Senior Design Capstone Project
Real Challenges. Real Solutions.
Industrial and Enterprise Systems Engineering Seniors work alongside industry partners to solve real-world problems, delivering solutions that create impact for both companies and future careers. In this hands-on capstone experience, student teams lead research, analysis and innovation while working in real professional environments.
Senior Engineering Project (SE 494) is the capstone experience for ISE undergraduates. Teams of three to four students, guided by an advisor, tackle real-world problems submitted by industry partners. Many projects lead to solutions that increase productivity, profitability or operational effectiveness for sponsor companies.
Our Senior Engineering Project Laboratory simulates a corporate engineering environment, allowing teams to build solutions with the tools and methods engineers use in the field.
First implemented at Illinois in 1963, by Professor Bernt O. Larson, it has been emulated by other universities and now a standard practice across all accredited engineering schools, the Senior Engineering Project is part of the legacy of the Department of Industrial and Enterprise Systems Engineering at Illinois. Our Senior Engineering Project class was used to set national accreditation standards for all Senior Engineering Project management courses.
60+
years of projects
900+
industry partners served
1700+
projects completed
3000+
company personnel engaged and supported
6000+
students participated
100+
project advisors/mentors
$10MM+
saved by our industry partners
50+
award-winning project teams
For Alumni
Guide the Next Generation of Engineers
Alumni advisors play a vital role in the Senior Design experience. By mentoring student teams, alumni share professional insight, model real-world problem solving and help students navigate complex engineering challenges. Advisors collaborate with faculty and industry partners while strengthening ties to the ISE community. Many describe mentoring senior design teams as one of the most rewarding ways to give back and leave a lasting legacy.
For Industry Partners
Partner on Real Problems. Shape Real Outcomes
Industry partners submit real engineering challenges and provide financial support for each project. In return, they work closely with student teams and faculty advisors throughout the semester and are deeply invested in the project outcome.
Company contact engineers engage directly with students as solutions evolve. As in professional practice, project scope and direction may shift, and students learn to adapt through structured, mid-course refinement of the problem statement.
Why Partner with ISE Senior Design?
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Focused student teams dedicated to your challenge
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Ongoing collaboration with faculty and company engineers
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Actionable recommendations delivered on a real timeline
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Early access to emerging engineering talent
How the Capstone Project Works
Senior Design follows a structured, milestone-driven process designed to reflect how engineering projects unfold in industry.
Throughout the semester, students produce four written reports, including a final deliverable with detailed analyses, economic evaluations, and supporting documentation.
This accelerated timeline reinforces a core professional expectation: delivering thoughtful, feasible solutions on deadline.
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Project Submission: Industry partners propose real engineering challenges.
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Kickoff & Company Visit (Week 1): Student teams visit partner sites to understand the problem, scope, deliverables, and business context.
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Progress Reviews (Weeks 5 & 10): Teams present formal updates on campus, refining their approach based on feedback.
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On-Site Progress Presentation (Weeks 11–12): Students deliver a formal report and presentation at the partner company.
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Final Symposium: Teams submit a comprehensive final report and present their findings and recommendations on campus.
Student Experience
Learn by Doing
Senior Design is often cited by students as one of the most impactful experiences of their ISE education. Working on real industry problems challenges teams to apply technical knowledge, collaborate under real constraints and communicate professionally with engineers and stakeholders.
Rather than focusing on coursework requirements, this experience emphasizes growth — in confidence, problem-solving ability and readiness for professional practice.
Yaseen Tolba
BS Industrial Engineering '25
"It meant a lot to finally see everything I had been learning come together. Seeing concepts from different classes applied across electrical design, systems integration, and real constraints was honestly surreal. It was the first time the work felt fully “real,” and it confirmed that I’m on the right path and capable of contributing meaningfully in an engineering environment."
Meghana Ramoju
BS Systems Engineering and Design '26
"What excited me the most about working on this project was the real-world impact this project would have. It was rewarding knowing that the design improvements we proposed would directly support the training of healthcare students. It was meaningful knowing that this product would help future healthcare professionals build confidence and hands-on experience."
Chinmay Bhogilal
BS Industrial Engineering '25
"In the real-world engineering is rarely done solo; our Senior Design project offered the unique experience of establishing connections with prospective vendors, working with our company partners, and attending cutting edge industry events (Promat 2025)."
Ready to Get Started?
If you have an engineering challenge that could benefit from focused analysis, creative problem solving and fresh perspective, we'd love to connect.
Senior Design Capstone Project Contact
Thomas A. Titone, PhD
Senior Director of Project Design Activity
Transportation Building
104 South Mathews Avenue
Urbana, IL 61801
(217) 971-9827
ttitone@illinois.edu