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Overview of Mechanical Engineering
Mechanical engineering is one of the main types of engineering you can study, besides civil, chemical and electrical engineering.
Mechanical engineers work with machines that are used for public, domestic and industrial purposes.
A career in this field could involve designing new machines, researching ways to make processes more efficient, supervising manufacturing plants and testing equipment. To become a mechanical engineer, you need to have a mechanical engineering degree.
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Studying Mechanical Engineering
A mechanical engineering degree, which is required for a career in this area, takes about four years to complete. Graduates can also undertake further study with a graduate diploma in mechanical engineering.
A mechanical engineering course covers power generation, machines, manufacturing, computer-assisted design and aspects of other types of engineering.
Usually there are no prerequisites, except for a high enough ENTER/ATAR, but strong knowledge of maths and physics is an assumed necessity.
Make sure you choose a university course accredited by Engineers Australia, so you can become a member of the association as a professional engineer after you graduate.
Careers in Mechanical Engineering
Mechanical engineering jobs are found in many industries, including automotive, biomedical, household appliances, manufacturing, environmental and computing.
It is such a large occupation that there even further specialisations into it, with careers in manufacturing systems engineering, hydraulics, pneumatics and thermodynamics.
The average weekly outcome for mechanical engineers is $1532, according to the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR).
The DEEWR expects employment in this area to remain relatively steady until at least 2015, as the number of employed mechanical engineers has been hovering steadily around 25,500 people since 2003.
Skills needed in Mechanical Engineering
People working as mechanical engineers are good at solving problems and using computers to design the solutions.
As a mechanical engineer, you will be applying principles like kinematics, thermodynamics, mechanics and materials science, which combines physics and chemistry.
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