2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Capstone projects performed by engineering senior students in the last year of their studies are a constituent of the undergraduate curriculums and have a significant role in students’ future careers. Currently, some, if not most, of these projects across the country are proposed by students and approved by program faculty members. As a result, the projects may not fulfill the requirements published by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) for the engineering technology baccalaureate-level programs: the capstone experience, ideally multidisciplinary in nature, must be project-based and include formal design, implementation, and test processes. Even if a project follows those guidelines, they may still not have the best experience for senior students who will be ready to apply for full-time jobs. One of the lacking experiences could be the possibility of working on real-world projects, which is currently happening in the industry. In addition, the nature of most of the projects in the industry is multidisciplinary, and they usually require teams of engineers from different disciplines to perform a project. This paper presents efforts to redesign the senior project processes to fulfill these requirements and provide students with the best possible experience in capstone projects. We will discuss that the results of the developed processes not only fulfill these two requirements but also end up with several other advantages for different parties. For students, the efforts help them experience challenging, up-to-date projects sponsored by the industry under industrial and faculty advisors, engage them in solving existing problems, familiarize them with all aspects of development with an industrial approach, and assist them in the hands-on learning process. The projects also allow students to gain experience in a real work environment and access to more industrial facilities. They also help students familiarize themselves with potential employers in their areas of interest. For industry, the efforts succor the companies fulfill their technical needs with additional dedicated resources and provide opportunities for professional development and education of their potential engineers for prospective employment. They also aid companies in receiving further advice from the faculty on more up-to-date designs and methods. For faculty, the processes help faculty get connected with industry, advise and collaborate on industry-supported projects, receive additional funding for projects, and publish potential scientific papers on new products, processes, and methods. The paper also includes project solicitation and proposal review processes, the engineering technology curriculum's capstone course structure, and the roles of different parties, such as the Industrial Advisory Board, faculty, and industry representatives, in the projects.