Welcome from the Chair
Welcome to the Mechanical Engineering Department website. Mechanical engineering is one of the core and broadest engineering disciplines offering students a wide range of career choices; its strong and broad technical foundation provides opportunities in both engineering practice and scientific research as well as non-engineering fields such as business, law or medicine.
The undergraduate program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, 111 Market Place, Suite 1050, Baltimore, MD 21202-4012 - telephone: (410)347-7700. It is designed to provide students with the detailed mechanical engineering education and training required for immediate entry into the job market. At the same time, the curriculum maintains enough flexibility to enable students to fully prepare themselves for graduate studies and research careers.
The Department is home to about 600 mechanical engineering majors and 50 graduate students who study with 15 faculty. Our faculty is proud of its tradition of excellence in teaching and research at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Please browse our web site to learn about us, and if you have any questions feel free to contact me at 956-381-2381.
What is Mechanical Engineering?
Mechanical Engineering is one of the oldest, broadest and most versatile of the engineering disciplines. It applies the principles of mechanics and energy to the design of mechanisms, power systems and controls. Almost any mechanical devices from artificial heart valves and computer disk drives to aircraft, satellites and semi trucks require Mechanical Engineers in their conception, design and manufacture.
What do Mechanical Engineers do?
Mechanical Engineers conceive, design and direct the manufacture and operation of devices, machines and systems used for energy conversion, power generation, and environmental control, transportation, materials handling and processing and many other purposes. Mechanical Engineers work closely with engineers from all the other engineering disciplines.
What career options do Mechanical Engineers have?
A graduate with a bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering can enter graduate school and pursue graduate degrees in Mechanical Engineering or in an allied field. There is a special need for Mechanical Engineers in the Rio Grande Valley and in Latin American American countries.
UTPA Mechanical Engineering graduates work in various industries including:
- Automotive,
- Defense,
- Aerospace, and
- Manufacturing.
A short list of companies that have employed UTPA Mechanical Engineering students include:
- Raytheon,
- Boeing,
- Lockheed Martin, and
- General Electric.