Mechanical Engineering

If you like solving problems, building things, or figuring out how machines work, the Mechanical Engineering major at West Point might be the perfect academic opportunity for you. This major also includes an honors track.

Mechanical engineers design and create just about everything that moves - from engines and robots to vehicles and energy systems. In this program, you gain the skills to tackle real-world engineering challenges that matter to the Army and the world.

Why Consider This Major

If cadets like math, science, building things, or fixing machines, Mechanical Engineering lets them turn that curiosity into real impact. At West Point, cadets earn a respected engineering degree, graduate debt-free, and lead soldiers while working with technology that shapes the future of the Army and the world.

Mechanical engineers are inventors, builders, and problem-solvers - and at West Point, they’re leaders too. This major sets cadets on a path to do more than just build machines- it prepares them to build a better future.

• Mechanical engineering teaches cadets how things work. This will be of enormous benefit as an Army officer in an increasingly technical world. Almost everything used in the military has involved mechanical engineering at all or most stages of its design and production.
• Mechanical engineering teaches cadets how to think. Mechanical engineers learn how to describe, analyze, and solve problems using mathematics and systematic problem-solving techniques. Learning to think logically and to work systematically contributes to an ability to address new and difficult problems with confidence.
• Mechanical engineering teaches cadets how to oversee complicated and interdisciplinary projects. Because a mechanical engineering education teaches how things work and how to logically solve new problems, mechanical engineers are in very high demand as project managers.
• Mechanical engineering provides an opportunity for solving challenging, real-life problems for the benefit of the Army and society. Engineers are explorers and inventors. They push technological frontiers to improve the quality of life for our nation’s citizens today and for the future. The Army provides many postgraduate educational and research opportunities at top universities and research laboratories for its best engineering minds.
• Mechanical engineering allows you to keep cadets'' options open. Mechanical engineers possess excellent reasoning skills and understand their world. These qualities make mechanical engineers competitive for most graduate programs of study in engineering as well as law, business, and medicine.

What Cadets Learn

Cadets in this major start with a solid base in math, science, and core engineering, and then dig into exciting topics like:

• Thermodynamics – how energy is transferred and transformed
• Mechanical Design – how to build machines that work reliably
• Fluid Mechanics – how liquids and gases behave in systems like engines and hydraulics
• Materials Science – choosing the right materials for the job
• Mechatronics – blending mechanical, electrical, and computer systems (think: smart machines)
• Statics and Dynamics – how forces and motion affect objects

They learn by doing - building, testing, and improving real devices in labs and team projects.

Choice of Electives

Want to go deeper into topics of interest? These electives give cadets academic options:

• Renewable Energy Systems – explore wind, solar, and sustainable power
• Advanced Mechanical Design – work on real-world design challenges
• Robotics – design machines that sense, move, and think
• Vehicle Dynamics – study how tanks, trucks, and other vehicles move and stay stable
• Heat Transfer – understand how energy moves through materials

Learn more

• View the full Mechanical Engineering major curriculum
• Meet the Mechanical Engineering faculty

Mechanical Engineering majors can study abroad in locations such as Germany, Singapore, Egypt, Mexico, China, Russia, and Canada. Majors have the opportunity to participate in a summer Academic Individual Advanced Development (AIAD) program, USMA-run academic enrichment experience. Cadets will work alongside world-class professional engineers and researchers, gaining invaluable knowledge and insight into the facilities, methods, and procedures used to design, test, and improve Army systems.  

Honor Societies: 

• Tau Beta Pi – Engineering Honor Society
• Phi Kappa Phi - Oldest and Largest Collegiate Honor Society 

To learn more about enrichment for this area of study, visit the Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering or the Center for Applied Engineering.  

The Bachelor of Science (BS) in Mechanical Engineering is accredited by the Engineering  Accreditation Commission of ABET, under the commission’s General Criteria and Program Criteria for Mechanical Engineering. 

Mechanical engineers possess excellent reasoning skills and understand their world. These qualities make mechanical engineers competitive for most graduate programs of study in engineering as well as law, business, and medicine. 

Mechanical engineering majors have a lab requirement component. This major offers an honors track. 

ABET mechanical engineering student outcomes  

Student outcomes are statements that describe what students are expected to know and be able to do by the time of graduation.  

Cadets who qualify for graduation with a mechanical engineering major from USMA will demonstrate:  

• an ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics.
• an ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors.
• an ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences.
• an ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts.
• an ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives.
• an ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions.
• an ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies. 

ABET mechanical engineering program educational objectives 

Program educational objectives are broad statements that describe the career and professional accomplishments that the program is preparing graduates to achieve. 

Within a few years after graduation, mechanical engineering majors are expected to attain: 

1. multiple positions of responsibility in which they:
   1. drive outcomes;
   2. inform and influence others;
   3. build teams;
   4. personal and professional growth through formal and informal learning opportunities, while being a role model to inspire others; and
   5. experience in providing engineering expertise to the Army and nation to design solutions and innovate for winning in a complex world.