Advanced Manufacturing Technology, AAS

Program Description

The Advanced Manufacturing Technology (AAS-AMFT) degree program provides a highly interactive hands-on course of study that prepares graduates for careers in the modern manufacturing environment. Advanced manufacturing technology graduates repair, troubleshoot and maintain manufacturing equipment including automated control systems, process control systems, hydraulic and pneumatic systems, conveyors, robots, and application specific machinery. Graduates have a broad multi-disciplinary background in electrical, mechanical, fluid power, automation, instrumentation and process control systems, as well as basic fabrication skills in order to facilitate working with modern electro-mechanical machinery.

The AMFT program uses an innovative block-scheduled cohort model to deliver classes, so students have the opportunity to participate in long-term in-depth internships with participating industrial partners. Program courses are offered two days a week in approximately 8-hour blocks for five semesters. Qualifying students may intern with industry partners on non-class days to obtain a valuable background of real world applications throughout the program. Internships are determined by the program’s industrial partners in accordance with their policies and procedures. Graduates who have participated in the internship program enter the work force with not just a degree, but also the equivalent of a year of professional industrial experience.

The core program provides a general framework that students can customize to meet their specific educational and career goals. Due to the flexibility of the program, graduates have career opportunities in a wide range of manufacturing industries including chemical processing, automotive manufacturing, equipment fabrication and the mining industry.

Program Goals and Objectives

Upon completion of the program, the student will be able to:

1. Work competently, effectively and safely to install, analyze, repair and maintain electromechanical, electrical and electronic systems and subsystems with minimal supervision.
2. Install, maintain, repair and operate:
   • indus trial control systems,
   • test, measurement and instrumentation equipment,
   • electromechanical systems and devices,
   • machine tools and fabrication equipment.
3. Communicate effectively in written, oral and graphical forms.
4. Work effectively in teams with other technicians, engineers, scientists, and production personnel.
5. Apply industry-based safety standards in the work environment.
6. Understand professional and ethical responsibility to their field and to society.
7. Appreciate cultural and ethnic diversity in the workplace.
8. Understand the need to maintain their technical skills and develop new ones through personal development and continued learning.

Program Assessment

Program outcomes are assessed by a variety of means, including quizzes, unit tests, oral presentations, written reports, and final examinations. Outcomes based on technical expertise are assessed by the Society of Manufacturing Engineers EET Outcomes Assessment exit exam, which assesses student knowledge in a variety of areas of the electrical engineering technology field. General education outcomes are assessed through the General Education Portfolio.

Advanced Placement Credit for High School/vocational-technical Center/college Programs

High school level electronic, electrical or computer-oriented coursework is not necessary for entrance into the Advanced Manufacturing Technology program. Introductory subjects are incorporated as part of the program. Students, who have completed vocational or EDGE courses, may receive credit for advanced placement. Articulation/EDGE agreements are in place with various vocation-technical centers. Advanced placement is also available for students with prior college experience. Please contact the department chair.

Careers in Advanced Manufacturing Technology

The Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook predicts that AMFT graduates will have bright prospects for employment over the next decade, with the number of positions in the field expected to grow by 19% from 2010 to 2020. According to the O*NET database, this corresponds to more than 117,000 new positions nationally by 2020.

Typical graduate positions include chemical process technician, industrial maintenance mechanic, automation programmer and electromechanical equipment assembler/tester/installer.