These projects represent a synthesis of academic and practical know-how that epitomizes the successful engineer.
Students work on projects identified by sponsor companies.
The process moves from project definition, to conceptualization, articulation, and optimization in a fourteen week semester, with student grades and graduation depending on successful completion of the project. Most, if not all, engineering students are required to work in small groups to complete the project, with the evaluation of the individual student dependent on the group's work. This represents the only circumstance for student engineers to approximate the risk inherent in engineering design processes common in industry. Understanding these conditions is a fundamental need of the successful professional engineer. The nature of the projects demands a commitment to interdependence, which is the key to all effective teamwork.