Overview
The Department of Mechanical Engineering at Illinois State offers a comprehensive, equity centered, and people focused program designed to provide students with a strong foundation in the core areas of mechanical engineering.
Our program is centered in equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging with curriculum that provides you with training that inspires innovation, fosters hands-on education and collaborative problem-solving, and encourages entrepreneurship. Our curriculum includes traditional courses such as:
- Machine design and manufacturing
- Dynamics and control systems
- Thermodynamics
- Fluid Mechanics
- Heat Transfer
- Mechanics of materials
In addition to these fundamental courses, you will have opportunities to specialize in areas such as renewable energy, robotics and automation, biomechanics, automotive industry, turbomachinery, and aerospace.
Our hands-on approach emphasizes real-world, industry-based project learning, ensuring that you gain practical experience and problem-solving skills to enjoy thriving engineering and R&D careers to make a societal impact.
You will also be able to join campus chapters of engineering professional organizations such as American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), Society of Women Engineers, National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), Society for Hispanic Professional Engineers, and Engineering Without Boarders (EMB) among others. These organizations allow you to meet new people, build a network of support, and work as a team, and participate in regional and national competitions.
Why Study Engineering - Mechanical Engineering?
Studying Mechanical Engineering at Illinois State University means joining a community dedicated to excellence and innovation. Our curriculum emphasizes proactive learning through first-year design projects, labs in the sophomore and junior years that reinforce theoretical concepts, and interdisciplinary, team-based senior capstone projects.
As part of the newly founded College of Engineering, our student laboratories and design studios will be equipped with state-of-the-art tools used by practicing engineers worldwide.
As a graduates of the Mechanical Engineering program at Illinois State University, you will have numerous career opportunities across various industries. You will be highly sought after due to the high demand for mechanical engineers in Illinois and across the nation.
Mechanical engineering careers are among the highest-paying jobs in the engineering disciplines. From the Industrial Revolution, when mechanical engineering emerged as a profession transforming industries with machinery that accelerated production and reduced human labor, to today’s advancements in aircraft and space shuttles, mechanical engineers have continually contributed to the betterment of humankind.
Today, the future is driven by a heightened awareness of energy and environmental concerns for our planet. Mechanical engineers are at the forefront of developing clean fuels like hydrogen, which is approximately three times more powerful than fossil fuels, paving the way for sustainable energy solutions.
There are many other exciting topics that mechanical engineers enjoy working on throughout their career including biomechanics and robotics by creating advanced humanoids and biomechanical solutions that improve human body functions and enhance life quality.
If you want to change the world for the better, mechanical engineering is a pathway filled with possibilities!