The Mechanical Engineering program empowers students to improve the world and our daily lives.

Mechanical engineers are creative problem solvers who are passionate about designing and building things that make our lives better. The homes we live in, the cars we drive, the power we need to charge our phones and fly our planes, and the new technologies that are developing—these are all ways mechanical engineers contribute to our health, happiness and safety, and often change the way we think about the world.

Penn State Scranton is one of only five campuses that offer the mechanical engineering major. The Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering provides students with the necessary training and education to become technical leaders in various industrial, commercial, consulting, and governmental organizations.

Recognizing that diversity enriches the educational experience and improves the engineering profession, the program fosters a commitment to increasing the enrollment of and actively supporting women and underrepresented groups.

College of Engineering ME major Video

What is Mechanical Engineering?

Mechanical engineers apply the mathematical and scientific principles of force, motion, energy, and thermal fluids to design tools and processes to help find solutions to the challenges facing our society. As such, the program is firmly based on the understanding and application of scientific and engineering principles. 

What does a mechanical engineer do:

  • Research and create designs, develop tools and processes, and conduct tests for engines, machines, and other mechanical devices from Mega-scale to nano-scale.

  • Apply the principles of the thermal and fluid sciences to power systems that include electric generators, internal combustion engines, and steam and gas turbines as well as heating, ventilating, air-conditioning, and refrigeration systems. 

  • Combine mechanics and scientific principles to biomedical products and diagnostic procedure development.

  • Apply automatic control and instrumentation technologies to robotic, material handling, and computer-numerical control systems.

See career information.

Penn State gives you options.

No matter where you start, no matter where you finish, your degree will be a Penn State degree, one of the most respected in the country. Some students choose to remain at one campus for all four years, while other students spend their first two years at one campus and transition to University Park or another campus for their remaining two years.  We call this the 2 + 2 plan.

Entrance to Major Requirements (Current Students)

In order to be eligible for entrance to the mechanical engineering major at Penn State Scranton, students must satisfy the following requirements by the end of the semester during which the admission to major process is carried out.: 

  • 29-55 graded Penn State credits (excludes transfer and AP credits)
  • completed with a grade of C or better: CHEM 110, EDSGN 100, MATH 140, MATH 141, PHYS 211
  • earned a minimum cumulative grade-point average (GPA) of 2.6

Penn State Scranton will seek ABET accreditation as a separate program site under the College of Engineering. Penn State Scranton will work with the College of Engineering program on the time frame for seeking accreditation in conjunction with the first graduating class (i.e., as early as Spring 2021; two terms prior to the program’s first graduates which are expected in Spring 2022). The program’s subsequent accreditation will coincide with the College’s next accreditation visit.