Bachelor Degree: Mechanical Engineering Degree and Programs

Earning your online bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering can qualify you for a range of career opportunities. Mechanical engineers can work in energy generation and distribution, and they can also design or develop machines or even do research and testing. Job titles in the field include design engineer, mechanical engineer, maintenance engineer, mechanical designer and process engineer. Key skills sought by employers include analytical thinking, dependability, persistence and attention to detail.

Earning your online bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering can qualify you for a range of career opportunities. Mechanical engineers can work in energy generation and distribution, and they can also design or develop machines or even do research and testing. Job titles in the field include design engineer, mechanical engineer, maintenance engineer, mechanical designer and process engineer. Key skills sought by employers include analytical thinking, dependability, persistence and attention to detail.

Mechanical engineers work for product design firms, manufacturing companies, energy research and development companies, and systems development firms. To enter the field, students need to complete a four-year bachelor's degree program and take courses in subjects including fluid dynamics, mathematics, physics, robotics, thermal dynamics and more. The U.S. Department of Labor reports that 46 percent of working mechanical engineers hold a bachelor's degree, while another 29 percent have completed graduate work.

Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering puts the world at your fingertips

The emerging opportunities for mechanical engineers can take you all around the world. You could even find an overseas position with an energy exploration company or consulting firm. Or, closer to home, you might be hired to solve technical problems with a global manufacturing firm with offices across the United States. It all could start with enrollment in an online bachelor's degree program.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that the profession will add 75,700 new mechanical engineer occupations in the U.S. between 2008 and 2018. This growth is expected to occur because of breakthroughs in biotechnology, materials science and nanotechnology. The mean annual wage earned by mechanical engineers working in the U.S. is $82,480, according to 2010 BLS data.