Mechanical Engineering Program Prepares You For Various Careers

Junior engineers, CAD operators, mechanical testers, quality controllers, technical sales, production, product designers and developers, lab technicians – these are some of the job titles professionals who attended a mechanical engineering program can obtain upon graduation. Centennial College offers one such program in a three-year offering that combines engineering theory and practice, and focuses on the design and development of various mechanical devices and equipment. As a result, students gain experience in machine shop operation, tool design, plus computer numerical control programming.

The Mechanical Engineering Technology - Design program (as it is officially known) has met the national technology accreditation requirements established by the Canadian Council of Technicians and Technologists and, as such, has received national accreditation status by the Canadian Technology Accreditation Board. In addition, The Ontario Association of Certified Engineering Technicians and Technologists recognizes the Mechanical Engineering Technology - Design program as meeting all the academic requirements for certification in the Technology category.

Within the program, there is about 60-40 balance between theory and practice with students spending about one quarter of the program time on project work that simulates workplace assignments. These projects relate classroom theory to the actual design, manufacture and testing of products. In addition, students develop knowledge of computer-assisted drafting and manufacturing (CAD/CAM), as used in the industry. To complement hands-on training, students learn software instruction such as MasterCAM V9.1 & Version "X", AutoCAD 2007, Autodesks Inventor R11. "We have a unique lab, which was introduced a few years back. This lab has most of the things required in the current environment. For example, we have testing stations, we have a fluid module, we have the thermodynamic module, we have a wind tunnel. So these people, when they graduate, [are prepared]," adds Famiel Shiek, a professor in the program.

Specific Mechanical Engineering Courses in this program include: Tool Design (emphasis is placed on jig and fixture design, and die design. The fundamental concepts of design are taught with respect to drilling and milling, holding fixtures, assembly fixtures and pressworking dies); Applied Statistics (this course focuses on the application of principles presented in the Mechanics course by introducing students to problems depicting realistic situations encountered in engineering practice. Applied Statistics is a branch of Applied Mechanics and involves the study of forces and the effect of forces acting on bodies in equilibrium without motion or moving with constant velocity); Thermodynamics (introduction to classical thermodynamics, dealing with the relationships between heat, work and mechanical devices); and more.

To apply, for the Mechanical engineering program, students must present at minimum an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or equivalent or be 19 years of age or older. You must also have the compulsory English 12C or U or skills assessment, or equivalent and the Math 11M or U, or 12C or U or skills assessment, or equivalent. You will be placed in the appropriate English and math courses based on the skills assessment results. Please note that possession of minimum admission requirements does not guarantee admission to the program.