There are now two options in the MMET Department for students who want to pursue graduate studies after receiving their undergraduate degrees: Graduate Certificates and Master’s degrees.
“Our graduate students now represent 20 percent of our overall enrollment in the MMET Department,” says chair John Irwin. “This growth impacts our course offerings, lab needs, and research space. This is positive in most respects, although it presents certain challenges. We welcome the continued support from the friends of the department.”
MMET has been offering a multidisciplinary MS in Mechatronics for some time now, but new this fall is the department’s own MS in Manufacturing Engineering.
Each of the MMET Department’s Manufacturing Engineering graduate courses are also offered online for any remote learners pursuing an advanced degree while employed.
The Graduate Certificate in Fluid Power Mechatronics is composed of four courses totaling 10 credits. “Fluid power engineering is growing nationwide and globally. It has a major downstream economic impact because thousands of companies in the US depend on fluid power,” Irwin explains. “According to a 2021 National Fluid Power Association Industry Brief, these companies are estimated to employ more than 845,000 people representing more than $60 billion in annual payroll.”
Key Factors in Holistic Safety Systems is one of the courses required to earn the Mechatronics Graduate Certificate. It is also required to earn an MS in Mechatronics. “This course has tremendous support from industry, in particular from Donald Engineering and Ross Controls,” notes Irwin.
Ross Controls and Donald Engineering supplied working demonstration stands, to hold state-of-the-art safety equipment used in the safety industry. The equipment is used in the Safety course along with curriculum developed in partnership with Ross Controls.
Associate Professor Scott Wagner attended safety training offered by Ross Controls at their Ferndale, Michigan facility. The training included a high-level introduction to fluid power and safety basics including LOTO standards followed by an in-depth and hands-on valve configuration review.