The biomedical engineering senior capstone design course is probably the most important course
taken by undergraduate biomedical engineering students. It provides them with the opportunity
to apply what they have learned in previous years develop their communication (written oral
and graphical) interpersonal (teamwork conflict management and negotiation) project
management and design skills and learn about the product development process. It also
provides students with an understanding of the economic financial legal and regulatory
aspects of the design development and commercialization of medical technology. The capstone
design experience can change the way engineering students think about technology society
themselves and the world around them. It gives them a short preview of what it will be like to
work as an engineer. It can make them aware of their potential to make a positive contribution
to health care throughout the world and generate excitement for and pride in the engineering
profession. Working on teams helps students develop an appreciation for the many ways team
members with different educational political ethnic social cultural and religious
backgrounds look at problems. They learn to value diversity and become more willing to listen
to different opinions and perspectives. Finally they learn to value the contributions of
nontechnical members of multidisciplinary project teams. Ideas for how to organize structure
and manage a senior capstone design course for biomedical and other engineering students are
presented here. These ideas will be helpful to faculty who are creating a new design course
expanding a current design program to more than the senior year or just looking for some ideas
for improving an existing course. Contents: I. Purpose Goals and Benefits Why Our Students
Need a Senior Capstone Design Course Desired Learning Outcomes Changing Student Attitudes
Perceptions and Awarenesss Senior Capstone Design Courses and Accreditation Board for
Engineering and Technology Outcomes II. Designing a Course to Meet Student Needs Course
Management and Required Deliverables Projects and Project Teams Lecture Topics
Intellectual Property Confidentiality Issues in Design Projects III. Enhancing the Capstone
Design Experience Industry Involvement in Capstone Design Courses Developing Business and
Entrepreneurial Literacy Providing Students with a Clinical Perspective Service Learning
Opportunities Collaboration with Industrial Design Students National Student Design
Competitions Organizational Support for Senior Capstone Design Courses IV. Meeting the
Changing Needs of Future Engineers Capstone Design Courses and the Engineer of 2020
