Capstone Design

The Senior Capstone Design experience aims to bridge the gap between classroom and industry by requiring students to use their knowledge and skills to complete an engineering design project equivalent to the assignments they will soon receive as aspiring professional engineers.

Projects are completed in groups, making it necessary for students to develop the skills needed to succeed in diverse industry design teams. In the curriculum, students face examples of real-life situations regarding operations and flight test, as well as business, technical and systems safety reviews.  Students generate a final capstone design review (CDR) and eventually produce, in the second semester, their AERO 402 project model – an actual sub-scale model or simulation - to make the capstone design experience a realistic engineering and business atmosphere.  The CDR is a crucial part of the course, which takes place about three months into the design process.  During the review, representatives from the Aerospace Corporation, Bell Helicopter Textron, The Boeing Company, Lockheed Martin, NASA Johnson Space Center, Orbital Science and Raytheon are some of the companies attending to review each team's project and provide feedback, which is incorporated into the still-evolving designs.  Employers value graduates with capstone design experience because these students have gained broad experience by applying their extensive knowledge base to solve complex engineering problems as a team.

Seniors also make significant professional contacts through design projects with industry participants, guest lecturers and the annual Engineering Project Showcase.

Courses use industry-based team projects and professional interaction to equip future engineers with important design, communication and presentation experience, and are the culmination of the Texas A&M engineering experience, as seniors apply their four years of classroom knowledge to solve realistic engineering problems.

The courses prepare our engineering students to use advanced technology to analyze and design engineering elements and systems according to industry standards.

The Aerospace Engineering Senior Capstone Design program is a two-semester course sequence in which students will learn, synthesize and develop the skills of engineering practice with a lecture and studio/laboratory in each course. In the lecture portion, students learn the design process and the tools that encourage successful innovation. Then, students apply what they have learned over the last several years to define a real design project and build it!  The teams begin by producing a computer design, which, in the case of aircraft, is used to build a model that can be tested in Texas A&M's low-speed wind tunnel.  The results and experience by going through the process of designing, building, testing and finally, in some cases, flying their own aircraft, rocket or satellite gives students valuable exposure to the design process.  Student teams are generally four to eight students, developing their plan and defending their design to their course professor – a scenario, just like in real life.

Regardless of future paths our students will follow in aircraft, rockets, or space, the Capstone Design program introduces a unique transition from academics to application.  Students realize, in this final year, their new knowledge, confidence and a sense of accomplishment. 

We encourage students to participate in the Engineering Project Showcase.  For information about, contact EASA.