Senior Design

What is Senior Design?

Senior civil engineering students are required to complete a two-course capstone design project (CVE 426, CVE 427). Students work in teams to design a system, component or process. Each team applies appropriate engineering standards and evaluates their alternative solutions using multiple, realistic constraints. These two courses are designed to satisfy ABET's requirement for "...a major design experience...". (ABET 2021-2022 General Criterion 5: Curriculum). The courses take place during the spring semester, starting in January and ending in May.

What Makes a Great Senior Design Project?

The best projects are real-world projects, where students can interact with people from industry. It could be an existing project, a future project or even a project already completed. Perhaps there is a piece of equipment that could use a little engineering ingenuity. The key to a great senior design project is the interaction with industry. This interaction provides students the opportunity to learn how professionals approach the design process, generate and evaluate solutions, and make decisions under risk and uncertainty. It also allows them to see how what they are being taught in class translates to the real world. The most rewarding projects are those where students get to interact with professionals, who may one day become colleagues. That interaction can help solidify their career choice.

How Can You Get Involved in Senior Design?

Please volunteer some of your time to share your expertise with a team of senior civil engineering students. Each industry representative is asked to meet with their student team on a regular basis. Weekly or bi-weekly meetings are recommended to keep the projects moving forward. Industry representatives are also asked to review and comment on the students' work throughout the design process. The final deliverable is typically a preliminary design report. Students also prepare a project poster to present at the Senior Design Symposium and Awards Dinner, hosted by the Washkewicz College of Engineering. Donations to support this event are welcome.

If you think you have a suitable project and would like to mentor a senior design team, or you would like to make a donation, please contact the department chair, Dr. Stephen Duffy at s.duffy@csuohio.edu