Undergraduate Study

For complete instructions on how to apply please visit the Undergraduate Admissions website.

The objective of the undergraduate program in Mechanical Engineering at Caltech is to prepare and inspire students for careers that lead to leadership positions in academia, industry and government in areas related to fluid, solid, thermal and mechanical systems. Specifically, the objective is to prepare students for graduate school and for professional practice in an era of rapidly advancing interdisciplinary technology.

To attain these objectives, the program builds on Caltech's core curriculum to combine individual depth of experience and competence in a particular chosen mechanical engineering specialty, with a strong background in the basic and engineering sciences. It maintains a balance between classroom lectures and laboratory and design experience, and emphasizes the problem-formulation and solving skills that are essential to any engineering discipline. The program also strives to develop in each student self-reliance, creativity, leadership, professional ethics, and the capacity for continuing professional and intellectual growth. For interested students, there are opportunities to conduct research with a faculty member.

The outcome of the undergraduate program is to prepare the student to

• Build on a fundamental education in physics, mathematics, chemistry and biology and to apply those principles to the solution of open ended engineering problems;
• Design, analyze, measure, and evaluate fluid, thermal and mechanical systems;
• Work effectively as part of a team;
• Communicate effectively;
• Apply ethical considerations;
• Understand the broader impacts of engineering developments, including societal, cultural and environmental concerns.

Mechanical engineering is the branch of engineering that is generally concerned with understanding forces and motion, and their application to solving problems of interest to society. The field includes aspects of thermodynamics, fluid and solid mechanics, mechanisms, materials, and energy conversion and transfer, and involves the application of physics, mathematics, chemistry, and increasingly, biology and computer science. Importantly, the field also emphasizes the process of formulation, design, optimization, manufacture, and control of new systems and devices.

Technical developments in the last decade have established the importance of interdisciplinary engineering and science, and as a result, new technical disciplines within mechanical engineering have emerged. These new areas build on an understanding of the fundamental behavior of physical systems; however, the focus of this work is at the interfaces between traditional disciplines. Examples of the new disciplines include: micro- and nano-mechanical systems, simulation and synthesis, integrated complex distributed systems, and biological engineering.

Mechanical engineers can be found in many fields including automotive, aerospace, materials processing and development, power production, consumer products, robotics and automation, semiconductor processing, and instrumentation. Mechanical engineering can also be the starting point for careers in bioengineeing, environmental and aeronautical engineering, finance, and business management.

At the end of the first year, students who elect the mechanical engineering option are assigned advisors as close to their expressed field of interest as possible, and together they develop programs of study for the next three years. Beyond the Institute-wide requirements of physics, mathematics, and humanities, these programs require one year of applied and computational mathematics, and additional course requirements (see Option Requirements [pdf]).

A student whose interests relate to mechanical engineering but who wishes to pursue a broader course of studies than that allowed by the Mechanical Engineering requirements may elect the Engineering and Applied Science Option.

See the Caltech Catalog for specific course requirements and a typical course schedule. Please view these pdf files for Option Requirements, a Typical Course Schedule, and Electives.)

The Mechanical Engineering Program is accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET).

Questions regarding the Mechanical Engineering undergraduate program? Please contact Professor Christopher Brennen .

Interesting Sites

Annual Caltech ME72 Design Contest
Society of Women Engineers, Caltech Student Section
Society of Women Engineers
American Society of Mechanical Engineers