The cost is $17,500. This covers the cost of running the program, materials and supplies for the project (~$5,000), a scholarship to the students (~$1,000 per student).

The sponsoring company will need to cover any material and supply costs above $5,000 for the project.

The sponsoring organization will own any intellectual property generated by the project.

The confidentiality agreement is part of the research agreement with the university. If the sponsoring company would like a non-disclosure agreement in place before the research agreement is in place, we can arrange that. Please contact Shad Roundy at MECapstone@mech.utah.edu or 801-581-4304 or a faculty member with whom you have spoken about the project.

Yes, each team has a faculty advisor and a liaison at the sponsoring company. We will work with you on finding an appropriate faculty advisor for the project.

Capstone design covers two semesters, or approximately 8 months. We run two Capstone design cycles, one starting in Fall semester and one starting in the Spring semester. The Fall semester cycle usually begins the last week of August, Design Day, where the students showcase their projects, is usually the third week of April, and final reports are usually due the last day of classes in early May. The Spring semester cycle usually begins the second week of January, Design Day is near the end of November, and final reports are due early in December.

For projects starting the Fall, the submission deadline is April 1. For projects starting in the Spring, the submission deadline is October 1. If you can’t meet these deadlines, please contact us and we will discuss options with you.

Teams are from 4 to 6 students.

Students and their faculty advisors generally arrange their own space for Capstone projects. These are often housed in department labs. In addition, there is a small amount of space dedicated for senior design projects. If the hardware for the project is very large or requires extensive space, it may be necessary for the company to provide some space. We also will be adding additional student space as part of the upcoming expansion of the Rio Tinto Kennecott Building.

Students showcase their work in a tradeshow-like format during Design Day. They are also required to turn in a final report. Typically, they provide the sponsor with a working prototype and a documentation package (i.e. CAD drawings, code, use instructions, etc.)