Department instructional and research activities are focused around four technical areas which include: applied mechanics; design and manufacturing; dynamic systems, sensing and controls; and energy, fluid and thermal systems. Application areas include:

• Advanced Aerospace Systems: high-speed flow control, plasma-assisted combustion, molecular gas lasers, and plasma material processing 
• Advanced Automotive Systems: researching fundamentally safe, economical, reliable, and environmentally friendly transportation 
• Bioengineering: micro- and nanotechnology focus areas involve biological applications, namely, the micro/nano biofluidics and precision instrumentation work that examines human movement and movement disorders, injury biomechanics, and biomaterials
• Energy and Environmental Quality: researching a number of applications related to sustainable energy sources that satisfy power generation needs and environmental concerns
• Materials and Manufacturing: materials research is an institutional strength in the OSU College of Engineering as well as the broader university, with OSU being ranked third nationally in NSF funding of materials research. 
• Micro and Nanotechnology: research in micro and nanotechnology activities are broadly divided into: 1) nanotribology and nanomechanics and applications to nanotechnology; 2) micro/nano biofluids; 3) precision instrumentation, which overlaps research in this area and in the bioengineering and materials and manufacturing focus areas. 
• Nuclear Science and Engineering: research endeavors include application of radiation, radioactive materials and nuclear fission, such as nuclear power, nuclear medicine, radiation safety, and environmental management.