Mechanical engineers understand motion, and use that motion to change the world.

Mechanical engineers move

• machine parts (for design of wind turbines, robots, medical devices, manufacturing equipment...)
• heat (for design of heating a cooling systems for buildings, electronics, electric car batteries...)
• fluids (for design of pumps, irrigation systems, hydro-electric powerplants, engines...)
• people! - engineers have a responsibility to listen, to understand the perspectives of diverse stakeholders, to develop and use technology in a sustainable way.

Mechanical engineers are increasingly part of inter-disciplinary teams, working alongside other engineers and people from other fields such as architects, government officials, social scientists, and the people whose lives we will impact with our designs.  

Technical streams in mechanics and materials, mechatronics, petroleum and thermo-fluids are available in the last three terms of the program.

Many devices and systems are mostly mechanical, but cannot work unlesss they interact with sensors, controllers, electronics, and computers.  If you are interested in the design of combined mechanical and electrical/computer systems, check out our new Mechatronics Engineering program.  

Mechatronics engineers understand how to

• measure what is happening in an engineering system
• convert the measurement into a form that can be used by a computer
• develop controllers, usually involving computer programs, that determine the required inputs to make the system perform as desired
• design and select "actuators" (valves, motors, relays, pumps, etc.) to make the desired control action a reality.

Mechatronic systems are becoming more widespread, making this a very exciting and impactful area of study.  Here are just a few examples of mechatronic systems:

• drones and autonomous robots for maintenance, inspection, construction, and search and rescue in extreme environments
• artificial limbs and minimally-invasive robotic surgery systems
• automated farm machinery and soil inspection for increasing crop yields, minimizing chemical use and reducing chemical run-off

Graduates of the mechanical and mechatronics engineering programs combine academic knowledge and co-operative education work experiences to succeed in industries such as automotive, biomedical, renewable energy, aerospace, agriculture, offshore oil and gas, manufacturing, paper, environmental, and power generation. 

Many mechanical and mechatronic engineers even go on to study medicine, law, public policy, or business!  Our degree gives you a very broad skill set, and understanding of the physical world and our impact on it.  This will be valuable when applying to study, or when working in, those fields.

Join us and take your next step towards making a difference!