What Is This Course?

• A two-semester, 6-credit-hour capstone where students from different engineering departments team up to solve real, industry-sponsored problems.
• Teams of 3–5 students work across ISE, ECE and MAE on challenges that require multiple engineering perspectives. Students should register for ISE 495-002, ECE 492-075, MAE 495-011
• Semester 1 focuses on problem definition, scoping, and solution design. Semester 2 is prototyping, testing and a final showcase.
• Class time is 8:30 to 9:45 a.m. Mondays and Wednesdays in Fitts-Woolard Hall.
• Guest lectures from industry experts on topics like discovery methodology, UX Design, metrics, financial analysis and decision-making.

This Course Is For You If…

• You’re energized by problems that don’t fit neatly into one discipline — and you’d rather tackle a complex, real-world challenge with students from other departments than a project scoped solely to your own.
• You want hands-on experience solving messy, real-world problems with an industry sponsor — not textbook exercises.
• You’re curious about how engineers in other disciplines think, work, and make decisions.
• You want to sharpen collaboration, communication, and cross-functional problem-solving skills — the capabilities employers consistently rank as their top priorities.
• You want a portfolio project that demonstrates you can work across engineering boundaries — a genuine differentiator in hiring.

What to Expect

• Pilot cohort of approximately 25 students in 5–7 cross-departmental teams.
• Industry partners present real challenges; you’ll work directly with sponsors throughout both semesters.
• A final public showcase open to industry partners, faculty, and the college.
• This course can substitute for your department’s senior design requirement — talk to your advisor to confirm how the 6 credit hours map for your specific program. 
• The course runs Fall to Spring only, you must take both semesters. 

Interested? Here’s What to Do

• Talk to your advisor about enrolling in ISE 495 for Fall 2026 and how it maps to your degree requirements.
• Email Dr. Anita Vila at arvila@ncsu.edu with questions or to express interest. Office is located in Fitts-Woolard Hall, room 4323.
• Spaces are limited — this is a pilot cohort of ~25 students.