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Session 2548

Internship Development for a New Baccalaureate Degree Program: Student Preparation, Sponsor Development, and Internship Follow-Up

Sohail Anwar, Frances Winsor The Pennsylvania State University, Altoona College

Abstract

Penn State Altoona College is in its third year of offering a Bachelor of Science program in Electro-Mechanical Engineering Technology (BSEMET) which is a 2+2 engineering technology program. Students matriculate to the BSEMET program from the ABET-accredited associate degree program in either electrical or mechanical engineering technology. They spend their first year in the BSEMET program (the junior year) cross-training in their alternate discipline. Students spend the senior year of the program learning specialized technical knowledge in selected areas of engineering technology related to the electro-mechanical discipline. Both components (associate degree and the junior and senior years) consist of highly structured curriculum schedules. While a large number of baccalaureate degree engineering programs at US institutions encourage students to participate in co-op programs (programs which require students to work in industry at least one full-time semester per year), Penn State Altoona BSEMET students cannot participate in a co-op program without falling out of the BSEMET course sequence.

Considering the importance of industry-based internships for engineering technology students, the Penn State Altoona’s School-to-Work coordinator has developed an innovative program for the BSEMET students to secure and complete industry-based internships during flexible schedules. These internships are coordinated by the School-to-Work coordinator. As many as thirty BSEMET students complete industry-based engineering internships every year during summer. In addition, fifteen to twenty students complete internships on a part-time basis during the school year.

This internship program has been very successful because of the support from regional business and industry. Many times, the industrial organizations in Penn State Altoona’s service region have expressed a need for engineering technology students to work on a specific engineering project. This need is usually met through our BSEMET students. Students’ records are maintained in an active employment file so that the industry internship requests can be expedited in days. The experiences gained by students are invaluable to them and often lead to long-term employment.

This paper begins with an introduction to the Penn State Altoona BSEMET program. The obstacles which hinder the implementation of a co-op program are described. Next, the paper provides a detailed account of the innovative student internship program developed and

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Anwar, S., & Winsor, F. (1999, June), Internship Development For A New Baccalaureate Degree Program: Student Preparation, Sponsor Development, And Internship Follow Up Paper presented at 1999 Annual Conference, Charlotte, North Carolina. 10.18260/1-2--7777