When can I take the FE exam?
To be eligible to take the NCEES Fundamentals of Engineering exam, you must meet the following requirements:
- Completed 90 credits
- Achieved senior status
- Be enrolled in mostly 400-level courses toward your engineering degree
- Be enrolled in the ENGR 490 section assigned to your major department
- Section 1002-Chemical & Materials Science Engr
- Section 1003-Civil & Environmental Engr
- Section 1004-Electrical & Biomedical Engr
- Section 1005-Mechanical Engr
- Section 1006-Geological Engr
- Section 1007-Metallurgical & Mining Engr
For seniors ready to take the FE exam, you will still need to register for ENGR 490 the semester you plan on taking the exam. Please be mindful that if you plan on graduating in the semester you take the exam, you will need to take the exam no later than prep day to allow for adequate processing time (uploading your exam proof). Otherwise, this may delay your diploma.
CSE students are not required to take the FE exam.
The exam will be held at any NCEES-approved testing facility year round at a testing day and time that you choose. Do not wait to sign up for an exam date! If you choose to wait to sign up for the test in the middle of or later in the semester, the testing center dates will most likely be FULL! This may cause a delay, or even denial, in receiving your diploma if you are taking the exam in your last semester. Yes, it is an expensive test, but isn't it more expensive to have wait an extra semester for your diploma?
How do I sign up for the FE exam?
Register for the exam on the NCEES website.
How do I prepare for the FE exam?
You may access and review the current FE Supplied Reference Manual, the same type you'll be using during the examination, on the NCEES website.
Study sessions are often organized by the student chapters of ASCE and ASME once a semester. Emails will be sent to students enrolled in ENGR 490, and flyers will be posted on the College's Facebook page. There is often a small cost in order to attend each session.
Please contact Sam DiMuzio (sadimuzio@unr.edu) with any questions about review sessions.
Once you've passed the FE exam
Go to the Nevada State Board of Engineering website and apply for Engineer Intern certification. Instructions on how to apply can be found on their website.
Ready to take the early PE exam?
More information about the early PE exam can be found on the Nevada State Board of Engineers website.
Examiner: Dr. Xiaoshan Zhu, xzhu@unr.edu
Sample texts
The exam syllabus are covered in most texts for a first course in circuit analysis with active devices. Examples of suitable texts are:
- Electronic Circuit Analysis and Design, 4th Edition, D.A. Neamen, McGraw-Hill, 2009.
- R. Jaeger and N. Blalock, Microelectronic Circuit Design, 2ndEdition, McGraw-Hill, 2004
Exam rules
- The duration of the exam is three hours.
- The exam is closed book (a calculator can be used), and one page of equations is allowed.
- The student will be asked to solve 5~7 questions.
Exam topics
The exam questions will cover the following topics:
- Thevenin/Norton, KVL, KCL
- Semiconductor properties
- Diodes and diode circuits
- BJT and BJT circuits with emphasis on analog behavior (e.g., CE, CB, CC and their small signal circuits)
- MOSFET and MOSFET circuits with coverage of both amplifier design and analysis and CMOS digital circuit design and analysis (e.g. CS, CG, CD and their small signal circuits)
- Differential amplifiers, current sources and mirrors, and output stages
- Frequency response of active devices
- Feedback theory
- Operational amplifier and its applications (e.g. non-ideal parameters of Op-amp, bode plot of non-inverting or inverting operational amplifier, schmitt trigger, active filter, comparator)
- Fundamental of digital electronics (e.g. logic gates using BJT and CMOS)
Sample Exam
As a licensed Professional Engineer, or PE, you can expect many more benefits when compared to other engineers; most employers offer higher salaries and greater opportunities for advancement to PE's. Only PE's can consult in private practice, and seal company documents to be sent to the government. PEs also have more credibility as expert witnesses in court than most engineers.
Steps in obtaining a PE license:
- Pass the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) Exam.
- Graduate with a bachelor's degree from an ABET accredited engineering curriculum (all Engineering curricula at Michigan Tech except Robotics Engineering).
- Gain four years of engineering experience under the supervision of a registered professional engineer.
- Pass the Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE) Exam.
During your senior year you should take the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam, which is required prior to sitting for the Professional Engineers (PE) Exam. Some requirements vary by state.
ISA offers a variety of resources to help you prepare for the Certified Automation Professional (CAP®) exam.
Primary Textbook
A Guide to the Automation Body of Knowledge is the primary text resource for the CAP exam and provides a complete overview of all technical topics. Order the Guide to the Automation Body of Knowledge.
Study Guide
The CAP Study Guide is a comprehensive self-study resource that contains a list of the CAP domains and tasks, 75 review Questions and Answers complete with justifications. References that were used for each study guide question are also provided with the question. The Study Guide also includes a recommended list of publications that you can use to do further study on specific domains. Order the CAP Study Guide.
Review Courses
A CAP review course is available in several formats as preparation for taking the certification exam. This course is offered by ISA and can also be offered at your location.
ISA also has a variety of training courses that would be helpful in preparing for CAP. Visit the Automation Professional Training page for a complete list.
Additional Resources
Exam Topics
- Basic Continuous Control: Process Instrumentation, Analytical Instrumentation, Continuous Control, Control Valves, Analog Communications, Control System Documentation, Control Equipment
- Basic Discrete, Sequencing, and Manufacturing Control: Discrete Input & Output Devices and General Manufacturing Measurements, Discrete and Sequencing Control, Motor and Drive Control, Motion Control
- Advanced Control Topics: Process Modeling, Advanced Process Control, Control of Batch Processes, Environmental, Environmental Monitoring, Building Automation
- Reliability, Safety, and Electrical: Alarm Management, Reliability, Process Safety and Safety Instrumented Systems, Electrical Installations, Safe Use and Application of Electrical Apparatus
- Integration and Software: Digital Communications, Industrial Networks, Manufacturing Execution Systems and Business Integration, System and Network Security, Operator Interface, Data Management, Software, Custom Software
- Deployment and Maintenance: Operator Training, Checkout, System Testing, and Startup, Troubleshooting, Maintenance, Long-Term Support and System Management
- Work Structure: Automation Benefits and Project Justifications, Project Management and Execution, Interpersonal Skills
CAP trial Questions
Questions on the exam were derived from the genuine practice of automation professionals as outlined in the CAP Role Delineation Study and job task analysis. Using interviews, surveys, observation, and group discussions, ISA worked with automation professionals to delineate critical job components to develop exam specifications to determine the number of questions related to each domain and task tested. This rigorous program development and ongoing maintenance process ensures that CAP certification accurately reflects the skills and knowledge needed to excel as an automation professional.
The following six questions were taken from the CAP exam question item bank and serve as examples of the question type and question content found on the CAP exam.
- The method by which the tasks and hazards associated with a machine or process are analyzed is known as:
- A. Risk assessment.
- B. Machine assessment.
- C. Risk reduction.
- D. Risk abatement.
- To test controller tuning or prototype new control strategies offline, the model should be a(an):
- A. Tie-back (loopback) simulation.
- B. Artificial neural network.
- C. Dynamic process simulation.
- D. Steady state process simulation.
- The temperature measurement with the BEST repeatability and resolution is the:
- A. Thermocouple.
- B. Resistance temperature detector (RTD).
- C. Dial thermometer.
- D. Capillary system.
- Which of the following is NOT a variable speed drive setup parameter?
- A. Acceleration rate.
- B. Motor winding type.
- C. Output frequency.
- D. Maximum speed.
- A complete test plan for system integration testing MUST include:
- A. Comments for the application programmer.
- B. Multiple test cases for each mode of operation.
- C. At least five test cases for each test.
- D. Expected results for each test case.
- Frequency of maintenance should be determined by:
- A. Failure rates of components.
- B. Availability of personnel and parts.
- C. Management targets for efficiency and productivity.
- D. Effectiveness of maintenance personnel.
Sample Questions Answer Key
| Question Number | Correct Answer | Exam Content Outline |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | A | Domain 1, Task 4 |
| 2 | C | Domain 2, Task 2 |
| 3 | B | Domain 3, Task 3 |
| 4 | B | Domain 4, Task 7 |
| 5 | C | Domain 5, Task 5 |
| 6 | A | Domain 6, Task 2 |
To submit one of the following content types, please read the formatting details below, then follow the submission guidelines:
- Article
- Review Article*
- Perspective*
- Comment*
- Correspondence*
- Matters Arising — please see detailed information about this content type.
For more information on submitting these content types, please contact Nature Biomedical Engineering.
* These content types should not include original (previously unpublished) results or data and may only contain minimal new supporting research findings. These non-primary articles are not eligible for Open Access and can only be published using the subscription-based publishing route.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Article
Nature Biomedical Engineering publishes original research in one format: Article. An Article is a report of a novel research study of outstanding significance.
In Articles, the abstract should contain a brief account of the background and rationale of the work, followed by a statement of the main conclusions introduced by the phrase "Here, we show" or some equivalent. An introduction (without heading) of referenced text expands on the background of the work, and is followed by a concise, focused account of the findings and their analysis. The results and their discussion can be divided in two sections (under the headings 'Results' and 'Discussion'), or organized in several non-nested sections. Section headings should not exceed 60 characters, including spaces. An 'Outlook' section can be added after Discussion and before Methods. The reference list should be ordered according to citation numbers first appearing in the main text, tables and figure captions, in this order.
Articles are peer-reviewed.
Format
- Title — up to 130 characters, including spaces.
- Abstract — up to 175 words, unreferenced.
- Main text — up to 3,500 words, excluding abstract, Methods, references, and figure and table legends.
- Display items — up to 8 items (figures and/or tables).
- Articles should be divided as follows:
- Introduction (without heading)
- Results
- Discussion
- Online Methods.
- Acknowledgements
- Author contributions
- Competing interests
- Results and Methods should be divided by one-level subheadings (nested subheadings are not allowed); the Discussion does not typically contain subheadings.
- References — as a guideline, we typically recommend up to 50.
- Articles include received and accepted dates.
- Articles may be accompanied by Extended Data figures, Source Data, and additional supplementary information.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Review Article
A Review Article is an authoritative and balanced survey of latest developments in a research field. Review Articles should be recognized as scholarly by specialists in the field, yet should be written with a view to informing non-specialist readers. Hence, Review Articles should be written using simple prose, avoiding excessive jargon and technical detail. Their scope should be broad enough so that it is not dominated by the work of selected research institutions or by the authors' own work.
In Review Articles, the text should be organized in several sections, with section headings not exceeding 60 characters, including spaces. One-level subheadings can be included. An 'Outlook' section can be added at the end of the main text, which should be followed by the following sections: References, Acknowledgements, Author Contributions and Competing interests. The reference list should be ordered according to citation numbers first appearing in the main text, tables, figure captions and boxes, in this order.
Review Articles are typically commissioned and line-edited by the editors. Unsolicited contributions can be considered, yet before preparing a manuscript for formal submission it is advisable to submit a synopsis of about 1,000 words with references and figures as a Presubmission enquiry.
Review Articles are peer-reviewed.
Format
- Title — up to 130 characters, including spaces.
- Abstract — up to 175 words, unreferenced.
- Main text — 4,000–8,000 words, excluding abstract, references, boxes, and figure and table legends.
- Up to 8 display items (figures, tables and/or boxes).
- References — up to 150. Footnotes are not used.
- Citations — these should be selective and, in the case of particularly important studies (less than 10% of all the references), we encourage authors to provide short annotations explaining why these are key contributions.
- Review Articles include received and accepted dates.
Exceptions to word-count limits and to the maximum number of references can be granted by the Editor on a case-by-case basis.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Perspective
A Perspective discusses recently published findings and ideas from the authors’ viewpoint. Perspectives are more forward-looking or speculative than Review Articles, and may take a narrower field of view. They may be opinionated, yet should remain balanced. As with Review Articles, Perspectives should be recognized as scholarly by specialists in the field, and should be written with a view to informing non-specialist readers. Hence, Perspectives should be presented using simple prose, avoiding excessive jargon and technical detail. Their scope should be broad enough so that it is not dominated by the work of selected research institutions or by the authors' own work.
Perspectives follow the same formatting guidelines as Review Articles. The text should be organized in several sections, with section headings not exceeding 60 characters, including spaces. One-level subheadings can be included. An 'Outlook' section can be added at the end of the main text, which should be followed by the following sections: References, Acknowledgements, Author Contributions and Competing interests. The reference list should be ordered according to citation numbers first appearing in the main text, tables, figure captions and boxes, in this order.
Perspectives are typically commissioned and line-edited by the editors. Unsolicited contributions can be considered, yet before preparing a manuscript for formal submission it is advisable to submit a synopsis of about 1,000 words with references and figures as a Presubmission enquiry.
Perspectives are peer-reviewed.
Format
- Title — up to 130 characters, including spaces.
- Abstract — up to 175 words, unreferenced.
- Main text — 4,000–8,000 words, excluding abstract, references, boxes, and figure and table legends.
- Up to 8 display items (figures, tables and/or boxes).
- References — up to 150. Footnotes are not used.
- Citations — these should be selective and, in the case of particularly important studies (less than 10% of all the references), we encourage authors to provide short annotations explaining why these are key contributions.
- Perspectives include received and accepted dates.
Exceptions to word-count limits and to the maximum number of references can be granted by the Editor on a case-by-case basis.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Comment
A Comment can focus on purely scientific topics, or on clinical, policy or societal issues of interest to the biomedical engineering community. Comments may involve a substantial amount of opinion, and hence contributions with few authors are preferred. They should be of immediate interest to a broad readership and be written in an accessible style. The inclusion of figures is encouraged.
Comments do not typically contain primary research data, yet they may include sociological data (such as funding trends, demographics, or bibliographic data). They can be accompanied by supplementary information.
Comments are typically commissioned and line-edited by the editors. Unsolicited contributions can be considered, yet before preparing a manuscript for formal submission it is advisable to submit a synopsis of about 300 words as a Presubmission enquiry.
Comments may be peer-reviewed at the Editor's discretion.
Format
- Title — up to 60 characters, including spaces.
- Subtitle — up to 250 characters, including spaces. Comments do not have abstracts.
- Main text — typically up to 2,500 words, excluding abstract, references, and figure and table legends.
- Up to 4 display items (figures and or tables).
- References — up to 25. Footnotes are not used. Article titles (yet not book titles) are omitted from the reference list.
Exceptions to word-count limits and to the maximum number of references can be granted by the Editor on a case-by-case basis.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Correspondence
Correspondences discuss issues relevant to a broad slice of the biomedical engineering community. Correspondences are not technical comments on peer-reviewed research papers, which would be considered Matters Arising, and cannot be used to present original research.
Correspondences may be peer-reviewed at the Editor’s discretion.
Format
- Main text — 300–800 words.
- Only one display item is allowed.
- References — up to 10. Article titles (yet not book titles) are omitted from the reference list.
Exceptions to word-count limits and to the maximum number of references can be granted by the Editor on a case-by-case basis.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Matters Arising
Matters Arising are exceptionally interesting and timely scientific comments and clarifications on original research papers published in Nature Biomedical Engineering.
Matters Arising should ideally be based on knowledge contemporaneous with the original paper, rather than on subsequent scientific developments.
Matters Arising are typically no longer than 1,200 words, and can include up to two display items (figures and/or tables) and, as a guideline, up to 15 references. Methods and additional figures and text can be provided as supplementary information.
For detailed information on how to submit a Matters Arising, please see here.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
News & Views
News & Views discuss latest advances of interest to the biomedical engineering community. They may be linked to articles in Nature Biomedical Engineering, or they may focus on papers of exceptional significance that have been published elsewhere. News & Views place research findings into a broader context, and should be written in a manner readily accessible to non-specialists. Personal viewpoints, criticisms and predictions are encouraged.
News & Views are typically no longer than 1,500 words, and include one or two figures and up to 15 references. Titles of papers (yet not of books) are omitted from the reference list.
News & Views articles are typically commissioned and line-edited by the editors. Because they are typically published at the same time as the article(s) discussed, or shortly thereafter, unsolicited contributions are rarely considered.
News & Views are not peer reviewed.
The completion of this exam is a graduation requirement for all engineering undergraduates except Computer Science majors. It is expected that you will provide a good faith effort to pass. Failure to provide a good faith effort to pass may result in a delay in your graduation and a requirement that you take the exam again.
Exam Approval: get the application in Adobe, complete the information and electronically sign on page 2. Save it with your name (Last Name_First Name), and email it to Laurie Bonini at lbonini@uwyo.edu. She will forward it for approval.
The NCEES Examinee Guide is the official guide to policies and procedures for all NCEES exams. All examinees are required to read this document before starting the exam registration process. It is your responsibility to make sure that you have the current version.
Examination windows each calendar year:
Exams are offered throughout the year. However, if you fail the exam, you may only take it once during any given window and no more than three times during a 12-month period.
-
January - March
-
April - June
-
July - September
-
October - December
You must complete the exam by the last day of the semester in which you plan to graduate.
FE exam Specifications By Discipline
Material that will be on the Fundamentals of Engineering exam is different for each area of study and is listed in the following links:
CEU Credits: 2.1
Course Hours: 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
Certification of Completion: A Certificate of Completion indicating the total number of CEUs earned will be provided upon successful completion of the course.
Description:
This course reviews the knowledge and skills areas that are included on the Control Systems Engineer (CSE) Professional Engineer (PE) examination produced by the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) and administered by US state professional license boards each October. The intent of the class is to prepare an engineer with a minimum of four years of experience to take the exam by providing instruction in the broad range of technical areas that will be tested. The content is based on the CSE exam Specification that went into effect in October 2019.
Aside from US, the National Council of Examiners for Engineers and Surveyors (NCEES) also offers various professional engineer exams in several international locations including Saudi Arabia, Japan and South Korea, in order to address needs requirements/qualifications of successful applicants to their engineering counsels.
"A good general overview of what to expect on [CSEPE] exam. Good info on how to go about taking test (strategy). Pointed out to me what areas I needed to work on." -Brian Keene, Plant Engineer
You will be able to:
- Follow the guidelines for taking the CSE exam
- Identify the breadth of the knowledge and skills areas covered
- Apply recognized standards for symbols and documents
- Recognize the basic calculation techniques for measurement devices
- Apply process variable measurements and sensor selection
- Compare the various final control elements/valves
- Explain basic process control loops: their configuration, operation, and performance
- Follow discrete logic in motor and interlock control
- Describe various signal conversion and wiring arrangements
- Compare various installation methods and techniques
- Determine material requirements from physical parameters
- Use safety instrumented basics
- Interpret system scope statements and apply to design needs
You will cover:
- Sensors Technologies Applicable to Various Measurements (Process Variables): Sensor Types | Calibration Ranges | Lineraity | Hysterisis | Repeatability | Elevated and Suppressed Zero Ranges
- Calculations Involved In Process Measurements: Flow | Pressure | Level | Temperature
- Final Control Elements: Valve Types and Styles | Flow Characteristics | Applications | Sizing | Safety Relief Valves
- Fluid Properties: Specific Gravity | Pressure and Temperature Conversion | Reynolds Number
- Signal Types and Transmission Methods: Electronic | Pneumatic | Signal Circuit DesignType, Grounding, Shielding, Installation | Signal Circuit Design (type, grounding, shielding and installation)
- Control Systems: Loop Tuning Methods | Distributed Control Systems | Ergonomics | Human Machine Interface (HMI) and Graphics | Programming (Ladder Logic, Sequential, Function Block)
- Safety Systems: Reliability of Devices | Risk Reduction Factors | Probability of Failure on Demand
- Codes, Standards, and Regulations: Applications and Use | Intrinsic Safety | Hazardous Area Classification
Classroom/Laboratory Exercises:
- Practice taking CSE exam-related questions
Recommended Prerequisites:
- Basic experience and background in control systems engineering
- Successful completion of the Fundamentals of Engineering Exam
Includes ISA Textbox: Control Systems Engineering Study Guide, 7th Edition.
Not sure this particular course is for you?
A pre-instructional survey is available for you to evaluate your level of understanding of the course material and to show you the types of questions you'll be able to answer after completing the course.
For more information:
Contact us at +1 919-549-8411 or info@isa.org to start your company on the path to well-trained employees.
Technically, mechanical engineering is the application of the principles and problem-solving techniques of engineering from design to manufacturing to the marketplace for any object. Mechanical engineers analyze their work using the principles of motion, energy, and force—ensuring that designs function safely, efficiently, and reliably, all at a competitive cost.
Mechanical engineers make a difference. That's because mechanical engineering careers center on creating technologies to meet human needs. Virtually every product or service in modern life has probably been touched in some way by a mechanical engineer to help humankind.
This includes solving today's problems and creating future solutions in health care, energy, transportation, world hunger, space exploration, climate change, and more.
Being ingrained in many challenges and innovations across many fields means a mechanical engineering education is versatile. To meet this broad demand, mechanical engineers may design a component, a machine, a system, or a process. This ranges from the macro to the micro, from the largest systems like cars and satellites to the smallest components like sensors and switches. Anything that needs to be manufactured—indeed, anything with moving parts—needs the expertise of a mechanical engineer. Become a mechanical engineer.
What do mechanical engineers do?
Mechanical engineering combines creativity, knowledge and analytical tools to complete the difficult task of shaping an idea into reality.
This transformation happens at the personal scale, affecting human lives on a level we can reach out and touch like robotic prostheses. It happens on the local scale, affecting people in community-level spaces, like with agile interconnected microgrids. And it happens on bigger scales, like with advanced power systems, through engineering that operates nationwide or across the globe.
Mechanical engineers have an enormous range of opportunity and their education mirrors this breadth of subjects. Students concentrate on one area while strengthening analytical and problem-solving skills applicable to any engineering situation.
Disciplines within mechanical engineering include but are not limited to:
- Acoustics
- Aerospace
- Automation
- Automotive
- Autonomous Systems
- Biotechnology
- Composites
- Computer Aided Design (CAD)
- Control Systems
- Cyber security
- Design
- Energy
- Ergonomics
- Human health
- Manufacturing and additive manufacturing
- Mechanics
- Nanotechnology
- Production planning
- Robotics
- Structural analysis
Technology itself has also shaped how mechanical engineers work and the suite of tools has grown quite powerful in latest decades. Computer-aided engineering (CAE) is an umbrella term that covers everything from typical CAD techniques to computer-aided manufacturing to computer-aided engineering, involving finite element analysis (FEA) and computational fluid dynamics (CFD). These tools and others have further broadened the horizons of mechanical engineering.
What careers are there in mechanical engineering?
Society depends on mechanical engineering. The need for this expertise is great in so many fields, and as such, there is no real limit for the freshly minted mechanical engineer. Jobs are always in demand, particularly in the automotive, aerospace, electronics, biotechnology, and energy industries.
Here are a handful of mechanical engineering fields.
In statics, research focuses on how forces are transmitted to and throughout a structure. Once a system is in motion, mechanical engineers look at dynamics, or what velocities, accelerations and resulting forces come into play. Kinematics then examines how a mechanism behaves as it moves through its range of motion.
Materials science delves into determining the best materials for different applications. A part of that is materials strength—testing support loads, stiffness, brittleness and other properties—which is essential for many construction, automobile, and medical materials.
How energy gets converted into useful power is the heart of thermodynamics, as well as determining what energy is lost in the process. One specific kind of energy, heat transfer, is crucial in many applications and requires gathering and analyzing temperature data and distributions.
Fluid mechanics, which also has a variety of applications, looks at many properties including pressure drops from fluid flow and aerodynamic drag forces.
Manufacturing is an important step in mechanical engineering. Within the field, researchers investigate the best processes to make manufacturing more efficient. Laboratory methods focus on improving how to measure both thermal and mechanical engineering products and processes. Likewise, machine design develops equipment-scale processes while electrical engineering focuses on circuitry. All this equipment produces vibrations, another field of mechanical engineering, in which researchers study how to predict and control vibrations.
Engineering economics makes mechanical designs relevant and usable in the real world by estimating manufacturing and life cycle costs of materials, designs, and other engineered products.
What skills do mechanical engineers need?
The essence of engineering is problem solving. With this at its core, mechanical engineering also requires applied creativity—a hands on understanding of the work involved—along with strong interpersonal skills like networking, leadership, and conflict management. Creating a product is only part of the equation; knowing how to work with people, ideas, data, and economics fully makes a mechanical engineer.
What tasks do mechanical engineers do?
Careers in mechanical engineering call for a variety of tasks.
- Conceptual design
- Analysis
- Presentations and report writing
- Multidisciplinary teamwork
- Concurrent engineering
- Benchmarking the competition
- Project management
- Prototyping
- Testing
- Measurements
- Data Interpretation
- Developmental design
- Research
- Analysis (FEA and CFD)
- Working with suppliers
- Sales
- Consulting
- Customer service
How much do mechanical engineers earn?
Like careers in many other engineering fields, mechanical engineers are well paid. Compared to other fields, mechanical engineers earn well above average throughout each stage of their careers. According to the United States Department of Labor, the mean salary for a mechanical engineer is $97,000, with the top ten percent earning close to $136,210.
| Mechanical Engineering Salaries | Median Entry-Level Salary1 | Mean Annual Salary2 | Top 10 Percent3 |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Mechanical Engineering |
$64,682 | $97,000 | $136,210 |
| More salaries and sources. | |||
The future of mechanical engineering
Breakthroughs in materials and analytical tools have opened new frontiers for mechanical engineers. Nanotechnology, biotechnology, composites, computational fluid dynamics (CFD), and acoustical engineering have all expanded the mechanical engineering toolbox.
Nanotechnology allows for the engineering of materials on the smallest of scales. With the ability to design and manufacture down to the elemental level, the possibilities for objects grows immensely. Composites are another area where the manipulation of materials allows for new manufacturing opportunities. By combining materials with different characteristics in innovative ways, the best of each material can be employed and new solutions found. CFD gives mechanical engineers the opportunity to study complex fluid flows analyzed with algorithms. This allows for the modeling of situations that would previously have been impossible. Acoustical engineering examines vibration and sound, providing the opportunity to reduce noise in devices and increase efficiency in everything from biotechnology to architecture.
Mechanical Engineering at Michigan Tech
We are committed to our mission of hands-on education of our students, by world-class faculty, through innovative teaching, mentoring, and knowledge creation.
Our Bachelor of Science Degree
The bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering at Michigan Tech offers undergraduate students many unique, hands-on learning opportunities:
Undergraduate Research Opportunities
Undergraduate research opportunities are plentiful. Our department offers undergraduate students numerous opportunities in research, hands-on experience, and real-world client work. Research projects often require help from students for running simulations, taking data, analyzing results, etc. These opportunities may even be paid, depending on the availability of funds on the particular project. Take advantage of over 50,000 square feet of labs and computer centers, in the 13-story R. L. Smith Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics Building.
Real-World Experience
Get ready to contribute on the job from day one. Our students benefit from hands-on experiences ranging from our senior capstone design program to our enterprise teams to internships/co-ops. As a mechanical engineer, you can make a difference in the world by using the latest technologies to help solve today's grand challenges.
ABET Accreditation
Our undergraduate mechanical engineering program is ABET Accredited. ABET accreditation is a significant achievement. We have worked hard to ensure that our program meets the quality standards set by the profession. And, because it requires comprehensive, periodic evaluations, ABET accreditation demonstrates our continuing commitment to the quality of our program—both now and in the future.
Prepare for Graduate Study
Our undergraduate program in mechanical engineering prepares you for advanced study in the field. Earn your MS and/or PhD degrees in mechanical engineering, engineering mechanics, or a related field either at Michigan Tech or at another university.
What is chemical engineering?
Chemical engineering involves the production and manufacturing of products through chemical processes. This includes designing equipment, systems, and processes for refining raw materials and for mixing, compounding, and processing chemicals.
Chemical engineers translate processes developed in the lab into practical applications for the commercial production of products, and then work to maintain and Strengthen those processes. They rely on the main foundations of engineering: math, physics, and chemistry. Biology also plays an increasingly important role.
What do chemical engineers do?
Broadly, chemical engineers conceive and design processes involved in chemical manufacturing. The main role of chemical engineers is to design and troubleshoot processes for the production of chemicals, fuels, foods, pharmaceuticals, and biologicals, to name just a few. They are most often employed by large-scale manufacturing plants to maximize productivity and product quality while minimizing costs.
Chemical engineers affect the production of almost every article manufactured on an industrial scale. Some typical tasks include:
- Ensuring compliance with health, safety, and environmental regulations
- Conducting research into improved manufacturing processes
- Designing and planning equipment layout
- Incorporating safety procedures for working with dangerous chemicals
- Monitoring and optimizing the performance of production processes
- Estimating production costs
Chemical engineers who work in business and management offices often visit research and production facilities. Interaction with other people and team collaboration are critical to the success of projects involving chemical engineering.
Chemical engineers typically work in manufacturing plants, research laboratories, or pilot plant facilities. They work around large-scale production equipment that is housed both indoors and outdoors. Accordingly, they are often required to wear personal protective equipment (e.g., hard hats, goggles, and steel-toe shoes).
Where is chemical engineering used?
Chemical engineering is most often found in large-scale manufacturing plants, where the goal is to maximize productivity and product quality while minimizing costs. The aerospace, automotive, biomedical, electronic, environmental, medical, and military industries use chemical engineering to develop and Strengthen their technical products, such as:
- Ultrastrong fibers, fabrics, and adhesives for vehicles
- Biocompatible materials for implants and prosthetics
- Films for optoelectronic devices
