Designing A Senior Experience In Mechanical Engineering: Culmination Of An Undergraduate Program, Preparation For Professional Life, And Reinforcing The Foundation For Continued Learning

The senior experience in an undergraduate engineering program should accomplish at least three main objectives: to serve as a culmination of the undergraduate program, to prepare students to begin their professional life and to ensure that students are on a path of life-long learning. The first objective must include synthesis and application of knowledge acquired in the first three years of the program, namely application of advanced analysis techniques to design. The second objective involves exploration of important issues needed to prepare graduates for professional practice and/or graduate school. The third objective needs to instill student confidence in their ability to learn on their own. The mechanical engineering program at Union College accomplishes these goals through four complementary components of the senior year curriculum: (1) a required two term senior research/design project, (2) required capstone design courses in mechanical systems and thermal-fluid systems, (3) a required weekly senior seminar program, and (4) upper level elective courses. This paper explains these aspects of the curriculum along with the rationale and motivation for their development and provides several examples of the content of each of these components.