Features
Capitol's Technology degree fits the bill
By Linda McCarty
Capitol's Bachelor of
Technology degree may be just
what the doctor ordered for com
panies in need of "hands on"
engineers.
"I feel technology students are
very well prepared,"said James .
Long, manager of the Manufac
turing Engineering Signal Com
ponents Division of AMP, Inc.
Long, also the chairman of the
Harrisburg Chapter of the Society
of Manufacturing Engineers, said
that while other companies may
put barriers around the
technology degree, in his mind
"there is no clear distinction bet
ween the B.T. and the 8.5.M.E."
in his field of work.
In his work, which includes
machine and tool design,
manufacturing and industrial
engineering, Long said he has
found technology students have a
more "hands on" type of
education.
However, there is a more
distinct academic difference bet
ween a technology degree and an
engineering degree.
According to Dr. William
Welsh, Head of the Division of
Science, Engineering and
Technology, technology students
are not required to take as much
mathematics as students enrolled
in engineering programs at
University Park.
University Park's engineering
program is "more theoretical,"
said Welsh, as opposed to
Capitol's program, which is
"more applied with more
laboratory work."
Senior courses cover pretty
much the same material, but the
orientation is different, said
Welsh.
"Engineering programs are
designed more to answer why
things happen. We also answer
why but also look at how and
(Editor's note: This is the first of a series of articles analyzing
Capitol's degree programs.)
Terry Kelley, Engineering Lab Supervisor, demonstrates a large drill press in the
Machine Lab where parts necessary for senior projects can be manufactured.
what to do with it when you go
to work," said Welsh.
Senior technology students are
required to build, design and
demonstrate a project further,
allowing them to actually apply
theory learned in the classroom,
he added.
Welsh also said that indications
from students who have
graduated from the technology
program are that they have had
an easier time adapting to the
world of work because they have '
a little better understanding of
what the work the is like.
Technology degrees, however,
are not unique to Capitol. Accor
ding to Welsh there were approx
imately 8,000 technology degrees
granted in 1982 nationwide, and
Capitol Times Friday, March 16, 1984
Tender Aged Western Beef
Lunch Meats and Cheese Fresh Sliced to Order
*444 Ze s ietitieftrie . #1e40464,104 at ° AZ '4
Full variety in all departments
Plus our famous In-store Bakery
Middletown
101 South Union Street
Hershey
731 Cherry Drive
Hours:
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Thursday and Friday 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Fox's
Markets
Visit Fox's Famous Deli
*ea 94 1 ,64444 liet yaws, era *got
944-7486
Union Deposit
Union Deposit Mall
Page 8
Capitol's program was ranked
third or fourth :
But, said Coordinator of
Career Planning and Placement
Peg O'Hara, "From , day one we
tell students we are not preparing
them for graduate school, but for
the world of work."
But then how does the
engineering world view the
technology degree?
"I've never had any of our
programs questioned except
technology," said O'Hara, "but
that's because its so totally dif
ferent. A lot of engineers have
never heard of it even in this day
and age."
However, according to O'Hara
other companies have thoroughly
evaluated our technology program
and said it is to be treated as any
other engineering program in the
country.
Although a few technology
graduates may have had difficulty
obtaining jobs with companies
not familiar with the degree,
O'Hara said:
"In the long run there is good
reason for the technology pro
gram. There are enough com
panies who do recognize the
degree to compensate:"