Sponsor a Senior Design Project
Students working with Senior Design sponsor in medical setting

Each year, ISyE undergraduate seniors apply their academic training to solve real-world challenges. In teams, students collaborate for 15 weeks with a faculty advisor and an industry mentor to scope, analyze, and deliver actionable solutions to complex problems proposed by industry partners.

Project Sponsorship Timeline & Submission Steps

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Fall Semester - Early September

Organizations who intend to commit to sponsor must submitted their intent via the Intent to Sponsor form. This allows adequate time to begin and finalize the project planning process, which includes the reviewing and signing off all required and optional documents.

Fall Semester - Early October

All Project Proposal submissions for the following Spring semester consideration are due. If you have questions with the scope of your project, you can reach out to course instructor Dr. Lisa Miller for assistance. 

Fall Semester - November

All Project sponsors are notified and finalized about project acceptance. 

Fall Semester - Early December

Sponsors participate in the Senior Design Proposal Fair, where sponsors of selected projects are invited to campus to pitch your project—and your company—to ISyE seniors. This is your opportunity to get students excited about working on your project!

Note that all required and optional documents are due before the Project Fair.

End of Fall Semester - December

 Project sponsors are notified of their Senior Design team members, which includes students and one ISyE faculty advisor.

Spring Semester - January-April

Project work will take place during the 15-week semester.

End of Spring Semester (Late April/Early May)

Students present their final reports on campus, and all sponsors are welcome to attend in-person or virtually.

Submitting your Senior Design Proposal can be done in two easy steps!

Step One - Submit your Intent to Sponsor: the Intent to Sponsor unlocks the first steps to getting the processes starts on the Student Project process, or gives you and your company a chance to schedule a meeting with the Department to answer any questions you have about the Senior Design Project course, expectations, and process.

Step Two - Submit your Project Proposal: the Project Proposal form puts your project scope into writing, and asks all the right questions to make sure the right student team is best aligned for your project needs.

Note: The forms are formatted in Google Forms. If your company does not allow Google applications, please email Emily Rice (Industry Liaison) for the alternative form formats.

Step One
Click to complete the Intent to Sponsor form.
Step Two
Click to submit your Project Proposal.

Additional Sponsorship Details

Sponsorship Fee

The sponsorship fee is $5,000 per project, which directly supports student learning and departmental initiatives. This investment provides your organization with high-impact deliverables, access to top-tier talent, and a unique opportunity to shape the next generation of industrial engineers.

  • Fee waivers may be available for non-profit organizations.

Sponsorship Documents

As of 2025, the University of Minnesota requires the review and signing of one document - the "Student Project Sponsorship Agreement". 

Additionally, the University has made clear that students cannot sign any external documents such as NDA or IPs, so if your organization requires those, the department can supply University approved documents to your organization. 

These documents are designed to ensure that all student-sponsored projects operate under clear, fair, and legally sound terms that protect both the project sponsors and the University community.

Our Insights Into Your Challenge

Ergotron Group
Medtronic Group
Landscape Structures Group
Cargill Group

Examples of Past Projects

Curious what about what projects have been done in the past? Looking for scope inspiration?

We have organized past projects based on scope to better suite your interests!

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Facility Layout

2024

Andersen Windows & Doors - "Shop Efficiency and Layout"

2023-2024

Stratasys - "Work Cell Layout for Stratasys"

Process Improvement

2025

Medtronic - "A Healthy Product Flow"

2024

Ergotron - "Material Flow Optimization"

2023-2024

Renewable Energy Partners - "Improving the Procurement Process"

2022-2023

M Health Fairview - "Organizing the OR"

M Health Fairview - "Saving Time in Surgery"

ArcherPoint - "Improving the Process"

Product Defects

2025

Landscape Structures - "Playing It Smart"

Supply Chain

2020

Boston Scientific - "Seniors Reinvent a Healthcare Supply Chain"

Inventory Management

2021

University of Minnesota Medical Center - "Seniors Modernize a University Pharmacy"

Quotes from Past Sponsors

Ready to Start the Sponsorship Process?

Submit your Intent to Sponsor today!

 The Intent to Sponsor unlocks the first steps to getting the processes starts on the Student Project process, or gives you and your company a chance to schedule a meeting with the Department to answer any questions you have about the Senior Design Project course, expectations, and process.

Submit Your Intent to Sponsor
Note: This form is formatted in Google Forms. If your company does not allow Google applications, please email Emily Rice (Industry Liaison) for the alternative form format.

Questions?

Lisa Miller Headshot

Lisa Miller

Course Instructor

Contact with questions regarding:

  • Senior Design Project Course
  • Senior Design Project Proposal/Scope 
     
Emily Rice headshot small

Emily Rice

Industry Liaison

Contact with questions regarding:

  • Sponsorship fees
  • Sponsorship documents
  • General questions