Experiential Learning

Hands-on, experiential learning opportunities allow engineering students to apply engineering principles learned in the classroom. Students majoring in mechanical engineering at Mount Union will be have ample opportunities to benefit from these real-world experiences outside the classroom, and culminate in building team work skills, communications skills, and hands-on skills that are crucial to career success.

Hands-on opportunities to apply classroom knowledge to work:

Extensive lab experiences
Internships
Student competitions
Service-learning opportunities
Faculty-led global engineering field experience
Undergraduate research with faculty
Yearlong capstone senior design project

Students will also have the opportunity to be involved in many different student organizations such as the Engineering club, Baja Team, and new student chapter of IEEE. This will allow them to apply engineering principles in the design and development of engineering systems.

Faculty-Led International Field Experience

During their junior year, engineering students are required to travel abroad as part of the International Engineering Field Experience course.

In May 2013, students traveled for Belize for 10 days to build a storm water control system and man-made sea wall.
In the summer of 2014, more than 10 students traveled to Belize to research low-cost sustainable development and renewable energy.
In the spring of 2018, students and faculty began a two-year project to assist in reconstruction of the water supply of a school district in Belize.

Senior Design Projects

Senior mechanical engineering majors at Mount Union participate in a year-long senior design capstone project as part of the EME 480 and EME 490 courses. Projects are team-based and give students an opportunity to complete hands-on, real-world, industry-oriented projects. Oftentimes, students are working with real companies to develop products.

The Baja (UMU Baja) project – Mechanical engineering students designed and built an all-terrain vehicle from the ground up and will participate in an inter-university competition at the conclusion of the academic year. Students participate in a number of vehicular static and dynamic events during the competition. The project allowed students to apply what they learned in all previous courses in the major.
Reusable Prosthetic Leg- In collaboration with the Department of Physical Therapy, students in the mechanical engineering major worked to develop a lower prosthetic leg that could potentially provide an adaptable, affordable and reusable interim prosthetic for amputees.
Filter-Less Vacuum System - As part of an ongoing project for the Department of Mechanical Engineering, mechanical engineering students are designing a prototype filter-less vacuum system.
Intercollegiate Robotic Football Competition - Mechanical engineering students are designing robotic football players to eventually participate in the Intercollegiate Robotic Football Playoffs at the University of Notre Dame.

Class-Specific Projects

From working in conjunction with students in entrepreneurial studies classes in an effort to develop products for market to proof of concept design projects in a sustainability practices class, engineering students at the University of Mount Union will have the opportunity to be involved in many types of hands-on projects beginning in their first year.

COMMUNITY OUTREACH PROJECTS

Engineering students have ample opportunities to get involved and utilize their engineering skills on the local, national and international level through service-learning projects.

Mount Union engineering students have worked on local projects in their own communities by restoring a downtown fountain in an Ohio town
Engineering students travel abroad to work on field projects that address global engineering challenges

Engineering students have also taken part in campus sustainability projects during as part of a Sustainable Energy class, where they were tasked with proposing ideas and advancing them to a “proof of concept” stage to help create a larger presence of sustainability on Mount Union’s campus.