What is AMRE?

The Applied Methods and Research Experience (AMRE) gives College of Wooster students the opportunity to apply classroom learning in the role of business and organizational consultants.

For eight weeks of the summer, student teams and faculty advisors are paired with a business, industry, or agency (client). Student participants are exposed to practical applications of their liberal arts education in a “real world” setting. This experience aids students in determining professional interests and developing professional skills. The faculty advisors have the opportunity to be involved with a very select group of students in a summer activity, while potentially contributing to research in applied fields. Clients have the opportunity to tangibly support education and, at a low cost, obtain solutions to problems that would most likely not be addressed internally.

Some Stats at a Glance…

  • 521 students have participated in the AMRE program. 89 of these students participated twice, 7 participated three times, and 1 student participated four times!
  • AMRE has been in existence for 30 years.
  • We have completed 227 projects with 74 different clients.
  • AMRE had 37 students complete a total of 11 projects in the summer of 2023.
  • Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company has sponsored 31 projects!
  • Progressive Insurance has sponsored 15 projects.
  • OSU-OARDC and The Prentke-Romich Company have each sponsored 13 projects.

Mission Statement

The AMRE program provides a quality immersive experiential opportunity for students at the College of Wooster. Students solve authentic problems in business, industry, government agencies and social service agencies as well as in academic research areas. In the process, students reflect on their contributions and develop an understanding of how the experience can be translated into future opportunities.

The College of Wooster offers its students a unique educational experience while further establishing collaborations with our local and regional corporate, public sector, and non-profit partners.

  • Our clients get help solving problems or completing projects that have lingered on “to-do” lists.
  • The students apply what they have learned in the classroom to solve real-world problems. Often the experience helps them develop their career aspirations, and sometimes they learn what they don’t want to do for a career. Always, they have an experience that can’t be found inside the classroom.

Program Structure

The structure of the program is based upon several research teams which work independently on separate projects, but also come together for discussion of progress. These teams are comprised of students (usually three) and a faculty advisor. The faculty advisor involvement is heavy initially as the student team becomes familiar with the project definition. After approximately two weeks, involvement becomes primarily advisory as the students work directly with client representatives and others. Student teams give weekly progress reports in the form of oral presentations, in addition to periodic presentations to their respective clients. Each team also gives a final oral presentation and written report to the client upon completion of the project.

Professional Development

In addition to work done on the project, a number of professional development sessions are presented by APEX staff and faculty advisors as a part of the AMRE program. These sessions are intended to teach the students skills or tools necessary to complete their assigned projects while providing opportunities to reflect and grow as they look toward their future careers.

Want More Information?

Wooster students: The 2024 AMRE application will become available at the end of January 2024. Interested applicants should plan to check the Wooster Student Employment page at that time to apply.