Graduate Programs

Overview

Students seeking a graduate degree in Mechanical Engineering will find a vibrant academic and research environment in The University of Toledo’s Department of Mechanical, Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering. 

UToledo offers a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, as well as three master’s degree options:  

• Research-based thesis option 
• Project option 
• Course work only 

Our graduate courses are taught by a research-active and student-centered faculty. Mechanical Engineering graduate students may specialize in one of three focus areas or combine aspects of all three into a focus on advanced manufacturing processes: 

• Thermal science 
• Solid mechanics 
• Manufacturing and industrial engineering 

Learn more about the Mechanical Engineering Department.

Top Reasons to Study mechanical engineering at UToledo

1. Cutting-edge research tools.

   Our Mechanical Engineering graduate students have access to the resources of a major research university. UToledo has a high-speed wind tunnel and one of the most powerful, Linux HPC Clusters in Ohio. UToledo has facilities for: 

   • 3D printing 
   • Exploring the properties of materials and their performance under cycling load 
   • Testing smart materials, such as shape memory alloys 
2. Financial support.

   Outstanding graduate students can apply for teaching and research assistantships, as well as tuition scholarships. 
3. Proximity to auto manufacturers.

   The University is located close to the headquarters of Chrysler, Ford and General Motors and major suppliers, including Dana Incorporated and Eaton Corporation. Professors collaborate on research with area industries, which heavily recruit UToledo graduates.  
4. J.D./M.S. dual degree.

   Are you interested in intellectual property and patents? This dual degree program allows you to earn both a law degree and a master’s degree in engineering through an accelerated, integrated curriculum. 

We expect graduate Mechanical Engineering students to conduct high-quality research. You will work with professors who are dedicated teachers and leaders in the field.  

UToledo faculty include six members of the American Society of Mechanical Engineering and one Fellow of the American Ceramic Society. 

The Department of Mechanical, Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering has three major research focus areas: 

• Computational and experimental thermal science 
• Mechanics, materials and design 
• Manufacturing processes and systems 

UToledo numbers among its Mechanical Engineering faculty book authors and researchers who have worked on $6.4 million in sponsored research from organizations such as: 

• Bell Helicopter Textron, Inc. 
• Chrysler 
• Cooper Tire & Rubber Company 
• Ford  
• General Motors 
• NASA 
• National Institutes of Health 
• National Science Foundation 
• National Renewable Energy Laboratory 
• Orbital Research, Inc. 

UToledo Mechanical Engineering faculty also specialize in research on: 

• Mechatronics 
• Nanotechnology 
• Precision micromachining 
• Nanocomposites 
• Biomechanics and smart materials 
• Fatigue research 
• Fuel cells 
• Small turbines 
• Computational aeroacoustics 
• Wind turbines  
• High performance computing 

UToledo’s Dr. Mohammad Elahinia led a team that was the first to successfully make 3D objects using high-temperature shape memory alloys, smart materials used in the next generation of airplanes and unmanned aerial vehicles. Read more. 

Another faculty member, Dr. Reza Rizvi, was awarded nearly $400,000 from the National Science Foundation to make 2D materials using high-pressure gases. 

What jobs can I get with a mechanical engineering degree?

UToledo Mechanical Engineering graduates with advanced degrees have a 90% job placement rate. 

Our graduates have considerable experience in engineering, science, and math. They have the ability to solve challenging problems and contribute immediately to their employers’ industries.     

Master’s degree graduates accept jobs as research and development engineers in the automotive, aerospace and offshore industries or pursue Ph.D. degrees. UToledo students have been accepted into doctoral programs at: 

• Drexel University 
• Penn State University 
• Purdue University 
• University of Michigan

Students who graduate with Ph.D.s become university professors or research engineers in industry.   

Employers who have hired UToledo Mechanical Engineering master’s and doctoral graduates include:  

• Fiat Chrysler 
• Frostburg State University, Frostburg, Md. 
• Gheorghe Asachi Technical University of lasi, Romania 
• Honda Motor Co.
• John Deere 
• Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore 
• Kimberly-Clark Corporation 
• Mississippi State University, Starksville, Miss. 
• NASA Glenn Research Center 
• NSK Motion & Control 
• Stryker Corporation 
• University of Minnesota, Minneapolis