As a kid, did you love to take things apart, figure out how they worked, and put them back together again? Do you enjoy solving problems for everyday life challenges, both big and small? Do you have an analytical mind—a mind that enjoys mathematics, puzzles, and the complexities of interlocking parts?
If so, you may be the perfect candidate for Buffalo State College’s Mechanical Engineering Technology Program.
Mechanical engineering is the design and manufacturing of machine products—everything from tiny devices like microchips to vast systems like spacecrafts. The best mechanical engineers will be able to visualize and understand how a product will be used; the environmental stresses it will be subjected to, and the reasons people will be convinced to purchase it. Mechanical engineers analyze their work using the principles of motion, energy, and force—ensuring that designs function safely, efficiently, and reliably, all at a competitive cost. Mechanical engineering technology (MET) graduates are in high demand and are employed by manufacturing companies, consulting firms, government agencies, testing laboratories, and other enterprises that require people with strong mechanically oriented backgrounds.
“You get a big appreciation for project management,” said Mike Wierzba, assistant team captain for the 2018 Mini Baja competition. “We had an axle on backward and because we had all the tools on hand and knew what to do, it took about 15 minutes to fix. Before this experience, it would have taken much longer.”
“You can print things that are very difficult to manufacture, things you wouldn’t be able to make or manufacture by hand,” said James Mayrose, then chair of the Engineering Technology Department in a presentation in a 2013 demonstration of 3D printing. “If you can think it and design it, it can be printed.”
The bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering technology gives students a broad education in the areas of mechanical design, mechanics, stress analysis, thermosciences, and manufacturing.
Graduates work as mechanical designers developing new products, manufacturing supervisors solving problems of producing these products for performance or quality, as plant engineers improving or maintaining factories, and in technical sales selling these products. The duties of technologists may involve overseeing installation, operation, maintenance, and repair to ensure that machines and equipment are installed and functioning according to specifications; specifying system components; supervising drafters in developing the design of products; testing and evaluating products; and or/developing cost estimates. What sets Buffalo State MET program apart? We’re glad you asked. Here are just a few reasons why:
Buffalo State offers more than 100 clubs and extracurricular organizations that give students the opportunity to socialize, expand their interests, and gain experience that will enhance their employability upon graduation. Clubs which may be of particular interest to MET students include:
Math Club: The club takes the topics learned in the classroom and applies them to the real world with the aim of introducing students to opportunities for individual growth in their knowledge of mathematics and mathematics education. Events include games, current events in math, in-depth talks from professors, guest speakers, and students.
SAE Mini Baja Competition
The SAE Mini Baja Competition is one of the most unique and exciting extracurricular activities open to MET majors. The goal of the competition is to design, build, and race off-road vehicles that can withstand the harshest elements and roughest terrain. The vehicles used in Baja SAE racing are often similar in appearance to dune buggies. Buffalo State’s Mini Baja team is made up of MET students who use the competition as their senior project, which is required for graduation from the program.
Mechanical engineering is required for virtually everything that is made, making it one of the broadest and most diverse engineering disciplines. As a mechanical engineer, you may work in the arena of automotives; aircraft and spacecraft; biotechnology like implants and prosthetic devices; computers and electronics; energy conversion devices like wind turbines; environmental control devices like air conditioners; automation and robotics; manufacturing machinery; and pretty much anything else you can think of.
The list of mechanical engineering careers is almost endless. Suffice it to say that no matter what interests you —cars, planes, trains, or computers —there is a Mechanical Engineering Technology application for it. Disciplines within mechanical engineering include but are not limited to:
