Letter from the Chair

At the undergraduate level, we offer an ABET-accredited Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Mechanical Engineering. At the graduate level, we offer the Master of Science (M.S.) degree as well as two doctoral degrees: Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D) administered by the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and Doctor of Engineering Science (Eng.Sc.D) administered by The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science.

Educational excellence is the central focus of all activities within the Department, with equal emphasis on student well-being. Our faculty and staff take great pride in developing a curriculum that provokes students to think deeply, broadly, and independently to prepare them to be leaders in engineering and other professions. Our curriculum's dual emphasis on fundamental concepts and design innovation equips our graduates to address and solve the most complex technological and societal challenges. Through their passion and dedication, our professors and teaching staff apply their expertise toward developing new teaching methods and paradigms that stimulate excitement in both traditional and emerging fields of endeavor and set the highest expectations for our students.

The pursuit of research excellence is of fundamental importance within the Department. It drives our professors to an ever-better understanding of science and engineering, which is promulgated to students through innovative and original teaching methods. Our professors and students have distinguished themselves internationally through a wide-ranging array of groundbreaking research areas and activities.

This success would not be possible without select, highly motivated, and inquisitive students from all backgrounds and experiences dedicated to achieving excellence in the classroom, the laboratory, and through extracurricular activities. Our students inspire and push faculty and staff to continually improve teaching and research. Most importantly, our graduates carry the Columbia tradition into the world and, through their achievements, further cement the Department’s reputation as being one of the very best.

Hod Lipson

Professor and Chair