Developing An Industry Sponsored Capstone Learning Environment

A capstone learning experience that educates over two hundred mechanical engineering seniors annually has been developed in the Department of Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics at Michigan Technological University. The two-course sequence program draws on the traditional academic elements of mechanical engineering while incorporating real industrial problem solving, corporate environments, concept validation and prototyping in a teamed setting. Over seventy-five percent of the projects are sponsored by industry. Delivery structure, implementation barriers, funding models, evaluation and assessment methods will be presented.