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Prepare for a career designing innovative solutions through Franciscan University of Steubenville's Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, where faith and ethics shape responsible innovation.
At Franciscan, you'll receive a rigorous engineering education rooted in the Catholic intellectual tradition. Through hands-on laboratories, collaborative design projects, and close faculty mentorship, you'll master the technical foundations of mechanical engineering.
Along the way, you'll examine the ethical responsibilities that come with designing new technologies and graduate prepared to glorify God through your work, upholding the dignity of every person you serve.
Through Franciscan University's Mechanical Engineering program, you'll develop the expertise, practical experience, and ethical foundation needed to become an innovative engineer and principled leader, including:
Mechanical Design and Engineering Analysis: Learn to design, model, and evaluate mechanical systems while applying mathematics, physics, and engineering principles to solve complex real-world challenges.
Manufacturing and Product Development: Gain hands-on experience with manufacturing processes, materials selection, mechanical testing, and the engineering design process from concept to production.
Thermal and Dynamic Systems: Study thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, heat transfer, and dynamic systems to understand how machines, energy, and motion work together.
Leadership Rooted in Virtue: Build the communication, teamwork, and project management skills needed to succeed on multidisciplinary engineering teams and lead technical projects.
Ethical Engineering for Human Flourishing: Examine the ethical responsibilities of engineers and learn to design technologies that respect human dignity and serve others with excellence and integrity.
Applying to Franciscan University’s Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering is the first step toward discerning how God may be calling you to use your gifts as an engineer in service to the Church, society, and the common good. Our undergraduate admissions process is straightforward, with personalized support available every step of the way.
1. Admission Requirements
Discover how God may be calling you to serve as an engineer. Review our undergraduate admission requirements as you prepare your application.
2. Free Online Application
Applying to Franciscan is straightforward and free. Our online application takes about 15 minutes to complete, and no letters of recommendation are required.
3. Submit Documents
Along with completing the online application, you must submit these materials:
*If you’re transferring from another college or university, you must submit official transcripts from every institution attended. Review our steps for transfer students.
**If you’re applying for admission with a 3.2 or higher cumulative weighted GPA, you may submit a one-page, double-spaced, 12-point-font essay responding to the following prompt:
At Franciscan University, our mission is “to educate, evangelize, and send forth joyful disciples.” Share a story or example from your life that shows how your faith and intellectual growth have shaped you into who you are today. How do you hope your time at Franciscan University will help you continue to grow spiritually and academically?
The essay can be uploaded directly to your application portal or emailed to [email protected] or to your admissions counselor with the subject line: “Undergraduate Admissions Essay.”
Supplemental materials should be emailed to the Admissions Office or sent to:
Office of Admissions
Franciscan University of Steubenville
1235 University Boulevard
Steubenville, OH 43952
Franciscan University's Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering combines rigorous engineering coursework with hands-on learning to prepare you for professional engineering practice. Through laboratories, design projects, senior capstone experiences, and technical electives, you'll develop the technical expertise, practical skills, and ethical foundation to solve real-world engineering challenges and approach engineering as both a profession and a vocation.
Explore Franciscan's Mechanical Engineering program courses and program requirements.
Program Requirements (125 Credits)
Mechanical Design (3 credits)
Solid Modeling and Manufacturing (3 credits)
Solid Modeling and Manufacturing Lab (1 credit)
Fluid Mechanics (3 credits)
Heat Transfer (3 credits)
Dynamic Systems (3 credits)
Senior Capstone Project I (3 credits)
Senior Capstone Project II (3 credits)
Introduction to Engineering and Design (2 credits)
Introduction to Engineering Analysis (1 credit)
Engineering Analysis (3 credits)
Rigid Body Statics (3 credits)
Rigid Body Dynamics (3 credits)
Strength of Materials (3 credits)
Engineering Thermodynamics (3 credits)
Introduction to Electrical Systems Engineering (3 credits)
Materials Science and Engineering (3 credits)
General Chemistry I (3 credits) and General Chemistry Laboratory I (1 credit) or General Chemistry for Technical Applications (4 credits)
Analytic Geometry and Calculus I (4 credits)
Analytic Geometry and Calculus II (4 credits)
Analytic Geometry and Calculus III (4 credits)
Matrix Theory I (1 credit)
Differential Equations (3 credits)
University Physics I (3 credits)
University Physics I Lab (1 credit)
University Physics II (3 credits)
University Physics III (3 credits)
University Physics III Lab (1 credit)
Foundations of Ethics (3 credits)
Virtue, Technology, and Society (3 credits)
Catholicism, Science, and Technology I (1 credit)
Catholicism, Science, and Technology II (1 credit)
Catholicism, Science, and Technology III (1 credit)
Catholicism, Science, and Technology IV (1 credit)
Choose two of the following (1 credit each):
Strength of Materials Lab
Fluid Mechanics Lab
Heat Transfer Lab
Technical Elective (3 credits)
Technical Elective (3 credits)
Business Management Concentration (12 Credits)
Financial Accounting (3 credits)
Managerial Accounting (3 credits)
Corporation Finance (3 credits)
Choose one (3 credits):
Principles of Organization and Management
Quantitative Decision Making
Operations and Supply Chain
Engineering Dual Degree Pathways
Franciscan offers two dual degree pathways for students interested in pursuing engineering disciplines not offered on campus or completing their education through one of our partner institutions.
Complete an associate degree at Franciscan University in two years, then transfer to one of our partner universities to complete a bachelor's degree in civil, aerospace, electrical, or mechanical engineering.
Partner universities include:
The Catholic University of America
University of Pittsburgh
Saint Francis University
Gannon University
Earn a bachelor's degree in Mathematical Science at Franciscan over three years before transferring to the University of Notre Dame to complete a bachelor's degree in aerospace, civil, electrical, or mechanical engineering.
Preparing for a vocation in mechanical engineering is an investment in your future and in the people your work will serve. Franciscan University offers competitive tuition, scholarships, and financial aid opportunities to help make earning your Mechanical Engineering degree more affordable. Our admissions and financial aid teams are here to help you understand costs, explore your options, and plan with confidence.
Explore Financial AidMechanical engineers shape everyday life through the systems, products, and technologies they create. Franciscan’s Mechanical Engineering program prepares you for industry or graduate study with technical expertise, practical experience, and a strong sense of vocation.
Common career paths include:
Preparing to become an engineer extends beyond your coursework. Franciscan provides resources that help you build professional connections, prepare for your career, and discern how God is calling you to use your talents. Engineering students also participate in annual department retreats that strengthen faith, cultivate virtue, and build lasting community.
Alumni Network Career Services The Office of Personal VocationLearn from faculty who bring together engineering expertise, real-world experience, and an authentically Catholic approach to education. Through close mentorship and hands-on instruction, they'll prepare you to think critically, lead ethically, and use your talents in service to others.
The Mechanical Engineering and Software Engineering programs are accredited by ABET.
Why ABET? ABET accreditation gives confidence that a program has met the standards necessary to prepare graduates for professional careers in STEM fields. ABET accredits more than 4,700 programs in applied and natural science, computing, engineering, and engineering technology at more than 900 colleges and universities across 42 countries. Graduates of ABET-accredited programs have a strong educational foundation and are prepared to lead in innovation, emerging technologies, and the protection of public welfare and safety.
Franciscan University of Steubenville builds upon ABET's curricular and quality assurance standards to create uniquely Catholic engineering programs. The Mechanical Engineering, Software Engineering, and Computer Science programs have been designed to meet these rigorous standards while integrating Franciscan's mission of faith and reason.