What is the MCL?

The Materials Characterization Lab is an independent lab of the department that is housed in Meldrum Civil Engineering (MCE). The MCL operates as a business, taking on projects for industrial, academic, and research clients. Laboratory Director Kim Watts oversees the MCL and its interns. All MCL internships are two semesters: (1) interns learn how to use equipment and how the lab functions, (2) students conduct work for clients. Student interns will also be assigned a project based in problem solving; a graduate student in the department will oversee the project. Please contact Kim Watts kimberly.watts@utah.edu with any questions regarding the MCL internship.

How am I graded?

• You will write a 12 to 15-page tech report.
• You will complete a self-evaluation.
• Your employer will evaluate you after your internship. Your academic advisor will email your employer for their evaluation. Please provide the academic advisor with the correct supervisor and email.

How and when do I apply for my internship to count as credit?

• Materials Characterization Lab Internship Application
• To apply, please fill out the application form (typed), create a professional resume, and write a cover letter.
• In your one-page description, please include what you would like to get out of your internship and how you expect to use your background in materials science to solve problems.
• Please merge all three documents into one PDF in the following order: application, resume, internship description; email to the MSE Department academic advisor.
• Apply for your internship to count for credit a minimum of two weeks before the start of the term in which you are starting your internship.
• Applications received retroactively will not be considered.

How and when do I apply for my internship to count as credit?

• To apply, please fill out the application form (typed) and create a professional resume and a cover letter. Please convert your documents to pdf and merge the pdfs into one document.
• Please submit your application, resume, and cover letter to the academic advisor.
• Rolling application; applications must be submitted the semester before the start of the internship.
• Applications are accepted from the first week of the semester to the first week of finals and will be closed if internship capacity is reached. Applications will be considered in the order received. Space is limited and early applicants are given priority.
• Applications will be accepted for summer and fall starts only.

How many hours and credits should my internship be?

• The experience must involve critical thinking and problem solving that relates to materials science. MCL internships must be at least 150 hours and span two semesters.
• Students are required to complete 3-credits of internship credit in order to satisfy the section three tech elective. Students can choose to take one of the pre-approved classes if they opt out of the internship. See tech electives for a list of options.

What does an MCL internship satisfy in the curriculum?

• Internships fulfill the section three tech elective for MSE students.
• Internships fulfill 3-credits of the tech elective category for METE students. METE students need a total of 5 tech elective credits.

How should I register for my internship?

• Once an internship is approved, complete the Internship Registration Form to receive a permission code to register for MSE 5801.
• The Internship Registration Form should be sent to the MSE Academic Advisor. The advisor will then provide you with a permission code.
• You will use your unique permission code to register for MSE 5801.
• Your internship must equal a total of 3-credits.
• MCL Internships span two semesters.
• MCL internships start in the summer or fall; MCL internships never start in the spring.

MSE 5801 Syllabus

All students who complete an Industry and MCL Internship must complete the self-evaluation form and write a tech report.

• Self-Evaluation

Technical Report and Self-Evaluation Deadlines

Late Technical Report Policy

• Technical Reports will be accepted up until the last day of finals for the semester but will be penalized by a grade drop.
• For Technical Reports turned in after the posted deadline (see deadlines above), the highest grade a student can receive on the report is a B if turned in within one week after the deadline.
• For any papers turned in past the one-week extension, the highest grade a student can receive on the report is a C. Absolutely no Technical Reports will be accepted after the last day of finals.
• Deadline is based on the last semester students register for the internship.

What is a technical report?

• The Technical Report details the technical and problem-solving aspects of your internship. It’s similar to a research paper and should include specific examples of how you used materials science engineering in your work.
• The Technical Report must be submitted to the academic advisor by the date indicated on the website.
• The report is due the second semester for a part-time internship completed in two semesters.
• For a full-time summer internship, the tech report is due in the fall semester directly following the internship experience.

General Format

• The Technical Report should be comprised of seven sections that include: title page, job description, learning objectives, abstract, technical/problem solving portion, conclusion, and resume.
• Please include your resume at the end of the report and in the same document as the report.
• The Technical Report should be 12 to 15 pages total, figures and graphs.
• This should be a professional, college-level report with correct spelling and grammar.
• 1-inch margins, double spaced, Arial or Times New Roman fonts, 12-point font
• All pages should be numbered, with the page number centered in the footer. The title page is page 1 but has no page number.
• All papers must be submitted in a Microsoft Word document.
• All material drawn from other sources should be documented using the standard citation method of either the American Chemical Society or IEEE.
• Alternate citation methods may be used upon approval.

              Title Page

• • Your name, ID number, major, course title, semester, date paper submitted
  • Company name, supervisor’s name

              Job Description

• • The original job description approved by the department.

              Learning Objectives

• • Learning objectives from the syllabus.

              Abstract

• • Brief summary of paper
  • Prepare this abstract as a separate page, 100 words or less

              Technical/Problem Solving Portion:

• • Discuss in detail all technical aspects of this internship as it relates to your program of courses.
  • Information should be sufficiently explicit and detailed to understand the technical aspects of your work assignments.
  • This paper should not merely be a log of daily tasks, but should reflect research, analytical methods, and problem-solving methods applied to the tasks performed, results, and the impact of your results.
  • Give examples that show the application of your education and knowledge of the work performed.
  • Use illustrations (tables, figures, drawings) that enhance the discussion of your work, being sensitive to proprietary information.

             Conclusions

• • How did previous classroom learning inform your decision making with the projects and responsibilities within your internship experience?
  • How will your internship skills influence your future classroom experiences?
  • How did your internship experiences influence your career ambitions?
  • What have you discovered about the work place environment that will help you conduct a career search after graduation?

              Resume

• • Include a current and professional resume reflecting the most recent job experiences, relevant course and lab work, and your expected graduation date.
  • This should be included in the technical report and not attached separately.