Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Return to: Academic Departments

Degrees Offered

Full details of the learning objectives, assessment plan, student outcomes, and evidence of continuous improvement for these programs of study can be found at engineering.usu.edu/mae/assessment/undergraduate/abet-mechanical for undergraduate programs and mae.usu.edu/assessment/graduate for graduate programs.

The Mechanical Engineering program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, http://www.abet.org.

Undergraduate Majors

• Mechanical Engineering, BS

Undergraduate Minors

• Mechanical Engineering

Undergraduate Emphasis

• Aerospace Engineering

Graduate Majors

• Mechanical Engineering, MS
• Space Systems Engineering, MS
• Aerospace Engineering, MS
• Composite Materials and Structures, MS
• Aerospace Engineering, PhD
• Mechanical Engineering, PhD

Graduate Areas of Interest

• Solid Mechanics
• Dynamics and Controls
• Thermo/Fluids
• Aerospace

Undergraduate Program

Mission

Mechanical Engineering graduates are prepared to pursue careers in such widely diverse industries as aerospace, agricultural equipment, automotive, biotechnical, chemical processing, composite materials, computer equipment, defense, electrical utilities, food processing, industrial equipment, manufacturing, materials processing, nuclear, petroleum, robotics, and solar energy. Most Mechanical Engineering graduates are prepared for graduate studies and enhanced career prospects in engineering or other areas, such as consulting, law, medicine, business management, or teaching. In addition, students who are preparing to apply for admission to medical school will find that Mechanical Engineering provides an excellent foundation for the increasingly technology-oriented field of medicine.

Students may choose to obtain an Aerospace Engineering Emphasis within the Mechanical Engineering BS degree. The Aerospace Emphasis focuses on the mechanics and dynamics of both flight within the atmosphere and space flight. Included within its scope are studies in aerodynamics, aircraft flight dynamics and control, aircraft design, spacecraft orbital mechanics, spacecraft attitude motion and control, and space systems design. Graduates who complete the aerospace engineering emphasis are prepared to pursue careers in aircraft design and development, aircraft flight testing, spacecraft and space systems design, and spacecraft trajectory design and analysis. As fully qualified Mechanical Engineers, graduates with the aerospace engineering emphasis are also well-prepared to pursue graduate studies or careers in the industries listed above under Mechanical Engineering.

For more information about the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering department, see the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering department webpage.

Sample Four-Year Plan and Required Courses

Go to the Mechanical Engineering - BS, Mechanical Engineering: Aerospace Emphasis - BS, and Mechanical Engineering - Minor pages to learn about program sample four-year plans and required courses.

Admission Requirements and Graduation Requirements

Go to the Undergraduate Program section of the College of Engineering’s catalog page for information about program admission requirements, and graduation requirements.

Financial Assistance

Scholarships, assistantships, grants-in-aid, and work-study programs are available to undergraduate students through the university. In addition, the MAE department employs undergraduates to assist in engineering research and development. Cooperative education and industrial employment opportunities for students are coordinated by the university Career Services Office.

Concurrent BS/MS Program

The concurrent BS/MS program allows eligible students to begin taking graduate-level classes during their senior year. This permits them to complete requirements for both the BS degree and the master’s degree concurrently. Students in this program have a greater selection of graduate courses since many graduate courses are taught during alternate years. Both the BS and MS degrees can generally be earned with 150 total credits, although students should note that a Plan C MS requires 3 extra credits. To be eligible, students must apply at the end of the junior year (completed 90 credits of Mechanical Engineering BS degree requirements) and have at least a 3.5 overall and admission GPA (calculated using all grades from semesters covering last 60 credits) as of the end of their junior year. (For more information, see College of Engineering.) 

Graduate Programs

The Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering provides each graduate with a foundation of knowledge and experience upon which to build successful careers in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineer, or space systems engineering.

Mechanical Engineering touches nearly every aspect of our modern lives. Mechanical engineers use principles of motion, energy, heat, fluid, controls, vibrations, solids, and material science to design and build mechanical devices that lift enormous loads or move microscopic components. Mechanical Engineers affect technological advancements in nearly every field and component of life today.

Aerospace engineers develop new technologies in the defense, aviation, astronautics, and space industries including modern aircraft, satellites, rockets, and space vehicles.  Courses and research focus on aerodynamics, vehicle dynamics, controls, propulsion, guidance and navigation, optimization, and structures.

The Space Systems Engineering MS-C degree is a joint effort between Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE) and Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE). The goal of the program is to provide early- and mid-career professionals with post-graduate education and an opportunity to develop an understanding of system engineering from the perspective of the space engineering discipline. Space Systems engineers focus on the systems associated with space flight including propulsion, flight dynamics, navigation, controls, instrumentation and astrodynamics.

Admission Requirements

All students intending to pursue graduate studies at Utah State University must complete an Application for Admission to the School of Graduate Studies. In addition to the general graduate admission requirements, the MAE department requires all graduate applicants to have: a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a closely related engineering discipline; a minimum admission GPA of 3.3 (calculated using all grades from last 60 semester or 90 quarter credits earned); and GRE scores at or above the 40th percentile for Verbal Reasoning and 70th percentile for Quantitative Reasoning. All MAE graduate students are expected to be well acquainted with FORTRAN, C, or C++, or MATLAB.

GPA Requirement

All students who complete a graduate degree at USU must maintain a minimum of 3.0 GPA. Consult with your department for additional requirements. 

Research

Departmental research projects are funded by both government agencies and private industry. Research topics generally include fluid dynamics, aerodynamics, material science, additive manufacturing, composites, solids and structures, thermodynamics, heat transfer, guidance navigation and controls, optimization, space systems, orbital mechanics, and remote sensing. Please go to the MAE department website at engineering.usu.edu/mae/research/ and specific professors’ websites to see their current research.

Financial Assistance

A number of teaching and research assistantships are available to graduate students through the department and are awarded on a competitive basis each year. For information about tuition awards and waivers see the policy at rgs.usu.edu/graduateschool/finances/tuition.

Acceptance to pursue graduate studies in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering does not imply a commitment to any type of financial aid. All awards for financial aid are made on a competitive basis after applicants are admitted to graduate school.

Academic Advising

Undergraduate and Graduate advising information can be found on the College of Engineering page. 

EN Faculty 
 

Return to: Academic Departments