Mechanical Engineering Course
What is Mechanical Engineering?
Mechanical engineering is one of the oldest and broadest disciplines in engineering. It is concerned with the production and use of heat and mechanical power for the designing, production and operation of machines and tools. It is very important for students starting a career in this field that they should have a good understanding of core concepts like mechanics, kinematics, thermodynamics, material science, structural analysis etc.
These courses mainly include technical areas such as distribution of electricity through generators, transformers, designing, electric motors, automobiles, aircraft and other heavy vehicles.
What do Mechanical Engineers do?
Mechanical engineering affects almost every aspect of your life. Most of the things, which we use in our daily life, are designed and developed by mechanical engineers. For example, micro-sensors, computers, automobiles, sports equipment, medical devices, robots and many other items. These new devices and equipment help to make our lives better.
Courses and durations
Mechanical engineering is one of the core fields of engineering. It is also one of the oldest disciplines of engineering. Nowadays, many specializations are included in mechanical engineering.
The concepts covered here are also related to other fields of engineering. For example, subjects like petroleum, automobile, aerospace, civil, chemical etc. are engineering disciplines which are also well related to mechanical engineering. Students who want to pursue a course in Mechanical Engineering can enroll in various courses:
Diploma Courses – This course offers a Polytechnic Diploma in Mechanical Engineering to the students and you can do this course after passing 10th and 12th class. The duration or duration of this course is 3 years.
Undergraduate courses – This is a course of 4 years duration, on completion of which you get the degree of B.Tech (Bachelor of Technology) in Mechanical Engineering. You can do this course after passing 12th class.
Postgraduate Courses – This is a 2 year duration course offering MTech (Master of Technology) post graduation degree in Mechanical Engineering. Before taking admission in this course, you must have an undergraduate degree in the appropriate field.
Doctoral Courses – This is a 3 year duration course for obtaining Doctoral degree or PhD (Degree of Doctor of Philosophy) in Mechanical Engineering. To do this course, students should have a post-graduation degree in a suitable subject.
most popular subtopics
There are many specializations in the field of mechanical engineering and students after obtaining a bachelor’s degree can continue their studies for specialization in any one of these sub-disciplines to obtain higher degrees. Following are some of the most popular specializations in this field:
Mechatronics and Robotics – This field is related to many disciplines like robotics, artificial intelligence, computer science, neuroscience, psychology and many more. There are many great career options available for students specializing in Robotics. They can work in various industries such as manufacturing, healthcare, transportation, entry and other allied industries.
Thermodynamics and Thermo-Science – This field deals with the fundamental principles of heat transfer and thermodynamics as well as their application and designing in advanced engineering systems.
Nanotechnology – This field involves the study and development of technology on a very small scale. Students specializing in this field get many career opportunities in the fields of chemistry, engineering, biology etc.
Fluid Mechanics – Specialization in Fluid Mechanics is essential for designing and understanding rocket engines, air-conditioning, oil pipelines, wind turbines etc. This field is also of great importance for analyzing ocean currents, tectonic plates and other related topics.
Solid Mechanics – The specialization in solid mechanics includes the study of solid materials according to behaviour, motion, deformation and external influences. After gaining expertise in this field, you have many opportunities to start an engineering career in manufacturing, civil engineering, aerospace engineering and nuclear technology.
Main Subjects in Mechanical Engineering
Following are some of the main subjects covered in Mechanical Engineering:
• Computational Fluid Dynamics and Heat Transfer
• Computer Aided Design of Thermal Systems
• Fundamentals of Casting and Solidification
• Industrial Engineering and Operation Research
• Modeling of Turbulent Combustion
• Principles of Vibration Control
• Railroad Vehicle Dynamics
• Robotic Manipulators Dynamics and Control
• Transition and Turbulence
• Wave Propagation in Solids
Admission Process
Mechanical engineering is one of the most preferred courses among core engineering subjects. Students can do any course in Mechanical Engineering under various levels such as Diploma, Undergraduate, Postgraduate, Doctoral. But, there are some pre-requisite eligibility criteria for each of the above courses and the students must have these qualifications. Hence, the following are the eligibility criteria for various courses in Mechanical Engineering:
Eligibility Criteria for taking admission in various courses in Mechanical Engineering
Diploma Courses – The student must have passed the 10th class examination from a recognized education board. The student must have passed the 12th class with the main subjects like Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics.
Undergraduate Courses – To take admission in the UG program, the student has to give suitable entrance exams. Apart from this, the student must have passed 12th class with main subjects like Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics etc.
For taking admission in Post Graduate Courses – PG Programs also the student has to pass the appropriate entrance examinations. The student should also have an undergraduate degree in the relevant subject from a recognized university.
Doctoral Courses – To take admission in the doctoral programme, the student must have a post-graduation degree in an allied subject from a recognized university.
entrance exams for mechanical engineering
Entrance exams are conducted at national, state and university level for taking admission in various engineering disciplines. To take admission in Mechanical Engineering, students can take the following popular exams:
• Joint Entrance Exam – Main (JEE Main)
• Joint Entrance Exam – Advanced (JEE Advanced)
• VIT Engineering Entrance Exam (VITEEE)
• The Maharashtra Common Entrance Test (MHTCET)
• Uttar Pradesh State Entrance Exam (UPSEE)
• Birla Institute of Technology and Science Admission Test (BITSAT)
• VIT University Master’s Entrance Exam (VITMEE)
• Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE)
• Birla Institute of Technology and Science Higher Degree Exam (BITS HD)
Top 10 institutes for mechanical engineering
The ‘Indian Institute of Technologies’ ie IIT’s are considered as the best colleges for doing engineering courses in India. According to the NIRF Ranking Year 2018, the following are the top 10 UGC approved engineering colleges in India:
• Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Madras
• Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Bombay
• Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur
• Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Delhi
• Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur
• Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Roorkee
• Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati
• Anna University, Chennai
• Jadavpur University, Kolkata
• Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad, Hyderabad
Career prospects for mechanical engineers
Mechanical engineering includes various aspects of designing and testing of machines along with many other functions. This job involves planning and supervision of live projects in various fields such as thermal power plants, nuclear stations, electricity generation etc. Renewable energy, automobiles, quality control, industrial automation etc. are some of the new and emerging fields in this field. After obtaining undergraduate degrees in engineering, there are good job opportunities for the students in various fields of manufacturing, production, services and development. Nowadays we are living in the era of machines and where there is a machine, there is a need for a mechanical engineer. Therefore, there can never be any dearth of job options for Mechanical Engineers.
Popular Job Profiles for Mechanical Engineers
Mechanical Engineers can work in many industries depending on their specialization. Following are some of the preferred job profiles for Mechanical Engineers:
architectural and engineering managers
Architectural and engineering managers work related to planning, directing, managing and coordinating activities in architectural and engineering companies.
Drafters
This job involves using software to convert designs made by engineers and architects into technical drawings to help design things like microchips and skyscrapers. Any candidate can do specialization in Architecture, Civil, Engineering, Mechanical and other allied fields.
Material engineers
This profile studies the properties and structures of metals, ceramics, plastics, composites, nanomaterials and various other materials to create new materials. As a Materials Engineer you will also be involved in the processing, testing and development of materials used to manufacture a wide range of products from microchips to aircraft wings and golf clubs to biomedical devices etc.
Mechanical engineering technicians
Mechanical engineering technicians assist mechanical engineers in designing, developing, manufacturing and testing various mechanical devices. You will be required to perform tasks related to creating rough layouts, analyzing and recording data, performing calculations, applying estimates and reporting project results.
Nuclear engineers
Nuclear engineers research and develop useful processes and systems to harness nuclear energy and radiation to our advantage.
Petroleum Engineers
As a petroleum engineer, you will be required to design and develop various methods for extracting oil and gas from oil deposits.
Physicists and Astronomers
Physicists and astronomers study the ways in which energy and matter interact in different forms. Some physicists design and experiment with sophisticated equipment like particle accelerators, electron microscopes, lasers, etc.
Sales engineers
Sales Engineers sell complex scientific and technological products to various businesses. As a sales engineer, you should have a very good knowledge of your product, its parts and functions. You should also have a sound understanding of the scientific process involved in the working of the product.
Popular recruiters
Given below are some of the popular recruiters offering great job opportunities to Mechanical Engineers in Government and Private Sectors:
Government sector
• Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL)
• National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC)
• Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO)
• Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO)
• Coal India
• Electronics Corporation of India (ECIL)
• Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL)
• Steel Authority of India (SAIL)
private sector
• Tata Motors
• Bajaj Auto
• Hero MotoCorp
• Leyland Motors
• Ford Motor Company
• Honda Motor Company
• Bhabha Atomic Research Center (BARC)