Mechanical Engineering Major

Mission of the Undergraduate Program in Mechanical Engineering

The mission of the undergraduate program in Mechanical Engineering is to provide students with a balance of theoretical and practical experiences that enable them to address a variety of societal needs. The curriculum encompasses elements from a wide range of disciplines built around the themes of biomedicine, computational engineering, design, energy, and multiscale engineering. Course work may include mechatronics, computational simulation, solid and fluid dynamics, microelectromechanical systems, biomechanical engineering, energy science and technology, propulsion, sensing and control, nano- and micro- mechanics, and design. The program prepares students for entry-level work as mechanical engineers and for graduate studies in either an engineering discipline or other fields where a broad engineering background is useful.

Stanford Engineering has been at the forefront of innovation for nearly a century, creating pivotal technologies that have transformed the worlds of information technology, communications, health care, energy, business and beyond.

Our faculty conduct groundbreaking, interdisciplinary research, and our students graduate with technical excellence, as well as the creativity, cultural awareness and entrepreneurial skills that come from exposure to all that Stanford University has to offer.

The school’s faculty, students and alumni have established thousands of companies and laid the technological and business foundations for Silicon Valley. Today, the school educates leaders who will make an impact on global problems and seeks to define what the future of engineering will look like.

Mission

Our mission is to seek solutions to important global problems and to educate leaders who will improve the world through the power of engineering principles, techniques and systems.

Our key goals are to:

Conduct curiosity-driven and problem-driven research that generates new knowledge and produces discoveries that provide the foundations for future engineered systems

Deliver world-class, research-based education to students and broad-based training to leaders in academia, industry and society

Drive technology transfer to Silicon Valley and beyond with deeply and broadly educated people and transformative ideas that will improve our society and our world.

The Future of Engineering

The engineering school of the future will look very different from what it looks like today. So, in 2015, we brought together a wide range of stakeholders, including mid-career faculty, students and staff, to address two fundamental questions: In what areas can the School of Engineering make significant world‐changing impact, and how should the school be configured to address the major opportunities and challenges of the future?