courses

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Environmental

Companies: Black & VeatchBPExxonShell

Relevant Courses: ME 433, ME 484; Con E 380; Any Biorenewable Resources Technology (BRT) courses; Any 300-400 level Environmental Science (EnSci) courses

More to Explore:

Government

More to Explore:

An instructor pours a cast of molten aluminum

Heating, Cooling, and Refrigeration

Companies: AmanaCarrierLennoxMaytagTraneDanfoss

Relevant Courses: ME 441, ME 442

American Society of Heating Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE)

What is the name of the ME faculty member that teaches both HVAC elective courses?

“How Air-Conditioners Work”

Relevant Courses: ME 412; Con E 380

Patent Law

Manufacturing

Companies: 3M, AlcoaAndersen CorporationAnheuser-Busch Companies, Inc., General MillsPella CorporationRhodia, Inc.Lyondellbasell

Relevant Courses: ME 418, ME 466, ME 520, ME 521, ME 528; EM 362, EM 362L; IE 348, IE 361, IE 419, IE 439, IE 448, IE 545X

Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME)

Who is the ME faculty member with expertise in tribology?

Professor Chandra is interested in nano-scale fabrication 

Mechatronics and Robotics

Companies: Goodrich Corp, Micron TechnologyGenesis Systems Group

Relevant Courses: ME 410, ME 411, ME 418, ME 511; TSM 465

“How Robots Work”

“How FIRST Works”

Do you know what a neural net is?

What is mechatronics?

MEMs/Nanotechnology

Companies: BioscaleBoston ScientificSRI InternationalZyvex Corporation

Relevant Courses: ME 528

What is nanotechnology?

What are MEMs?

Want to see some MEMs in action?

Professors OlsenShrotriya, and Sundararajan are experts in MEMs and nanotechnology.

Nano Science and Technology Institute

“How Nanotechnology Will Work”

Sales

Companies: CaterpillarTimkenTrane

Relevant Courses: IE 305; MIS 330; OSCM 320

Transportation

Transportation

Relevant Courses: ME 417, ME 449, ME 549; EM 425, EM 544; TSM 335; A E 342, any courses for a minor in Non-Destructive Evaluation, other relevant courses for Aircraft can be found on the Tech Elective lists

More to Explore:

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