Senior Design

Senior Design Project Course

Senior students solve real-life engineering problems for industry sponsors in this two-semester course. Students learn about the principles of design, how ethics affect engineering decisions, how professionals communicate ideas and the day-to-day implications of intellectual property. The program gives students the chance to apply the technical skills they have gained, and to expand their abilities in analysis-based innovation and engineering judgment. Students begin by researching the problem, brainstorming a range of solutions, and traveling to the sponsor company site to learn more about the company and the project. As their projects take form, student teams keep in touch with their industrial and faculty mentors, hold meetings, write formal documentation, and make presentations on their work. By the end of the year the teams produce a working or virtual demonstration of their solution.

The Senior Design Program teaches the kinds of expertise industries are looking for in employees:

• strong communication skills (students present their ideas in writing and in presentations, use graphical and multimedia tools in the design process and create a design notebook)
• active problem analysis (students learn about brainstorming, problem solving, group dynamics and benchmarking)
• design analysis (students learn design processes, standards and experimentation, and use of leading CAD and analysis software)
• patent, intellectual property and copyright law essentials (students gain exposure to this important area of business knowledge)

Corporate sponsors have a chance to meet and work with students for focused hiring, and industry representatives can get to know UConn graduate students and faculty for future consulting and research activities. About 1/3 of the projects sponsored are used in company products or processes.

Sponsorship consists of:

• a $7,000 grant funds a single discipline project
• a $9,000 grant funds a multi-discipline project

Sponsoring companies cover ancillary costs to build and test designs. Sponsors provide a technical representative to periodically meet with the team, monitor and mentor their progress, and infuse real-world input and guidance.

Senior Design Demonstration Day

Senior Design Demonstration Day gives parents, friends and sponsors the chance to see projects at work, ask questions of students, and learn more about mechanical engineering at the University of Connecticut. Students explain their projects to visitors and a team of judges chosen from local engineering industries. The judges review the projects and award first to third place cash prizes for excellence. An additional prize is given to a team chosen by faculty voters. UConn Mechanical Engineering students demonstrate that they are prepared to lead, create and innovate through their senior projects. Many seniors have been offered jobs from their company sponsor before graduation, and four Senior Design projects from the last four years have patents pending.

Please contact us to sponsor a project or to learn more.

Instructor, Senior Design Class
Professor Thomas Barber
860-486-5342
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Mechanical Engineering Department Head
Professor Baki Cetegen
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Brochures and Photo Galleries from recent senior design years

2012 Senior Design ; 2011 Senior Design ;  2010 Senior Design ; 2009 Senior Design ; 2008 Senior Design ; 2007 Senior Design