Mechanical Engineering

Mechanical Engineering students at the University of South Carolina can expect high-quality teaching coupled with many research opportunities. From advising to internships and co-ops, our students leave prepared and confident to begin professional careers or enter graduate school.

The Mechanical Engineering program at the University of South Carolina allows students to study and perform interdisciplinary research with faculty from the College of Engineering and Computing as well as the USC College of Arts and Sciences and the USC Medical School.

The Mechanical Engineering undergraduate program at UofSC allows students to develop various levels of expertise. The curriculum includes the following areas of concentration:

• design/manufacturing,
• mechanics/materials,
• thermofluid/energy sciences, and
• sustainable design development.

Undergraduates who are interested in pursuing a graduate degree can apply three hours of their undergraduate course load towards the requirements for a Masters of Science. This allows students to complete B.S. and M.E. degrees in five years.

Our graduate students can take advantage of small class sizes, excellent teaching, industry-sponsored projects, on-campus and off-campus delivery mechanisms, and high quality funded research.

By building expertise in solid mechanics, materials processes, smart materials, manufacturing automation, concurrent engineering/design, sustainable design or thermofluid/energy sciences, students stand prepared to join the mechanical engineering and manufacturing industries in South Carolina and beyond.

What do mechanical engineers study?

Degree programs in Mechanical Engineering include basic courses in science and mathematics, advanced topics in mechanical engineering, and many technical electives that enable UofSC students to specialize in a number of areas.

Thermo-fluids The study of thermo-fluids involves heat and/or mass transfer in porous media; electronics cooling; transport phenomena in joining and manufacturing processes; the design, fabrication, packaging, and modeling of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) for micro cooling systems and micro fluidic and biomedical devices.

Mechanics of Materials and Nondestructive Evaluation The study of mechanics of materials and nondestructive evaluation improves the understanding of engineering materials and structures and their mechanical response and failure behavior, develops digital deformation measurement systems for structural evaluation and characterization, and provides engineers with advanced theories, analysis methods, and modeling/simulation/design tools for cars, ships, aircraft, etc.

Smart Structures and Condition-Based Maintenance The study of smart structures and condition-based maintenance of machines focuses on characterizing piezoelectric/piezomagnetic active materials and utilizing them for structural health monitoring, damage detection, diagnostics/prognostics of machinery/active/adaptive vibration control, health monitoring of rotating machinery, aircraft, and condition-based maintenance of mechanical systems.

Mechatronics The study of mechatronics involves the integration of mechanical systems and electronics such as electromechanical systems with embedded sensors, microcontrollers, actuation, and process control; robots and autonomous vehicles; and automotive systems.

Nanotechnology The study of nanotechnology develops nanostructured materials, including the design, fabrication/processing, reliability testing, nanomechanical characterization, and simulation of nanowires, nanofilms, and nanocomposites.

Manufacturing and Materials Processing The study of manufacturing and materials processing includes the development and modeling of advanced joining technology for friction stir welding of Ti alloys, steel alloys, thick-section Al alloys, and Al metal matrix composites.

Nuclear Engineering The study of nuclear engineering focuses on advanced nuclear fuels and materials, thermal hydraulics, reactor design, advanced fuel cycles, structural integrity of nuclear reactor vessels and piping systems, embrittlement of reactor vessel steels, and application of nuclear power in future energy economies for sustainability, including the production of hydrogen from nuclear energy and use of hydrogen as a fuel.

Cost & Fees

Founded in 1801, then-South Carolina College flourished pre-Civil War, overcame post-war struggles, was rechartered in 1906 as a university and transformed itself as a national institution in the 20th and 21st centuries.

The Palmetto State established South Carolina College — the precursor to the University of South Carolina — on Dec. 19, 1801, as part of an effort to unite South Carolinians in the wake of the American Revolution. South Carolina's leaders saw the new college as a way to promote "the good order and harmony" of the state.

The founding of South Carolina College was also a part of the Southern public college movement spurred by Thomas Jefferson. Within 20 years of one another, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia established state-supported colleges.