Capstone Project

Evaluation Relative to Professional Level

 

Definition:  Professional level relates to student work. To be at professional level, it is expected that the student display activities in the areas of analysis, design, implementation, documentation, and communication that are similar to that required of him/her in the first year of his/her job or graduate level research. The project for each student must be sufficiently challenging so as to require professional effort by the student. It should not be so difficult that it hinders the student experience but it should be challenging enough to stretch the student. The project should be achievable in the given time frame and inspire confidence and self esteem while requiring professional effort from the student. A challenging project should have some of the following attributes.

- requires the student to acquire significant new knowledge

- is characterized by theoretical and/or experimental complexity

- is more complex than the microprocessor mini-project or course projects

- is based on new or advance technology

- is designed to meet industry standards

- breaks new ground in technology

- adds to the body of knowledge

- is constrained by difficult cost and/or time to market requirements

- is funded by a corporation or external agency for new prototype development

- has potential to be a viable product.

- leads to a technical, refereed publication

 

A student's work is at the professional level if it characterized by the following attributes. 

The student

- acts as a collaborator with advisor and not as a technician

- can do analysis, design, development, procurement and/or laboratory tasks with

  little supervision

- displays sophistication in analysis, design, and/or experimental work

- shows initiative in bringing new ideas and solutions to the design process

- overcomes problems and makes good judgements in seeking a solution

- acquires significant new knowledge

- manages the project in a timely fashion and reasonably implements major

  deliverables within constraint of technical difficulties encountered

- does his/her fair share of work on project

- documents in detail the work associated with the project

- prepares a well written final report

- gives an oral presentation of his/her work using current AV technology that is well

   organized and easy to understand by his/her peers. 


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 Last modified August 11, 2002