General Catalog 2007-2009

Engineering at York College

Engineers are problem solvers. They synthesize ideas, make decisions, design systems, and create solutions to problems, all subject to a diverse set of real-world constraints. In addition to performance factors, these constraints include economic and environmental issues, safety, timeliness, reliability, ethics, aesthetics and social impact. Engineers must understand the implications and interaction of these constraints within the framework of our technology-dependent society.

Engineering has long played a key role in adapting scientific knowledge to societal needs. In virtually every sector of our economy, engineers draw upon mathematics and basic science to design machines, processes, and systems of all types.

At York College, students pursue Bachelor of Science degrees in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering. These three disciplines encompass an extraordinarily wide range of technical work, including machine design, HVAC, electromechanical power conversion, automated manufacturing, robotics, telecommunications, embedded control systems, and microprocessor design.

Engineering majors at York College participate in a rigorous and relevant program of study in science, mathematics and engineering, as well as general education courses in the arts, humanities, foreign culture, and the behavioral and social sciences. The engineering component of the program, in addition to being academically rigorous, places strong emphasis on hands-on experience and the art of engineering design. The curriculum provides for both breadth and depth through required and elective engineering courses.

All engineering majors also complete three semesters of salaried professional work through the engineering cooperative education (“co-op”) program. The program is supported in part by an active partnership of regional industrial and business organizations. This partnership provides financial resources for engineering scholarships and laboratory development, and co-op opportunities for students. It also provides for ongoing interaction with practicing engineers and engineering managers to assure a relevant curriculum of the highest standards.

All YCP engineering students undergo regular exposure to the profession and practice of engineering. This occurs through client- and national society-based design projects as well as through involvement with professional societies including seminars, field trips, dinner meetings, and student-chapter activities.

Career options for York College engineering graduates cover the range from entry-level engineering positions in industry and business to advanced study leading to graduate degrees. A multitude of options exists in industry, including product research and development in both the consumer and commercial sectors; automated system design and process control in manufacturing; materials characterization and engineering; power generation, transmission, conversion, utilization and management; design of portable electronic devices for communication and entertainment; microprocessor-based intelligent systems and materials; and the design of microprocessors. York College engineering graduates may also pursue graduate study in engineering, or other fields such as business, law, or medicine.

York College is committed to providing its engineering majors with the highest quality educational experience possible. Our programs feature small classes and labs taught by full-time faculty, closeness with faculty and fellow students both within and beyond the academic realm, and a rich and open relationship with the faculty and student body as a whole.

Accreditation

The Mechanical Engineering Program is fully accredited under the most current criteria (EC2000) of the Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET).

The Electrical Engineering and Computer Engineering programs of York College are not accredited at this time; however, they are designed to meet the program criteria set forth by the Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) of the Accreditation Board for Engineering Technology (ABET).

Mission Statement

In the belief that engineering is both a social and technical profession, the Engineering Programs at York College are committed to preparing engineers to practice their profession in the face of challenges-both known and unknown-that are many and diverse. Engineers preparing for work in the coming decades will be required to contend with an ever-increasing pace of change, an explosion of information, and the globalization of economies and technology. They will need an increased awareness of, and ability to deal with, environmental and national priorities, and an understanding of, and appreciation for, the human condition.

In our effort to prepare students to meet these and other challenges for the exciting and unknown road ahead, our engineering programs, consistent with their origin and institutional mission, are dedicated to providing their engineering graduates with the knowledge and skills necessary to successfully practice their chosen profession, to pursue graduate study in engineering or other fields, and to inspire a passion for life-long learning.

Criteria for Admission

Criteria for admission as an engineering major at York College include satisfactory evaluation of the following:

Transfer Students

Students who have successfully completed (or are in the process of completing) the A.S. degree in Engineering Science at two-year institutions or who wish to transfer to York College from other four-year institutions may apply for admission to study engineering at York College. Transfer applicants must submit a completed application form and official transcripts from each college attended. Admission is considered on a case-by-case basis. Interviews are optional but encouraged.

Requirements For Graduation

To be eligible for graduation, students majoring in Computer, Electrical, and Mechanical Engineering must (i) complete a minimum of 142 credits (including 6 credits of co-op), (ii) achieve a grade of 2.0 or higher in courses required for the major, (iii) achieve a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher, (iv) satisfactorily complete three full semesters of co-op, (v) satisfy the College’s residency requirement, and (vi) complete the General Education Requirements of the College.

Co-op begins for all engineering majors during the summer between their sophomore and junior years. To be eligible for co-op, a student must have a GPA of 2.0 or higher and have completed a minimum of 64 credit hours of course work.

Curriculum

The curriculum provides a balance of courses in three areas:

Required Courses for all Engineering majors

Computer Engineering (Suggested Course Sequence)

Electrical Engineering (suggested course sequence)

Mechanical Engineering (suggested course sequence)

Engineering Cooperative Work Experience (Co-op)

Engineering cooperative work experience is a requirement for all engineering students at York College. Through this program, students have the opportunity to gain practical hands-on experience in industry and other engineering-related enterprises prior to graduation. After their first two years of study, students alternate academic semesters with paid, professional engineering work experience in industry. Three semesters of co-op are required for graduation. This requirement may be waived for students with a history of qualified engineering work.

The successful co-op experience is based upon the three-way interaction involving the co-op student, the employer-based engineering mentor and the student’s faculty advisor. During the student’s cooperative education career, this interaction is nurtured and documented through regular meetings with the engineering mentor, on-site visits by the faculty advisor, written assessments and evaluations by both mentor and advisor, and through the student’s co-op reports.

Students are free to choose any geographic location for co-op and are encouraged to seek co-op opportunities abroad with U.S.-based companies that carry out international engineering operations. Locally, an organization of over 24 companies (see IAC on following page) advises and supports the development of the engineering programs, and provides co-op employment opportunities for York College engineering students. Students who co-op locally have the option to use York College housing during their co-op periods, during which time standard room charges apply.

Students must register for all three co-ops. If a student performs a semester of co-op work without registering for it, credit cannot be awarded for that co-op.

In addition to helping the student prepare for more sophisticated academic work, co-op provides the student with

Co-op wage scales and benefits are set by individual employers in accordance with current market salaries.

Partnership With Industry

Industry Advisory Council (IAC): The engineering programs at York College enjoy a close and active relationship with local industry. An IAC helps to support and implement the programs at York College. Part of the IAC charter is to provide significant capital resources for engineering laboratory facilities and scholarships, as well as co-op opportunities for York’s engineering students.

Members of the IAC include: Adhesives Research; American Hydro; BAE Systems; Black & Decker; Buchart Horn Inc/Basco Associates; Cooper Tools/Campbell Operations; Donsco, Inc.; The Engineering Society of York; FCI Electronics; Harley-Davidson, Inc.; KBA North America; Kinsley Construction Co.; LWB Refractories; Metso Minerals; New Standard Corporation; Pall Corporation; Topflight Corp; Tyco Electronics; Voith Siemens Hydro Power Generation, Inc.; Weldon Solutions, Inc; York International Corp.; and, The York Water Company.

Industrial Curriculum Advisory Board (ICAB): An outgrowth of the IAC has been the establishment of a small working group of engineers and engineering managers-active in their fields-that advise the Program Coordinators and help maintain a relevant focus for the engineering programs at York College. This group is designated as ICAB and has, as its primary tasks, the responsibility to (i) provide input in carrying out the mission, goals, and objectives of the York College engineering program, (ii) provide input related to curriculum structure, course content, and classroom and laboratory needs for the purpose of maintaining program relevancy and focus, (iii) assist in determining appropriate outcomes (and their measures) required to achieve program objectives, (iv) help assess program outcomes from an industrial point of view and assist with the use of these assessments in the continuous improvement of the program, (v) as needs arise, assume a proactive role in proposing new engineering programs-as well as alternatives to existing ones-for the purpose of both improving and expanding the base of engineering and engineering education in the York region.

Engineering Facilities

Engineering programs are facility intensive. Engineering students are continually involved in some aspect of hands-on laboratory and/or design project activity. Modern engineering laboratory equipment, computational facilities, and design-project work areas have been provided to meet individual course and laboratory needs. The goal is to provide our engineering students with access to state-of-the-art equipment and machines. The laboratory areas include the following: Design Project, Computer/

CAD, Instrumentation, Embedded Systems, Communication Systems, Power Systems, Automation & Robotics, Machine Tool and Materials Processing, Materials Science and Engineering, Solid Body Mechanics, and Thermodynamics/Fluid Mechanics/Heat Transfer.

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