Education Needed for Mechanical Engineering

What education is needed for mechanical engineering? It is one of the most prestigious and highly paid engineering fields. Responsible for most of the traditional and modern inventions of the world, the field still attracts huge masses to have a career for themselves in mechanical engineering.

This is why a lot of individuals explore the field after finishing their secondary school to figure out of it is something that they might be interested in pursuing a career in. But if you are like most people, mechanical engineering is a field that fascinates you but you are unclear about what exactly the field encompasses, and if you keep reading this article, you will know more about the field in the next 5 minutes, than you have for a whole year.

This article will help you understand deeply what mechanical engineering is, the subjects you need to be strong at, the types of mechanical engineering degrees, and the requirements of each of them and the education needed for mechanical engineering.

This Article Covers:

• What is Mechanical Engineering?
• Subjects you Need to be Strong at for Becoming Mechanical Engineer
• Types of Degree Programs in Mechanical Engineering
• Requirements for Diploma in Mechanical Engineering
• Requirements for Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering
• Requirements for Master’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering
• Interpersonal Skills for a Mechanical Engineer
• Career for a Mechanical Engineer

What is Mechanical Engineering?

To put it into simple terms, mechanical engineering has to do a lot with machines. Everything that makes your life simpler is a machine, and mechanical engineering is the science that helps build these machines. 

Most people have this construed concept that Mechanical Engineering is all about cars and engines or similar machines, but that is quite far from the truth.

Surely automobile is an industry that is a big beneficiary of the science of mechanical engineering, but its horizons expand far beyond automobiles and range over Air Conditioning & Refrigeration units, Power Plants, Aerospace, Marine ships, and much more.

However, to understand the basics of each of these industries, you will need to have a strong grip on some subjects that will come in handy in your pursuit to become a mechanical engineer.  Let's talk about some of these subjects which will be helpful to pursue education in mechanical engineering.

Subjects you Need to be Strong at

There are no hard and fast rules and no one can say that if you aren’t strong at certain subjects, you cannot make it in mechanical engineering. 

But, with that being said, there’s also no denying the fact being strong at the core subjects gives you a certain edge that helps you interpret the concepts fast and better. With that being said, what could some of the subjects be that a mechanical engineer should be good at? Well, the answer to that question can vary for different people, but most would agree that the concepts of mathematics, physics, and properties of materials are one of the most used concepts in mechanical engineering. 

For instance, let's assume a mechanical engineer needs to design a gear system for a bicycle. Naturally, the gear system needs to be stable, and have high strength, durability, and functionality. Along with that, the mechanical advantage acquired from the gear system needs to be significant enough for it to justify its price. All this needs a strong knowledge of physics and mathematics for stability and properties of the material for strength.  

However, another big part of the engineers is to create technical reports of the work they perform, which needs them to be strong in the English language. Also, if they intend to indulge in the Artificial Intelligence (AI) side of mechanical engineering, they’d need to have a strong grip on their coding subjects.

Types of Degrees in Mechanical Engineering

Now that you have understood what mechanical engineering is and which subjects you need to be strong at to pursue a career in mechanical engineering, you are now ready to explore its types.

Typically, a total of three programs are offered for this discipline. These include:

• Diploma in mechanical engineering 
• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical engineering (Undergraduate)
• Masters' Degree in Mechanical Engineering (Postgraduate)

Now, Let's discuss the requirements for each of these degree programs.

Requirements for Diploma in Mechanical Engineering

A diploma is the most basic type of mechanical engineering qualification. You can get a diploma from a number of technical schools or a community college. To qualify for a diploma, you must enroll after secondary school. 

A typical mechanical engineering diploma often lasts for two or three years. One can opt for a specified job after a diploma, but in most cases, diploma holders aren’t trusted with complex jobs with intricate delicacies. 

This is why most of the individuals that opt for a diploma end up applying for higher education (like a Bachelor’s degree) to reinforce their qualifications and build a strong case for themselves in job applications having done both a diploma and an engineering degree. There are several options after diploma in mechanical engineering.

Requirements for Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering

The bachelor’s is one of the most opted careers in mechanical engineering and is often entries in top colleges in the field are highly competitive. To qualify for a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, first and foremost, you must have high school-level education.

 

A bachelor's degree usually lasts for 4 years and is the stepping stone to a career in most companies that utilize mechanical engineers.

Requirements for Master’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering

A master’s degree in mechanical engineering is typically undertaken mostly for research-oriented studies. You need to hold a valid undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering to be able to apply for a master's degree. Other requirements include a good GPA which is subjective to the university you want to apply in, but in most cases, it appears to be a CGPA of 3.0.

Some high-ranked universities often qualify students on more than one merit. These include a personal statement from the student, the research in the undergraduate studies, GRE score, and research proposal for their Master’s studies.

Typically, a master’s degree lasts for one or two years but the duration is highly dependent on the student's ability to complete the research with a majority of students taking more than 2 years to finish their research work. Other than the academic requirements, there are some interpersonal characteristics you should have to become a mechanical engineer.

Interpersonal Skills for a Mechanical Engineer

Interpersonal skills are as crucial to an engineer’s success as their technical skills. Collaboration and teamwork are key parts of a mechanical engineer’s job and this is where these skills come into play.
Here are some of the interpersonal skills that a mechanical engineer must have:

• To be a creative and practical individual.

• Have strong analytical and problem-solving skills.

• Proficient in written and oral communication abilities.

• Passion for technical learning and its application.

• Good computing and mathematical skills.

Now that we have covered the details of the education needed for mechanical engineering. It is natural to be curious about careers, so let’s dive down into them. 

Career for a Mechanical Engineer

Being a mechanical engineer, your degree is extremely versatile in nature and therefore opens up a lot of career doors. You can take on jobs in the automotive, oil, energy, and aerospace industry.

Although your mainstream career involves machinery and tasks surrounding machineries such as maintenance, design, operations, and installations, you are also required to document and report the work that you undertake. 

Careers and scope of mechanical engineering keep evolving and the latest trends in the field are Robotics, AI-powered machines, smart control systems, industrial automation, and the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT).

The average salary for a mechanical engineer is US$ 80000, which shows that the field is quite lucrative and a stable career in mechanical engineering is quite possible if you are ready to put in the work.

I hope this article serves the purpose for the potential students who wish to pursue a degree in this field and wanted to know about the education needed for mechanical engineering and the career goals after that.