Mechanical Engineering
Embedded Projects 
Embedded Projects are one-semester (3.5-month), one-course experiential-learning activities offered by the Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering (BSME) degree program by the Department of Mechanical Engineering in the Lyles College of Engineering at California State University Fresno.
Embedded Projects integrate leadership breadth with technical depth in the innovative engineering curriculum. These types of projects address present-day industry challenges that have solid engineering content but with quick turnaround time (typically weeks and months). There are two types of Embedded Projects: 1) Partner-led/sponsored projects and 2) Experience-projects.
Partner-led/sponsored project
Partner-led/sponsored projects as Embedded Projects happen when a project uses exclusively (or almost entirely) corporate resources and intellectual property versus university resources and intellectual property. This project model has a faculty instructor and an industry liaison who is the industry point person. Because of the quick turn around, students typically work at the university campus with the industry point person communicating with the team on a regular basis. In this type of project, the entire project is pitched, organized, conducted and completed within the 15-week semester.
Experience-project
Experience-projects as Embedded Projects are internally-funded and a project uses exclusively (or almost entirely) university resources and intellectual property This project model has a faculty instructor and an university liaison who is the point person. At the discretion of the internal sponsor, students may work from a designated university location with the point person communicating with the team on a regular basis. In this type of project, the entire project is pitched, organized, conducted and completed within the 15-week semester.
Coursework
For Embedded Projects the entire project is pitched, organized, conducted and completed within the 15-week semester duration of a single course within the Mechanical Engineering program at California State University, Fresno. The purpose of Embedded Projects is to simulate an entry-level engineering project in industry—allowing students to apply engineering knowledge acquired in fundamental ME courses to a real-world, open-ended design challenge.
Through this single semester experience students have the unique opportunity to work with a group of 3 or 7 peer students, who are personally mentored by a ME Faculty Instructor and a Project Mentor/Liaison from the sponsoring company, government agency, or organization. Students aspects or design and/or analysis and what it entails. At the end of the project, students deliver at a minimum a written report and an oral presentation of the results of their efforts.
Only certain 3-unit senior-level courses lend themselves to Embedded Project Program:
ME 122. Dynamic Systems and Controls
ME 137. Turbomachinery
ME 142. Mechanical Vibration
ME 144. Advanced Mechanics of Materials
ME 146. Air Conditioning
ME 162. Computer-Aided Design
ME 164. Mechanical Systems Engineering Design
ME 166. Energy Systems Design
Timeline
Important Dates for Embedded Projects
- 1st three weeks of semester prior to project: Project concept
- 2nd three weeks of semester prior to project: Full project information form (PIF) with budget and invoicing form-second three weeks
- Before last week of semester prior to project: Full payment
- 2nd week of semester: Project start
- Last week of semester: Project end