How Long Does It Take To Become A Mechanical Engineer?

The high scope for career advancements and being one of the common professions for candidates who love solving problems commit themselves to become a mechanical engineer. With a high academic knowledge, certification, and experiences gained mechanical engineers have a high interest in analyzing, building models, innovating and solving the problems.

How to become a mechanical engineer depends on you based on your career choices and what you are interested in studying. You could choose to complete the undergraduate degree and choose a graduate degree or jump to getting certified. Hence planning your career prior is necessary which also determines how long it takes to become a mechanical engineer. To help you with this, we will break down the time frame and look at the requirements closely.

How long does it take to become a Mechanical Engineer?

After making the decision of choosing mechanical engineering as a long term profession, you must be aware of the education and career requirements for a mechanical engineer and design how you want to reach your goals. To become a qualified mechanical engineer it can take about 7 years or more to meet the requirements. Education and getting certifications is important to get hired. The opportunities you could avail are limited with limited education. The amount of time you spend could lead to the further advancement of your career. Taking a closer look,

Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering: 4 years: A bachelor’s degree takes about 4 years and offers 120 credits to complete the courses and get the foundational knowledge for further education. It is also the minimum required education level while earning this degree from a program accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) is sufficient to get an entry-level job. The coursework includes thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, material structures, manufacturing techniques and other interesting concepts.
Graduate degree: 2 years: To specialize in the field of your choice you could take up the graduate degree which gives an in-depth understanding on the core concepts such as kinematics, mechanics, designing of components, and others. This also implements researching skills and vast knowledge on various multidisciplinary principles applied in engineering works.
Experience: 1-4 years: The standard period to gain experience is about 4 years. However, some engineers choose to spend time on these steps from 1 to 4 to gain a license. Typically, after clearing the first licensure exam you are required to gain experience and later obtain the professional engineer (PE) license.
Online degree in engineering: An online degree in engineering is similar to that of a traditional degree with formal education and availability of diverse courses through the access of the internet. Students can expect tests, assignments, and regular monitoring of the progress of students with a flexible and affordable program.

Conclusion

The mechanical engineering field has more scope and increased demand for skills in recent years. Hence, choosing this profession gives you a wide range of opportunities if you’re determined and dedicated to achieving success. Over the years it is estimated to grow further, so plan your career well.