Mechanical Engineering

Mechanical Engineering (ME) is one of the oldest and most diverse engineering fields. In the early 19th century, professional education adopted it. The word 'Mechanism' is the foundation of ME. The Mechanism is a notion that describes how Material Science, Physics, Environmental Factors, and Math are used in the manufacture, creation, design, and maintenance of a device. You can only enrol in Mechanical diploma courses after finishing your 10th-grade coursework. You are completely entitled to choose the undergraduate (UG) [BE/BTech] courses once you have completed the 12th grade. Further, you must have a BE/BTech in Mechanical Engineering to be eligible to enrol in the postgraduate (PG) [MTech] programme. This course can be pursued part-time/full-time and also through distance learning.

A few popular entrance exams for this course are JEE Main, WBJEE, GATE, VITEEE, BITSAT, and so on. Some of the top Mechanical Engineering colleges in India are IIT Madras, IIT Bombay, IIT Roorkee, Chandigarh University, CT University, UPES Dehradun, and more. Further, the Mechanical Engineering course fee ranges between INR 2 LPA and INR 12 LPA. After the completion of the course, students can work as Design Engineers, Purchase and Quality Control Executives, Instructional Design, Mechanical engineers, Service engineers, etc. with an average salary ranging between INR 1.2 LPA and INR 7.7 LPA.

The major highlights of the Mechanical Engineering courses are given in the table below:

As discussed, a Mechanical engineering course is the branch of engineering that deals with the application of problems solving skills and techniques that include designing to manufacturing. The following are some reasons to choose this course:

Plethora of Career Opportunities: Pursuing the course may lead to professions in a variety of fields, including sales, agriculture, chemistry, and construction. They may also find opportunities in sectors such as robotics, nanotechnology, or aeronautics.

Be a Part of Innovation: The course plays a critical role in pushing technical progress and innovation. They work on new product development, refining current technologies, and pushing the frontiers of technical solutions.

Global Prospects: Mechanical engineering is an internationally known subject that provides chances for worldwide job experiences and partnerships. India has various skilled engineers that are highly demanded by international companies and abroad.

Impact on Society: Mechanical engineers have the opportunity to positively affect society. Mechanical engineers' work may help to improve quality of life, promote environmental sustainability, and address global concerns, from generating sustainable energy solutions to upgrading transportation systems and inventing medical gadgets.

Over 20+ programmes are available under Mechanical Engineering courses that can be pursued by the aspirants which include Marine Engineering, Robotics, Automation, Biomedical Engineering, and Control, Power electronics, CAD, digital manufacturing, etc. There are advanced certification Mechanical Engineering courses from various platforms that offer online courses that range between a week and a month in duration. Below are the points which will clear out the perspectives regarding the course:

• Most of these courses are free or chargeable very less amount.
• There are no specific eligibility criteria for applying to these online courses.
• The duration of these courses ranges between one week and six months.

In India, the eligibility criteria for Mechanical Engineering courses may vary from one college or university to another. The table below discusses the prerequisites for the course at different academic levels:

Mechanical Engineering deals with the design, production, and operation of machines. Numerous industries rely on mechanical engineers, including biotechnology, energy conversion, computers, aerospace, electronics, and many others. On the other hand, the field of Mechatronics Engineering encompasses various disciplines such as mechanical engineering, electronics engineering, computer engineering, telecommunications engineering, system engineering, control engineering, and so on. The following table shows the difference between Mechanical and Mechatronics degrees:

The table below highlights the admission processes of Mechanical Engineering courses under various domains such as BE/B Tech, M.Tech, and diploma.

Admission to the majority of engineering colleges in India is primarily done through the entrance exam. Among all, JEE Main and JEE Advanced are the popular mechanical engineering entrance exam conducted that offers admission to top colleges like IIT, NIT, IIITs, GFTI, etc. There are several other national-level, state-level, and university-level entrance exams for Mechanical Engineering courses also conducted for admission as listed below: 

JEE Main: Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Main is a national-level engineering entrance exam in India conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA). It serves as the first stage for admission into undergraduate engineering programmes in prestigious institutions like NITs, BITS, COEP, and other centrally funded technical institutes.

JEE Advanced: This exam is the second stage of the JEE Main and is conducted for admission to the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs). Only candidates who qualify in JEE Main are eligible to appear for JEE Advanced, which tests the advanced knowledge and problem-solving skills of aspiring engineers.

BITSAT: Birla Institute of Technology and Science Admission Test (BITSAT) is an entrance test administered for undergraduate engineering degrees at its three campuses in Pilani, Goa, and Hyderabad. 

SRMJEEE: SRM Joint Engineering Entrance Examination (SRMJEEE) is held for admission to the institute's BTech programmes. Candidates who are chosen based on their SRMJEEE scores are assigned a campus and a course depending on their course preferences at the time of counselling.

GATE: The Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) is a national-level test for admission to postgraduate engineering, technology, and architectural schools. GATE scores are often employed in government organisations and public sector enterprises (PSUs) for recruitment.

MHT CET: The State Common Entrance Test Cell, Maharashtra, administers the Maharashtra Common Entrance Test (MHT CET) for admission to undergraduate engineering programmes in institutions throughout the state.

WBJEE: West Bengal Joint Entrance Examination (WBJEE) is the state-level exam for admission to undergraduate engineering programmes in colleges in West Bengal.

The scope of Mechanical Engineering abroad is abundant with superfluity in opportunities across any practical or industrial field of engineering. The demand for mechanical engineers has been increasing in recent times due to the rise in demand for technology-specific domains such as nanotechnology, artificial intelligence, robotics, biomedical engineering, energy conservation, etc. 

Due to the rise in civilisation along with growth in the economy, the demand for mechanic engineers will be seen to rise, therefore, studying Mechanical Engineering courses abroad will have a greater scope. In the coming years, it is possible that the Mechanical field will be one of the highest-paying professions all over the world.

The average fee for Mechanical Engineering courses in India ranges between INR 2 LPA and INR 12 LPA. The fee for this programme depends on the type and level of the programme as well as the type of institute (whether government or private) one wants to enrol in. The following table shows the average Mechanical Engineering course fee for popular colleges in India:

There are various popular Mechanical Engineering courses specialisations that can be pursued by the students. The following table shows the same:

Apart from the above-mentioned course specialisations, there are other online Mechanical Engineering courses that can be pursued online up to PhD level depending on their preferences.

• Power Electronics
• CAD and digital manufacturing
• Wind manufacturing

The specialisations along with the distinction in the degrees have been explained in the table below. Candidates should go through the table to understand the distinctions of the Mechanical Engineering syllabus for different specialisations:

There are various Mechanical Engineering skills that make a successful engineer. We have discussed the main skill sets below to make the candidates understand better. Below are the required skills that are required to be a successful mechanical engineer:

The course curriculum for Mechanical Engineering varies as per the level of the programme one chooses to enrol in. While the diploma and undergraduate courses cover the fundamentals concepts, postgraduate courses cover advanced-level knowledge and practical-based learning through internships, projects seminars, lab subjects and so on. The common Mechanical Engineering course curriculum includes the following:

• Core subjects
• Elective subjects
• Laboratory exercises
• Guest visits
• Internships
• Research projects
• IV to VIII semesters

A credit-based approach is used for Mechanical Engineering courses, and prospective students can choose from a variety of elective subjects along with the core subjects (except for a diploma course). Common engineering topics, practicals, fundamental mechanics-related topics, and projects are all included in this course curriculum. Given below is a list of the Mechanical Engineering syllabus & subjects:

• Workshop Practice
• Steam Power Plant 
• Metrology and Metallography Lab
• Measurement and Instrumentation
• Material Science and Engineering
• Manufacturing Processes
• Machining Technology and Metrology
• Machine Drawing
• Kinematic Analysis and Synthesis
• Heat Transfer
• Fluid Mechanics
• Fluid Machinery
• Engineering Mechanics
• Electrohydraulic Control Systems
• Dynamics of Machines
• Applied Mechanics Lab

In India, one of the growing areas of expertise that is currently in demand is Mechanical Engineering. Graduates in this course can apply for various positions in both the public and commercial sectors, depending on their interests. Those who want to work in designing and creating mechanical systems can seek a degree such as a BE/BTech or MTech in Mechanical Engineering courses. This interdisciplinary area of study has applications in many different areas of engineering. Further, this field offers professionals promising career options as the automation industry is experiencing growth across the world.

Depending on how quickly they advance in an industry that is very intensely competitive, professionals involved in Mechanical Engineering courses tend to earn more than other engineering graduates on average. Because of their expertise and experience gained through study, they are qualified to handle job roles with higher wages and across numerous areas, therefore the job roles provided will be of the highest calibre of employment. The following table highlights the starting Mechanical Engineering salary along with their respective job descriptions:

Mechanical engineering is a well-known career that is emerging in great demand with handsome earnings in the higher range in both private and public enterprises. Candidates are required to check their career options and job prospects to have clarity on which profile they should apply to after the course is completed. The pay scale of a mechanical engineer is always determined by the amount of work they put into the process. A mechanical engineer can easily get hired by reputed companies and organisations in the following job profiles:

• Assistant Mechanical Engineer
• Mechanical Engineer
• Design Engineer
• Mechanical Technician
• Lab Assistant
• Professor/Lecturer

The average starting salary of a mechanical engineer in India could range between INR 1.2 LPA and INR 7.7 LPA depending on the course-level education the candidates have acquired.