The department of Mechanical, Materials and Aerospace Engineering (MMAE) offers broad and diverse educational opportunities for both students and faculty. We offer ABET accredited Bachelor of Science degrees in mechanical engineering and in aerospace engineering. Within the BS program in mechanical engineering, students can choose one of three specialty options--energy, mechanics or materials. The department also offers graduate programs in aerospace, materials and mechanical engineering, leading to a Master of Science or a Doctor of Philosophy. The primary mission of the department is to prepare students for careers in engineering and other fields. We prepare our students to design systems that solve current and relevant engineering problems. We also put emphasis to strengthen their communication skills, teamwork and leadership.  We are expanding our research programs through active recruitment of faculty in many research areas.

Our research initiatives are aligned with the UCF as well as national priorities. For example, in addition to engaging in traditional areas of research, we are also involved in nanotechnology and advanced materials, miniaturization (MEMS), energy, and biomedical engineering research. There is high student demand in these areas and they contribute to area economy.

Our faculty members collaborate and partner with UCF centers that have national reputation as well as with area companies such as Siemens Westinghouse, Lockheed Martin, Harris, and Mitsubishi Power.

We are aggressively pursuing interdisciplinary block-funded programs from national agencies. We are funded on the scholarship of teaching and research programs such as REU, NUE and RET. MMAE research funding reached nearly $8M in 2007-2008. Four of our faculty, Drs. Yongho Sohn, Raj Vaidyanathan, Hyoung Cho and Nina Orlovskaya received the prestigious NSF CAREER awards in the last 4 years.

Several of our faculty serve as Fellows in prominent national and international societies. Many serve as co-advisors to students in universities in Poland, France, Venezuela, Italy, India, Taiwan, China, Germany, Sweden, etc. We also have exchange programs with universities in these countries.

We did a convincing self-assessment of our undergraduate programs. Our undergraduate programs have been fully accredited by ABET in 2003. MMAE is a fast growing department. Our vision is to become a department of distinction with integrity and excellence recognized and measured in all our activities. We are dedicated to providing a truly outstanding education opportunity through a proper balance of high quality undergraduate, graduate and research programs. Our long-range goals include improving the undergraduate experience by continuously upgrading teaching labs, enhancing the quality and reputation of our research activities, and becoming nationally known for partnerships with government agencies and industries.