Am I ready to take Senior Capstone Design (SCD, MEEM4901/4911 or ENT4950/60)? How are MEEM 4901/4911 projects defined?

To register for capstone project credits – MEEM 4901 (SCD 1) or ENT 4950 (Enterprise Senior Design 1) – for the BSME or BSME-Enterprise Concentration, students must meet the senior design prerequisites and, in the case of ENT 4950, have the project defined and approved.

ME-EM SCD is comprised of MEEM 4901 and MEEM 4911 which must be completed in consecutive semesters. MEEM 4901 is offered in the fall and spring semesters, so the sequence can be competed either fall-spring or spring-fall.

Enterprise Senior Design is comprised of ENT 4950 and ENT 4960 which should also be completed in consecutive semesters. ENT 4950 may be started in the fall or the spring semester.  Summer semester starts (4950) or finishes (4960) for an enterprise student are up to the enterprise team advisor.  BSME-Enterprise Concentration students must update their major to declare the Enterprise Concentration (EMEE) online.

Senior design readiness (senior design pre-reqs)

The following prerequisites must be met prior to a student registering for MEEM 4901 or ENT 4950. Courses denoted with a (C) are concurrent prerequisites and may be taken before or with MEEM 4901/ENT 4950.

For students on the 2014-15 BSME or later curricula (yellow, green, gold, or purple flowchart), the prerequisites for MEEM 4901 are:

  • MEEM 3911
  • MEEM 3201 (C)
  • MEEM 3750 (C)
  • MA 3710 (C) (MA 2710 or MA 2720 are OK also)

For students using the 2014-15 or later BSME-Enterprise curriculum (tan, pink, or blue flowchart), the prerequisites for ENT 4950 are:

  • ENT 3950 (same team)
  • ENT 3960 (same team)
  • MEEM 3911
  • MEEM 3201 (C)
  • MEEM 3750 (C)
  • MA 3710 (C) (MA 2710 or MA 2720 are OK also)
  • Good academic standing is required for some teams (i.e., not on academic probation)

SCD – MEEM 4901 project assignment process

  • Students that meet the required prerequisites may register for MEEM 4901 during the initial registration period.
  • There are no requirements to complete work for MEEM 4901 before classes commence.
  • Students should have an updated resume ready to submit during the first day of class.
  • Students will be presented with the available projects and will give their primary and alternate preferences.
  • Teams will be assigned based on student interest and appropriate skill sets, based on the student resumes.  This is similar to a hiring process for each team.

Enterprise -ENT 4950 project submission process

  • See FAQ #2 or click here for the required project verification form and instructions (page 2) on the approval and enrollment process for ENT 4950.
  • Project briefs attached to the approval form must follow the template.
  • Teams with multiple ME students should submit one brief with each individual’s form on top.  In other words, if there are 3 ME students on a team, there should be 3 forms on top of the brief in one packet turned into the academic advising office after being signed off by the enterprise advisor.
  • ME students may not be registered in ENT 4950 until their project definition is approved by the ME-EM department regardless of the Enterprise team or the department that houses the team.
  • There is a hard deadline for ME students of Friday of third week to submit their project in order to be registered in ENT 4950.  The project does not have to be approved by this deadline, but the submission with enterprise advisor approval must be received.  Project submission/registration before the beginning of the semester is ideal, but this may be delayed until the third week if required.
  • If enrollment in ENT 4950 is needed for full-time status (12 credits), this status is established on Wednesday of the second week of the semester.  Students in this situation should have their project verification form submitted to an ME academic advisor – with enterprise advisor approval already done – no later than the end of the first week of the semester.

For MEEM 4911 (SCD 2) or ENT 4960 (Enterprise Senior Design 2) for the BSME or BSME-Enterprise Concentration, students must meet the senior design prerequisites (MEEM 3201 and MEEM 3750 are non-concurrent pre-reqs, must be passed to progress to the second semester) and, in the case of ENT 4960, have the project defined and approved. Project approval for ENT 4960 is typically done as part of the project submission for ENT 4950, but can also be a separate submission if necessary.

For students on the 2014-15 or later BSME curricula (yellow, green, gold, or purple flowchart), the prerequisites for MEEM 4911 are:

  • MEEM 4901
  • MEEM 3201 (non-concurrent)
  • MEEM 3750 (non-concurrent)
  • MA 3710 (C) (MA 2710 or MA 2720 are OK also)

For students using the 2014-15 or later BSME-Enterprise curriculum (tan, pink, or blue flowchart), the prerequisites for ENT 4960 are:

  • ENT 4950 (same team)
  • MEEM 3201 (non-concurrent)
  • MEEM 3750 (non-concurrent)
  • MA 3710 (C) (MA 2710 or MA 2720 are OK also)
  • Good academic standing is required for some teams (i.e., not on academic probation)

Other possible capstone design options:

  • College of Engineering departments:  Any 2-semester Senior Capstone Design course sequence (4 total credits or more) in another College of Engineering department can be substituted for ME-EM 4901/4911 (e.g., BE 4901/4910, EE 4901/4910, and MSE 4130/4140). MEEM 4901 prerequisites must be met before registering for SCD in another department if your primary major is ME.
  • International Senior Design (iDesign) projects are offered through the Civil and Environmental Engineering department in a summer-fall sequence. These projects (CEE 4915/4916) could be substituted for MEEM 4901/4911; however, the project content requires pre-approval by the ME-EM Department. See an ME Academic Advisor for details after getting information on iDesign for the upcoming summer.  Project submission should follow the enterprise template above.
  • European Project Semester (EPS) is a study abroad program that could be substituted for MEEM 4901/4911, but also requires approval of the project content by the ME-EM Department. Contact the International Programs and Services Office for the availability of EPS experiences and credit breakdowns.  Then see an ME Academic Advisor to submit credit and project details for ME-EM department review and/or approval.  Project approval is required prior to study abroad departure when possible. See FAQ #11 for further information. Project submission should follow the enterprise template above.