A Multidisciplinary Integrated Capstone Design Curriculum for Electrical and Computer Engineering

University Of Maryland, College Park, College Park MD

Investigators

Abstract

PROPOSAL NO.: 0230628 PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Goldsman, Neil INSTITUTION NAME: University of Maryland College Park TITLE: A Multidisciplinary Integrated Capstone Design Curriculum for Electrical and Computer Engineering Abstract The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) at the University of Maryland at College Park (UMCP) is in the process of planning a major curriculum revision for its undergraduate program. This planning grant will address the Capstone design program, which will be greatly revised to provide a multidisciplinary design experience for senior students and to integrate juniors and sophomores into the Capstone experience. The team will assess the outcomes of the Capstone experience to generate data to guide the revision of our curriculum in general. A major objective of the Capstone design courses is for the students to work on a design project at a professional level. The project makes use of most of the knowledge that students have acquired in the previous two to three years of the ECE curriculum. Therefore, the outcome of the Capstone design experience should be an excellent indicator of the how well the education process in the ECE Department is preparing students for their professional career. A year-to-year assessment of the outcomes of the Capstone design courses will enable us to make continuous improvements in the sophomore, junior, and also the senior year curricula. This being the case, the revision of the Capstone program will serve as the engine to drive curriculum revision for the entire ECE program.