If you are a student in the Penn State Behrend Mechanical Engineering program, you can incorporate a co-op experience into your education, and can take advantage of the resources of the co-op office in the College of Engineering at University Park. You may find a co-op position on your own, or may use the co-op office to locate a position. Three credits of co-op can be used as a substitute for one of the technical electives in the program. You will be required to register for ENGR 295, 395, and 495 each for one credit, during each work term. All co-op details such as registration, housing, etc., are arranged through the co-op office.
Co-op programs require that you alternate semesters between school and work, and thus will extend your graduation time, normally to five years. A possible Penn State Behrend ME co-op rotation plan is shown below. The details of your rotation will depend on both the needs of the co-op employer and your personal situation with respect to courses completed. Other rotations may work, but you need to carefully consider the prerequisite sequence for the program, as well as which semesters your required M E courses are taught. It is important that you clearly state your co-op rotation terms in the objective of your resume.
If you are on track you will normally take a lighter load during your senior year due to the substitution of co-op credits for a technical elective. In addition, you may be able to take other courses during your co-op rotation through distance learning or at schools located near the co-op site, or during summers when you are not working. Make sure to check any courses you plan to complete outside of the Penn State system for transferability. If you have room in your schedule, you may want to enhance your education with a minor in science, business, humanities, or social sciences. These minors can be a valuable addition to your education and your degree. If you wish to consider a minor, you should consult your adviser and the appropriate school for further details.
If you are interested in a co-op, you should review the material on the co-op office website and discuss your particular situation with Dr. Yi (Elisa) Wu. A separate internship program is available if you wish to earn credit for summer internships, or for work during the semester.
Possible ME BD Co-op Rotation Plan
Semester 5: Fall
- ENGR 295: First Co-op Rotation (1 credit)
Total: 1 credit
Semester 6: Spring
- ENGL 202C: Technical Writing (3 credits)
- M E 320: Fluid Flow (3 credits)
- M E 345W: Instrumentation, Measurements, and Statistics (4 credits)
- M E 349: Intermediate Mech of Materials (3 credits)
- M E 380: Machine Dynamics (3 credits)
Total: 16 credits
Semester 7: Fall
- ENGR 395: Second Co-op Rotation (1 credit)
Total: 1 credit
Semester 8: Spring
- CAS 100: Effective Speech (3 credits)
- M E 410: Heat Transfer (3 credits)
- M E 357: System Dynamics (3 credits)
- M E 367: Machine Design (3 credits)
- M E 365: Materials Testing Lab (1 credit)
- MATSE 259: Properties and Processing of Eng. Materials (3 credits)
Total: 16 credits
Summer
- ENGR 495: Third or Subsequent Co-op Rotation (1 credit)
Total: 1 credit
Semester 9: Fall
- SHA Elec: Select from School List (3 credits)
- M E 468: Engineering for Manufacturing (3 credits)
- M E xxx: ME Laboratory Elective (1 credit)
- M E 4XX: Engineering Elective (3 credits)
- M E 4xx: Engineering Elective (3 credits)
- M E 448: Engineering Design Concepts (3 credits)
Total: 16 credits
NOTE: M E 448 and M E 449 must be taken consecutively in the same academic year.
Semester 10: Spring
- BBH/KInes: Health Education/Physical Education (1.5 credits)
- SHA Elec: Select from School List (3 credits)
- SHA Elec: Select from School List (3 credits)
- M E 449: Mechanical Design Projects (3 credits)
- M E 4xx: Engineering Elective (3 credits)
Total: 13.5 credits