If you want to start a career as a mechanical engineer, you can start by attending one of the 15 mechanical engineering programs in Massachusetts. There are nine schools that offer Associate’s degree programs and 13 programs with Bachelor’s degrees. If you want a higher level degree, there are 11 schools with Master’s degree programs and nine schools with doctorate programs.
You can choose to either pursue an Associate’s degree or Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. An Associate’s degree contains 60 credits, which may take you about two years to complete. This program includes lower-level engineering courses, like Introduction to Mechanical Engineering and Introduction to Materials Science.
A Bachelor’s degree takes about four years to complete, because it includes 120 credits of coursework. You take many of the same classes as an Associate’s degree student, in addition to higher-level courses like Heat Transfer Laboratory and Thermodynamics. Much of your time may be spent in the lab, learning about different materials and how they work in engineering processes.
Master’s and doctoral degrees are ideal for you if you want to work in teaching or researching mechanical engineering. A Master’s degree takes about two years to complete if you are a full-time student. A PhD takes most students at least five to seven years of full-time study; the length of your program depends on how long it takes you to complete your thesis.
While tuition costs are different from school to school, the average cost of tuition in Massachusetts is $18,600 per semester. You may end up paying considerably less, especially after you fill out your FAFSA, apply for grants, and apply for scholarships. It is important to look at the school you are attending and its cost.
One scholarship you may choose to apply for is the Association of Commercial & Institutional Builders Massachusetts Scholarship. This scholarship is awarded each year to students in their sophomore year of college.
The Board of Registration of Professional Engineers and Professional Land Surveyors in Massachusetts regulates and licenses mechanical engineers. You must first pass the Fundamentals of Engineering exam. After passing this, you can fill out the appropriate application and pay your $150 registration fee. Your license must be renewed every two years. Licenses expire on June 30 of even-numbered years.