ProgramsMechanical Engineering Capstone (Fall 2025–Winter 2026)

Mechanical Engineering Capstone (Fall 2025–Winter 2026)

Program Overview
Program Title Mechanical Engineering Capstone (Fall 2025–Winter 2026)
Organization University of Washington
# of Students Enrolled
0
# of Projects Running
1 Project/s Added (of 25 Projects Expected)

Program Timeline

Project Duration

Start Date: 09/29/25      End Date: 03/14/26

6 months
Collaboration Overview
About Students

Students participating in this program are senior-level undergraduate Mechanical Engineering majors from the University of Washington’s College of Engineering. These students have completed most of their core coursework and are entering the final phase of their degree program. Each student is part of a small interdisciplinary team of 3–5 individuals working together over two academic quarters. 

They bring with them a strong foundation in mechanical systems design, manufacturing, fluid dynamics, thermodynamics, materials science, CAD, and engineering analysis. Many also have experience with prototyping, software modeling tools (e.g., SolidWorks, MATLAB, ANSYS), data acquisition, and programming in Python or C++. The Capstone program emphasizes teamwork, client engagement, and professional communication, making students well-prepared to work on real-world engineering challenges in collaboration with industry sponsors.

Student Level:   Bachelor Degree

Student Time Commitment:   Full Time

Team Structure:   2 - 5

Program Goals
This two-quarter Capstone project is designed to help students: 

  • Apply the engineering design process to a real-world challenge from an external partner.

  • Translate ambiguous and open-ended requirements into a well-defined problem statement and set of deliverables.

  • Develop and evaluate design concepts through analysis, prototyping, and stakeholder feedback.

  • Produce engineering documentation and project artifacts (e.g., design specifications, CAD drawings, manufacturing plans).

  • Collaborate effectively in teams, practicing professional communication and project management skills.

  • Engage with an industry partner as a client, incorporating their feedback and constraints into the final deliverables.

  • Present findings and results in both written and oral form at the culminating Capstone Expo.

The ultimate goal is to simulate a real engineering consultancy, where students gain experience managing time, scope, and client relationships while producing functional, tangible engineering solutions.
Format Structure

Multiple Projects Multiple Teams
Format Title Capstone
Format Description
This Capstone format enables students nearing the completion of their undergraduate Mechanical Engineering degree to work in interdisciplinary teams on sponsored, real-world engineering design projects. Over two quarters (Fall 2025–Winter 2026), students engage deeply with an assigned industry challenge, following an engineering design process that emphasizes research, ideation, prototyping, testing, and iteration. 

Each project is sponsored by an industry partner who provides a high-level challenge, connects the team with real engineering constraints and goals, and serves as a client throughout the process. This collaboration allows partners to: 

  • Access fresh technical perspectives and innovative problem-solving from top-tier engineering students.

  • Explore new concepts, features, or tools with minimal resource commitment.

  • Build brand visibility and recruitment pipelines with emerging engineering talent.

  • Advance internal R&D, product development, or design priorities with student support.

Student teams are coached by experienced faculty and work collaboratively in professional, team-based environments to deliver functional prototypes, engineering documentation, and final presentations. Sponsoring organizations benefit not only from student deliverables, but also from the opportunity to directly shape the future of engineering education and talent development.
Benefits For Industry Partners
Project Modality Hybrid
Industry Partner Requirements to Participate
Project Topics Data Management Innovation Mechanical Engineering Operations Product Design & Development Research & Development Software Design & Development Technology Commercialization
Target Industries Aerospace & Defense Agriculture & Farming Arts & Recreation Biotech & Pharmaceuticals Computers & Hardware Construction, Repair & Maitenance Consumer Services Education Energy & Utilities Fashion & Apparel Finance Food & Beverage Government Health Care Insurance Manufacturing Media Natural Resources Non-Profit Professional Services Public Works Real Estate Restaurants, Bars & Food Services Retail Semiconductor Software & IT Sports & Entertainment Telecommunications Transportation & Logistics Travel & Tourism
Skills & Expertise 3D CAD Modeling 3D Printing Actuator Design Agile Methodology ANSYS Arduino ASTM) AutoCAD Batteries & Power Systems Business Case Development CNC Machining Communication with Non-Engineers COMSOL Multiphysics Control Systems Cost Estimation Data Acquisition (DAQ) DFA (Design for Assembly) DFM (Design for Manufacturing) Electrical Wiring & Circuit Design Embedded Systems Energy Systems Engineering Consulting Engineering Drawing & Documentation Engineering Economics Engineering Ethics Engineering Reports Engineering Standards (ASME Environmental Impact Assessment Experimental Design Failure Mode & Effects Analysis (FMEA) Finite Element Analysis (FEA) Fluid Dynamics Simulation Fluid Mechanics Fusion 360 Gantt Charts Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T) Heat Transfer HVAC Load Calculations HVAC Systems Hydraulics Industry & Market Research Injection Molding Interdisciplinary Collaboration IP & Patent Research ISO Jira Kinematics & Dynamics LabVIEW Lean Manufacturing Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) Machine Design Manufacturing Processes Material Selection MATLAB Mechanical Design Mechanism Design Mechatronics Microsoft Excel for Engineering Motion Control NI DAQ Systems Notion) PLC Programming Pneumatics Procurement Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) Product Pitching Professional Email Communication Project Management Prototyping Pumps & Piping Systems Python for Engineering Quality Engineering Rapid Prototyping Raspberry Pi Renewable Energy Systems Risk Analysis Robotics Root Cause Analysis Safety Engineering Scrum Framework Sensors & Instrumentation Signal Processing Simulink Six Sigma SolidWorks Statistical Process Control (SPC) Sustainability Engineering Systems Engineering Team Collaboration Tools (Slack Technical Presentations Technical Writing Testing & Validation Thermal Systems Design Thermodynamics Time Management Tolerance Stack-up Analysis Trello User-Centered Design Vendor & Supplier Coordination
Location Information & Preferences

98195

Local (within 30 miles) Located Anywhere Regional (within 90 miles)

While in-person collaboration is not required, priority will be given to industry partners located in the Pacific Northwest who are open to offering students optional site tours or virtual walkthroughs of facilities. We welcome partners from across the U.S. and internationally as long as they are able to engage virtually and provide timely feedback throughout the project lifecycle.
Sponsorship

Sponsorship Requested (Mandatory):

Pre-Revenue Startup an exact contribution amount of $18000.0

Growth Startup an exact contribution amount of $18000.0

Small to Medium Business an exact contribution amount of $18000.0

Large Enterprise an exact contribution amount of $18000.0

Government Organization an exact contribution amount of $18000.0

Non-Profit an exact contribution amount of $18000.0

Compensation

No Compensation Required

Other Requirements
Industry partners must designate at least one project manager who can meet with students regularly, provide access to relevant company information (where possible), and offer feedback on deliverables. All projects must involve a real-world engineering or product development challenge. Proposals that include proprietary technologies, prototyping opportunities, or systems/process optimization are strongly encouraged.
Expected Time Commitment For Project Managers 1 Hour per week
Key Program Dates Due Date
Request for Proposal published

Collaboration request published. Industry Partners may express interest in participating.

Jul 25 2025, 08:00.47 PM
Interview

Educators will begin interviewing interested Industry Partners to discuss project ideas.

Jul 31 2025, 08:00.47 PM
Proposal Application Deadline

Final date for Industry Partners to express interest in participating.

Sep 09 2025, 08:00.47 PM
Finalize Project Charter

Educators and Industry Partners finalize project charters, legal documents, and background materials.

Sep 15 2025, 08:00.47 PM
Official Program Launch

We’ll find a time on this day for you to meet with the students to kick off your project.

Sep 29 2025, 12:00.00 AM
Official Program End

We’ll find a time on this day for you to meet with the students to wrap up your project.

Mar 14 2026, 12:00.00 AM

Program Timeline

Touchpoints & Assignments Date Type

Program Kickoff

 09/29/2025 Event

Projects

Filters
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Program Managers

Name Organization
Admin @ UW University of Washington

Teams

Team Name  Project Name  Team Members 
No Teams Available