In the Department of Mechanical Engineering, you'll work extensively with the tools you need to succeed across many different engineering industries, such as automotive, aerospace, shipping, power, heating and cooling, and machinery‚ as well as the new and emerging fields of robotics, micro-devices and nano-devices, and medical equipment.
The master's program in mechanical engineering provides students with opportunities to strengthen their technical backgrounds for pursuing successful professional careers in engineering research, development and management.
Our program is distinguished by its opportunities to work closely with faculty. Graduate students have the chance to collaborate with and learn from some of the most renowned experts in the country, all while seamlessly transitioning from graduate studies to a full-time career.
Applicants do not declare a thesis or non-thesis option upon submitting their application. After matriculation, a thesis option may be selected with the support of a faculty advisor.
Common research areas include:
The School of Engineering's Graduate Cooperative Education (Co-Op) Program provides students with the opportunity to apply the theoretical principles they have learned in their coursework to real-world engineering projects. Gain up to six months of full-time work experience, build your resume, and develop a competitive advantage for post-graduation employment. Learn more about the Co-Op Program.
Mechanical engineers participate in every phase of the research and development process. Regardless of what industry you're in, you'll invent, analyze, and manufacture mechanical components and systems to help solve a particular problem or create a new product.
With an MS from Tufts School of Engineering, you'll graduate with a high level of comfort working in computational design and simulation tools‚ allowing you to apply the principles of your mechanical engineering degree to virtually any field. That's the beauty of mechanical engineering. Countless industries need designers and thinkers with a systems background in solving complex engineering problems‚ and that's exactly what you'll offer.
Careers for graduates include:
A key admission requirement is strong academic background in mechanical engineering or a related technical discipline.
At Tufts University, we believe every qualified applicant deserves the opportunity to pursue graduate study. We are dedicated to helping you understand your financial options and to ensuring that graduate education at Tufts is both accessible and within reach.
Tuition costs for this graduate program are billed at a per credit rate:
| Estimated Tuition for MS Program | |
|---|---|
| Tuition* | $1,799 per credit |
| Total Credits Required | 30 |
| Enrollment Status | Full-Time: 3-4 courses per semester (9-12 credits) Part-Time: 1-2 courses per semester (3-6 credits) |
| Estimated Tuition per Semester | Full-Time: $16,191 - $21,588 per semester (9-12 credits) Part-Time: $5,397 - $10,794 per semester (3-6 credits) |
| Estimated Total Tuition* | $53,970 |
*Estimated based on 2025-2026 tuition rates. Rates are subject to change each academic year. For further information about the full cost of attendance, including additional fees and estimated indirect costs (housing, transportation, etc.), please visit Student Financial Services.
The Tufts University School of Engineering offers partial, merit-based tuition scholarships for the majority of our graduate and certificate programs. All applicants are automatically considered for these awards as part of our holistic admissions review process—no separate scholarship application or additional materials are required.
Additional funding opportunities may include Tufts Double Jumbo Scholarships for Tufts graduates, Bridge Program Scholarships for students and alumni from select partner institutions, and veteran and military education benefits for eligible service members and their dependents, including participation in the Yellow Ribbon Program.
To further support your investment in a Tufts graduate education, a range of financing options are available, including federal and private student loans. For more details, please visit our Graduate Financial Aid page.
Average Salary: $99K+
Projected Job Growth (2022-2032): 10%
*Sources: Average salary and projected job growth statistics are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook.
Research/Areas of Interest: navigation, safety-critical transportation systems, state estimation, human-robot interaction
Research/Areas of Interest: Fluid dynamics, turbulence, reduced modeling of complex systems, dynamical systems theory, chaotic mixing, microfluidics, electrohydrodynamics, manipulation and assembly of nanoscale particles in microfluidics, biofluids
Research/Areas of Interest: sustainable energy, superconducting materials, materials science
Research/Areas of Interest: Ryan's research lies at the intersection of control theory, machine learning, and robotics, with the goal of enabling provably safe and dynamic robot autonomy in uncertain real-world settings. His work bridges theory and practice through the development of risk-aware control frameworks, efficient deployable algorithms, and validation on a wide range of robot platforms. His ultimate goal is to create safety methods that inspire trust and provide us with the confidence needed to deploy high-performance autonomous robots at scale. **Recruiting new PhD students for admission in Fall 2026.**
Research/Areas of Interest: biophysics and soft matter, microscale fluid mechanics and transport phenomena, microfluidic devices
Research/Areas of Interest: human factors, airspace systems
Research/Areas of Interest: Engineering education; Diversity, equity, and inclusion; team-based engineering pedagogies; engineering design thinking
Research/Areas of Interest: heat transfer, apparent slip, thermal management of electronics, mass transfer in supercritical fluids and thermoelectricity, material science
Research/Areas of Interest: human factors, human motor learning, human motor control, neuro-rehabilitation, robotics, virtual reality, surgery skill training
Research/Areas of Interest: Human Factors Engineering, Innovation, Design Thinking, AI-powered Innovation and R&D, Human Machine System Design, Robotics, Machine Learning, Perception, Psychology
Research/Areas of Interest: Mechanics of materials; effective properties of heterogeneous materials; microstructure-property relationships; applications to material science
Research/Areas of Interest: Fluid mechanics, flow in the human body, hemodynamics, aneurysms, heart development, flow in tumors, cardiac assist devices
Research/Areas of Interest: Hungtang Ko's research focuses on the collective organization of biological collectives and robot swarms in fluid environments. He conducts animal experiments, simulates agent-based models, and designs biomimetic robots to investigate the physical interaction among insect swarms and fish schools. Beyond his core research, his diverse research interests extend to traffic flow, animal biomechanics, and the physics of wok tossing. **Recruiting new PhD students for admission in Fall 2026**
Research/Areas of Interest: biomechanics, applied mechanics, materials characterization, engineering education
Research/Areas of Interest: machine design, nondestructive testing
Research/Areas of Interest: solidification processes, thermal manufacturing, machine design, materials science
Research/Areas of Interest: Pushing towards his vision of rapidly designing robots and materializing them at points of impact, Prof. Nemitz's research interests encompass 3D-printable robots, real-time adaptive additive manufacturing, and automated discovery processes for robotic materials.
Research/Areas of Interest: Engineering Education, Human Robot Interaction, Mechanical Engineering, Music Engineering, Artificial Intelligence and Image Processing
Research/Areas of Interest: materials engineering, materials science, manufacturing processes, quality control
Research/Areas of Interest: Present: Engineering for Health -> Physics of cancer and aging -> Mechanics of biomaterials at the nanoscale, Synthesis and study of functional nanomaterials for biomedical imaging and drug delivery, Advanced imaging for medical diagnostics, Novel processes and materials for dentistry: nano-polishing and self-healing materials. Favorite experimental techniques: atomic force microscopy/scanning probe microscopy, confocal microscopy and spectroscopy, nanoindenters. Favorite theoretical methods: contact models, machine learning methods. Past: quantum field theory, theory of gravity, cosmology, Casimir effect.
Research/Areas of Interest: learning sciences, engineering education, design practices, classroom discourse, engineering knowledge construction
Research/Areas of Interest: Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS) fabrication, modeling, and testing. Particularly acoustic MEMS (microphones, ultrasound), and aerodynamic measurement technologies (skin friction sensors, aeroacoustic sensors). High altitude atmospheric sensing and acoustics for planetary science. Acoustics, vibrations, dynamics and controls. Electromechanical systems including robotics. Finite element methods and system modeling. Electronics for measurement. Mechanical measurements.
Research/Areas of Interest: human factors
Research/Areas of Interest: novel polymer electrolytes for batteries, liquid crystal polymers, composite materials, materials science