Facts & Stats

The Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science in the Duke University Pratt School of Engineering offers broadly based undergraduate and graduate programs that cultivate the learning, thinking and problem-solving abilities needed to adapt, to develop and to exercise responsible leadership through times of rapid change.

The department offers BSE, MEng, MS and PhD degree programs. Our research reflects a markedly cross-disciplinary focus and offers our students broad opportunities to match personal interests with career development.

Rankings

  • Top 10 Best School for Engineering Majors by Salary Potential (Payscale.com)
  • Top 15 ranking in U.S. mechanical engineering faculty research productivity (Academic Analytics 2015 – published Dec. 2016)
  • #28 mechanical engineering graduate program, U.S. News & World Report (2019)
  • #30 materials science graduate program, U.S. News & World Report (2019)
  • Top 10 Graduate Engineering School Popular with Women, U.S. News & World Report (2016)

Duke MEMS: at a Glance

  • 26 tenured or tenure-track faculty
  • $10.5 million in new research awards, FY 2017 (180 percent increase over the last five years.)
  • 160 graduate students
  • 78 BSE graduates in 2016-2017
  • MEMS Faculty Awards & Recognition

Research Groups

  • Acoustics
  • Aerodynamics & Fluid Dynamics
  • Biomechanics & Biomaterials
  • Dynamics & Controls
  • Energy Tech & Thermodynamics
  • Manufacturing
  • Mechanics & Material Science
  • Duke Robotics

Research Centers

Students

Undergraduate Program

  • 205 students with declared Mechanical Engineering majors
  • Double majors available with Computer Science, Physics, Biomedical Engineering, Economics
  • Aerospace and Energy certificates
  • Duke, Pratt, Chambers Fellowship award winners
  • The Home Depot Smart Home, Electric Car, Duke Motorsports, Robotics competitions, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics chapter

Graduate Program

  • 88 PhD students
  • 56 MS students
  • 16 MEng students
  • THRUST international Master of Engineering program in aerodynamics
  • Funding sources are DOD, NSF, NIH, non-governmental & industry, and foundations
  • Students eligible for highly competitive Duke and Pratt fellowships