Capstone Mentor Guide

Start Here

Please read this page in its entirety before clicking links.

There are 3 sites to save to your favorites:

1. The JHU EN.645.800 Capstone site has all the things you'll need to complete the project, to include tools and the project guidelines. Focus a LOT on these guidelines - especially the rubric spreadsheet toward the back of the guidelines. This is what I use to assess the deliverables as they are submitted. Here's a link to the rubric on the capstone site.

2. The Canvas site. The Canvas site is where you must submit everything and where I will provide feedback. My feedback includes a rubric assessment to make applying a grade seamless at the end. 

3. This Mentor page. The mentor page has my own personal pointers, tips, tricks and common mistakes I see students make on the capstone.

Why this Mentor Site?

This mentor page is designed to push students into the A-grade category by capturing lessons learned from hundreds of past capstone projects and 16 years of mentoring experience. It highlights common pitfalls and best practices to help you avoid rework, strengthen your deliverables, and produce a project that demonstrates true mastery of Systems Engineering.

The difference between a good project and an outstanding one often comes down to attention to detail, applying SE tools effectively, and meeting project expectations. This page provides examples, and practical guidance to help you achieve that.

However, this page is not a replacement for the official Capstone Guidelines. Instead, use them in tandem to ensure you’re fully aligned with course expectations. Think of the mentor page as a tool to sharpen your approach and refine your work for maximum impact.

Communication With Your Mentor

The best way to reach me is via email, with texting being suitable for quick and simple questions.
Please be aware: I have notifications turned off from Canvas, so if you write me a note or comment on Canvas, I likely won't see it until I revisit your deliverable at the end of the semester. It is better to use email.

If you need one-on-one coaching, we can arrange a session through Zoom, MS Teams, or a phone call. However, please note that I do not have the capacity for regular one-on-one meetings.

Remember, the capstone is your opportunity to demonstrate mastery of systems engineering. The time for instruction and walkthroughs has passed—this is where you apply and refine your skills independently. My role as a mentor is not to re-teach material or provide MBSE tool tutorials but to guide you and provide feedback on your deliverables throughout the capstone process.

If you've lost access to any of your courses during the transition to Canvas from Blackboard, let me know, and I'll do my best to assign you as an observer to a recent semester.

Office Hours

I offer capstone office hours by request only, held on Wednesdays at 9:00 PM Eastern Time. If you wish to attend, you must submit a request via email. Blanket requests for recurring weekly sessions will not be accepted, as past experiences have shown that students often fail to attend, which results in a waste of my time. Please ensure that you have a confirmed appointment before attending. I will typically respond with "See you there!" as confirmation.

Please note that I do not review or comment on entire deliverables during office hours. These sessions are intended for answering questions, providing clarification, and offering consultation on your approach. Please do not bring your entire deliverable for live feedback on each section. I review deliverables independently and provide feedback through Canvas.

If I hold office hours, here is the link for Zoom. This link will not change so feel free to save to your favorites.

Deliverables

Throughout the capstone, you'll be submitting a series of deliverables, each focusing on specific aspects of your System Architecture. These deliverables are outlined below in the order of submission. Each is linked to a dedicated page offering tips, hints, and guidance to help you succeed (don't start clicking until you read this home page in its entirety).

• Proposal (to mentor)

• Proposal (to instructor)

• Requirements Analysis Report (RAR)

• Functional Analysis Report (FAR)

• Trade Study

• Concept Design Report (CDR)

• A-Specification

• Test and Evaluation Report

• Risk Analysis Report

• Final Report

• Final Presentation

• Project Repository

Please do not submit deliverables via email. Just as with all other courses, ALL submissions must be submitted on the Canvas site. You have unlimited attempts and the latest attempt will be used for grading at the end of the project.

Project Ideas: What Works and What Doesn't 

Explore Past Projects: Reviewing previous student projects can provide valuable insights into the scope, expectations, and potential concept ideas for your capstone project.

Good Project Concepts: A strong project concept in Systems Engineering (SE) should involve the development of complex systems that require the use of SE tools throughout the process. The goal is to create interim artifacts leading to a primary artifact (such as a Specification) that could be handed off to a developer. This typically involves projects with significant mechanical automation where both hardware and software are crucial, necessitating multi-disciplinary teams for design, implementation, integration, and testing.

Poor Project Concepts: A concept that does not necessitate SE principles and instead relies solely on processes from a specific discipline, such as software development or IT, is not suitable. This is a master's in SE, not software engineering or IT, so projects that are primarily software, web-based, networking, or database-centric are not appropriate. Additionally, concepts that focus on integrating off-the-shelf components (e.g., sensors) lack the complexity required for a capstone project in SE.

Key Points to Remember: Systems Engineering is about managing complexity across multiple domains. To demonstrate mastery in SE, your project should involve hardware and software that require the formation of development teams. This is why projects involving automated hardware/software systems are the most common and appropriate topics.

Avoid the Following Types of Projects:

• IT-centric or database-centric systems (e.g., IT networks, infrastructures)

• Software-centric systems (e.g., software applications, websites)

• Small ‘smart’ devices or wearables

• Simple mechanical systems (e.g., standard household appliances)

• Modeling of detailed blueprints or designs (e.g., circuit cards)

Capstone Logistics

Most projects are completed over the course of two semesters. 

You only need to register for the final semester, which will be done manually upon submitting your proposal to CJ/Instructor. You can begin your project at any time once you’re on the 800 site and have a mentor.

Deliverable Grading

As your mentor, I don't assign traditional grades. Instead, I provide a go/no-go assessment for each deliverable. In Canvas, a "1" indicates a GO, while a "0" indicates a NO-GO. Along with this assessment, I’ll provide feedback and recommendations for improvement. A "1" signifies that the deliverable meets minimum standards (aligned with the "Competent" or "Proficient" columns on the rubric). However, a "1" does not automatically translate into an "A." To achieve an "A," you’ll need to update your deliverables based on my feedback and the rubric in the project guidelines.

If you're aiming for an "A," focus on the rubric, review the provided project examples, and be sure to apply the tips in the Presentation Page. You have unlimited submission attempts in Canvas, and the grade will be based on your latest submission.

When you update deliverables, please include a summary of changes, as I do not have the capacity to re-review your entire document to identify where improvements were made.

Scheduling Presentation Slots

Presentations for the capstone project typically occur up to three weeks before the end of the semester, and not on the last day (although some exceptions exist, they cannot be relied upon). Therefore, I strongly advise planning for a worst-case scenario: being ready to present three weeks prior to the semester’s end.

Presentation slots are highly sought after and fill up quickly. Your place in the queue for securing a presentation slot is determined by the submission of your Functional Analysis Report (FAR), which is due no later than five weeks into the semester. Be sure to account for this in your IMS within your proposal.

If the FAR is submitted later than five weeks into the semester, the likelihood of securing a presentation slot diminishes, and you may be required to present in the following semester.

I do not assign presentation slots earlier than five weeks into the semester because some students may need to extend their project timeline. Reserving a slot only to cancel at the last minute due to unpreparedness deprives another ready student of the opportunity to present.

Next Steps

1. Familiarize yourself with the capstone site.

2. Read the SM4 Guidelines - Aug 2022 - V011_00 - FINAL.pdf in its entirety.

3. Choose an MBSE tool and install it.

4. Familiarize yourself with 1 or more past project from another student.

5. Think of a few project concept ideas and send me an email with a simple one ot two paragraph explanation of each. Once I approve, you'll send the approved concept explanation to the instructor (CJ Utara) for ultimate approval. You may then proceed on to generate your proposal.

6. Head to the proposal page on this mentor site for tips/pointers on the proposal.

Helpful Links

Capstone Walkthrough Videos that walk you through my own capstone up to a point.

Also here's a video containing most of the information presented on this mentor page in video format: