The Cal State LA College of ECST Capstone Senior Design Program brings together corporate and university partners to offer meaningful professional practice experiences for engineering, technology, and computer science students. These multidisciplinary projects give students collaborative opportunities to build the expertise they need for strong outcomes. The Capstone program mirrors a workplace setting and helps students develop the skills and confidence they will carry into their careers. Explore the program, browse the projects, and learn how you can get involved with the ECST Capstone experience.
Capstone Experience
ECST Capstone Senior Design projects provide students with the experience to apply their theoretical knowledge to practical applications. Students work in teams to develop real solutions to real-world problems defined by our industry partners during an academic year.
Project Outcomes
Deliverables can include a physical prototype, software package, technical design, alternative analysis, operational algorithm, and technical report.
Professional Skills
Students meet client needs in a simulated work environment developing valuable professional skills beyond engineering and computer science.
Hands-On Growth
Students develop hands-on leadership and technical skills needed to hit the ground running in a business environment.
Capstone to Workplace
What makes ECST Capstone projects like an actual work experience?
Students are handed an open-ended, real-world problem to solve. Teams are self-managed by the students with a recognized student team leader. Each student has a leadership role and the responsibility to make sure the team functions well. They settle on a team management style, work out meeting times and schedules, and develop a budget. Teams have weekly meetings with the customer as they plan the project to meet goals set by the sponsor. They present project plans and results with the industry liaison in the weekly meetings. They negotiate solutions, timing, and features. They deal with conflicting design ideas, pressure from deadlines, and fabrication issues. As the year progresses, they react to changing information and stay open and flexible with their ideas for optimal client solutions.
Skills and experiences gained from this industry-orientated capstone program
transfer to valuable strategies to succeed in the workplace as students transition to professionals.
Project sponsors define meaningful and challenging projects that address a specific industry need or technical problem. A dedicated student team contributes more than 1200 hours over the academic year to meet the project deliverables. Faculty advisors provide coaching and direction, and each sponsor appoints a technical liaison who offers external guidance and technical expertise. The ECST Capstone Program director ensures consistency, quality control, structure, and support from start to finish.
Program Timeline
ECST students apply their skills to meaningful projects that challenge them to think, design, and build. The computer science track runs for one year, beginning in the Fall and wrapping at the end of the Spring semester with a final project showcase at Expo, typically in May.
Civil engineering, electrical and computer engineering, engineering technology, and mechanical engineering programs each run for one semester in both Fall and Spring, with projects showcased at Expo at the end of each semester, typically in December and May.
- Cal State LA partners submit projects.
- Kick off for all capstone programs.
- Students meet weekly with technical liaisons and faculty advisors for support and guidance.
- Students present project plans and results while adjusting their work as new information emerges.
- Design review and poster presentations.
- Students continue working with their technical liaisons and advisors as they focus on completing the project and reporting their results. All work is thoroughly documented.
- Expo for EE, ETEC, ME, and CE programs Fall cohort.
- Kickoff for the EE, ETEC, ME, and CE programs Spring cohort.
- Students continue working with their technical liaisons and advisors as they focus on completing the project and reporting their results. All work is thoroughly documented.
- Expo for all Capstone programs.
Benefits of Partnership
- Work with a diverse group of talented students motivated to tackle challenging projects.
- Gain a fresh perspective and creative thinking to solve real problems.
- Build a pipeline of future engineering and computer science professionals.
In ECST, the majority of our students will be the first person in their families to earn a college degree. Our College is committed to providing opportunities for our students to interact with employers throughout their time on campus; we are also committed to providing excellent and well-prepared graduates. Our Capstone partners have the opportunity to establish relationships with a very talented, bright, and motivated cohort of students and to partner with Cal State LA to build the next-generation technical workforce for California.
Our program is made possible by the generous donations and support of our corporate and government sponsors and our project partners. Through the help of these institutions and individuals, Cal State LA ECST offers our students a valuable capstone senior design experience as they graduate and embark on professional careers or graduate studies.
Contact Us For More Information
Michael Thorburn at [email protected]
Director, ECST Capstone Design Program