AcademicsStaffResidentialFacilitiesCalendarAbout WTPContact

Welcome to the Women's Technology Program in Mechanical Engineering!

The Women's Technology Program in Mechanical Engineering (WTP-ME) is a four-week residential summer program in the MIT Dept. of Mechanical Engineering to introduce high school students to the basic principles and ideas of mechanical engineering in the summer after 11th grade. It was created in the summer of 2006 as the second curriculum track of WTP, modeled after the program in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science that was created in 2002. More details about WTP can be found on the WTP Home Page

Classes taught by graduate students in the MIT ME department provide an in-depth study of many of the subject areas used by mechanical engineers, such as fluid mechanics, materials, statics, heat transfer, thermodynamics, and engineering design. Hands-on work is combined with analytical calculations and the use of computer codes for numerical modeling and computer aided design.

20 participants are selected each year from a nationwide applicant pool of 11th grade applicants who have demonstrated outstanding academic talent in math and science. No prior experience in physics or engineering is required, but we do expect students to be able to handle college-level material at a rapid pace.

WTP is designed for students who are excited about learning, have demonstrated their ability to excel at math and science in their high school classes, and who have no prior background (or very little)in engineering or computer science, with few opportunities to explore these fields.

WTP is a women-focused, collaborative community aimed at empowering students from groups historically underrepresented and underserved in engineering. We especially encourage students to apply who will be the first family member to attend college, who come from high schools with limited access to STEM classes and activities, or who are African American, Hispanic, or Native American.