About the Department
Because of the city of Dayton's long history of innovation and strong background in design and manufacturing, the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the University of Dayton is the ideal place for you to learn and develop your skills and career.
As a UD mechanical engineering student, you benefit from a broad education involving solid technical foundations, personal faculty interaction, commitment to business skills such as teaming, leadership, communication and interpersonal relations, local and global opportunities to use engineering skills for service, and our signature co-ops, internships and hands-on practice-based learning.
The strong relationships the University maintains with industry partners provide you a wealth of opportunities in cooperative education and internship programs. You also have access to service programs and international study opportunities to broaden your learning experience. More than 90 percent of mechanical engineering students participate in extended learning. Many students are active in professional societies and competitions — winning accolades for professional development, service and social activities.
Our Design and Manufacturing Clinic in the School's Innovation Center gives you real innovation experience as you work in a team of engineering students on an engineering project sponsored by industry, small-business start-ups or social enterpreneurs. You see the real-world project through and present your results back to your sponsor.
Our well-equipped laboratories in the Eugene W. Kettering Engineering and Research Laboratories, the Mechanical Engineering Building and the Advanced Integrating Manufacturing Center represent a large-scale engineering education center. The Energy Laboratory provides computer data acquisition with a wide variety of experience in thermal and renewable energy systems, vibrating systems, electrical components and fluid flow situation. The Aerospace Laboratory includes two 150 mph wind tunnels, a water tunnel and a subsonic wind tunnel with a 5-inch by 16-inch test section.
The department is committed to educating you in design, testing, manufacturing and research and we lead by example and practice. Educating students to use energy resources more effectively is a theme throughout our program. Classes usually have fewer than 25 students and are always taught by professors. Our faculty is famously accessible outside the classroom for advising and mentorship.
Undergraduate students may choose from two concentrations in areas of aerospace engineering or energy systems and 16 minors in such areas as computer systems, engineering mechanics, industrial engineering and structures in the School of Engineering, and in areas such as music, languages, business and political science. The department recently established a five-year program that permits you to complete the Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering and the Master of Science degree in materials engineering, aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering or engineering management or a Master's in Business Administration.
We host approximately 400 majors pursuing the Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering degree, the largest major in the School of Engineering. We also offer master's and doctoral programs in aerospace engineering and mechanical engineering. The diverse professional curriculum offered by the mechanical and aerospace engineering department is accredited by the Technology Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (TAC/ABET).
Educational Objectives
Our graduates will:
- engage in successful careers in design, testing, manufacturing and/or research;
- develop professionally through continuing education;
- serve as effective team members and leaders in the technical and nontechnical environments; and
- commit to a career and life where ethics, integrity and service are paramount.
