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Mechanical Engineering, Career and Education
Mechanical engineering is an area of engineering that is concerned with applying the principles of physics and materials science as to analyze, design, manufacture and maintain mechanical systems. It is a discipline of engineering which involves producing and using heat and mechanical power to create and operate machines and tools. It is said to be one of the oldest disciplines of engineering. The field emerged as a discipline during the industrial revolution and its origins have been traced back in Europe of the 18th century. Specialists however claim that the incipient version of mechanical engineering can be as old as several thousand of years. It is however widely accepted that the mechanical engineering science developed in the 19th century as a result of the developments occurring in the area of physics. Over the time, the discipline evolved and had become to incorporate technological development.People who want to become mechanical engineers need to know that they will need a sound knowledge of sciences. In particular, their abilities in mechanics, kinematics, structural analysis, materials science and thermodynamics will be tested when seeking to obtain a degree in this field. Mechanical engineers must be familiarized with the core principles of physics and science and they will also need to know a thing or two about computer-aided engineering and product lifecycle management if they are to design manufacturing plants, industrial tools and machinery as well as aircraft, watercraft and so on.
Students willing to pursue a career in the field will be able to choose from different programs. In most countries, mechanical engineering is not thought as a self standing discipline and this is why one will need to complete a bachelor in engineering, applied science, technology or science. The emphasis can be chosen later on during the program. Moreover, in some countries in Europe one can become a mechanical engineer after five or six years of training and that is because there is no bachelor in science or in technology available.