Our Department

 Welcome to Mechanical Engineering at Memorial University.

Mechanical engineering is one of the oldest and most diverse engineering disciplines that deals with machinery, energy systems, transportation and manufacturing. Students are drawn to the variety of courses and the many engineering sectors that utilize mechanical engineers. Our program requires an additional 6 semesters of courses after the common Engineering One year. After four semesters of core mechanical engineering fundamentals, students choose from one of our five technical streams: mechatronics, petroleum, thermal-fluids/energy, biomedical, or mechanics/materials in their final two study terms. The cross-section of specialties leads to careers in different sectors such as renewable energy, automotive, aerospace, biomedical, defence, oil and gas operations, and related fields.

Because of the popularity of our program, we cap our enrolment around 85 students. The smaller class sizes in senior study terms ensure personalized instruction and effective mentoring. Our students become a close knit group, supporting one another during their years of study here.

Our mandatory co-op work terms give you up to two full years of practical industry experience before you graduate, making our students highly sought after by local and national industry. Your final design project, inspired by a real industry need, means you’ll graduate with a portfolio in hand that demonstrates your skill sets. Recent projects from students included a fully functioning underwater robotic manipulator, application of 3D printing in jawbone and skull reconstruction, a novel 3D printed mechatronic prosthetic hand, a stair climbing wheel chair concept, an automatic CPR chest compression device, and a small river power generator, to name a few.

Although the program is demanding, we encourage you to get involved in extracurricular activities such as student competition teams. One popular activity is the SAE Baja Race Team, where you can apply what you’ve learned and have fun designing an off road vehicle. The year 2016 was an exciting year for the Baja Team as they entered the competition with a brand new vehicle and were chosen as one of six finalists from over 100 competitors, for the design finals for best overall car design. Other sponsored design competitions within the program challenge students to design and test small remotely operated airplanes and submarines. New student teams in SAE Aero are also planning for future competitions. The Hyperloop design team, which placed 2nd overall in a 2017 international future transportation competition, is now preparing for an autonomous robot competition and will soon be gearing up for an electric car challenge.

Additionally, students with a keen interest in entrepreneurship can work with mentors and advisors in the new Memorial Centre for Entrepreneurship (MCE), a joint Business and Engineering venture striving to help students launch their own companies. Recently, four teams with students from mechanical engineering competed in a field of eight teams for the Start Up Cup cash prizes. Two of the three winning teams were comprised of mechanical engineering students. The Department of Mechanical Engineering is one of the most represented student groups in the MCE.

We have expanded our faculty complement to increase the breadth of our research and teaching expertise, and to offer you even more interesting and relevant courses. We are an active research department with 80+ graduate students and many professors funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). I invite you to browse our website to learn more about our department, staff and current news. There are also tabs above for undergraduate, graduate, and future students, as well as our research areas, projects, hands-on labs, and modern manufacturing equipment and facilities.

Thank you for your interest in Memorial University's Department of Mechanical Engineering!