MS&E Senior Projects

As a culmination of the major, MS&E's senior project course offers students a "learn-by-doing" experience.

First, student teams select and define a problem with a sponsor organization, many of which are non-profits. They then design, test, analyze, and provide recommendations to the sponsor using their cumulative MS&E education. Finally, students present their engineered solutions for these in-depth, real-world problems.

Senior projects often open a variety of doors for students, including continued research engagements and employment opportunities with sponsor organizations. 

But don't just take our word for it—four years after completing their senior project, a team of first-place project winners shared how they've used the skills they learned and mindsets they developed during the senior project as they've navigated the first few years of their careers (video is for Stanford affiliates only). 

Hear from the Pie Ranch team—Alex Hellman, Sami Koire and Kate Salmon, with additions from teammate Maddie Kerr—below: 

Senior projects revisited (video requires SUNet ID login)

2023 senior projects: Designing the future

MS&E undergraduates presented their senior projects in March 2023. Across a wide breadth of industries and techniques, each project aimed to shape the future.

Students drew on their course work—including mathematical modeling, systems analysis, organization theory, optimization, probability, statistics, ethics, computer science, and economics—to inform their work on the projects. Teams of three to four students acted as consultants to their sponsor organizations, tackling real-world problems in real-time over 10 weeks.

Projects for 2023 shaped the future of business, for example by creating a toolkit to help venture capitalists choose the most promising investments, as well as the future of society, such as helping an organization mentor and empower youth to become changemakers. Sponsor organizations ranged from startups like Lumina, to established firms like Asana, to non-profits like Strong Girls United that serve to impact the community at large. While the students wrapped their findings into a final presentation, their work will continue to be utilized into the future. Some groups also stayed on as consultants after the course was over to tackle longer-term problems.

MS&E faculty members acted as mentors to the student teams throughout the quarter. Teams met regularly with faculty to refine their work leading up to their final presentations. This year's faculty mentors included professors Riitta Katila, Irene Lo, Elisabeth Paté-Cornell, Markus Pelger, and James Sweeney.

Videos are included for teams whose sponsor organizations gave permission to share the final presentations. Each project also has a written summary. Please note: Not all teams gave permission to share their information, and thus not all students are represented below.