Mechatronics

Your Two-Year Mechatronics Pathway

Each semester of the two-year commitment builds on the one before it, allowing students to develop stronger technical skills, greater independence, and professional advanced-manufacturing habits.

Semester 1 | Building the Foundation

Year One begins the two-year commitment with safety, tools, measurements, electrical fundamentals, and college-level technical training. During this semester, students complete IMT 112 Hand Tool Operations through Greenville Technical College and earn college credit upon successful completion.

Students focus on:

• Industrial safety, OSHA, hazard recognition, PPE, and lockout/tagout
• Technical math, construction drawings, communication, and employability
• Safe use, care, and application of hand and power tools
• AC/DC fundamentals, Ohm’s Law, circuits, and multimeter use
• Precision measurement, layout, calipers, micrometers, and indicators

Semester 2 | Developing Control Skills

Students build on Mechatronics 1 as they connect electrical circuits, programmable controllers, industrial controls, motors, and pneumatic components. They use diagrams and systematic testing to construct and troubleshoot working systems. To advance to Year Two, students must demonstrate mastery of required skills and earn a grade of 75 or higher each quarter.

Students focus on:

• PLC hardware, numbering systems, Boolean logic, and ladder diagrams
• Input/output circuits, PLC programming, and circuit troubleshooting
• Electrical schematics, relays, transformers, and circuit protection
• Motor start/stop circuits, conductors, terminations, and conduit
• Pneumatic principles, compressors, valves, circuits, and maintenance

Semester 3 | Advancing Technical Skills

After completing Mechatronics 1 and 2, students return for the second year of their two-year commitment. They study motor-control requirements, build and troubleshoot hydraulic systems, use advanced electrical test equipment, and prepare for professional technical opportunities.

Students focus on:

• AC and DC motors, enclosures, speed, torque, slip, and connections
• Motor controls, starters, overload protection, and NEC requirements
• Hydraulic principles, fluids, pumps, motors, actuators, and valves
• Clamp meters, multimeters, frequency meters, and voltage testing
• Resumes, portfolios, technical careers, ethics, and professional development

Semester 4 | Preparing for the Industry

Students complete the two-year program through advanced mechanical, electrical, automation, robotics, and capstone projects. They integrate multiple systems, work with greater independence, and prepare for employment, apprenticeships, technical college, engineering programs, and continued certification.

Students focus on:

• Mechanical drives, bearings, belts, gears, alignment, and lubrication
• Advanced AC circuits, transformers, reactance, resonance, and power
• Advanced PLC wiring, timers, logic, flowcharts, and troubleshooting
• Robotic safety, components, applications, coordinates, and maintenance
• Integrated capstone projects, career readiness, and entrepreneurship

Career Opportunities

Mechatronics provides a foundation for careers involving automation, robotics, industrial maintenance, manufacturing, electronics, and engineering.

Local Work-Based Learning Partners

Advanced manufacturing employers help eligible Year Two students connect classroom and lab instruction with modern production systems, technical careers, and professional workplace expectations. Students may be recommended for Work-Based Learning after demonstrating the technical skill, maturity, dependability, and academic standing needed to represent themselves, Enoree Career Center, and the sponsoring employer well.

Two-year commitment note: Mechatronics is designed as one connected two-year experience, not two separate one-year choices. Year One builds the foundation students need for the advanced technical training, certifications, greater independence, and possible Work-Based Learning opportunities available during Year Two. A limited number of new students are accepted each year, and a student who leaves after Year One cannot be replaced by a new student entering Year Two. Accepting a spot should mean planning to complete both years. Following through on that commitment helps each student make the most of the opportunity while respecting the limited spot that could have been offered to another interested student.

Work-Based Learning note: Work-Based Learning placement is not guaranteed. When available and earned, these experiences may provide paid on-the-job training and may lead to employment, tuition assistance, certification, or an apprenticeship. Completing the full two-year Mechatronics program prepares students to compete for these opportunities while honoring the limited spot they accepted.

Dual enrollment note: Students complete IMT 112Hand Tools through Greenville Technical College during the first semester and earn college credit upon successful completion. Students must complete all required enrollment steps and meet applicable college and dual enrollment requirements.

Graduation and college admission note: Students earn four high school credits each year and may earn up to eight high school credits by completing the full two-year program. Mechatronics 1 and 2 earn honors credit; Mechatronics 3 and 4 do not. Students also earn Greenville Technical College credit for IMT 112 Hand Tool Operations upon successful completion and fulfillment of applicable college requirements. High school credits earned through this program count as electives toward South Carolina graduation requirements, and one credit may fulfill the CATE/Foreign Language graduation requirement. Most four-year colleges do not accept career center courses as substitutes for foreign language courses required for college admission. Students should review graduation, dual enrollment, certification, and college admission requirements with their school counselor, Mr. Tan, and Greenville Technical College.