MINES CAPSTONE DESIGN PROGRAM
A multidisciplinary, client-driven design experience for seniors in participating programs
Transforming clients’ IDEAS to student-driven SOLUTIONS
Mines Multidisciplinary Capstone Design Program
Our multidisciplinary Capstone Design Program provides senior engineering students an opportunity to work on client-driven, real world projects in preparation for their future careers. Students enrolled in our two-semester program include civil, design, electrical, environmental, and mechanical engineers, and some computer science students choose to enroll for a more product-driven opportunity. Lead faculty oversee the curriculum and instruction and vet submitted projects for the program. Project Advisors mentor 2-5 teams and bring their engineering skills to advise on project management and communication, along with their technical expertise. Technical advisors, who are often faculty in our represented program, are invaluable to the success of the student projects.
The course strives to not only advance students’ technical and problem-solving skills, but also guide them them on professional skills including project management and communication. We challenge students to think more broadly about the impacts of their projects on society and emphasize their ethical responsibilities as engineers to consider their stakeholders and the engineering standards, regulations, and codes that appply to their project.
Capstone Projects:
From ideas to solutions
Our capstone projects start with a client’s idea or a competition challenge, and then our students spend 8 months working on a solution e.g. site plans, technical drawings, tested prototypes, or environmental solutions. Visit our capstone projects page for some of our many projects from the past graduating classes.
Sponsor a Project:
Engineered solutions & hireable students
Clients join us for many reasons. Industry may have a back-burner project and want to engage with Mines students. Entreprenuers seek our students’ creativity and technical knowledge. Regional agencies might desire early site plans for future proposals. Local park and recreation agencies want solutions that are either not avilable or too costly. We would love the opportunity to work with you, and our students look forward to the challenge of your project.
Donate:
Support a team
Many of our teams fundraise for their travel to competition or for additional funds to support their design of a lower funded community project. Additionally, the Capstone Design Program uses donated funds to purchase tools and resources for the Thorson Design Center and support team travel. If you would like to make a donation, our students will appreciate the additional support.
Labriola Innovation Hub
Thorson Design Center
Aramco xWorks Innovation Space
Stay tuned for exciting updates on the Thorson Design Center — a dynamic space where students bring their projects to life and gain hands-on experience using the state-of-the-art workshops within Labriola Innovation Hub!
Capstone Design Students in the News
Find all of our Captone Design projects that made the Mines Newsroom
Valve Access Project wins top honors at Fall 2024 Capstone Design Showcase
Student team created custom gearbox with extendable drive shaft to improve water level management at Jefferson County park
Mines Concrete Canoe team places first overall in ASCE regional competition
Leading the way was Mines’ Concrete Canoe and Surveying teams, both of which won first place and a bid to nationals in their respective events.
Mines students win first place at ASCE Timber-Strong Design Build Competition
“We got to see (the building) go from a sketch on notebook paper to the real thing,” said Lindsey Nenne, one of the team’s construction leaders, who graduated in May 2024 with her bachelor’s degree in civil engineering.
Interchangeable electric vehicle powertrain wins top honors at Spring 2024 Capstone Design Showcase
The student-designed and -built powertrain will be used by mechanical engineering students in an automotive lab class at Mines.
Capstone Design team qualifies for finals in NASA Human Lander Competition
Colorado School of Mines qualified for the finals of NASA’s 2024 Human Lander Challenge (HuLC) Competition. The student team was comprised of seven mechanical engineers and three electrical engineers.