Most of the large technical firms in the country are still run by managers with degrees in engineering. General Motors, for instance, had a succession mechanical engineers as CEOs during the years when they prospered. Virtually every company that produces a product employs some mechanical engineers. Mechanical engineers are involved in the computer industry in the design of hard disk drives, in the cooling of electronic components and of course in the manufacturing of all of the components of a computer. Medical research is being undertaken more and more often by mechanical engineers working closely with chemical engineers and medical doctors.
Many mechanical engineers work for the government.
The Departments of Energy, the military research labs and Nasa all employ large numbers of mechanical engineers. Recently two UMass Dartmouth mechanical engineers went to work for the U.S. patent office. For those who choose to pursue graduate degrees there are virtually an infinite number of areas of active research in Mechanical Engineering. UMass Dartmouth has an excellent record of having students accepted to top graduate schools in mechanical engineering.