The department is constantly building a relationship with the real world - the industries.
Several industries play a part in the department's research. This arrangement gives every student a foundation to work in the industries as well as learn from the Research that is being applied to everyday use.

Corporations and government agencies – such as the U.S. Army, Black & Decker, Chrysler, Ford, General Motors, IBM, Motorola, Smith International, and the National Security Agency – consistently recruit UMBC mechanical engineering graduates.

Adjacent to the campus, the techcenter@UMBC is a magnet for high-technology business development and offers a dynamic, fully-equipped facility for start-up and emerging companies. Its specialized environment promotes strategic alliances among tenants and connections with the UMBC faculty, students and companies in the region. UMBC is a member of Internet 2 with high-speed Internet Connectivity

Some of the industries associated are:

• Pratt & Whitney Corporation - A United Technologies Company
• Black and Decker corporation
• ROHM and HAAS
• NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
• Motorola
• IBM
• General Motors
• Ford