EM thus overlaps with many engineering disciplines, including Aerospace, Biomedical, Civil, and Mechanical Engineering, as well as with Material Science. At UC, students take a core of analysis and design courses, but then utilize a large number of technical electives to shape their own programs. Students may choose to focus in areas such as computational methods, biomedical engineering, materials, and non-destructive evaluation of materials. Students graduate with extensive computer skills which permit them to analyze new and failed structures using methods like finite element modeling and non-destructive analysis.
Graduates also learn advanced experimental methods for analyzing materials and structures.
These skills can also help in determining the reliability and useful life of various man-made materials. All students take part in cooperative education which allows them to alternate between the classroom and meaningful work experiences where they can apply their classroom learning. The Engineering Mechanics program gives students an opportunity to pursue fundamental work in a variety of technical areas. They learn the basic computational, analyti-cal, and experimental techniques necessary for creative engineering design, and for research and development work in industry and government laboratories. Graduates in Engineer-ing Mechanics work in many different industries and research laboratories including aerospace, automotive, and biomedical.