Supported Senior Design

As a department with cutting-edge research programs, we place a major emphasis on our students’ learning through the capstone senior design experience, which requires senior year materials department students to work in teams to carry out 9-month long, open-ended, research/design projects.

We believe our students can benefit greatly through the enhancement of the educational component of their senior design sequence afforded by the opportunity to work on “real-life” industrial problems.

Senior Design Supporters Benefits

  • The opportunity to work closely with a small team of students and a faculty member on a 9-month project benefiting their companies.
  • One-on-one access to potential future employees throughout students' senior year.
  • An opportunity to help students with their career development by sharing professional and corporate experiences with the senior class as a guest speaker.
  • An invitation to attend the senior design oral presentations three times per year, gaining exposure to the results of other senior design projects being carried out.
  • Access to world-class university materials processing and characterization facilities and resources.

To submit a project topic or request more information, contact Associate Department Head Richard Knight. If a project topic is selected for senior design, the annual rate to become a Senior Design Supporter is a donation of $5,000 to the Department of Materials Science and Engineering. Your donation would provide funding for the student project team dedicated to your project, including related material supplies and equipment usage fees.

Previous Senior Design Quad Charts [PDF]