UT Austin offers several opportunities for students to supplement their Mechanical Engineering studies through optional certificate programs or a minor degree. A certificate program is a set of courses that allows a student to focus on an area of study in addition to their major.
Undergraduate
Humanitarian Engineering
The humanitarian engineering certificate takes engineering for society to a new level, providing undergraduate students with a rewarding, multidisciplinary program that allows them to focus their learning around communities that need their help the most — from low-income populations to people with special needs. The program combines technical and non-technical coursework with project-based initiatives and includes course options in the colleges and schools of Liberal Arts, Communication, Natural Sciences, Engineering and more. View certificate requirements.
Non-Engineering Certificate Programs
Additional certificates frequently pursued by mechanical engineering undergraduates include Texas Business Foundations and Elements of Computing. University-wide requirements for transcript-recognized undergraduate certificate programs and a listing of the available certificate options can be found in the university's undergraduate catalog.
Minors
Students in mechanical engineering are allowed to minor in any field in which the university offers a major outside of the Cockrell School of Engineering. A minor is not required as part of any engineering degree program. For more information on minors, visit the Cockrell School website.
Graduate
Engineering Education Certificate
The Graduate Certificate in Engineering Education is designed for graduate students interested in pursuing engineering faculty positions upon graduation. This certificate program will prepare students for the instructional aspects of a faculty career and increase their competitiveness for faculty jobs. Courses are active, discussion-based and focused on applying research on learning to the engineering pedagogy.
Graduate students seeking this certificate will gain experience in teaching undergraduate engineering courses, learn more about research on teaching and learning, develop their own ideas and philosophy on teaching and create materials that will help in their faculty job search. For more information on certificate requirements, visit the Cockrell School website.
Mechanical Engineering Controls Graduate Certificate
The Mechanical Engineering Controls Certificate is designed primarily for working mechanical and petroleum engineers who deal with the control and optimization of processes and systems. Developed and led by Texas Engineering Executive Education, the Cockrell School’s professional education division, the program requires completion of nine semester credit hours of coursework and is available to degree-seeking and non-degree-seeking students. The nine hours of coursework can be applied to either the petroleum engineering or mechanical engineering master's degree. For more information on certificate requirements, visit the Cockrell School website.