[yousif_1985]

Hi guys,

can I learn mechanical engineering by reading their text books, also i hold a bachelor degree in industrial engineering, so you can say I have took approximately half 50% of their courses. I just want to learn it for the love of this major, I don’t need it in my cv, so is it possible, have any one done this self learning before?

[RICHARD ZASTROW]

I don't think either Michelangelo or Da Vinci had a bachelor, master or doctorate in mechanical engineering. Both did fairly well.

If you are competent with mathematics I think you can educate yourself to function as a mechanical engineer. You will probably need the sheepskin (diploma) to be certified (licensed). Here it's referred to as a PE licence. (professional engineer)

Most of us go back to reference text anyway. It's kinda like Samuel Johnson said. I do not have to know the answer, only where to find the answer.

Dick Z

[davereagan]

I am a mechanical engineer. Machinery's handbook is an excellent reference for strength of materials formulae, flow and many other aspects of ME. Of course your grasp won't be quite what it would from taking all the courses, but with already one engineering degree, you can quickly learn what you want to know.

Dave

[RICHARD ZASTROW]

I would also recommend "Marks' Standard Handbook for Mechanical Engineers"
ISBN 0-07-004997-1

Dick Z

[yousif_1985]

hi

thank you guys alot, i will try to find good course outlines to choose good books

[peter.blais]

my advice would be to look up your local university's overall course structure and try to follow that somewhat.

If you try to skip around and learn say- heat transfer- before you teach yourself the basics of calculus and differential equations- you are going to have a battle understanding the textbook, and if you can't understand the text, then you are really just wasting your time.

That said, there are dozens of courses to truly cover what is a "mechanical engineering" degree- do you really want to put in all that effort and not be recognized, not to mention paid for it when you are done?

I think it would be significantly harder to do all alone as well. I can't even think how many times I would have been screwed without a helpful classmate or professor to guide me through something that just wouldn't quite wedge into my brain from the way the textbook had stated it.

-Pete