Mechanical Engineering, WPI’s oldest and largest department, continues to attract renowned faculty and top students because what we do here is remarkable. The department’s resources allow for diverse research and exploration that give faculty and students opportunities to directly impact areas of most concern to them.

In a collaborative and challenging environment, students and faculty work together on projects and research that form the foundation of our commitment to learning while doing. Faculty help students explore and choose the academic path that matches their interests, and then students dig deeper with transformative projects and independent research. From their first courses here, students sharpen their critical thinking skills and put their problem-solving abilities to real use—giving them a distinct career advantage.

The academic degrees offered in the Mechanical Engineering program are:

Contact

Location: 
Higgins Laboratories
Phone: 
508-831-5236
Fax: 
508-831-5680
me@wpi.edu

Degrees & Certificates

Area of Study Bachelor Minor Certificate Master PhD
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For degrees, research and facilities in Manufacturing Engineering (MFE), Materials Process Engineering (MPE), Materials Science and Engineering (MTE), and Robotics Engineering (RBE) please visit the individual program websites. The Mechanical Engineering department consists of four programs:

Mechanical Engineering Alumni Featured in WPI Journal

Invisible Engineering

Netflix engineering leader Karen Casella ’83 is advancing the technology that delights millions and working to make the field more inclusive. 

Spring 2018 WPI Journal

Back on the Grid, With Renewed Efficiency

Having begun his career at WPI studying energy efficiency, Rob Cruickshank took a 21-year detour into the cable industry, helping create some of the most pioneering innovations in the field. Now he’s focusing on energy management once again.

Fall 2017 WPI Journal

Turbocharged Journey

For mechanical engineering alumnus Arthur Hyde ’77, saving the Mustang became his mission during his career at Ford.

Summer 2017 WPI Journal

Announcements

May 08, 2020
Student Activities
Student Recognition Awards Acknowledge Outstanding Efforts
May 03, 2020
Mechanical Engineering
ME Graduate Seminar: Xun Liu, Ph.D., The Ohio State University
April 30, 2020
Mechanical Engineering
Ph.D. Dissertation: Binod Giri
April 26, 2020
Mechanical Engineering
ME Graduate Seminar: Haichong (Kai) Zhang, Ph.D., WPI
SEE MORE ANNOUNCEMENTS

News

SEE MORE NEWS
Individual photos of new WPI faculty members
WPI Welcomes 19 New Faculty Members
October 20, 2020
Students walk through the Quad wearing face coverings and maintaining social distance. One flashes two thumbs up at the camera.
The Month in Photos: September 2020
October 12, 2020
Members of the Center for Advanced Research in Drying at a meeting held last fall at WPI. alt
Members of the Center for Advanced Research in Drying at a meeting held last fall at WPI.
WPI Receives Combined $4 Million Award from Department of Energy and Massachusetts Clean Energy Center
September 14, 2020
Office of Accessibility Services Director Amy Curran (center) is flanked by assistant directors Taylor Garnes (left) and Jessica Szivos. alt
Office of Accessibility Services Director Amy Curran (center) is flanked by assistant directors Taylor Garnes (left) and Jessica Szivos.
Newly Named Office of Accessibility Services Readies for Academic Year
August 27, 2020
Destin Heilman alt
Destin Heilman, associate teaching professor of chemistry and biochemistry, will teach his online classes with a lightboard. Photo by Destin Heilman.
Getting Ready for Fall
August 07, 2020

Media Coverage

SEE ALL MEDIA COVERAGE
Worcester Business Journal
WPI receives $2.4M contract to develop low-cost/fast-charge electric vehicle batteries

The Worcester Business Journal featured WPI university research in their article. Yan Wang, William Smith Dean’s Professor of Mechanical Engineering, is principal investigator of the three-year project.

Spectrum News 1
WPI Researchers Use Mice to Identify Drugs Which Reduce Size of Breast Cancer Tumors

Provost Wole Soboyejo appeared on Spectrum News 1 discussing his research in identifying targeted drugs that reduced the sizes of hard-to-treat breast cancer tumors in mice without inducing the toxic side effects that are typically associated with conventional chemotherapy.

Projects & Research

Students in WPI’s mechanical engineering department have many choices for projects and research including those in aeronautics, astronautics, biomechanical engineering, mechanics, manufacturing, materials science and engineering, mechanical design, robotics, and thermal-fluid engineering.

Improving Windmill Gears

Wind turbines are expected to produce electricity. But the quality of their design and manufacture is a key factor in their efficiency and dependability. Watch this video to see how WPI is working to improve the process and outcome.

WPI Collaborates with Industry in Research Centers

Mechanical engineering students also have access to several collaborative alliances between WPI and industry.

  • The Metal Processing Institute (MPI) and its three centers work to advance research, solve business challenges, and promote materials science partnerships.
  • The Integrative Materials Design Center, iMDC is a WPI-based research center dedicated to advancing sustainable materials-process- component design and manufacturing for better performance, reliability, and recyclability.
  • The Center for Advanced Research in Drying, CARD is devoted to research in drying of moist, porous materials including food, agricultural products, forestry products, chemical products, textiles, and biopharmaceuticals.
  • The HAAS Technical Education Center earned the distinction of becoming one of a handful of HTECH showrooms nationwide. Students in mechanical engineering programs use these facilities to conceive, design, and create their own CNC machined parts for projects. 

Career Development

With the varied skills and problem-solving capabilities of a mechanical engineering education, graduates find careers in industries from aerospace to academia to automotive. Our graduates find their project-based work gives them the hands-on experience needed to hit the ground running after graduation.

See the Career Development Center Profile

BS/MS Option

Outstanding mechanical engineering students may opt to earn a BS/MS degree in an accelerated time. Students interested in the program are encouraged to complete an online graduate admissions application during their junior year, noting they want the BS/MS program for mechanical engineering.

Learn More about BS/MS Option

Meet Our Students

Matthew L.

Matthew L.

Junior, BS in Mechanical Engineering; BS in Physics

Matthew's team, made up of six students with majors ranging from mechanical engineering to interactive media and game development, worked together to assess the feasibility of Bar Harbor becoming an International Dark Sky Community (IDSC). He and his team compared the ordinances of the town to the mandatory requirements for an IDSC, created a map of businesses that were dark-sky friendly, and gathered information on the current status of the night sky, allowing future teams to help work with the town to continue the process of making Bar Harbor an IDSC.

Read More

Related Links

Engineering
Corporate and Professional Education

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