Mechanical Engineering, BS
Program Details
- Location
- Akron Campus
- Level
- undergraduate
- Academic Pathway
- major
- Degree/Program Type
- Bachelor of Science
- Format
- In-person
- Course Info
- Curriculum Guide
- College
- College of Engineering and Polymer Science
- School/Department
- Department of Mechanical Engineering
Program Contact
- Dean's Office: College of Engineering and Polymer Science
-
Auburn Science and Engineering Center
330-972-6978
Overview
The Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering at The University of Akron is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET and built around hands-on experience and paid work. Across three co-op rotations, students earn an average of $49,000 while completing the degree, and 2025 graduates started their careers at an average salary of $73,500.
Mechanical engineering is one of the broadest engineering disciplines, giving you the foundation to understand how heat and fluids behave, how structures carry loads and move, and how systems are controlled.
You’ll apply those skills to everything from individual components to machinery, vehicles and large-scale systems. Akron graduates have gone on to careers with Goodyear, Bridgestone, GPD Group, Honda, Parker Hannifin, Northrop Grumman, RoviSys, Schaeffler Group, Stanley Black & Decker, Energy Harbor and Timken.
When you’re admitted to The University of Akron with engineering as your major, you’re admitted directly into the College of Engineering and Polymer Science — there’s no second competition for a seat after your first year. Your high school record determines which courses you begin with.
And you won’t just study how things work — you’ll build them. Student design teams build and compete with race cars, rockets, drones and robots on the national stage. Zips Racing took second in the electric vehicle class at Formula Hybrid and Electric with the fastest car in team history, while the drone team repeated a top finish at the Vertical Flight Society competition and Zips Aero placed in the top five.
Ready to keep going? A combined BS/MS pathway allows you to earn both degrees in five years. Please note: This excludes co-op.
Admissions Requirements
Getting in
Meet The University of Akron's admission requirements and choose engineering as your major
You are then admitted directly into the College of Engineering and Polymer Science, with no separate application to the major
Your high school record determines your first semester course placement, particularly in mathematics
How to apply
Apply to The University of Akron and select Mechanical Engineering as your major.
Send your high school transcript, which is what places you in your first mathematics and science courses.
Meet your academic adviser before registration to build the first semester schedule around that placement.
Ask about co-op timing at that meeting, so you know which term your first rotation can start.
Career Outcomes
Mechanical engineers play key roles in industries like automotive, aerospace, energy, petroleum, manufacturing, electronics, chemical and consulting. They typically work in offices but may visit worksites when their expertise is needed to solve a problem or assess equipment. Successful mechanical engineers are technically minded, have strong problem-solving skills and can apply scientific and numerical knowledge effectively. Graduates with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from The University of Akron have gone on to work at top companies including Goodyear, Bridgestone, GPD Group, Honda, Parker Hannifin, Northrop Grumman, RoviSys, Schaeffler Group, Stanley Black & Decker, Energy Harbor and Timken.
Job titles and fields
Design engineer
Manufacturing engineer
Product development engineer
Thermal and energy systems engineer
Controls engineer
Test and validation engineer
Project engineer
Automotive engineering
Manufacturing engineering
Systems engineering
Robotics engineering
Aerospace engineering
Mechatronics engineering
Field and applications engineer
Where you will work
Automotive and tire manufacturers across Northeast Ohio
Aerospace and defense
Energy and power generation
Industrial and precision manufacturing
Engineering consultancies
Outlook and what comes next
UA engineering, engineering technology and computing degree recipients in 2025 started at an average salary of $73,500, and were in work, graduate school or military service within six months.
Accreditation
The BS in Mechanical Engineering program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, under the commission’s General Criteria and Program Criteria for Mechanical and Similarly Named Engineering Programs Program Criteria. The program has specific educational objectives and student outcomes that prepare graduates to enter the professional practice of engineering.
BS in Mechanical Engineering FAQs
Mechanical engineering is the broadest engineering discipline: the design, building and testing of mechanical and thermal devices, from small components to vehicles, machinery and plants. At Akron the curriculum covers how heat and fluids behave, how structures carry load and move, and how systems are controlled.
Students complete paid rotations with employers while finishing the degree, earning an average of $49,000 across three rotations. Akron's co-op program is one of the oldest in the country. Co-op schedules offer flexibility, with a recommended sequence provided by the Co-op Office.
Yes. The BS in Mechanical Engineering program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, under the commission’s General Criteria and Program Criteria for Mechanical and Similarly Named Engineering Programs Program Criteria. Accreditation is what employers and licensure boards look for.
UA engineering, engineering technology and computing degree recipients in 2025 started at an average salary of $73,500, and students earn an average of $49,000 during the degree through three co-op rotations.
Yes. The combined BS and MS pathway completes both degrees in five years at a lower total cost than taking them separately. The trade is co-op: the combined route excludes it, so the choice is between paid rotations and a faster master's.
Zips Racing, Akronauts, the Zips Aero Team and the Drone Design Team build race cars, rockets, drones and robots and compete nationally, alongside chapters including ASHRAE and the Society of Sales Engineers. Recent results include a second-place electric vehicle finish at Formula Hybrid and Electric.
YES, some things just set us apart.
$49,000 during the degree
The average a student earns across three paid co-op rotations while completing the BS.
Direct admission
Admitted to the University with engineering as your major means admitted to the College, with no second competition.
Teams that place nationally
Second in the electric vehicle class at Formula Hybrid and Electric, with the fastest car in team history.
$73,500 starting salary
The average for 2025 engineering, engineering technology and computing graduates, in work within six months of finishing.
ABET accredited
Accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, under the commission’s General Criteria and Program Criteria for Mechanical and Similarly Named Engineering Programs Program Criteria.
The Akron Advantage
Akron runs one of the oldest co-op programs in the country. Mechanical engineering students complete paid rotations with employers while finishing the degree, earning an average of $49,000 across three of them. Co-op schedules offer flexibility, with a recommended sequence provided by the Co-op Office.
Zips Racing finished second in the electric vehicle class at the Formula Hybrid and Electric competition with ZR26, the fastest car in the team's history, and took its first design win. The drone team repeated a top finish at the Vertical Flight Society competition, and Zips Aero placed in the top five. Students also join Akronauts, ASHRAE and the Society of Sales Engineers.
The combined pathway finishes the bachelor's and the master's in five years at a lower total cost than the two degrees taken separately. One trade to weigh honestly: the combined route excludes co-op, so it is faster and cheaper against $49,000 of paid experience.
Akron runs one of the oldest co-op programs in the country. Mechanical engineering students complete paid rotations with employers while finishing the degree, earning an average of $49,000 across three of them. Co-op schedules offer flexibility, with a recommended sequence provided by the Co-op Office.
Zips Racing finished second in the electric vehicle class at the Formula Hybrid and Electric competition with ZR26, the fastest car in the team's history, and took its first design win. The drone team repeated a top finish at the Vertical Flight Society competition, and Zips Aero placed in the top five. Students also join Akronauts, ASHRAE and the Society of Sales Engineers.
The combined pathway finishes the bachelor's and the master's in five years at a lower total cost than the two degrees taken separately. One trade to weigh honestly: the combined route excludes co-op, so it is faster and cheaper against $49,000 of paid experience.
One Next Step
The fastest yes in the College. Apply with engineering as your major and admission to the University admits you to the College, then one adviser meeting sets your first semester and your co-op timing.