Mechanical engineers turn ideas into reality.
The Bachelor of Science program in Mechanical Engineering in the College of Engineering provides students with a broad education emphasizing an excellent foundation in scientific and engineering fundamentals. Mechanical engineers serve society by solving problems in transportation, energy, the environment, and human health.
UC Berkeley has one of the top-ranked mechanical engineering programs in the nation and the world. Our program is ABET accredited and attracts the best and brightest students to study with top-tier faculty who are making groundbreaking discoveries. We believe in the importance of enriching our rigorous curriculum with research opportunities, support services, and team activities. We are fully invested in preparing our future engineers to meet today’s challenges with creativity and innovation.
Highlights
- Get involved with a competition team like Formula EV or CalSol.
- Design and manufacture projects at the ME Student Machine Shop.
- Build your design skills in the Berkeley Engineering Design Scholars Program.
Curriculum
Students in the Mechanical Engineering major begin with lower division coursework in math, physics, chemistry, engineering, and humanities/social sciences, as well as introductory courses in mechanical engineering.
The program then shifts to upper division coursework in engineering and mechanical engineering, including design and quantitative science as well as humanities/social sciences coursework and technical and free electives.
Learn more at me.berkeley.edu/undergraduate
Study Options
The Department of Mechanical Engineering offers major and minor programs in Mechanical Engineering as well as a major and minor in Aerospace Engineering. The department has two joint major programs with Nuclear Engineering and Materials Science and Engineering.
Students can also study Mechanical Engineering in combination with Business Administration in the Management, Entrepreneurship, & Technology Program.
Admission to the Major
First-year and transfer students accepted to UC Berkeley and who selected Mechanical Engineering on their undergraduate admissions application will be admitted directly to the College of Engineering and the ME major.
It is rare but possible for students within the College of Engineering to transfer into the Mechanical Engineering program from another Engineering major, or add ME as a second major. For more information on admission to the major, visit me.berkeley.edu/undergraduate/prospective-students/.
The Mechanical Engineering major prepares students for employment or advanced studies with industry, the national laboratories, state and federal agencies, and academia. Mechanical engineers apply the fundamentals of science and math to create practical, useful solutions that the rest of us can use. You might want to test materials or machines in real-life applications. Or invent devices to sort cells or aid disabilities. Or any number of careers involving the design or application of thermodynamics, turbines, reactors, engines, energy—the list keeps growing.
UC Berkeley offers a number of career resources for students studying Mechanical Engineering. Engineering Student Services in the College of Engineering assists students with career and job-search planning and advises students interested in applying to graduate school. ESS also connects students with employers as well as graduate and professional schools. Additionally, Berkeley Career Engagement provides career counseling, professional and graduate school advising, job and internship listings, and events such as career and graduate school fairs.
Employment
Alumni find employment in a variety of fields and industries after graduation. Examples include:
- Business Analyst
- Engineer
- GIS Technician
- Management Consulting Analyst
- Mechanical Engineer
- Product Engineer
- Program Manager
- Manufacturing Engineer
- Software Engineer
- Technical Product Support Engineer
- Verification Engineer
Graduate Study
Alumni pursue graduate education to gain more depth of knowledge in their field as well as prepare for jobs that require advanced degrees. Examples include:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Computer Science
- Electrical Engineering
- Geometry
- Materials Engineering
- Mechanical Engineering
- Medicine
- Public Policy Analysis
- Systems Engineering
Saneel, class of 2023
Saneel Sreeni chose UC Berkeley to immerse himself in the Bay Area's technology ecosystem. With a focus on clean-tech and robotics, he simultaneously studied Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences/Mechanical Engineering and Business Administration as part of the Management, Entrepreneurship, & Technology Program, leveraging Berkeley Engineering's robust research opportunities to gain deep, hands-on technical skills.
After Berkeley, Saneel pivoted into Web3, decentralized AI, and venture capital spaces. He is a Founding Team member and the Head of Special Projects at the Ritual Foundation where he leads ecosystem growth, corporate strategy, and go-to-market execution.
First Year
Plan Your Studies
- Familiarize yourself with the Undergraduate Guide and ME requirements and curriculum flowchart.
- Meet with your ESS advisor to discuss your academic plans.
- Begin lower division calculus, chemistry, physics, and engineering.
- Discover new interests in a Freshman Seminar, Berkeley Changemaker, or DeCal course.
- Sign up for the ESS podcast and newsletter, and ENGIN 98 The Insider’s Guide to Berkeley Engineering.
Engage Outside the Classroom
- Explore the Grimes Engineering Center.
- Sign up for the Engineering Mentorship Program.
- Join an ME student organization or other Engineering student group.
- Find academic support at the CAEE and Student Learning Center.
- Learn how to prepare for office hours and build relationships with faculty.
- Check out design programs and resources at the Jacobs Institute.
Pursue Your Career Goals
- Visit UHS Career Counseling and Berkeley Career Engagement.
- Start exploring career paths for the major; check out career resources on the Engineering and ME websites.
- Begin making a plan to get career ready.
- Create or update your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- Start using Handshake to connect with career events and opportunities.
- Look into UC LEADS and the Goldwater Scholarship.
Second Year
Plan Your Studies
- Complete lower division requirements in calculus, physics, and engineering; begin coursework in mechanical engineering and humanities/social sciences.
- Continue exploring with a Sophomore Seminar or Big Ideas course.
- Look into study abroad and learning a foreign language; see options for Mechanical Engineering abroad.
- Enrich your studies with a certificate or minor such as CalTeach or Science, Technology, and Society.
Engage Outside the Classroom
- Attend Engineering and ME events like ME Seminars.
- Visit Berkeley Discovery to get started with research, entrepreneurship, public service, and creative projects.
- Explore research opportunities from Engineering, ME, and OURS; apply to URAP or Bakar Ignite Scholars to work on a faculty project.
- Introduce youth to STEM through the Lawrence Hall of Science or student groups BEAM and PiE.
- Get involved with a competition team like Formula EV or CalSol.
Pursue Your Career Goals
- Meet with a BCE career educator to discuss career options and goals.
- Build your network and explore career fields via job shadowing and informational interviews.
- Pursue an internship to build skills and explore fields.
- Browse graduate school resources from the Graduate Division and BCE.
- Sign up for an ESS workshop on grad school preparation, resume review, or other career topics.
Third Year
Plan Your Studies
- Begin upper division coursework in mechanical engineering and engineering; enroll in humanities/social science courses and free electives.
- Review your degree progress with your ESS advisor.
- Consider applying to the ME Honors Program; look into Haas Scholars.
Engage Outside the Classroom
- Share your voice in an Engineering college committee.
- Help other students as an ESS Peer Advisor or EMP Mentor.
- Develop your skills in the Berkeley Student Leadership Academy.
- Address real-world problems in the Fung Fellowship or Big Ideas Contest.
- Interested in entrepreneurship? Look into the Sutardja Center, Accel Scholars, and Berkeley SkyDeck.
- Design and manufacture projects at the ME Student Machine Shop.
Pursue Your Career Goals
- Speak with faculty, advisors, and career educators about post-graduate options such as the 5th Year MS program.
- Join a professional association in your area of interest.
- Interested in public service careers? Look into the John Gardner Fellowship, Huntington Award, and Truman Scholarship.
- Connect with alumni groups such as Berkeley Engineering.
Fourth Year
Plan Your Studies
- Lighten your course load as much as possible to allow time for job and graduate school applications.
- Focus on upper division coursework in mechanical engineering, as well as free and technical electives (including an ME design course).
- Complete any remaining degree requirements and prepare for graduation.
Engage Outside the Classroom
- Welcome new students to Berkeley as a Golden Bear Orientation Leader.
- Interested in teaching? Give it a try by teaching ENGIN 98 or your own DeCal course.
- Pursue a special project after graduation with the Stronach Prize.
Pursue Your Career Goals
- Check in with a BCE career educator.
- Apply to graduate school or post-graduate programs; consider the Hertz Fellowship or NSF Graduate Research Fellowship.
- Meet employers at info sessions, on-campus recruiting, and career fairs.
- Utilize job search tools from BCE and apply for job opportunities.
- Learn about alumni career services; check out info for Engineering alumni.
Summer
- Make progress on degree requirements with a Summer Sessions course like MECENG 100 or 104.
- Learn the art of STEM communication in ENGIN 185 Science Writing.
- Get immersed in design innovation with the Berkeley Engineering Design Scholars Program.
- Participate in an NSF research experience or DOE lab internship.
- Consider a summer internship or study abroad; explore scholarships and study trips through the GLOBE Center.
- Pursue a summer minor or certificate such as Electrochemistry or Sustainability.
- Apply to the GiGS program to learn about graduate school.
First Semester
Plan Your Studies
- Familiarize yourself with the Undergraduate Guide and ME requirements and curriculum flowchart.
- Meet with your ESS advisor to discuss your academic plans.
- Work on lower division requirements in engineering and mechanical engineering; enroll in humanities/social sciences courses.
- Sign up for the ESS podcast and newsletter.
Engage Outside the Classroom
- Explore the Grimes Engineering Center and Engineering Transfer Center.
- Sign up for the Engineering Mentorship Program.
- Join an ME student organization or other Engineering student group.
- Find academic support at the CAEE and Student Learning Center.
- Learn how to prepare for office hours and build relationships with faculty.
- Check out design programs and resources at the Jacobs Institute.
Pursue Your Career Goals
- Visit UHS Career Counseling and Berkeley Career Engagement.
- Start exploring career paths for the major; check out career resources on the Engineering and ME websites.
- Create or update your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- Use Handshake to start connecting with career events and opportunities.
- Meet with a BCE career educator to discuss career options and goals.
- Look into UC LEADS and the Goldwater Scholarship.
Second Semester
Plan Your Studies
- Complete lower division requirements in engineering and mechanical engineering; enroll in humanities/social sciences and upper division mechanical engineering coursework.
- Look into study abroad and learning a foreign language; see options for Mechanical Engineering abroad.
- Enrich your studies with a certificate or minor such as CalTeach or Science, Technology, and Society.
- Consider applying to the ME Honors Program; look into Haas Scholars.
Engage Outside the Classroom
- Attend Engineering and ME events like ME Seminars.
- Visit Berkeley Discovery to get started with research, entrepreneurship, public service, and creative projects.
- Explore research opportunities from Engineering, ME, and OURS; apply to URAP or Bakar Ignite Scholars to work on a faculty project.
- Get involved with a competition team like Formula EV or CalSol.
- Interested in entrepreneurship? Check out the Sutardja Center, Accel Scholars, and Berkeley SkyDeck.
Pursue Your Career Goals
- Build your network and explore career fields via job shadowing and informational interviews.
- Pursue an internship to build skills and explore fields.
- Browse graduate school resources from the Graduate Division and BCE.
- Speak with faculty, advisors, and career educators about post-graduate options such as the 5th Year MS program.
- Sign up for an ESS workshop on grad school preparation, resume review, or other career topics.
Third Semester
Plan Your Studies
- Focus on upper division coursework in mechanical engineering; enroll in a technical elective.
- Review your degree progress with your ESS advisor.
Engage Outside the Classroom
- Share your voice in an Engineering college committee.
- Develop your skills in the Berkeley Student Leadership Academy.
- Help other students as an ESS Peer Advisor or EMP Mentor.
- Address real-world problems in the Fung Fellowship or Big Ideas Contest.
- Introduce youth to STEM through the Lawrence Hall of Science or student groups BEAM and PiE.
- Design and manufacture projects at the ME Student Machine Shop.
Pursue Your Career Goals
- Check in with a BCE career educator.
- Join a professional association in your area of interest.
- Interested in public service careers? Look into the John Gardner Fellowship, Huntington Award, and Truman Scholarship.
- Apply to graduate school or post-graduate programs; consider the Hertz Fellowship or NSF Graduate Research Fellowship.
Fourth + Fifth Semester
Plan Your Studies
- Lighten your course load as much as possible to allow time for job and graduate school applications.
- Continue with upper division courses in engineering and mechanical engineering; finish your technical electives and humanities/social sciences requirements.
- Complete any remaining degree requirements and prepare for graduation.
Engage Outside the Classroom
- Interested in teaching? Give it a try by teaching your own DeCal course.
- Welcome new students to Berkeley as a Golden Bear Orientation Leader.
- Pursue a special project after graduation with the Stronach Prize.
Pursue Your Career Goals
- Meet employers at info sessions, on-campus recruiting, and career fairs.
- Utilize job search tools from BCE and apply for job opportunities.
- Connect with alumni groups such as Berkeley Engineering.
- Learn about alumni career services; check out info for Engineering alumni.
Summer
- Make progress on degree requirements with a Summer Sessions course like MECENG 100 or 104.
- Learn the art of STEM communication in ENGIN 185 Science Writing.
- Get immersed in design innovation with the Berkeley Engineering Design Scholars Program.
- Participate in an NSF research experience or DOE lab internship.
- Consider a summer internship or study abroad; explore scholarships and study trips through the GLOBE Center.
- Pursue a summer minor or certificate such as Electrochemistry or Sustainability.
- Apply to the GiGS program to learn about graduate school.
Undergraduate Advising
Have questions about Mechanical Engineering or the College of Engineering?
The Department of Mechanical Engineering offers undergraduate advising for students interested in the Mechanical Engineering major or minor. The Department Advisor can answer questions about programs, facilities, research opportunities, and other department-specific subjects. Your Faculty Advisor helps with technical course selection, course planning, research opportunities, and how to prepare for graduate school or your first job. For advising hours and contacts, visit me.berkeley.edu/undergraduate/advising/.
Engineering Student Services in the College of Engineering offers extensive programs and support services to help you navigate your academic path. Your ESS Advisor assists with degree requirements, academic policies and procedures, course selection, enrichment opportunities, and campus resources. ESS Peer Advisors are available to discuss life in the college, navigating the University, and other topics. For additional information, visit engineering.berkeley.edu.
Related Programs
Looking for programs similar to Mechanical Engineering? UC Berkeley also offers the following major, minor, and certificate programs:
