Department of Mechanical Engineering 

The Department of Mechanical Engineering offers one of the most versatile engineering degrees to prepare students for a variety of challenging careers in fields such as energy, bio-medical devices, environmental engineering, transportation, design, controls and sensors, thermal sciences, and nanomanufacturing. In addition to mechanical engineering, our world-renowned faculty members represent many different areas of engineering with doctorates in industrial engineering, mathematics, chemistry, physics, robotics, chemical engineering, and electrical engineering. This gives students a broad perspective on their education and research.

Tradition of excellence

As one of the first engineering programs at the University of Minnesota, our department's history dates back more than a century. Our prominent alumni and former faculty include the inventor of the retractable seat belt and black box recorder, a pioneer in heat and mass transfer, an eminent designer of agricultural machinery, a former state highway commissioner, founders and presidents of several major companies, and countless other entrepreneurs and inventors.

World-class academic programs

Our undergraduate students study engineering science and applied engineering based on courses in mathematics, physics and chemistry. Hands-on learning is an essential component of the undergraduate curriculum. Throughout the curriculum, students design, build, and test real hardware and analyze the results against ideal-world simulations. The M.S. and Ph.D. degree programs emphasize individual thesis and study projects closely supervised by a faculty member. Graduate instruction includes core courses taught by top faculty and ample opportunities to gain research experience through partnerships with government and industry.

Cutting-edge research

The cornerstone of our mechanical engineering research program is in the thermal sciences, especially heat transfer. Our department continues to be a world leader in thermal science and engineering research, and our work in this area has broadened to include world-renowned programs in plasma technology and particle technology. In more recent years, our department has gained prominence for its pioneering work in other areas including biofuels, biomedical engineering, design, and industrial engineering. Our faculty also lead University research centers and labs including the Medical Devices Center, Center for Compact and Efficient Fluid Power, Intelligent Transportation Systems Institute, Solar Energy Lab, BioCoR, and the Particle Technology Lab.

Our research is focused in the following areas:

Application focus areas

• Energy
• Human health
• Environment
• Transportation

Fundamental areas

• Thermal, fluid and plasma sciencey
• Design, manufacturing and controls
• Nanotechnology
• Theory and simulation

Business and industry connections

Our department has ties to many major corporations such as Boston Scientific, Medtronic, IBM, 3M, Honeywell, Eaton, Seagate, and others. Our researchers also receive significant funding from government organizations such as the National Science Foundation, Department of Energy, and the National Institutes of Health.

National rankings

• Our mechanical engineering graduate program ranked eighth in the most recent National Research Council ranking
• Our graduate program was ranked among the nation's top 15 mechanical engineering programs by U.S. News and World Report.