Mechanical Engineering
GW’s mechanical and aerospace engineering program teaches you the principles of physics so that you can analyze, design and manufacture mechanical and energy systems that benefit society.
The mechanical engineering program at GW is part of the School of Engineering and Applied Science. It is the broadest of engineering disciplines. We teach you the fundamentals in statics, dynamics, design, materials, fluid mechanics, thermodynamics and heat transfer—knowledge that lets you design and build creative solutions for our global challenges. You also get the opportunity to explore aspects of traditional mechanical and aerospace engineering as well as emerging research in biomedical engineering and nanotechnology.
Related Majors, Minors, and Concentrations
GW’s mechanical engineering program offers options in aerospace engineering, biomechanical engineering, patent law and medical preparation.
What can I expect to learn in the Mechanical Engineering program at GW?
You will learn to analyze forces, stress, energy, power, materials, motion, manufacturability and societal impact. You can apply these lessons to design products and processes such as aircraft engines, vehicles, robots, manufacturing machinery and power-generation systems. You will be challenged to become a creative problem solver.
What is the Mechanical Engineering community like at GW?
The community is collegial, supportive and relatively small. We support many student organizations and extracurricular activities, such as the mini Baja vehicle competition, student chapters of Engineers Without Borders, Theta Tau engineering fraternity, Alpha Omega Epsilon engineering sorority and others.
What can I do in the Mechanical Engineering field?
Mechanical engineers develop almost anything that involves energy and moving parts, so you will have many career options and opportunities to make a difference. These include careers in the automotive, aerospace, manufacturing, power generation and transformation or biomedical industries. Your degree also prepares you for further studies in a number of fields.
Very cool applications:
Students at GW work on a new technology that has applications to refrigeration systems and power plants and could lead to fewer greenhouse gas emissions.
Bringing home the Gold:
Our students have participated in biomechanics research to help the U.S. Olympic swimming team bring home more medals.
Patent Law:
GW offers one of the nation’s few programs that provides mechanical engineering students with a foundation in patent law.
Working with industry:
As a class project, our students collaborated with a local utility company to develop a new platform that helps service power lines from helicopters.
The GW Experience
Students
All in the Family
Greg and Heather Hachenburg talk about their undergraduate experience at GW, one of many sibling pairs to share in the Colonials legacy.
Creating Next Generation Leaders
GW program helps female students connect with leading women across a variety of fields and develop their roles as future women in leadership.
Where the City is a Classroom
Freshman volunteers experience life beyond Foggy Bottom...
Faculty
Fighting Neglected Diseases
GW professor works to eradicate diseases that affect the health, education and economic development of the world's poorest people.
Building the Super Computer
Pioneering lab puts GW at the forefront of high-speed computing and offers GW students unprecedented access to science and skills of the future.
Blast From the Past
Students map an ancient—and dramatic—eruption as part of a geological research program in the nearby Blue Ridge Mountains.
Alumni
Giving Back to the District of Columbia
D.C. public health director calls GW education the foundation of his career.
GW Opens Doors
A chance encounter with a GW alumna helped give one GW undergraduate, an aspiring broadcast journalist from Texas, his big break.
The Legend Lives On
The $2 million bequest commitment caps a lifetime of philanthropy and service to GW, establishing the Elyse B. and Donald R. Lehman Endowed Professorship in Theoretical Physics.