This focus does not mean that the design is related only to one narrowly focused topic. At least one course is provided in each major civil engineering focus. The Department has six capstone design course options. Participating companies reap benefits as well building relationships with students and getting new ideas for real design problems. “Learning Factory.” Penn State Engineering: The Learning Factory, 2019, Capstone Design Projects offer students the opportunity to get involved in sophisticated engineering design challenges. Having a capstone project through The Learning Factory here at Penn State is truly an experience that has developed my abilities to effectively lead in the workforce today Immediately leave after graduating enter the industry, I do not think I would make the same decision to receive more schooling. If did not have this experience from Penn State and I were to Opportunity to decide, while still in my undergraduate studies, that I wanted to supplement my engineering degree with a one-year master program to reach a higher level achieving more in the same manner that my team accomplished this time last year. This experience allowed me to understand what I preferred and where my weaknesses hid while other academic projects failed to reveal.

Penn State’s Learning Factory provided me and others the closest possible experience to actual industry. Member had various skills and techniques of which we decided among ourselves who would take what role and effectively use each person’s skills to their fullest potential. The composition of the team was four industrial engineering students as well as two computer science students. Meaning everyone on the team expressed interest in the topic and were driven to solve the issue at hand. This diversity was specified by our sponsor based on their project and the Learningįactory selected each team member from those students who expressed interest in each project. The interdisciplinary composition of the team in field of study and in talent perfectly matches the team composition I have experienced firsthand in internships and other outside industry work. We asked for his opinion as we shared our ideas to confirm that we were on the right track and if we were using our project’s budget effectively. Oversight was our single faculty advisor to which we only reported to once a week. Other than assigning teams and each team with a given sponsor based on the sponsors request, we had complete control of the project from setting deadlines/goals with our sponsor. The Learning Factory allowed us to have complete control over our project. Process increasing the efficiency and decreasing the timeline of reviewing contracts. The project was our part-time job over the semester and at the end of the semester we delivered a single point submission website along with a new categorization Throughout the entire semester we conducted multiple meetings, wrote weekly reports and constantly interacted with our sponsors. We were tasked with redesigning their intake and processing of contracts that involve Penn StateĪnd an outside party. My team and I had the opportunity to work with the Risk Management Office of Penn State. The scale of the project is nothing like any other I had throughout my undergrad. Industry work through, scale of the overall project the interdisciplinary teamwork, and freedom of the students. I can firmly say that Penn State’s Learning Factory provided me and others the closest possible experience to actual I have personally experienced this first hand while completing my Industrial Engineering capstone project in the fall of 2018. Handling all College of Engineering capstone projects, 1,800 and counting, all of which have been sponsor by 500 different The Learning Factory provides all engineering students as close to a real job experience as one could while still in the academic field. Penn State’s Learning Factory is a unique and valuableĪsset available to all PSU engineering students. The closest typical schoolwork can offer is second hand knowledge at best. Gaining industry experience while still undergoing schooling seems to be limited to Co-Ops and internships acquired solely by the individual student.

Psu learning factory capstone