Should you major in Mechanical Engineering?

aalgham
Mon, 17 Oct 2016 03:35:23 +0000

This discussion is mainly to clarify the blurred image of what mechanical engineering is exactly compared to other engineering majors, and give the importance of mechanical engineering. If you are hesitant about majoring in mechanical engineering this may help you make a decision.

What is Mechanical Engineering?

Mechanical engineering is one of the most physical engineering disciplines there is. Google defines it as “the branch of engineering dealing with the design, construction, and use of machines.” Yet, it cannot be limited by this definition as although the uses of it are practical in systems around us, the physics behind it may range from simple static forces to more complex and abstract theories. When you think about mechanical engineering, you may try to understand it by looking at the derivation of words. Mechanical is derived from the word mechanic, which shows the relation to mechanisms and systems. Engineer comes from the word engine, and describes how one may “engineer” something, meaning putting knowledge into engine application. Putting those two together, you can understand that mechanical engineering pertains to physical applications in engines and systems. You may ask: “why do I hear about mechanical engineers that do completely unrelated jobs, why this discrepancy?”

Discrepancy in Mechanical Engineering

Ultimately, being a mechanical engineer does not mean you have the exact skill set of other mechanical engineers. Unlike accounting for instance, there is not a specific and exact commonly applied knowledge, but, there is a knowledge baseline which one may call the “bar” for being a mechanical engineer. At some institutions such as Northeastern University which I study at, there is a lower bar where you reach the baseline of general engineering. They have a “First-Year Engineering Program”, where students are required take courses that encompass all the fields, and then can choose their major of choice. Although some knowledge is rarely applied after that year, this is advantageous for engineers when working together to be familiar with each other’s work. For instance, a civil engineer may work on AutoCAD 2D mapping in coordination with a mechanical engineer who uses SolidWorks for 3D structuring. In addition, Northeastern is known for its co-op program which offers experiential learning and prepares them for their careers. Other institutions such as Georgia-Tech give students the opportunity to choose their path towards the same ME degree, after providing the core fundamentals. In Georgia-Tech you may choose a “breadth option” where you incorporate different applied sciences, or choose a “depth option” where you specialize in one of their six ME concentrations. For that reason you can see why your mechanical engineering skill set will depend on which university you choose. Your path in that university will also have an effect on your future career as a mechanical engineer.

It is a broad field, and thus depending on your concentrated knowledge, there will be an inconsistency of practical application of mechanical engineering. For instance, after your undergraduate degree you and a peer may be more or less familiar with the same broad knowledge of two different courses “mechanics of materials” and “dynamics & vibrations”. You may focus in later studies and work on mechanics of materials, while your peer may focus on the latter course. A third peer may encompass the two courses and interconnect them. Even after concentrating in a certain aspect, one cannot completely ignore factors that play a role from other aspects, although they might not know much about it to control it. Again, this is why mechanical engineering is not specific to a set of knowledge, but rather a sea of knowledge where you may choose to swim in certain areas rather than others, or become an “olympic swimmer” who can cover large areas.
Another factor that people may see in the variation of applications is from the fact that engineering is result-oriented. Two mechanical engineers may create the same efficiency in an engine but through different methods, one may alter the thermodynamic conditions, while another achieve it by increasing the torque by lengthening a rod. In the end, the same engine efficiency is achieved, but through different knowledge abilities, or maybe through different budget constraints. The take home message is that mechanical engineers are critical thinkers who may think differently, vary in knowledge on certain subjects, and have different methodological preferences as is the case for engineering in general.

Borderline Confusions with Other Engineering Disciplines

Many people are not familiar with the fundamental differences between mechanical engineering and other engineering disciplines where the borders between them are not clear from their names such as civil and industrial engineering. Let us start by defining each. Mechanical engineering as mentioned earlier is deals with the design, construction, and use of machines. A civil engineer designs and maintains roads, bridges, dams, and similar structures. Industrial engineering deals with the optimization of complex processes, systems or organizations. In simpler terms: mechanical engineering deals with design and mechanics, civil engineering deals with design and structures, and industrial engineering deals on efficiency and optimization which is a more business oriented field.

All in all, borderline confusions mostly between those three engineering fields exist because there are not really any defined borders, especially between civil and mechanical engineering. As discussed in the previous paragraph, being the engineer you are depends on what you choose to study and apply. From an academic standpoint, industrial engineering may be more different as it is more focused on optimization and profit, but civil and mechanical engineering may often overlap both academically and practically. The difference may lie in that mechanical engineering encompasses more computer applications and electrical understanding than civil engineering. This allows a mechanical engineer to have more career options.

Importance of Mechanical Engineering

With the focus of engineering today being innovation and future oriented, practical applications have no borderlines between disciplines as engineers create interdependent complex technologies that are both profitable and useful. Having that understanding, institutions agree on the importance of mechanical engineering being a door to innovation and technological improvement. Northeastern University acknowledges that by giving students an opportunity through their required “Capstone” project. Georgia-Tech also shows that on its webpage describing this degree as they wittily say “This ain’t your grandfathers ME degree”, and giving students more flexibility towards earning the degree. So, if you are interested in being a part of technological improvements, mechanical engineering can encompass that in many different ways.

Should you become a Mechanical Engineer?

In conclusion, if you’re someone interested in being a part of the technological move, I think mechanical engineering may be right for you. Of course, for the most part it is mechanics so you would have to have an interest in that as well but there are many other courses regarding heat transfer, thermodynamics, ME design, etc. If you want an undergraduate program that is broader, search for a program that is comprehensive and as I like to say touches the waters of each field search such as Northeastern’s program. If you already know what you want exactly and want depth, then search for a program similar to that of Georgia-Tech where you will be given the opportunity to choose to specialize in mechanics of materials or automation and robotics for example.

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