Senior Capstone Experience
All ECE students must complete a senior project to meet graduation requirements.
Students may complete the project requirements with participation in:
- The Engineering Clinic Program: industry-sponsored projects with funding/scholarships,
- A project typically in a team of 2 or more under the supervision of an ECE advisor.
- An individual research thesis under the supervision of an ECE advisor.
Project Registration
Spring semester, Junior year: students register for projects and begin working on proposals and abstracts in ECE 3950.
Senior Project Record must be approved during ECE 3950 to receive credit for this course.
Option One: The Engineering Clinic Program
The Engineering Clinic Program puts students in specially-equipped laboratories to solve engineering challenges with industrial sponsors.
A "Clinic Team" has 4-5 students. Each student receives a $1,000 scholarship spread across the two semesters of their senior year. Each team has a $3,000 discretionary budget with an option to request more under certain circumstances.
In addition to the senior capstone writing and presentation requirements, students participating in the Engineering Clinic Program may be required to fulfill enhanced project requirements - such as site visits to the sponsoring company or additional presentations at the conclusion of their project.
Option Two: Senior Projects
Students may choose to complete a project they design themselves. Typically, this project will be completed in a team of two or more students. The completion of this project must be supervised by an ECE faculty member. They must also meet all the senior capstone writing and presentation requirements as part of the ECE 4900/4910 curriculum. Details on completing a project will be discussed during the ECE 3950 course.
Option Three: Senior Thesis
Students may choose to complete an individual research thesis under the direction of a ECE faculty member. This option is primarily for students who are planning to pursue a graduate degree. While these students must meet all the senior capstone writing and presentation requirements as part of the ECE 4900/4910 curriculum, a publication quality document is expected to result from their research work. Details on completing a project will be discussed during the ECE 3950 course.
Senior Project Writing and Presentation Requirements
Students will complete design reviews and present their results as part of the senior project writing and presentation requirements.
These requirements apply to all of the three options above.