The program offered by is particularly strong in aerospace engineering, manufacturing engineering, materials science, controls, mechanical design, and thermal design. For instance:

• The use and economical conversion of energy from natural sources into other useful energy to provide power, light, heat, cooling, and transportation
• Design and production of machines to lighten the burden of human work
• Creative planning, development, and operation of systems for using energy, machines, and resources
• The processing of materials into products useful to people.

Strengths of the program

• Our curriculum is laboratory intensive and provides students with ample opportunities for hands-on laboratory experiences.
• Highly qualified mechanical engineering students can apply for a program to earn graduate degree credit while working on their bachelor's degree.
• All design projects in the capstone design course are industrially sponsored, providing valuable connections with field professionals.
• Interact with faculty outside the classroom by assisting in their research projects.
• Learn in one of the few programs that provides both mechanical engineering and materials science within the same department, providing the opportunity to learn both areas of engineering and work cooperatively on projects with students from a different discipline.
• You can join a math, science, and engineering community residence hall at WSU Pullman?share classes with your neighbors, study together, get free tutoring, and use the hall?s computer lab.
• Faculty members in the School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering teach nearly 100 percent of lecture courses, including the introductory courses in our programs.

Career

An education in mechanical engineering provides students with problem-solving approaches to practical applications. These skills are used in the areas of mechanical and systems design, the study of energy and the environment, equipment development, manufacturing, CAD/CAM, project engineering, production management, applied research, and sales and service.

Starting salaries range from $44,000?$67,000, averaging $55,000 per year. Many of WSU's mechanical engineering graduates have two or three job offers to choose from.