ME
Types of Degrees ME Majors Are Getting
The following table lists how many mechanical engineering graduations there were for each degree level during the last year for which data was available.
Education Level | Number of Grads |
---|---|
Bachelor’s Degree | 33,840 |
Master’s Degree | 7,402 |
Doctor’s Degree | 1,842 |
Associate Degree | 230 |
Graduate Certificate | 141 |
Basic Certificate | 62 |
Undergraduate Certificate | 5 |
What ME Majors Need to Know
O*NET surveyed people in occupations related to me and asked them what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. The responses were rated on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being most important.
Knowledge Areas for ME Majors
According to O*NET survey takers, a major in me should prepare you for careers in which you will need to be knowledgeable in the following areas:
- Engineering and Technology - Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
- Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
- Design - Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
- English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
- Physics - Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub- atomic structures and processes.
Skills for ME Majors
A major in me prepares you for careers in which the following skill-sets are crucial:
- Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
- Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
- Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Mathematics - Using mathematics to solve problems.
Abilities for ME Majors
As you progress with your me degree, there are several abilities you should pick up that will help you in whatever related career you choose. These abilities include:
- Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
- Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
- Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
- Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
- Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
What Can You Do With a ME Major?
Below is a list of occupations associated with me:
Job Title | Job Growth Rate | Median Salary |
---|---|---|
Aerospace Engineers | 6.0% | $115,220 |
Architectural and Engineering Managers | 5.5% | $140,760 |
Automotive Engineers | 8.8% | $87,370 |
Cost Estimators | 10.5% | $64,040 |
Engineering Professors | 14.7% | $101,720 |
Fuel Cell Engineers | 8.8% | $87,370 |
Mechanical Engineers | 8.8% | $87,370 |
Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in ME?
Racial-Ethnic Diversity
At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of me majors is as follows:
Race/Ethnicity | Number of Grads |
---|---|
Asian | 3,258 |
Black or African American | 1,142 |
Hispanic or Latino | 5,060 |
White | 20,094 |
International Students | 2,026 |
Other Races/Ethnicities | 2,260 |
Geographic Diversity
Students from other countries are interested in ME, too. About 6.0% of those with this major are international students.
Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to ME
Some careers associated with me require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.
How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to me have obtained the following education levels.
Education Level | Percentage of Workers |
---|---|
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED) | 0.5% |
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production) | 1.1% |
Some College Courses | 1.0% |
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree) | 3.3% |
Bachelor’s Degree | 61.0% |
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master. | 3.1% |
Master’s Degree | 18.8% |
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level. | 1.5% |
Doctoral Degree | 8.2% |
Post-Doctoral Training | 2.0% |
Online ME Programs
The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.
Degree Level | Colleges Offering Programs | Colleges Offering Online Classes |
---|---|---|
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year) | 0 | 0 |
Certificate (1-2 years) | 1 | 0 |
Certificate (2-4 Years) | 0 | 0 |
Associate’s Degree | 42 | 1 |
Bachelor’s Degree | 31 | 6 |
Post-Baccalaureate | 0 | 0 |
Master’s Degree | 237 | 18 |
Post-Master’s | 9 | 0 |
Doctor’s Degree (Research) | 155 | 1 |
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice) | 1 | 0 |
Doctor’s Degree (Other) | 0 | 0 |
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Majors Related to ME
You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to me.
References
*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.
- College Factual
- College Scorecard
- National Center for Education Statistics
- O*NET Online
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
- Image Credit: By Michel Villeneuve under License
More about our data sources and methodologies.