Manufacturing Concentration

From fabricating millions of aluminum beverage cans to casting massive housings for wind turbines, manufacturing shapes our modern world at every scale. Ohio Northern University’s (ONU) Manufacturing concentration empowers you with the specialized expertise and engineering insight to foster innovation and creativity in the design, development, and operation of next-generation production systems and manufacturing processes.

Type of Offering

Concentration

College

Engineering

Why Choose ONU's Manufacturing Concentration?

Ready to design, refine, and reimagine how things are made? ONU’s Manufacturing concentration builds on your mechanical engineering major, instilling the specialized expertise and hands-on experience needed to excel in this evolving, high-demand field.

Join us to lead future-ready production systems that transform concepts into creations.

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As an engineering student pursuing the Manufacturing concentration, you benefit from:
●    Dedicated faculty mentors who share their years of experience and nurture your growth as an engineer.
●    Hands-on, specialized courses in manufacturing processes, such as quality engineering, industrial controllers, and 3D modeling.
●    Capstone projects, which allow you to collaborate with peers to ask bold questions and develop innovative solutions to real-world challenges for ONU’s industry partners.
●    Internships and co-ops with manufacturing leaders like Procter & Gamble, which can lead to full-time employment and other career opportunities.

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Gain Hands-On Experience With Manufacturing Design

At ONU, we believe impactful learning happens through experimentation, inquiry, and hands-on application. In the Manufacturing concentration, you’ll engage with the tools and technologies shaping the future of production in our machine shop and ONU Makerspace. As you build your technical skills using industry-grade equipment — such as laser engravers, a waterjet cutter, and CNC machines — you gain a more grounded understanding of how to design production systems, select and optimize processes, and manage quality, reliability, and efficiency across the plant.

Witness Manufacturing in Action

While pursuing your manufacturing concentration, you’ll benefit from numerous field trips built into your curriculum. These visits to manufacturing facilities immerse you in the industry, highlighting the intersection of design, production, and innovation. These experiences also serve as impactful networking opportunities, leading to internships and career connections.

Chart New Professional Paths

Turn classroom learning into real-world experience. We’ll connect you with co-ops and internships that give you hands-on training with leading manufacturing firms near campus, such as Honda, GROB, and Crown Equipment Corporation. Or, you can pursue opportunities across the country that align with your interests and career goals.

Co-op Program

Manufacturing Courses and Curriculum

ONU’s Manufacturing concentration integrates theory, design, and application to build upon the technical expertise gained in your mechanical engineering major. Through this hands-on and industry-focused approach, you explore the entire product lifecycle, from design to production, and learn how to identify opportunities to enhance efficiency and quality.

Our signature courses, including Manufacturing Processes and Quality Engineering, empower you with skills in process optimization, quality control, lean manufacturing, and statistical process control. The curriculum also integrates manufacturing electives, allowing you to tailor your expertise further to include manufacturing management and supply chain logistics.

To earn your bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering with a concentration in manufacturing, you must complete 128 credit hours of coursework and a culminating capstone project that puts your engineering skills into practice. Working in a team with a few of your classmates, you collaborate and tackle a real manufacturing challenge for one of ONU’s industry partners.

Past student teams have designed and built a hamburger-patty-making machine for Kewpee, developed quality assurance solutions for Whirlpool, and engineered machine improvements for high-speed paper cup stacking at Graphic Packaging International. These are just a few examples of the innovation that happens here — and we can’t wait to celebrate what you create.
Each step of the way, ONU’s professors champion your success in the Manufacturing concentration. Whether you need in-class support or career mentoring after hours, they’re here to share their decades of experience and industry insight, helping you build your future with confidence.

Meet ONU's Faculty

Study in Cutting-Edge Facilities

At ONU, you have the opportunity to learn, research, and innovate with your peers and mentors in the 105,000-square-foot James Lehr Kennedy Engineering Building. It offers large-scale project and design space for capstones, competitive design projects, and other direct industry engagement. Additionally, it provides modern research laboratories where supportive faculty guide your exploration.

Launch Your Career in Manufacturing

With rapid technological advances and an increasing need for professionals who can enhance sustainability and efficiency, the manufacturing industry offers steady career opportunities for engineering graduates — especially within Ohio’s thriving manufacturing sector.

ONU alumni have gone on to work as manufacturing engineers and quality engineers at prominent companies, such as:
● Astemo, Ltd.
● Graphic Packaging International
● Morgan Advanced Materials
● Solon Manufacturing

Those who are drawn to mechanical engineering already have this innate desire to learn and to fix problems, and the manufacturing world is full of opportunities to use, grow and adapt those skills.

Kevin Jansen, BSME ’15

Accounting MSA Students Walking Around Campus

Make Your Career Goals a Reality at ONU

Hit the ground running by adding a Manufacturing concentration to your mechanical engineering major. With an exploratory, hands-on approach that blends theory and application, this concentration empowers you with an in-depth understanding of complex manufacturing systems and processes, industry experience, and an expansive professional network.

Take the first step toward a new academic adventure. Apply to Ohio Northern University today.