ELEMENTS OF SUCCESS FOR UTDESIGN CAPSTONE PROJECTS

ELEMENTS OF SUCCESS FOR UTDESIGN CAPSTONE PROJECTS

The UTDesign Capstone program at The University of Texas at Dallas boasts eight national first place awards. The program, as an essential part of the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science undergraduate degree plans, allows students to design innovative solutions for real-world engineering and computer science challenges.

Through UTDesign Capstone, companies can extend their resources and partner with teams of talented seniors from one of the fastest-growing and most vigorous engineering and computer science schools in the United States.

Here are some key drivers that makes a UTDesign Capstone project successful:

Right-scoping the project

Designing the right project scope that is rigorous, yet achievable helps optimize project outcomes. Companies are encouraged to schedule a meeting with UTDesign Capstone Faculty Directors to determine a suitable scope for their project.

Leveraging student skills and interests

Students are selected for projects by the Capstone Faculty Directors based on their knowledge, skills and expressed interests.  Sponsor surveys year after year consistently show that 95% of the corporate sponsors are satisfied or very satisfied with their student teams.

Providing expert coaching & advice

UTDesign Capstone teams are coached by two skilled professionals:  a UT Dallas advisor, who is an expert or has some degree of technical familiarity with the project; and a corporate mentor, who acts as the technical point of contact for the company and meets weekly with the students to guide their progress.

Creating a feasible timetable

Sponsors are encouraged to establish a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) solution for the students to achieve, plus two or three stretch goals if time and team expertise allow at the end of the project cycle.

Corporate sponsors play one of the largest roles in UTDesign Capstone and they provide a real-world experience for student teams, who tackle complex projects and produce solutions that save companies money and time.

Want to learn more about how UTDesign Capstone can benefit your organization? See our cool video on how UTDesign Capstone can help your company:  www.bit.ly/UTDesignvideo

 Additional information on the UTDesign Capstone program can be found on our website at https://utdesign.utdallas.edu.