After high school, the first step toward becoming a product development engineer is to earn a relevant degree. A mechanical engineering degree is a great choice because it focuses specifically on the competencies that future product development engineers need.
Earning your mechanical engineering degree will take four years of full-time study. Although you may be able to complete some classes online, depending on your school, it’s not typically possible to complete the full degree online. This is because you’ll need to complete in-person labs in order to gain hands-on learning experiences.
Like other engineering specialties, the mechanical engineering subfield is geared toward developing practical and cost-effective solutions to real-world problems. To prepare you for this exciting career, you’ll likely study topics such as the following:
- Calculus for science professions, including differentiation, optimization, integration and graphing
- Fundamental concepts in computer-aided design (CAD), including both 2D and 3D modeling, mechanical tolerances and mechanical design integration
- Manufacturing processes and methods, with a look at casting, metrology, welding, machining and computer-aided manufacturing
- The mechanical properties of various materials used in manufacturing processes, including metals and composites
- Methods of the design and analysis of mechanical systems
Your mechanical engineering degree may include one or more capstone projects. These are opportunities to put what you’ve learned in the classroom to work in the real world. Give these projects your best efforts, as they may help you land your first job after graduation.
It’s not strictly mandatory for engineers to put together a portfolio of their work before applying to jobs, as not all employers will ask for them. However, having a portfolio could benefit your job search efforts. If you do well on your capstone projects, you could use them to begin building a professional portfolio.