What Is ASME and What Can Mechanical Engineers Use It For?

ASME (the American Society of Mechanical Engineers) is a not-for-profit professional engineering society and a globally recognized standards body. For engineers, it functions as five things in one place: a standards publisher, a membership community, a training provider, a research publisher, and a certification body. Which part matters to you depends on your goal—compliance and design work point to standards, career development points to membership and courses, and credentialing points to certification.

ASME at a Glance

These figures come from ASME's own site and describe scale, not the value of any single offering. The practical question is which offering fits your situation.

The Five Core Offerings

Standards

ASME describes itself as "the globally-recognized, trusted source of standards used around the world." Examples listed on its site include the Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code (BPVC), bioprocessing equipment standards, thermoplastic piping systems, and graphic symbols for heating and ventilating systems. Engineers typically use these when designing, specifying, or verifying equipment against a recognized code—for example, when a pressure vessel design must be checked against BPVC Section XI rules for inservice inspection.

Membership

Membership is the community and career layer. One concrete benefit stated on the site: members receive 3-day early access to engineering jobs. Membership also connects you to volunteer opportunities through ASME's Community Engagement Center. This is most useful if you want peer networks, volunteering, or early access to postings—not if you only need a single standard.

Courses

ASME Learning & Development is positioned as a training leader for engineers, with 10,000+ people trained annually. Courses make sense when you need structured instruction on a topic tied to ASME standards or practices, rather than self-study.

Publications

ASME publishes engineering research in journals, eBooks, and conference proceedings. Its ME magazine now offers open access to all content, which makes it a low-commitment way to sample ASME's editorial output before committing to anything else.

Certifications

ASME certifications cover both companies and individuals:

• Company accreditation — an ASME certification signals a commitment to public safety and quality. You can look up certified companies through the ASME Certificate Holder Search, and the site explains how to prepare for and start a certificate application.
• Personnel certification — ASME offers GDTP (Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing Professional) and QRO certifications. GDTP-2018 certification exams are currently open for registration.

Who Benefits From What

A useful rule of thumb: standards and certifications are task-driven—you engage when a project or role requires them. Membership and publications are career-driven—you engage to stay connected and informed over time.

First Steps

1. If you need a standard for a project: start from the Standards section and identify the specific code that governs your equipment or system.
2. If you are weighing membership: check whether the stated benefits (early job access, volunteer opportunities) match what you actually want; membership is not required to purchase standards or take courses.
3. If you want a credential: review the GDTP-2018 exam details or the QRO certification page, and confirm eligibility before registering.
4. If you are unsure: read open-access ME magazine content first—it costs nothing and shows you the kind of material ASME produces.

Pricing for standards, membership, courses, and exams is not stated in the available site material, so confirm current costs and any login requirements directly on asme.org before committing.