SUNY Delhi Approved To Offer Mechatronics Technology Baccalaureate Degree

DELHI, NY (12/12/2015)(readMedia)-- SUNY Delhi has launched a new Bachelor of Technology (BT) degree in Mechatronics Technology that will prepare students for the rapidly growing fields of advanced manufacturing and automation.

The college received approval from the State University of New York and the New York State Education Department for the program earlier this year.

With significant input from industry leaders, SUNY Delhi faculty developed New York State's first associate degree in Mechatronics Design in 2013. This program was the first step in building a four-year program in Mechatronics Technology.

The four-year Mechatronics Technology BT degree is unique in that it is the first baccalaureate degree program in the United States to bridge the gap between technicians and engineers. "This program prepares students to succeed in an industry where many jobs are going unfilled," according to program faculty members Mike Miller and Lynn William Warner. "Graduates have unique skill sets and are in very high demand by major companies such as IBM, Siemens and General Electric, as well as smaller ones such as Wolf-Tec in Kingston."

Delhi's two-year associate degree program, Mechatronics Design, focuses on mechanical and electrical design and drafting, including the production of detailed industry-standard drawings using 3-D software. Two-year graduates are earning starting salaries around $45,000.

Graduates of the Mechatronics Design program can then continue and earn a bachelor's degree in Mechatronics Technology at Delhi. Mechatronics Technology majors learn to design, fabricate, install, program, operate and maintain the automated machinery commonly found in contemporary manufacturing facilities. The curriculum also integrates 3-D technology, advanced electrical controls, programming pneumatics/hydraulics and high level welding and machining with a semester-long paid internship in senior year. Interns are highly sought after by industry and are currently working in food production, pharmaceutical, lumber, telecommunications, plastics manufacture, sports equipment manufacture, and power generation equipment. Interns earn an average of $18 an hour.

The multidisciplinary talents of Mechatronics Technology graduates make them extremely attractive to employers in industries that involve manufacturing and automation. Program graduates can expect to start their careers with salaries ranging between $60,000 and $65,000 per year.

For more information about SUNY Delhi's associate and bachelor's degrees in Mechatronics, visit www.delhi.edu.