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Mechanical Engineering
College of Engineering
Engineering is a very large profession. Almost two
million people are employed in this country as engineers, and the field will continue
to expand as long as there are technical problems to solve. Engineers are
problem-solving
people who invent new products and make things work better, more efficiently,
quicker and less expensively. They turn ideas into reality. Engineers have a variety
of career possibilities from which to choose and may specialize in research, consulting,
planning, design, manufacturing, construction, management, teaching, writing,
or sales. Engineering graduates have excellent prospects for finding employment
in private industry, government, military service, or academia.
Engineers receive rigorous training in the basic
sciences, mathematics, and the engineering disciplines. Students choose to major
in chemical, civil, computer, electrical, environmental, or mechanical engineering.
While pursuing their undergraduate degrees, students also have opportunities to
participate in undergraduate research with the faculty or to gain work experience
through engineering internships and cooperative employment with industry.
For further information about engineering, contact
the Assistant Dean for Undergraduate Affairs, College of Engineering, 102
DuPont Hall, 302-831-8659.
Mechanical Engineering
Mechanical engineering is a broad profession
creatively engaged in the design, production and operation of devices, machines,
and systems which extend our physical abilities. These may be on a scale
as large as a space shuttle or so small as to only be visible under a microscope.
Mechanical engineers are involved in activities such as research and development
of composite materials, materials science, energy conversion and utilization,
machinery design, manufacturing processes, automatic control, biomechanics,
and transportation of all forms. Mechanical engineers study the response
of materials to forces and energy flows. They are concerned with the motion
of solids, liquids, and gases, and the heating and cooling of materials,
structures, and systems. The flow of fluids and the transport of heat are
fundamental to the manufacturing technologies, the environment, and the
aerospace industry. Using their understanding of these basic processes,
mechanical engineers design space vehicles, aircraft, automobiles, robots,
medical equipment, prostheses, and the multitude of mechanical devices which
we depend on every day but often take for granted. The successful design,
manufacture and operation of machines of every type is within the broad
scope of today's mechanical engineer.
For more information, contact Dr. Michael Keefe, 107 Spencer Lab, 831-8009.
Career Caveat: Engineering
One of the frequent tendencies that students in
technical disciplines have is to inextricably link their career possibilities
with their academic major. They seldom realize that a major is largely an administratively
convenient tool used by a college or university to categorize students.
There is not always an obvious parallel between
your engineering major and an occupational field. In the same way that accountants
are used as computer information systems analysts along with those having computer
science backgrounds, engineers work in capacities other than hands-on engineering.
Said in another way, just as the same job can be filled with individuals from
a variety of academic backgrounds, so individuals with the same major can
qualify
for many different jobs.
While the realization that more career options are
open to you as a technical major than you previously were aware of can be uplifting,
it also poses the dilemma of identifying and narrowing down the appropriate options.
To remedy this confusion, it is helpful to approach your career selection in terms
of the types of functions you wish to perform within an organization. An example
might be a mechanical engineer who determines that he/she would like to function
in a sales or marketing capacity instead of in a manufacturing role due to his/her
interests, persuasive skills, and outgoing personality.
Job titles differ from industry to industry
and company to company. Because job classifications are not standardized,
trying to determine your fit among seemingly endless lists of titles can
be very confusing and frustrating. Thinking of jobs in functional terms
provides a way of organizing the multitude of job titles you will encounter
in company literature and employment ads. Thinking in terms of functions
will, therefore, allow you to clearly indicate to potential employers exactly
what you want to do regardless of what the job title is.
Sample Concentrations
Design Engineer: Designs products or systems
such as instruments, controls, robots, engines and machines.
Test Engineer: Plans and directs engineering
personnel in fabrication of test control apparatus and equipment. Supervises the
development of methods and procedures for testing products or systems.
Plant Engineer: Plans, directs and coordinates
the activities concerned with design, construction, modification and maintenance
of equipment and machinery in an industrial plant.
Applications Engineer: Develops and writes
equipment specifications, performance requirements, cost analysis, and proposals
for integrating machinery and equipment into the manufacturing process.
Check the Dictionary of Occupational Titles under
section 005 for additional related careers.
Enhancing Employability
- Participate in Internships,
Field Experience Placements and Alumni Mentor Network.
- Sample UD Field Experience: Gore, General Chemical, Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
Some Employers of Mechanical Engineering Majors
*computer corporations
*federal and state government
*chemical companies
*petroleum industry
*textile manufacturers
*mining industry
*automotive industry
*machinery manufacturers
Other Sources of Information
Vault Online Career Library
(provides extensive information about careers and companies/organizations; log in via Blue Hen Jobs)
AeroindustryJobs
www.aeroindustryjobs.com
A Job 4 Engineers
www.ajob4engineers.com
American Association of Engineering Societies
www.aaes.org
American Society of Mechanical Engineers
www.asme.org
EngineerJobs.com
www.engineerjobs.com
EngineeringJobs.com
www.engineeringjobs.com
Graduating Engineer Online
www.graduatingengineer.com
iHireManufacturingEngineers.com
www.iHireManufacturingEngineers.com
Mechanical Engineer.com
www.mechanicalengineer.com
Mechanical Engineering Magazine Online
www.memagazine.org
My Perfect Gig (job listings)
www.myperfectgig.com
National Society of Black Engineers
national.nsbe.org
PhDs.org
www.phds.org
Society of Women Engineers
societyofwomenengineers.swe.org
The Riley Guide
www.rileyguide.com
Resources for Finding Employment
University of Delaware Career Resource Center Materials
Available
- Blue Hen Jobs -- Internships, Part-time, Summer, and Full-time Jobs -- All in one place
- Salaries of Scientists, Engineers & Technicians
(CS 346)
- American Consulting Engineers Council (ACEC)
Membership Directory (CSD 350)
- Engineer's Guide to Lifelong Employability
(CSD 366)
- Career Opportunities in Engineering (CSE 526)
- Careers in Focus - Manufacturing (CSE 533)
- Careers in Focus - Energy (CSE 535)
- Is There an Engineer Inside You? (CSE 536)
- Careers in Engineering (CSE 536.5)
- Opportunities in Engineering Careers (CSE
537)
- Great Jobs for Engineering Majors (CSE 538)
- Careers in Focus - Engineering (CSE 539)
- Opportunities in Aerospace Careers (CSE 540)
- Careers in Focus - Space Exploration (CSE 541)
- Career Opportunities in Aviation and the Aerospace Industry (CSE 542)
- Hoover's Handbook of American Business (ID
10/11)
- www.udel.edu/CSC/netresources.html
CSC's Internet Resources
Further information including: Skills to Develop, Strategies
for Contacting Employers, Grad School Information, and where to get assistance
is available in the CAREER RESOURCE CENTER located at 401 Academy Street.
Last updated: October 22, 2009 (CH)
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