Senior Design Capstone

Hands-On Learning. Career Preparation.

Culminating hands-on projects in your fourth year wrap together all the knowledge you’ve learned and the skills you’ve acquired.

Your senior project is on the books of Duke CEE’s simulated engineering firm—Overture Engineering.

people in hardhats on a construction site

A True-to-Life Challenge

Working in teams, Duke CEE seniors take on planning for a real-world engineering project. A real location on the Duke campus is selected.

Teams present to practicing engineers and architects, adding more reality to the exercise.

The Overture capstone focuses senior-year projects into actual engineering work products that are architectural, environmental, and structural, integrating with Duke CEE’s majors in civil and environmental engineering and the Certificate in Architectural Engineering.

three Duke students cheer while looking at a computer screen, as if they've just solved a complex problem

Three Divisions

Student “employees” of Overture Engineering work in three coordinated units.

Division Responsibilities

Architectural

Siting and form

Structural

Design of force-resisting systems

Environmental

Land-impact, remediation and mitigation

What’s Owed to an Overture?

CEE alumni reflect on their senior capstone experience and how it influences their work and careers today.

Read The Story

Responsibilities & Courses

Click for full course description.

Architectural

CEE 411 Architectural Engineering II
  • Project Siting
  • Development of Program—Space use, dimensions, etc.
  • Floor Elevations

Structural

CEE 429 Integrated Structural Design
  • Foundation Design
  • Column and Beam Design
  • Slab-on-Grade and Floor Slab Design
  • Retaining Wall Design

Environmental

CEE 469 Integrated Environmental Design
  • Environmental Site Assessment
  • Grading and Erosion Control Plan
  • Stream Restoration and Wetland Creation
  • Water Distribution Design
  • Wastewater Conveyance System Design

Project Management

CEE 649/679 Project Management
  • Project Budget
  • Direct and Indirect Expenses
  • Bill Rates
  • Utilization Tracking
  • Schedule Compliance

Individual Effort. Team Results.

Beyond applying everything you’ve learned, there’s an even bigger challenge—teamwork.

The critical element to completing the challenge is discovering how the divisions can work together effectively.

There’s a lot to figure out. You’ll do it as the pros do—with all-team roundtable discussions of major design issues.

people work at computers around tables in an design workroom

Undergraduate Contacts