To maintain the high quality of our graduates, we require the GRE General exam and the TOEFL exam where applicable. The admissions guidelines for the Department are given below. Please consider these guidelines to decide whether you should apply. Students not fitting within the guidelines but demonstrating they would be excellent students may also be admitted.

Applicants are expected to have their undergraduate or M.S. degrees in Mechanical Engineering, or Aerospace Engineering or related areas from a reputable university. The GRE is a departmental requirement all incoming students must take. The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) Quantitative score should be at least in the 80th percentile or higher.

International applicants cannot be admitted without receipt of a TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE  score that meet the minimum requirements as mentioned below. All scores are  valid for two years after the test date. The GRE is valid for five years after the test date .

TOEFL Waiver

In order to waive the TOEFL or IELTS requirement, the applicant must meet one of the following requirements:

The student speaks English as their native language

The student has completed a Bachelor's or a higher degree at a foreign university where the instruction was in English (this statement must appear on the student's official transcript).

The student has earned a Bachelor's or a higher degree at a U.S. college or university

Language scores (TOEFL, IELTS, and PTE)

Minimum scores (all of these scores are valid for 2 years from the date of testing)

Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) internet based: 90

Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) paper based: 577

International English Language Testing System (IELTS): 7.0

Pearson Test of English (PTE- Academic): 61

The Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering of the Case School of Engineering offers programs leading to bachelors, masters, and doctoral degrees. It administers the programs leading to the degrees of Bachelor of Science in Engineering with a major in aerospace engineering and Bachelor of Science in Engineering with a major in mechanical engineering. Both curricula are based on four-year programs of preparation for productive engineering careers or further academic training. The Bachelor of Science degree program in Mechanical Engineering and the Bachelor of Science degree program in Aerospace Engineering are accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, www.abet.org.

Mission

The mission of the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department is to educate and prepare students at both the undergraduate and graduate levels for leadership roles in the fields of Mechanical Engineering and Aerospace Engineering and to conduct research for the benefit of society.

The undergraduate program emphasizes fundamental engineering science, analysis and experiments to insure that graduates will be strong contributors in their work environment, be prepared for advanced study at top graduate schools and be proficient lifelong learners. The graduate programs emphasize advanced methods of analysis, mathematical modeling, computational and experimental techniques applied to a variety of mechanical and aerospace engineering specialties including, applied mechanics, dynamic systems, robotics, biomechanics, fluid mechanics, heat transfer, propulsion and combustion. Leadership skills are developed by infusing the program with current engineering practice, design, and professionalism (including engineering ethics and the role of engineering in society) led by concerned educators and researchers.

The academic and research activities of the department center on the roles of mechanics, thermodynamics, heat and mass transfer, robotics, mechatronics, data analytics, sustainability in manufacturing, and engineering design in a wide variety of applications such as aeronautics, astronautics, biomechanics and orthopedic engineering, biomimetics and biologically-inspired robotics, energy, environment, machinery dynamics, mechanics of advanced materials, nanotechnology and tribology. Many of these activities involve strong collaborations with the Departments of Biology, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Materials Science and Engineering, and Orthopaedics of the School of Medicine.

The significant constituencies of the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department are the faculty, the students, the alumni and the external advisory boards. The educational program objectives are established and reviewed continuously, based on the feedback from the various constituencies as well as archival information about the program graduates. The faculty engages in continuing discussions of the academic programs in the regularly scheduled faculty meetings throughout the academic year. Periodic surveys of alumni provide data regarding the preparedness and success of the graduates as well as guidance in program development. Archival data include the placement information for graduating seniors, which provides direct information regarding the success of the graduates in finding employment or being admitted to graduate programs.

Mastery of Fundamentals

A strong background in the fundamentals of chemistry, physics and mathematics.

Methods of mechanical engineering analysis, both numerical and mathematical, applied to mechanics, dynamic systems and control, thermodynamics, fluid mechanics and heat transfer.

Methods of modern experimental engineering analysis and data acquisition.

Creativity

Ability to identify, model, and solve mechanical and aerospace engineering design problems.

Ability to design experiments to resolve mechanical and aerospace engineering issues.

Ability to perform an individual senior project that demonstrates original research and/or design content.

Societal Awareness

Issues of environmental impact, efficient use of energy and resources, benefits of recycling.

An awareness of the multidisciplinary nature of mechanical and aerospace engineering.

Impact of economic, product liability and other legal issues on mechanical and aerospace engineering manufacturing and design.

Leadership Skills

An ability to work in teams.

Ethical considerations in engineering decisions.

Proficiency in oral and written communication.

Professionalism

Students are encouraged to develop as professionals through participation in the student chapters of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA).

Students are encouraged to augment their classroom experiences with the cooperative education program and the strong graduate research program of the department.

Students are encouraged to take the Fundamentals of Engineering Examination as the first step in the process of becoming a registered professional engineer.

The bachelor’s candidate must complete an independent design project with an oral and written final report.

The master’s candidate must demonstrate independent research resulting in a thesis or project suitable for publication and/or presentation in peer reviewed journals and/or conferences.

The doctoral candidate must complete a rigorous independent thesis containing original research results appropriate for publication in archival journals and presentation at leading technical conferences.

Mechanical Engineering

Civilization, as we know it today, depends on the intelligent and humane use of our energy resources and machines. The mechanical engineer’s function is to apply science and technology to the design, analysis, development, manufacture, and use of machines that convert and transmit energy, and to apply energy to the completion of useful operations. The top ten choices of the millennium committee of the National Academy of Engineering, asked to select the 20 top engineering accomplishments of the 20th century, was abundant with mechanical engineering accomplishments, electrification (large scale power generation and distribution), automobiles, air travel (development of aircraft and propulsion), mechanized agriculture, and refrigeration and air conditioning.