Students work in groups of three or four under the guidance of a faculty adviser and one or more technical liaisons from the sponsoring organization. Projects begin in September and are completed the following May.

Student teams present their work-in-progress during open forums held both semesters and to a panel of faculty and practicing engineers for a mid-year review.

Upon completion of the project, the student teams submit final written reports to their sponsors and formally present their results at a special year-end event, the annual Design Celebration.

To further prepare students for engineering careers and advanced education, project work is supplemented by weekly seminars on topics related to engineering design and professional practice.