Sponsored MS Projects - The Project Track

The Biomedical Engineering Department has available an Industry sponsored Project Track in fulfillment of Masters of Science culminating experience requirements. In this culminating experience, students, under the mentorship of the sponsoring company, perform a substantive project of value to the company.

All projects are conducted under Non-Disclosure agreement, and the sponsoring companies own any intellectual property developed during the performance of their project(s). Students are included on related company records of invention and patents if they meet the company requirements of co-authorship.

For further information, please contact either: llaiho@calpoly.edu or cheylman@calpoly.edu

A mechanism for companies to:

  • Engage Cal Poly to accomplish projects that are beneficial to the company
  • Participate in MS education through technical mentorship
  • Perform an “extended” interview with potential employees 
  • Financially support the BMED Department and the Project Track infrastructure
  • Provide students with a company sponsored MS project
  • Students fulfill MS Program Learning Objectives.

The participating company’s representative (s):

  • Define a project substantial enough for team of MS students (usually teams of 2 MS students) for a 9 month to one year project 
  • Select MS students for their specific project(s)
  • Guide their student team(s) to understand and define project success criteria
  • Provide regular technical advising to the project team via Zoom or Webex meetings 
  • Serve on the MS students’ oral defense committee 
  • Receive project IP, report, prototypes and other products 

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo provides (the infrastructure):

  • Administrative support to handle Non-disclosure agreements, contracts, ordering and travel
  • A Professor of Practice, the metronome, ensures the teams stay on schedule and meet the company milestones and teaches two 2 unit courses, one course for project selection & matching and project management and one course for report writing and defense preparation
  • A Faculty advisor to ensure that the students meet all academic requirements for a Masters of Science in Biomedical Engineering, local mentorship and to interface with the Company Technical Advisor(s)
  • The Company Technical Advisor (s) and the Faculty Advisor serve on the students’ Project report review committee and oral defense 
  • Companies commit to projects in the June-July time frame
  • Company Technical Advisors are identified and Project scopes are defined by the end of the July prior to the Fall launch
  • All Projects start at the beginning of Fall Quarter, mid-September each year
  • Company Technical Advisors participate in MS student-project selection process for their respective project(s) early Fall Quarter (September)

To participate, the Department requests:         

  • $10K per project to support the infrastructure
  • Companies to cover project material and travel costs for their student team(s),
  • A project scope sufficient that two students have a Masters Experience with BMED faculty assistance
  • A prepared description of the project for the Fall selection and matching process