Company Membership
The MECOP program began in 1978 as a collaboration between OSU and Oregon-based manufacturing companies hiring engineering graduates. Its purpose is to provide the highest level of engineering graduate, and bridge academic theory with industrial reality. MECOP proudly partners with over 140 industry members ranging across various industries, including but not limited to: Manufacturing, Electronics, Construction and Civil Infrastructure.
View all of our participating companies
The MECOP program is truly a win-win situation for the student, the company, and the University. The student gains insights while earning an excellent wage. The company is able to evaluate top-quality engineering prospects at no obligation to hire long-term. And the University gets the industrial support it needs to stay on the front burner of the educational process.
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Benefits
- Input into university curriculum
- Improve industry-faculty relations
- Access to a pool of well-trained, potential employees
- Six-month preview of an individual without an obligation to hire
- Address issues or projects which full-time engineers may not have the time or skill to perform
- Inject enthusiasm and interest into the companies
- Develop or improve company's ability to bring on new hires
- Bottom line: it's a good business decision
Testimonials
A student can start focusing on the link between the classroom curriculum and the transition later on to a job.
Student Disciplines
MECOP provides students majoring in select engineering and business disciplines. These include:
Real World Experience
The key to MECOP is the student internship. Students are interviewed, screened, and selected for a work study program that provides industry with truly motivated and academically qualified employees—without the obligation to hire them permanently.
During two six-month internships, participating students can take some of the load off the company's seasonal projects which a full-time employee in their field may not have the time or the skills to perform.
Many MECOP graduates are finding permanent jobs at companies where they had previously interned. Typically, they don't spend a lot of time in entry-level positions because of three important factors:
- The rigors of the program and the intense evaluation
- The actual experience received in internship
- The combination of experience intertwined with their academics
MECOP provides students with the opportunity to go to class, apply the theory in a real world environment, and then go back to class and critique the results.
A Solid ROI
The MECOP program is exceptional because of the high level of participation by the member companies. They're actively involved in MECOP not only because of their sense of purpose, but also because of the bottom line: the students have proven to be cost effective.
More than 90 percent of MECOP graduates go to work for companies in Oregon; 70 percent with MECOP companies.
In addition to the learning experience these students receive, they produce great value to the companies. Along with the ideas they bring, the focus the students bring to their projects yield excellent results.
Your Company: A Decisive Voice
Each member company has a voice in MECOP. Company representatives are assigned to various committees with the goal of continuously improving aspects the program. Representatives from each committee are elected to serve as Chairs, which in turn form the program's Board of Directors. Committees cover various aspects in the program, including, but not limited to:
- Interacting with University representatives and providing feedback on curriculum
- Reviewing and improving the process for screening and placing students on internships
- Researching ways to improve interaction between the program's three primary players: Students, Universities and Industry
- Recruiting new companies
- Student outreach. Includes: Improving promotional materials, representing MECOP at High School / College open houses etc.
Student Selection
Each qualified student must participate in two six-month internships at different member companies before graduation. Students are selected into the program at the end of their sophomore year.
To be admitted to the MECOP program, students must cross two important hurdles:
- Students must meet high academic standards of their respective departments via a screening process provided by university faculty
- Students must be selected by a panel of representatives from multiple member companies through an interview
- The interview process is very competitive and not all qualified applicants are accepted
During the fall quarter after acceptance to the program, all students preparing for their first internship must attend/watch the MECOP Student Webinar series, covering various topics regarding program participation. During this series each student attends discipline breakout session where students currently on an internship give presentations about their company assignments, projects, and experiences.
Halfway through Fall Term (typically in November) participating students are required to attend a Job Fair hosted by the program, known by member reps and students as the "MECOP Company Expo" (also occasionally referred to as "Fall Event"). This event is designed to give member companies a first glance at candidates as well as giving students an opportunity to familiarize themselves with the various internship opportunities in the program.
During the summer while on their internships, interns are encouraged to attend multiple plant tours of member companies to familiarize themselves with the wide variety of internship opportunities.
Placing Students on Internships
Each January, juniors and seniors participate in the placement process, where students are interviewed by the company representatives and internship placements are finalized.
The two six-month internships added to the regular course work help to fine-tune the student's education. The University gets back a more motivated student—one who can take control of his or her own educational process.
How To Apply
For questions and general inquiries about joining the MECOP Program, as an industry member please fill out the application form below:
Industry Application FormQuestions?
Please see our Frequently Asked Questions page. If your question is not answered please either fill out our Contact Form or call us at (541) 360-0401.