About the Department

The Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering at the University of Illinois at Chicago is committed to excellence in research, teaching, and service to the community.

Mechanical Engineering is essential to a wide range of activities that include the design, development, manufacture, management, and control of engineering systems, subsystems, and their components. Typically the manufacturing, power, aerospace, automotive, materials, and processing industries employ mechanical engineers. As a result of the recent rapid expansion of technology, mechanical engineers also have become increasingly involved in computer aided design and visualization; robotics; bioengineering; environmental engineering; solar, wind, and ocean energy sources; and space exploration. The breadth of the field provides the graduate with many possibilities for a satisfying career.

Currently, there are more than 30 professors of national and international stature actively engaged in research areas at the leading edge of technology whom have degrees from prestigious universities across the country. Faculty are involved in many research areas including MEMS (Micro-electrical-Mechanical Systems), virtual reality, combustion, environmental science, thermal science, dynamics and control, mechatronics, bioengineering, manufacturing and processing. The Department's comprehensive five-year research budget is approximately $13M and is comprised of funding primarily from government agencies and industry via grants, contracts and gifts. The large number of major archival journals and reference books published and edited by the faculty also enhances the reputation of the Department.The Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering offers comprehensive programs leading to the degrees of B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering and related disciplines. UIC is one of 88 Research-I Universities in the United States and is a widely recognized center for international education and research. Frequently, faculty members include students at both the graduate and undergraduate level in research programs and interactions with industry. Students gain first-hand exposure to real-world engineering problems which, along with their classroom and laboratory work, makes them attractive candidates to many employers after graduation.

The Department is housed in a new $32 million Engineering Research Facility which combines state-of-the-art research laboratories; including a Class 100 Clean Room, two Virtual Reality CAVE theatres, a comprehensive MEMS research center, advanced CAD/CAM and computer lab facilities and lecture rooms.

Take a Virtual Tour of our facilities