Summer Academy

About the Academy

This summer, the Department of Engineering and Physics at the University of Central Oklahoma will offer its 18th Summer Academy to students who will be entering grades 8 through 10 in the next school year.  Engineering Physics: Explorations is divided into two separate 5-day sessions each limited to 15 student participants.  

Students in each session will be divided into five teams with each team of three students working under the guidance of a UCO engineering physics student.  Each team of students will investigate applications of Engineering and Physics in fields such as mechanics, electromagnetism, and optics using experimental methods in electronics, lasers, robotics, and computer data acquisition and analysis.  The teams will engage each other in competitions that demonstrate how well they have learned to work together in collecting and analyzing their data. 

Throughout the Academy, UCO Engineering and Physics faculty will serve as course instructors.  Personalized attention is ensured through a small faculty/student ratio.

When is it?

Session 1
      9:30 am to 3:30 pm each weekday from June 7 through June 11, 2010

Session 2
      9:30 am to 3:30 pm each weekday from June 14 through June 18, 2010

Where is it?

Howell Hall (the science building) is on the UCO campus in Edmond.

A map to the UCO campus can be found by clicking here: GOOGLE MAPS:

Map to UCO in Edmond OK

A map of the campus showing the location of Howell Hall (the science building) can be found at by clicking here:

UCO Campus Map  or "3-D" UCO Campus Map

How much is it?

There is no cost to the students that are selected to participate in the Academy (their support is provided through a grant from the State Regents for Higher Education).  In addition, all student participants will receive a stipend to help pay for daily travel and meal expenses.

No housing

This Academy is for commuting students only.  Students who live outside the Oklahoma City area may apply but, if accepted, will be responsible for arranging for local housing with relatives or friends within commuting distance of UCO.

Application form

Students wishing to be considered for Engineering Physics: Explorations must submit the following completed forms to the address below.

Note: You will need MS Word or the free MS Word Viewer, or Adobe Acrobat or the free Adobe Acrobat Reader, to view these files.  Both documents contain form fields allowing a user complete the document on the computer before printing out the completed form.   Otherwise, the blank form may be printed and filled out using a pen or typewriter.

             1. An application form to be filled out and signed by the student and his/her parents.

                 The application may be downloaded by clicking on the appropriate format:
                  MS Word Application  or  Adobe PDF Application

              2. A teacher recommendation/evaluation form that must be completed and signed by the student's science teacher.

                  The recommendation form may be downloaded by clicking on the appropriate format:
                   MS Word  or  Adobe PDF

               3. A one-page essay, written by the student, describing his or her reasons for wanting to participate in a summer academy on applied science and       technology.

Completed forms should be sent to:

Dr. Ronald C. Miller
Department of Engineering and Physics
University of Central Oklahoma
100 N. University Drive
Edmond, OK  73034

Review of applications will begin on Thursday APRIL 1, 2010. If you would like to have application forms sent to you, please contact one of the Academy Directors listed below.

Academy directors

Grant Info

Engineering Physics: Team Oriented Science and Technology is a three-year grant sponsored by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education.

The State Regents have provided links to additional resources for secondary students interested in preparing for college.  These can be found at by clicking here.