Skip to main content

Undergraduate Programs

NMSU’s Mechanical Engineering (ME) department has been educating mechanical engineers since the university opened in 1888. Beginning in Fall 2006, the ME Department expanded to include an undergraduate degree program in Aerospace Engineering (AE), the first and the only Aerospace program in New Mexico and west Texas, to form the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE).

If you are interested in joining MAE as an undergraduate or a graduate student, please read about our programs to become a part of our diverse, vibrant, and growing department and experience our unique setting of “small-school education with extensive research.”

Mechanical Engineering (ME)

NMSU’s Mechanical Engineering (ME) program balances theory with practical applications through design projects and experiments. A strong program of co-ops and internships offers further opportunity to experience what mechanical engineers do in the world beyond school.

Many of our graduates go on to further education, increasing their preparatory skills in specific fields. Others find employment in a great variety of enterprises such as:

  • Bechtel
  • Boeing
  • B.F. Goodrich
  • General Motors
  • Utility companies
  • N.A.S.A.
  • U.S. Departments of Energy and Defense
  • National and private laboratories

Do you like to take things apart and see how they work? Do you enjoy seeing ideas become physical reality? Are you drawn to devising ways to improve objects, machines, systems…? These characteristics can lead you to a career in Mechanical Engineering. Almost anything that is imagined, designed, and built has a mechanical engineering aspect to it.

Mechanical Engineering is the broadest and most diverse of engineering fields. The versatility of mechanical engineering education prepares one for involvement in many fields.

Mechanical Engineering Program

Aerospace Engineering (AE)

NMSU’s Mechanical Engineering department has offered courses towards a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering (AE) since Fall 2006. Our program has the distinction of being the first and only AE degree program in New Mexico and west Texas.

AE is a natural development for NMSU, the College of Engineering, and the ME Department. They already enjoy close working relations with numerous aerospace related entities. Joint faculty research, research contracts, co-ops and internships, and employment of our graduates have long been established with regional agencies such as Los Alamos and Sandia National Laboratories, White Sands Testing Facility, and the Boeing Company.

As New Mexico’s Space Grant Institution, NMSU has contacts and opportunities through the Space Grant sponsor, NASA. Perhaps the most exciting of these programs for engineering students is the Reduced-Gravity Student Flight Opportunities Program, which is a unique academic experience for undergraduate students, based at the Johnson Space Center.

Co-ops and internships provide hands-on involvement that complements the AE curriculum.

New Mexico has also become the focus location for private industry ventures in space travel. The NM Southwest Regional Spaceport will be located about 45 minutes from Las Cruces. Four aerospace companies are presently committed to using the spaceport for civilian flights and competitions.

Aerospace Engineering Program

Master's Accelerated Program (MAP)

New Mexico State University master’s accelerated program provides the opportunity for academically qualified undergraduate students to begin working on a master’s degree during their junior and senior years while completing a bachelor’s degree. Typically, a bachelor’s degree requires four years to complete, and a master’s degree requires an additional two years. The master’s accelerated programs allow students the opportunity to complete a graduate program in an accelerated manner. You can also check NMSU’s catalog for additional information about our programs. 

Please talk to an MAE faculty advisor about your MAP plan and develop a course plan in consultation with the advisor. The faculty advisor should preferably be from the MAE area of your interest. 

  • Students can take 6 credits of MAE undergraduate courses (450 level or higher) and 6 credits of MAE graduate courses (500 level or higher) in their junior or senior year and get dual course credit that can be applied to both an undergraduate and master’s degree.
  • The Graduate School allows qualified students to substitute its graduate courses for required or elective courses in an undergraduate degree program and then subsequently count those same course as fulfilling graduate requirements in a related graduate program.
  • Undergraduate students may apply for acceptance to the accelerated master’s program after completing 60 semester hours of undergraduate coursework of which a minimum of 25 semester credit hours must be completed at NMSU.
  • The grade point average must be at a minimum of 2.75.
  • Students must receive a grade of B or higher in this coursework to be counted for graduate credit. If a grade of B- or lower is earned, it will not count toward the graduate degree.

Master's Accelerated Program

Preparing for an Academic Career in MAE

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering depends heavily on math. High school students interested in studying Mechanical and/or Aerospace Engineering are recommended to take four years of math to the calculus level, chemistry, and physics. Incoming students will be required to take the Math Placement Test to be placed in the appropriate math class unless you already have a college math credit.

Students can gain college credit through Advanced Placement (AP) Exams, Dual Credit, or the College Level Examination Program (CLEP). AP exam results need to be sent to NMSU to receive credit for student work. Students who have taken Dual Credit classes outside the NMSU system will be required to transfer their credits from the college earned. Classes that were taken on a campus that is part of the NMSU System would be considered Concurrent Enrollment. CLEP classes and tests are available for a fee. Students whose tests receive a passing score will receive credit for that course.

Next Steps

Are you ready to apply? Undergraduate admission requirements to the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering programs follow the NMSU admission process. Admission questions and additional information can be found through the Undergraduate Admissions Office. The College of Engineering offers added information to other engineering degree programs and student organizations. To see a full list of degrees or other academic credentials, the NMSU Academic Catalog serves as a guidebook to students seeking information about academic programs, courses, and other essential information for student success. Be sure to check out the academic calendar for information about important dates such as registration, first day of classes, deadlines, exam dates, etc..