Mechanical Engineering Program

Jumpstart your mechanical engineering career at Franciscan University of Steubenville. Your mechanical engineering degree will prepare you for a variety of career paths as a professional engineer in design, aerospace, manufacturing, and project management.

An engineering program at a faithfully Catholic university

Our students take courses such as Thermodynamics, Fluid Mechanics, and Dynamic Systems and are trained in Franciscan’s mechanical engineering lab where you can design and build mechanical engineering prototypes while receiving hands-on instruction. You can then apply your knowledge in real-world situations through practical opportunities and internships.

With our Catholic core courses and passionately Catholic university culture, Franciscan University’s mechanical engineering students learn to promote positive change in the industry as well as increasing your scientific, design, and technological skills.

Fusing engineering, business, and Catholicism

Students at Franciscan University in Ohio master the key technological and scientific skills needed to succeed as professional engineers and in other areas of the workforce.

• In the major degree program, you can further expand their knowledge through a business management concentration.
• A minor in mechanical engineering is also available to undergraduates in other programs.
• As a mechanical engineering student at Franciscan, you may also expand your knowledge with graduate study in our Master of Business Administration. In the graduate program, you learn to apply the concepts of mechanical engineering to the corporate world.
• The 4+1 program allows students in just one further year of study to complement their mechanical engineering degree with an MBA that will give them project management tools and help them form productive client relationships.

Studying mechanical engineering at a faithfully Catholic college makes all the difference as students are equipped as strong Catholic leaders for this growing professional field.

Here are just a few other ways Franciscan’s mechanical engineering degree program stands out from the rest: 

Financial aid and scholarships for engineering students:

• Discover more about the many financial aid opportunities that exist for mechanical engineering students at Franciscan University of Steubenville as well as how to apply through the Office of Financial Aid.

Experiential learning opportunities:

• The Mechanical Engineering lab is a state-of-the-art facility outfitted with 3D printers, laser cutters, and other laboratory machinery. Students will be able to implement and increase their design skills while receiving practical instruction.

Management focus within the engineering field:

• Enhance your mechanical engineering degree with a concentration in business management. Franciscan offers degree program students the opportunity to gain insight in the corporate world of engineering through the lens of faithful Catholicism.
• Students also have the unique opportunity to combine their undergraduate work in mechanical engineering with graduate study in Masters of Business Administration in a 4+1 or 4+2 program of continued higher education.

Experienced and devout engineering faculty:

• Be mentored by expert, Catholic professors who have a passion for instructing the next generation of engineers. Our faculty is eager to help you secure internships, grow spiritually, and achieve your professional or academic goals. 

Mechanical engineers are some of the most versatile professionals in the workforce today. Graduates from Franciscan University of Steubenville can be assured that many career paths are open to them. The majority of students pursuing a mechanical engineering degree will be employed with a high starting salary before graduation. Further, future employers have come to expect graduates of Franciscan’s mechanical engineering program to combine integrity, Catholic values, outstanding work ethic, and strong social skills with excellent academic proficiency.

What are some graduate and professional career paths for Mechanical Engineering Majors?

• Mechanical Engineering
• Aerospace Engineering
• Manufacturing
• Machine Design
• Business and Executive Functioning
• Consulting
• Armed Forces Engineering

What are some potential job titles for Mechanical Engineering Majors?

• Mechanical Engineer
• Operations Technology Engineer
• Mechanical Designer
• Systems Manager
• Reliability Engineer
• Engineering Technician

According to glassdoor.com Mechanical Engineers have an average starting salary of $62,885. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the 2024 median annual pay is $120,230 and the job outlook is good, growing much faster than the average for all occupations.[1]

[1] https://www.bls.gov/ooh/architecture-and-engineering/mechanical-engineers.htm https://www.bls.gov/ooh/architecture-and-engineering/mechanical-engineers.htm#tab-6

Looking to make your mechanical engineering degree from Franciscan University of Steubenville even more marketable?   

Stand out from the crowd with a concentration in business management.

A concentration in business management provides valuable skills as you progress in your career as a professional engineer. Collaborative, team-based settings are the norm in aerospace, biomechanics, architecture, and many of the other engineering-related fields. Studying business management techniques will develop your leadership abilities and can position you for promotion. Training in business will help future mechanical engineers design products that fit clients’ needs and use technology to offer value in the corporate world. This concentration will empower you to manage a team, participate in startup companies, and make valuable scientific contributions to a company.  

The mechanical engineering concentration in business management consists of 12 credit hours and includes courses in Financial Accounting and Quantitative Decision Making.

The world needs Catholic leaders skilled in engineering.

Your business management concentration from our faithfully Catholic university will help you enter the engineering workforce with the leadership skills and ethical standards necessary to stand out in the job market. At Franciscan University of Steubenville, the Catholic worldview means that science and business come together to provide valuable and ethical service to clients, companies, and communities.  

Franciscan Magazine Autumn 2021, “New Engineering Majors Emerging” by Sarah Ambrosio

• Computer Science
• Mechanical Engineering
• Software Engineering
• Various Dual-Degree “Pre-Engineering” options in collaboration with partner schools.

View the Mechanical Engineering Program on the Undergraduate Catalog.