Scope of Mechanical Engineering

Mechanical engineering programs generally cover the same fundamental subjects, to meet standards set by each country's accreditation society. Universities will often combine multiple subjects into a single class or split a subject into multiple classes, depending on the faculty available and the university's major area(s) of research. Fundamental subjects of mechanical engineering usually include:

• statics & dynamics
• strength of materials & solid mechanics
• instrumentation and measurement
• thermodynamics, heat transfer, energy conversion, and HVAC
• fluid mechanics & fluid dynamics
• mechanism design (including kinematics and dynamics)
• manufacturing technology or processes
• hydraulics & pneumatics
• engineering design
• mechatronics and control theory
• drafting, CAD (usually including Solid modeling), and CAM

Mechanical engineers are also expected to understand and be able to apply basic concepts from chemistry, chemical engineering, electrical engineering, civil engineering, and physics. Most mechanical engineering programs include several semesters of calculus, as well as advanced mathematical concepts which may include differential equations and partial differential equations, linear and modern algebra, and differential geometry, among others.

In addition to the core mechanical engineering curriculum, many mechanical engineering programs offer more specialized programs and classes, such as mechatronics / robotics, transport and logistics, cryogenics, fuel technology, automotive engineering, biomechanics, vibration, optics and others, if a separate department does not exist for these subjects.