College of Engineering

Preparing The Next Generation of Industry Leaders

As one of the nation’s largest public university and the largest, most comprehensive in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, the University of North Texas is dedicated to providing an excellent education to its more than 36,000 students while powering the North Texas region, state and nation through innovative programs and research.  The College of Engineering graduates more than 300 young engineering professionals each academic year who demonstrate their education and innovation through a senior capstone course.  Student groups work with corporate partners to apply their knowledge and talent in developing innovative solutions to real world problems.

All seniors in biomedical engineering, electrical engineering, mechanical and energy engineering, materials science and engineering, information technology, computer engineering, computer science, and engineering technology conclude their undergraduate engineering education with a two-semester capstone senior design project (Electrical Engineering has two one-semester long capstone courses). 

Students gain hands-on experience while working in a team environment.  Essential concepts such as project planning, designing, and scheduling are emphasized throughout the project.  In addition to invaluable, practical technical experience, the capstone project enables students to develop their communication skills through a visual and oral presentation before an audience of peers, faculty, and experts in industry at Design Day, held on the last Friday of April each year.

Sample Project Success

Sponsoring Student Capstone Projects

Each student team consists of (usually) between 3 and 6 seniors and is led by a faculty member who is an expert in the area of the project and acts as the academic mentor. Corporate partners support capstone projects by providing funding for necessary materials, laboratory access, any required equipment use fees, etc. The company also offers an engineer who acts as the corporate mentor, participates in design reviews, meets regularly with the student team, guides the project, and evaluates the final product.

To cover the specific cost of the project needs and the general educational needs of our graduate and undergraduate students, we request a sponsorship that varies based on the duration of the capstone project and the size of the sponsoring company:

• For companies with under 100 employees or for individuals the request is to cover the specific cost of the project needs.
• For companies with under 500 employees the requested sponsorship is $7,000 for year-long projects and $3,500 for semester-long projects.
• For other companies the requested sponsorship is $12,000 for year-long projects and $6,000 for semester-long projects.
• If it is projected that the cost of materials, supplies, licenses, and equipment access fees may exceed the sponsorship cost, we will negotiate with the sponsoring company before the start of the project.
• If company facilities and equipment will be used for the capstone project, we will negotiate with the sponsoring company the value of such in-kind support before the start of the project.

Deliverables

As a corporate sponsor, your organization will receive:

Access to innovation in engineering through a team of appropriate engineering students bearing your name and dedicated to your project of choice.

• An opportunity to consult on engineering curriculum
• A sign with the name of your organization identifying your student team’s working space.
• An opportunity to serve as an advisor and engage with your student team and their faculty mentor in the project development process.
• An opportunity to facilitate professional networking between your student team and employees at your organization.
• An invitation to attend and participate (if desired) in Senior Design Day in April.
• A detailed report capturing the design, analysis, performance, and alternative approaches considered during the development/design of the project.
• Source code, where applicable, such as the actual drawings, programming of the prototype, performance analysis and simulation software.
• The physical prototype developed by the project where applicable upon completion of the use of the prototype by the team members (outstanding works are expected to be submitted to local, statewide, national, and/or international competitions).
• A prestigious network of experienced young professionals to recruit employees for your organization.

Impact The Student Experience

Sponsorship funds will be used to support the project needs.  Any sponsorship funds not used by a capstone project team will be used to support our teaching and research facilities, and the educational experience and professional development of our undergraduate and graduate students.

Contact

For questions or additional information, please contact Thomas Derryberry.