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Department Mechanical Engineering

ME student Ethan Mohr in Kazyak lab

More than gears: Innovative technologies for the world

All engineers solve problems. Mechanical engineers get to pick the most interesting problems, because we consider our field to be the most wide-ranging, versatile and flexible. By choosing mechanical engineering, you’ll be learning how natural elements in our world work, like heat and cold; fluids, solids and gases; metals, plastics and even human tissue—and how to control the stresses, motions and designs of those elements.

At a glance

Mechanical engineering department

US Dollars31MMillion
average annual research funding
13
undergraduate ranking among public universities
9
graduate ranking among public universities
View open positions for Mechanical Engineering

Mechanical engineering news

Olivia Dobson
“As a university leading in research and innovation, UW Madison offers ample opportunity for undergraduate students to dive right into the world of engineering research. With my time in the Laboratory of Energy Transport and Storage, I not only have gotten to apply what I have learned in my classes in a real-world setting, but I have also learned skills far beyond what is covered in typical coursework. From brazing to electrical wiring, and even obtaining HVAC certification, it seems as if every day I am gaining some wild new skill I can add to my engineering toolbelt!”
Olivia Dobson
EMA’25, LET+S Undergraduate Researcher, Mary Baker Scholarship Recipient
ME faculty collage

Meet the faculty

Noted both for outstanding teaching and groundbreaking research, our distinguished faculty regularly earn awards from national and international organizations.