The Senior Thesis Project

Senior Thesis
The Senior Thesis Project is a unique requirement of undergraduate education at Kettering University. It is an opportunity to provide the Kettering student with a capstone integrative experience, which combines curriculum and work experience into a significant REAL WORLD professional project for you, the co-op employer! It provides an employer with an excellent opportunity to have a dedicated employee with cutting-edge knowledge to complete a project for you!

During the student’s senior year, two co-op work terms are dedicated to completing a major project for the employer. The student and co-op employer identify a suitable company-oriented problem and a Kettering faculty advisor approves the project. The focus of this project may be a product or a system. The student completes the project and writes a comprehensive report describing their work. Upon completion, the thesis report is evaluated by both the employer advisor and the faculty advisor. Once approved, the thesis is bound and sent to the employer!

Benefits to the employer are

  • an excellent opportunity to evaluate a student’s performance to determine if the thesis student could have a future with your company upon graduation;
  • possible cost savings to your company;
  • process improvements;
  • using new techniques and ideas learned through the student’s Kettering education; and
  • a knowledgeable employee who works on a project that you need done!

Real Work – Real Results

Challenge: A seating system company lacked a mechanism to safely and efficiently transport seats between conveyor systems.
Solution: Joseph Meyer designed a universal ergonomic lifting device.
Result: $1.2 million in savings

Challenge: General Motors Powertrain experienced low tool life during the machining of powdered metal bearing caps and cylinder blocks.
Solution: Rochanda Williams determined that slowing the feed rate would reduce downtime and overall costs.
Result: $1 million in savings per year

Challenge: The control arm brackets in an automotive plant suffered fatigue life problems.
Solution: Jonathan Riley redesigned the brackets in an automotive sub-frame.
Result: 1157% increase in bracket fatigue life.

For more information contact Thesis Services at (800) 955-4464 ext. 9947.