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 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.

Undergraduate Certificates

Advanced Materials Engineering

The design and manufacture of most engineering devices and systems is heavily constrained by materials properties and the availability of materials. This option allows students to obtain a concentration in materials engineering as a basis for practice and graduate study in this field. Course requirements (eid login)

Faculty Advisor: Eric Talefftaleff@mail.utexas.edu

Computational Science and Engineering Certificate

The Computational Science and Engineering Certificate (CSE) Certificate Program offers undergraduate students at The University of Texas at Austin the opportunity for in-depth study and research in computational science and engineering, including computational and applied mathematics, numerical simulation, scientific computation, and visualization.

Humanitarian Engineering Certificate

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.

Management Science and Engineering

The objective of the Management Science and Engineering certificate program is to give students a cohesive specialization in the areas of operations research, industrial engineering, and management science. Students who complete the certificate will be well prepared to enter the workforce or graduate school in this area. The design and manufacture of most engineering devices and systems is heavily constrained by materials properties and the availability of materials. This option allows students to obtain a concentration in materials engineering as a basis for practice and graduate study in this field. Course requirements (eid login)

Faculty Advisor: J. Eric Bickelebickel@mail.utexas.edu

Non-Engineering Certificate Programs

Additional certificates frequently pursued by mechanical engineering undergraduates include Elements of Business and Programming and Computation. 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.

Graduate Certificates 

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 Engineering Executive Education website.