Mechanical Engineering: What Do You Really Study?
Forces, movement, energy and materials — to design products and systems that work in the real world.
What Do You Study in Mechanical Engineering? Core Subjects, Year by Year
What do the degree courses cover?
Open a course to learn about its main topics and see what the work looks like in practice.
What do you learn in the course?Hadova for mechanical engineering?
Learn to describe change and accumulation using derivatives, integrals and differential equations. The tools are then used to calculate movement, efforts, flow and heat transfer.
Main topics
- Limits and derivatives
- integrals
- functions in several variables
- Differential equations
What does it look like in practice?
For example, deducing the position of the mechanism to get velocity and acceleration or integrating a load to find total force.
What do you learn in the course?Physics for mechanical engineering?
The course builds the foundation for describing forces, motion, energy, waves and sometimes electricity. You learn to turn an actual system into a model, choose a physical law and check if the result makes sense in units and order of magnitude.
Main topics
- Kinematics and forces
- Work, energy and momentum
- rotation and oscillations
- waves and basic electricity
What does it look like in practice?
For example, calculate the acceleration and load on a body in an elevator and check how the result changes during braking.
What do you learn in the course?Linear algebra for mechanical engineering?
Learn to work with vectors, matrices and systems of equations that appear in engineering models. We also deal with eigenvalues, which are important for analyzing fluctuations, stability and systems with multiple degrees of freedom.
Main topics
- Vectors and matrices
- systems of equations
- Copies and coordinates
- values and eigenvectors
What does it look like in practice?
For example, they solve a system of equations describing the forces in a truss or calculate the natural oscillation frequencies of a system.
What do you learn in the course?Programming for mechanical engineers?
Learn to use code for calculations, data analysis and automation of engineering tasks. Practice variables, loops, functions, arrays, graphs and numerical methods in an environment such as Python or MATLAB.
Main topics
- Programming basics
- Arrays and numerical calculation
- Graphs and data processing
- Solving engineering problems
What does it look like in practice?
For example, write a program that reads measurements from a sensor, filters out noise, and displays how the temperature has changed over time.
What do you learn in the course?statics and dynamics?
In statics, non-accelerating bodies and structures are analyzed; In dynamics we move to bodies in motion. Draw free body diagrams, balance forces and moments and use kinematics, energy and momentum.
Main topics
- Free body diagrams
- Equilibrium and reaction forces
- Kinematics of particles and bodies
- Energy, momentum and attack
What does it look like in practice?
For example, calculate the axial forces of a robotic arm at rest and then the torque needed to accelerate it along a given path.
Frequently Asked Questions About Mechanical Engineering
Is a degree in Mechanical Engineering difficult?
There is no single answer — difficulty depends on your background, the institution, and your chosen study pace. According to this site's estimate, The degree is highly quantitative — mathematics and formal reasoning appear in nearly every course, and this is the part most students describe as challenging, and a large share of the reading material is in English. A good way to assess fit is to review the course map on this page: if most of the subjects interest you, the effort will usually feel worthwhile.
How long does a degree in Mechanical Engineering take?
Usually 4 years (Engineering program with laboratories and a final project). Exact duration varies by institution and depends on course load and the track you choose.
Mechanical Engineering or Civil Engineering — which is right for me?
The degrees most closely related to Mechanical Engineering are Civil Engineering, Chemical Engineering, and Electrical Engineering. Their differences are usually in emphasis rather than the overall subject, so the fastest way to decide is to compare their course maps — what you actually study in each program, year by year. You can also open the degree comparison tool to view the differences side by side.
Where do mechanical engineers work?
Defense industries (Rafael, Elbit, IAI), automotive and transportation, energy and HVAC systems, robotics and medical devices, and advanced manufacturing. A broad engineering profession that moves between industries.
How hard is the degree?
Demanding: four packed years of mechanics, thermodynamics, fluid flow and strength of materials on a heavy math-physics base. Hands-on projects and CAD are central.
Mechanical or electrical engineering?
EE leads to higher average salaries and the chip/software world; ME leads to the physical world — systems, engines, robotics. Choose by what fascinates you; both are in demand.
Where can you study this?
Mechanical engineering is taught at the Technion, Tel Aviv, Ben-Gurion and Ariel, and at engineering colleges such as Afeka, Braude and SCE.