The Ohio State University

Mechanical engineering is one of the most diverse and exciting branches of engineering. Its scope ranges from the design of very fine and sensitive instruments to the design of mammoth power plants. Mechanical engineering can encompass aerodynamics, lasers, high performance engines, electronic controllers, computer modeling and simulation, composite materials and robotics.

Mechanical engineering involves the creative design, manufacturing, testing, evaluation and distribution of such devices as automobiles, prosthetic limbs, home appliances, spacecraft, all types of engines, air conditioning equipment, artificial organs, nuclear and fossil fuel power plants, controls, robotics, and many types of instruments. 

In order to prepare for such a broad field, mechanical engineers must have a solid foundation in physics, chemistry and mathematics. This field also includes studies in basic mechanics of solids and fluids, electricity and electronics, controls, dynamic analysis, mechanical design, thermodynamics, applied mechanics, and heat transfer.