Industry/University Cooperative Project Center
The Department of Mechanical Engineering at CU-Boulder created the Industry/University Cooperative Project Center (I/UCPC) to foster meaningful technical interactions between students and industry partners, government agencies and other organizations.
The initiative consists of bringing industry-based projects to the undergraduate senior-design course sequence in mechanical engineering. Students work in integrated teams of four to six students to develop workable solutions.
Student teams, which also may include a graduate student and a student from a discipline other than mechanical engineering, work on assigned projects for two consecutive semesters as a part of their degree requirements. At the end of the sequence, they deliver tested, functional hardware and documentation to the industry sponsor.
Throughout the project, student teams work closely with faculty and industry mentors, who provide technical support and oversee the projects to ensure they meet specifications and are delivered on time.
Industry sponsors pay a fee for each project, which helps to support the Durning Laboratory in the Mechanical Engineering department where students design and build hardware. Students also may work in the college’s state-of-the-art Integrated Teaching and Learning Laboratory or at the sponsor’s work site. Sponsors also are asked to provide a mentor who can commit about 10 hours to support the student team.
While students gain valuable experience working with professional engineers on real projects, the industry sponsors benefit from new ideas, gain an edge in recruiting top students, and obtain a functional piece of hardware at the end of the project.