Mechanical Engineering Major

View course descriptions and suggested course sequence.

The Goal of the Department of Engineering Mechanics is to Educate Engineers for the Military Profession. The Mechanical Engineering Program is specifically designed with the goal of generating officers who:

1. Possess breadth of integrated, fundamental knowledge in engineering, the basic sciences, social sciences and humanities as well as a depth of knowledge in mechanical engineering.
2. Communicate effectively.
3. Work effectively on teams and grow into team leaders.
4. Are independent learners and, as applicable, are successful in graduate school.
5. Can apply their knowledge and skills to solve Air Force engineering problems, both well and ill defined.
6. Know their ethical, professional and community responsibilities as embodied in the Untied States Air Force Core Values.

The Program Operational Goals listed above describe what the Air Force would like to see in our graduates as they begin their careers as Air Force Engineering Officers. To best support these goals our program’s curriculum is designed so that, by graduation, our graduates possess certain qualities or outcomes. These Program Curricular Outcomes, listed below, call for our graduating cadets to satisfactorily demonstrate:

1. Application of the fundamental analysis concepts of mechanical engineering to solve engineering problems.
2. Modeling, design and fabrication techniques of thermal and mechanical systems under real-world conditions.
3. Use of contemporary mechanical engineering analysis, design and test tools.
4. Experimental techniques including test design, execution, data analysis and interpretation.
5. Written and oral communications skills.
6. Knowledge of ethical and professional responsibilities.
7. Breadth and depth of engineering knowledge and skills to effectively identify and solve the types of complex, interdisciplinary problems they will encounter as Air Force engineers.
8. Ability to be effective interdisciplinary team members and leaders.
9. Skills to be independent lifelong learners while knowing when to seek help.
10. Knowledge of contemporary social, political, military and engineering issues,
    as well as the role of Air Force engineering officers and citizens in our global society.

If you want to design and build things, you should consider majoring in mechanical engineering. Mechanical engineering is, more than anything else, the engineering of systems. Systems are interactions of components, power and information. Some examples include an automobile's fuel injected, electronic ignition power train; its electronically controlled and load-leveling suspension system; its anti-lock, traction-control braking system; or its climate-control system. Aircraft systems include turbine engines, attitude and flight controls, automated navigation and guided weapons. There are incredible mechanical engineering systems in space hardware, power generation facilities and manufacturing. Because systems bring together the engineering of mechanics and motion, thermodynamics and fluids, materials and structures and control, mechanical engineering is a broad discipline of design and analysis. The Academy's mechanical engineering degree is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET).

If you are a top performer in the Mechanical Engineering Major, graduate school could be your first Air Force assignment – either by winning a prestigious national scholarship (Guggenheim, Hertz, Rhodes, etc.) or through direct departmental sponsorship. The Mechanical Engineering Major gives you the flexibility to pursue either a more specialized degree in graduate school or to continue your broad-based study in engineering. Whether you ultimately choose aeronautical engineering, mechanical engineering, astronautical engineering, materials engineering or engineering mechanics, your decision will be an informed one.

With a degree in mechanical engineering you can get an Air Force assignment as an aeronautical engineer, civil engineer, astronautical engineer, mechanical engineer or project engineer. The mechanical engineering degree also satisfies the educational requirements for Air Force Test Pilot, Flight Test Navigator and Flight Test Engineer duties. Additional specialties are Scientific Analyst and Acquisition Project Officer.