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
{{department.departmentName}}

For degrees, research and facilities in Aerospace Engineering (AE), 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 five 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

September 27, 2019
ME Graduate Seminar: Prof. Tingyi "Leo" Liu, UMass Amherst
September 13, 2019
ME Graduate Seminar: Dr. Danielle Cote
June 25, 2019
WPI Researchers Honored with USCAR Team Award for Pioneering Work on Battery Recycling
March 25, 2019
Dean’s Professor and Arseneault Faculty Fellowship Awarded to Professor Onal
SEE MORE ANNOUNCEMENTS

News

Haichong “Kai” Zhang alt
Haichong “Kai” Zhang is developing a light-and-sound-based image-guided robotics system to detect and monitor prostate cancer.
Press Release Research
NIH Awards WPI $1.8m for robotic prostate cancer detection
October 22, 2019
STEM faculty
Story Daily Herd
Getting Ready for a Faculty Role
October 10, 2019
WPI professor Nikhil Karanjgaokar conducts an experiment to observe how waves move through granular materials immersed in liquid, which could be used for shock protection. alt
WPI professor Nikhil Karanjgaokar conducts an experiment to observe how waves move through granular materials immersed in liquid, which could be used for shock protection.
Press Release Research
WPI Researcher Works to Make Police, Soldiers Safer
October 08, 2019
addessio
WPI Journal
Frank Addessio '68 Phase Change
September 13, 2019
WPI professor Danielle Cote (center) leads a WPI research team that will study cold spray 3D printing techniques. alt
WPI professor Danielle Cote (center) leads a WPI research team that will study cold spray 3D printing techniques.
Press Release Research
WPI Bringing Cold Spray 3D Printing Techniques to Military
September 10, 2019
See More News

Media Coverage

‘I know I can do it’: WPI student looks forward to an engineering-related career — despite blindness

In a front-page article, The Boston Globe profiled WPI student  Jack Duffy-Protentis. “The sky’s the limit for Jack,’’ his mother told The Globe. “He’s innovative. He’s all personality. The experience at WPI made me realize that it’s not a disability for Jack. He’s differently abled, that’s all.’’​

The Boston Globe Logo
The robots in our future

WPI mechanical engineering professor Greg Fischer, the director of WPI’s Automation and Interventional Medicine Lab, is noted in a story about medical robotics and his research on MRI-compatible robots for cancer therapy.

Mumbai Mirror
See More Articles

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.

View Profile

Related Links

Engineering
Corporate and Professional Education

Admissions and Registration Information

Undergraduate Admissions Information
Graduate Admissions Information
View Current Catalog and Calendar
Course Registration Information