An Innovative Model For The Administration Of Undergraduate Capstone Projects

We discuss the program-level model used in the administration of undergraduate Capstone (senior design) projects in the Department of Systems and Information Engineering at University of Virginia’s School of Engineering and Applied Science in this paper. A unique model at the time of its inception in 1988, its adoption by other institutions and its longevity are measures of its effectiveness and robustness. We provide an overview of the tasks performed by the various personnel involved in the administration of the undergraduate Capstone projects in chronological order, starting with activities performed during the summer recess, after a brief introduction to our Department’s Capstone Program. The goal of providing this “cookbook” review of the model is to provide sufficient information to allow other departments to adopt similar practices.