2005 National Survey Of Engineering Capstone Design Courses
Susannah Howe, Jessica Wilbarger
Abstract
This work details a survey of engineering capstone design courses nationwide conducted in 2005. The survey is a follow-up to one conducted in 1994 by Todd et al.1, reprising the questions of its predecessor plus requesting additional information. The 2005 survey was implemented online, with requests sent via email to representatives of all ABET-accredited engineering programs (1724 programs at 350 institutions, as of 2004). The online survey yielded a strong response, with 444 programs from 232 institutions submitting responses. This corresponds to a 26% response rate from engineering programs and a 66% response rate from institutions. The results of this survey, with a focus on developments in the past ten years, are presented graphically and discussed. Particular focus areas include course logistics, faculty involvement, project coordination, funding details, and industry sponsorship. The results serve as a snapshot of current practices in engineering capstone design education as well as an indication of trends over the past decade.