Understanding how a choice-based model of capstone experiences influences undergraduate engineering professional preparation

The National Science Foundation Division of Undergraduate Education awarded Rowan University $398,883 on October 15, 2026, under the STEM Education program (CFDA 47.076) to investigate how choice-based, open-ended engineering capstone projects influence undergraduate engineering student motivation and professional preparation.

The project will employ qualitative and quantitative research methods to identify features of choice-based capstone experiences that students find intrinsically valuable for professional development. Rowan will conduct interviews with undergraduate engineering students to determine the criteria they use to select open-ended projects and the professional outcomes they attribute to their experiences. Interview findings will inform development and distribution of a nationally representative survey instrument designed to identify patterns of project features that maximize student engagement and professional preparation outcomes. The survey will be made available to other institutions as a tool for designing choice-based engineering capstone projects that support undergraduate engineering students' professional trajectories nationwide.

Performance of work will occur in Glassboro, New Jersey, with a period of performance from award date through September 30, 2029. This Level I Engaged Student Learning project is classified as a Project Grant.

Abstract

This project aims to serve the national interest by identifying features of choice-based, open-ended engineering projects that are most attractive to undergraduate engineering students and determining which features translate to their professional preparation. This level i engaged student learning project will research a novel curricular context that facilitates student agency in selecting open-ended engineering capstone projects. Research on this approach will advance knowledge about how motivation and choice influence professional preparation. The project will also result in a survey that can result in a nationally representative dataset on how features of choice-based, open-ended engineering projects motivate undergraduate engineering students and support their professional development. This project will investigate (1) how undergraduate engineering students choose open-ended engineering capstone projects; and (2) in what ways students relate those decisions to their professional preparation. The project will use qualitative and quantitative methods to understand how students identify features of an open-ended capstone project that are most intrinsically valuable for professional preparation. The project plans to leverage interview data to identify the criteria students use to select projects and the professional outcomes students attribute to their experiences. The project plans to use interviews to inform the development and distribution of a survey that identifies patterns of project features that maximize engagement or professional preparation outcomes. The survey will be distributed to other institutions as a tool they can use to design choice-based engineering capstone projects that support undergraduate engineering students? Professional trajectories nationwide. The NSF iuse: EDU program supports research and development projects to improve the effectiveness of stem education for all students. Through the engaged student learning track, the program supports the creation, exploration, and implementation of promising practices and tools. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.- subawards are not planned for this award.