Mechanical Engineering

The Mechanical Engineering faculty is committed to providing a supportive student-centered environment for their students. All Mechanical Engineering undergraduate students need to be advised at least once each year until they complete all requirements.

Mechanical engineers design automobiles; aircraft and space vehicles; power plants; heating and cooling systems; gas and steam turbines; servomechanisms; transmissions; engines for rockets, aircraft and ground vehicles; robots; and manufacturing production lines. They use scientific knowledge to create new and useful designs and to harness various types of energy, such as chemical, solar or thermal.

Mechanical Engineering is the broadest engineering specialty. A company that employs any engineer is likely to hire some mechanical engineers. Those companies include power-generation and public utility companies, transportation companies, construction firms, airlines, spacecraft companies, electronics companies, and the manufacturing companies that produce all forms of machinery, vehicles, aircraft, appliances and many other products used by industry and/or consumers.

Most CSUN Mechanical Engineering graduates become practicing engineers in industry. Others, however, choose to pursue careers with government agencies or educational institutions. The degree also can be a stepping stone to law school for a career as a patent lawyer or to business school for careers in technical management, marketing or sales.

Many employers in the local geographic area hire CSUN graduates.

The B.S. in Mechanical Engineering program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET.

Honors Cooperative Internship Program

The college offers an opportunity for highly qualified students to work in local industry throughout an entire calendar year. Students work full time during the summer and half time during the academic year. Students receive 6 units of academic credit in conjunction with this experience. The program is open to undergraduates who are nearing their senior year, have a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA and have passed the Upper Division Writing Proficiency Exam. Graduate students who want to participate must have a minimum 3.5 cumulative GPA. Applicants are matched to employer-supplied job descriptions and scheduled for interviews with prospective employers. The competitive nature of the program usually generates more applicants than available positions. The application period begins in early March, and the period of employment is typically from July 1 through June 30.

Mechanical engineering is a very broad field and is represented by a number of professional organizations. The department supports student chapters of two national organizations: the Society of Automotive Engineers and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, which provide opportunities for students to know more about the field and one another outside of class.

Lab Facilities

Department facilities, contained in laboratories with a total floor space of more than 18,000 square feet, include:

1. A lab for studying modern methods of measurement and mechatronics.
2. A systems engineering lab used for research on automated air traffic simulations and other complex systems.
3. A fully instrumented engine and vehicle performance and emissions test facility, including a chassis and an engine dynamometer.
4. A state-of-the-art, computer-controlled manufacturing facility (Haas Lab).
5. A low-speed wind tunnel for model testing.
6. A thermofluid systems lab used for heat transfer and fluid flow experiments.
7. A controls lab used for studying automatic control systems, as well as autonomous vehicles.
8. A Design Center with workstations for conceptual design and analysis.
9. The Keck Composites Laboratory, which is a state-of-the-art composites fabrication facility for the manufacture of low-weight, high-strength nonmetallic components.

Community Relations and Industry Liaison Council

The department maintains strong relations with the community and continuously reviews its programs with students, alumni and employers of graduates. The department’s Industry Liaison Council consists of members in the professional community to ensure that the department receives a breadth of information on future engineering trends that would affect its Mechanical Engineering programs.