Overview
The UBC Undergraduate Environmental Engineering (ENVL) program concludes with a substantial design experience provided by the capstone design course (ENVE 401). During this course that spans from September to April, fourth-year ENVL students apply previously acquired knowledge and skills to tackle a real-world open-ended design problem pertaining to Environmental Engineering. This hands-on experience prepares students for the challenges they may encounter in their professional careers.
Students work in groups of 4-5 individuals, while being supervised by faculty members who provide the technical expertise to guide students throughout the project. When possible, students are also mentored by a practicing Professional Engineer from industry.
What do students do?
Throughout design process, students engage in a number of Engineering stages, illustrated in the sketch below. This process is often non-linear with some iterations occurring to accommodate the project’s nature and requirements.
During the project, students undertake various tasks encompassing project management, quality control and document control, which are integral to the successful and efficient completion of the project.
Submit a project proposal
You or your company can bring forward a design project that one of the student groups may be assigned. The ideal project to propose would be a project that you have not had the time to tackle yet, or one that you have possible solutions to but are open to exploring alternative or better solutions. You will be presented with the findings and designs at various points throughout the project. This would be a cost-effective way for you to obtain design answers.
The proposed project should pertain Environmental Engineering. High-level examples of project themes are provided below:
- Pollution prevention and mitigation
- Remediation
- Climate change mitigation
- Climate change adaptation
- Environmental health protection
- Sustainable urban planning
To submit a proposal, please send the information below to Dr. Zeina Baalbaki (zeina.baalbaki@ubc.ca). Please submit your proposal by August 1st.
- Project Background
- Project objectives
- Project scope and constraints
- Expected deliverables
Become a technical advisor
You may be interested in being a technical advisor for a particular project type that aligns with your areas of expertise. Technical advisors are invited to meet with the student group once every two weeks or, if possible, more frequently to provide guidance. To better understand your areas of expertise and pair you with the appropriate project, please fill this form.
We deeply appreciate the contribution of industry members as their involvement and inputs hold significant value for this pivotal milestone in the students’ journey.
Have questions?
If you have any questions about capstone projects or proposal submission, please reach out to Dr. Zeina Baalbaki (zeina.baalbaki@ubc.ca)