Art+ Design
Design and Mechanical Engineering, BSME
Combine the principles of engineering, science and mathematics with the design of services, interactions and experiences.
Mechanical engineering involves the design, development, and manufacture of machinery and devices to transmit power or to convert energy from thermal to mechanical form in order to power the modern world. Its current practice has been heavily influenced by recent advances in computer hardware and software. Engineers also play a primary role in the development of new technologies in a variety of fields—energy conversion, solar energy utilization, environmental control, prosthetics, transportation, manufacturing, and new-materials development. Design is the discipline that shapes human experiences in specific situations to improve quality. Posing important questions about—and providing significant answers to—how we live, designers are needed when we don’t know what is needed as well as when we think we do.
Co-op Opportunities
design and media sectors
Ronik Design + Development, Sametz Blackstone Associates Inc, Rue Gilt Groupe, BounceX, Ifactory Inc., JCDecaux North America, Mullen Advertising Inc, NBC Universal, Unispaceb Smartwebs, Inc., AutoDesk, Hubspot, Ogilvy, IDEO
news and publishing sectors
The Boston Globe LLC, Patriot Ledger, Harvard Business Publishing, HMH Books and Media
arts sectors
The Museum of Fine Arts, Boch Center
food and beverage sectors
America's Test Kitchen, Kind LLC, Best Bees Company, BevSpot Inc., The Boston Beer Company, Inc
fashion and travel sectors
New Balance Athletic Shoe Inc, Reebok International Ltd., Wayfair, The TJX Companies, Inc., Trip Advisor LLC
government and civic sectors
City of Boston, City of Cambridge, Boston Neighborhood Network, Massachusetts Convention Center Authority, MassDOT/MBTA
health care and pharmaceutical sectors
Brigham and Women's Hospital, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Inc., Massachusetts General Hospital, Imprivata, Inc., Vertex Pharmaceuticals
educational sector
NU Center for Advancing Teaching and Learning through Research, edX, EF Education First, WGBH Educational Foundation
financial and business sector
Commonwealth Financial Network, Fidelity Investments, John Hancock, MFS Investment Management, State Street Corporation, Thomson Reuters, The Boston Consulting Group International Inc, Talent Acquisition Group
Career Opportunities
Application Support Developer
Back End Engineer
Creative Developer
Designer
Director of Development
Experience Designer
Frontend Developer
Frontend Engineer
Fullstack Software Engineer
Graphic Designer
Interaction Designer
Interface Designer
Product Designer
Software Designer
Software Engineer
Software Engineer
UI/UX Designer
User Interface Engineer
Web Developer & Designer
Multidisciplinary Skills
- CAD and SolidWorks 3D software
- collaboration
- creative problem-solving
- critical thinking
- data analysis
- design research
- design software
- energy transfer analysis
- graphic representation
- fabrication
- facilitation
- human factors
- information design
- interviews
- kinematic analysis
- leadership
- listening
- machine design
- materials research
- material performance analysis
- modeling
- observation
- personas
- programming
- project management
- problem framing
- risk management
- rapid prototyping
- sketching
- structural assessment
- technical skills
- typography
- experience mapping
- user stories
- user testing
- verbal and written communication
- visual synthesis
- visualization
Learning Outcomes
Mechanical Engineering program educational objectives
Graduates will contribute to the advancement of the Mechanical Engineering field and provide leadership and innovation to the benefit of their employers, the professional community, and society.
Graduates will engage in activities that promote professional development and personal growth.
Mechanical Engineering student outcomes
At the conclusion of the program in mechanical engineering, students will have demonstrated, through class and project work, that they have acquired:
An ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics.
An ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors.
An ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences.
An ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts.
An ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives.
An ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions.
An ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.
Design learning outcomes
Apply iterative design processes to create, revise, evaluate, and develop effective prototypes and innovative solutions.
Engage human-centered design research methods and systems thinking to identify and understand values, goals, motivations of intended audiences as a mode of inquiry, question framing and guide to action.
Develop a high level of craft and technical skills in a relevant range of media and tools and effectively weigh applicability for intended audiences and outcomes.
Develop and realize intent, concept and content with awareness of context and consequence.
Implement visual patterns incorporating text, image, diagram including temporal and spatial representations to recognize, categorize, and articulate significant form and meaning
Employ and embody ethical practices, team and cross-disciplinary collaboration, and effective communication and presentation skills.
Apply relevant communication theories and principles and appreciate the pervasive and long-term impact of design decisions on people and societies.