Essential Information
Emphasizing topics such as structural dynamics and engineering analysis, the master's degree program requires a bachelor's degree for admission. Graduates may be prepared to build careers in mechanical engineering. Students who want to improve their technical capabilities can choose a graduate certificate program that emphasizes radiation heat transfer and fluid mechanics.
Doctoral program students typically must have undergraduate degrees. They study topics such as advanced engineering dynamics in preparation for careers as professors, researchers or upper-level managers. In instances in which licenses are required, applicants must pass comprehensive examinations in order to qualify. The program length is two years for master's degree and five years for the doctorate. Independent research is commonly required at the master's and doctoral levels.
Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering
Students in graduate mechanical engineering programs with a concentration in thermal sciences learn about the laws of thermodynamics, as well as methods of heat transfer through radiation, conduction and convection. Thermal engineering students often collaborate with researchers in other university departments, such as in chemistry and aerospace engineering. Students are able to opt for a thesis track or a coursework-only option.
Graduate programs require that applicants have an undergraduate academic background in engineering, mathematics or a related field. Minimum grade point average requirements for admission include a 3.0 in engineering coursework.
Graduate programs allow students to study fluid mechanics and heat transfer, as well as combustion and structures as they apply to aeronautics, computational modeling and new materials manufacturing. Topics of study include:
- Computational fluid mechanics
- Elasticity
- Engineering analysis
- Solids mechanics
- Structural dynamics
Graduate Certificate in Heat Transfer
Graduate certificate programs in heat transfer are designed for students and working professionals who have earned a bachelor's degree in engineering, math or a related field. Certificate programs help students to improve technical skills in thermal design, which is applicable to electronic systems, such as life support systems for astronauts in outer space. Students use computers to perform complex calculations to measure the interactions between materials of different temperatures and the processes that take them closer to thermodynamic equilibrium.
Topics studied in a heat transfer certificate program give students a brief overview of theories behind numerical modeling and thermal interactions between fluids and gasses. Commonly offered courses include:
- Computer modeling
- Fluid mechanics
- Radiation heat transfer
- Thermal management of electronics
- Thermodynamics
Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering
Doctoral students in mechanical engineering programs can focus on the sub-discipline of fluid and thermal dynamics to learn about statistical physics, system analysis and multi-scale modeling. Research from this field is applicable to practical problems, like avoiding overheating of materials traveling in space or minimizing resource usage in home heating.
Applicants to doctoral programs are required to have earned an undergraduate degree in an engineering science or mathematics. Applicants who have earned a master's degree in a related field may only need 2-3 years to complete a Ph.D. program.
Doctoral programs prepare students to teach and write about topics like thermal engineering for material applications and nanoscale heat transference. Programs offer such courses as:
- Convective heat transfer
- Dynamics
- Engineering thermodynamics
- Fluid mechanics
- Nonlinear data filtering
Popular Career Options
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) in 2020, approximately 293,960 mechanical engineers were employed in various businesses; materials engineers held about 24,740 jobs in the same period. The most significant employment levels for mechanical engineering professionals were in the architectural, research and development fields, as well as aerospace and motor vehicle parts manufacturing industry. Materials engineers most commonly found employment in aerospace product manufacturing, architectural services and semiconductor manufacturing.
Master's degree graduates can apply thermal engineering principles to solving real-world problems, or take research and development positions. Applications of thermal engineering include:
- Energy production in power plants
- Energy efficiency in large HVAC systems
- Nuclear reactor safety
- Performance of electronics and novel materials at high and low temperatures
Some doctoral degree holders apply heat transfer principles to research funded by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Defense Advanced Research Project Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy. Additionally, graduates work in academia and industry. Job opportunities include:
- Bioengineering consultant
- Heat engineer
- Mechanical engineering professor
- Quality assurance manager
- Researcher
Employment Outlook and Salary Info
Materials engineers were projected to have a job growth of 2% from 2019-2029, stated the BLS, which placed increases in these engineering disciplines as slower than national job growth at large. Mechanical engineers expect a job growth of 4% in the same period. Growth was expected to come from the manufacturing community's increased use of nontraditional, composite materials created through nanotechnology and biotechnology research.
The BLS stated that mechanical engineers earned a mean annual wage of $90,160 in May 2020; the mean annual wage of materials engineers was reported to be $95,640 for the same period.
Continuing Education and Licensure
Though licensure is not required across the board, the National Council of Examiners for Engineers and Surveyors administers the national comprehensive examinations required for licensure as a professional engineer. Future licensed professional engineers must pass a fundamentals of engineering exam, complete supervised work experience and pass a professional engineer exam.
Requirements vary by state, but as of 2011, licensed engineers were required to earn continuing education credits every two years. Many colleges offer individual heat transfer courses, often as part of a graduate certificate program.
Students who earn a heat engineering degree or certificate will study courses such as solids mechanics, structural dynamics, and fluid mechanics. Although licensing is not required, there is an exam that graduates can take to become licensed.
