What is Capstone?
An experience in engineering practice through a significant design project whereby student teams meet specific client needs through a creative, iterative, and open-ended design process. Capstone Design (MIE490/MIE491) is taken in the fourth year of study for both fall and winter sessions.
The project must include:
- The application of disciplinary knowledge and skills to conduct engineering analysis and design.
- The demonstration of engineering judgment in integrating economic, health, safety, environmental, social or other pertinent interdisciplinary factors.
- Elements of teamwork, project management and Client interaction.
- A demonstration of proof of the design concept.
MIE Capstone Design Projects: 2020-2021: A collection of this year's MIE fourth-year students' innovative solutions to real-world problems.
Some Unique Characteristics of Capstone
- No new content (i.e., no class meetings)
- All work completed in a team
- Long periods of independent work
- Regular meetings with Supervisor
- Industry client plays an active role
- Emphasis on technical and non-technical graduate attributes (including communication)
Students designed a machine to throw a knuckleball, a skill that can take baseball pitchers years to learn.
Types of Capstone Projects
Standard
- Sourced by Capstone Coordinators and Faculty Supervisors
- Supervised by a single MIE faculty member
- Matched to students in mid-August
Student-sourced
- Sourced by students through PEY, ESIP employer or other industry contact
- Supervised by a single MIE faculty member
- Can be matched to students before August
- Sourcing student may form his/her own team and request a Supervisor
Multi-disciplinary
- Sourced by MCP Coordinator (Kamran Behdinan) and capstone coordinators across faculty
- Require 3-5 team members from at least two disciplines
- Supervised by a single APSc faulty member with disciplinary subject-matter experts
- Have an accelerated self-selection and matching process
- May require a competitive interview
International
- Sourced by International Capstone coordinator (Kamran Behdinan)
- University partners from Peking and Shanghai Jiao Tong Universities
- Require a competitive interview
- Follow a modified deliverable schedule
- Check your U of T e-mail regularly, starting in mid-August
Information and Contact
Blackboard Capstone Organization site
Portal: Community: Browse Blackboard Catalog:
Enter “MIE 490” or “MIE 491”
Contact Email: [capstone@mie.utoronto.ca]
Capstone Coordinators
MIE491 (MEC): Prof. Behdinan [behdinan@mie.utoronto.ca]
MIE490 (IND): Prof. Aleman [aleman@mie.utoronto.ca]
