Mechanical Engineering

The Department of Mechanical Engineering (ME) at Stanford University addresses the most pressing needs of human society by advancing the fields of energy, transportation, and health. Through a multidisciplinary curriculum emphasizing applied mechanics, computational simulations, biomechanical engineering, and design, the department prepares students to create innovative, responsible, and sustainable solutions to complex global challenges.

Academic Programs and Degrees

The department offers diverse undergraduate and graduate pathways designed to prepare students for leadership in industry, research, and academia. These academic programs include:

• Bachelor of Science (B.S.): Available in Mechanical Engineering and Biomechanical Engineering.

• Master of Science (M.S.): Available in Mechanical Engineering (non-thesis) and Mechanical Engineering with a Distinction in Research.

• Coterminal Program: Allows current Stanford undergraduates to work simultaneously toward a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering. Students may apply for admission to this program following the completion of 12 full-tuition undergraduate quarters.

• Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) and Engineer Degrees: Post-master’s pathways that emphasize advanced, independent research.

Because mechanical engineering is an exceptionally broad discipline, the undergraduate program serves as both a technical foundation for engineering careers and a springboard for graduate study in business, law, medicine, or public policy.

Multidisciplinary Research and Methodology

Stanford's mechanical engineering faculty and students work across five major groups to push the boundaries of what is possible—from nanoscale devices to complex biological and mechanical systems. Research methodologies leverage design thinking, computational simulation, control systems, and multi-scale approaches to develop sustainable, ultra-efficient, and autonomous technologies.

Collaboration is a hallmark of the department. Faculty and students regularly partner with colleagues in the School of Medicine, other School of Engineering departments, and disciplines as diverse as Art and Art History, Mathematics, and Biology to address critical societal challenges.

A Legacy of Practical Innovation

The department traces its origin to the founding of Stanford University as a school that was both academically rigorous and practically oriented, aspiring to produce “cultured and useful citizens.” Our first three professors joined the faculty in 1891, the year the university itself was founded. Courses in the department that year reflected this practical focus, including Workshop Practice, Thermodynamics, Machine Design, Electrical Engineering, and Wind Mills – Theory and Design.