PLTW Honors Capstone

Honors Engineering Capstone

A year-long original engineering project — researched, prototyped, and defended before a panel of real engineers.

Grades 11–12

Credits 5

Length Full Year

Prerequisite POE or CEA

Pathway PLTW Engineering

Capstone team assembling their prototype — Team Prototype Build

Student researching and documenting design decisions — Research & Documentation

Prototype being tested and measured on the bench — Testing & Iteration

Students presenting their project to a review panel — Panel Presentation Day

About the Course

Honors Engineering Capstone (PLTW-Capstone) is the culminating course in the Project Lead The Way high school Engineering sequence, offering students a premier, immersive experience in applied engineering. In this honors-level capstone, students work in collaborative teams to identify, research, and solve a complex, open-ended technical problem, applying the full engineering design process from concept to prototype.

Students conduct rigorous research to validate and justify their chosen problem, then design, build, and test innovative solutions. Throughout the process, they receive mentorship from industry professionals and higher education partners, providing invaluable real-world guidance and insight into advanced engineering practices. The course emphasizes professional skills including team collaboration, technical communication, project management, and critical analysis.

Student teams culminate their work by presenting and defending their original solutions to an external panel of experts, mirroring professional engineering review and evaluation. Honors Capstone prepares students for postsecondary engineering study and careers, offering unparalleled opportunities to connect academic learning with industry and higher education.

Why Take Capstone

Define and solve an original engineering problem of your own choosing — concept to working prototype.
Get mentored by industry professionals and university partners throughout the year.
Defend your finished solution before an external panel of practicing engineers.
Graduate with a portfolio project that genuinely stands out on college applications.
PLTW coursework can earn industry-recognized credentials and college opportunities through PLTW ACE partner schools.
Build project-management, technical-writing, and team-leadership skills you'll use in any career.

Requirements & Logistics

Grades: 11–12
Credits: 5 (Full Year)
Prerequisite: Principles of Engineering or Civil Engineering & Architecture
Level: Honors · PLTW Capstone
Commitment: A self-directed, team-based project sustained across the full year

Your Instructors

Meghan Cobb

Teacher of Engineering / Tech Ed. mcobb@monroe.k12.nj.us

Teacher TBD

Department of Engineering Ask the department office

Teacher TBD

Department of Engineering Ask the department office

What Students Say

Arjun Sarsam

MTHS '27

“The Engineering Design and Development Capstone course at Monroe Township Highschool is the best class I have taken throughout my high school experience. The format of the class has allowed me to develop job skills such as collaboration, time management, problem solving, and presentation skills. On the more technical side I learned how to use VEX robotics parts in more depth, how to make a website using coding skills, and got hands-on experience as an engineer solving a real world problem that I was able to come up with myself. Overall, I highly recommend this course to anyone looking into the engineering field.”

Srujan Patil

MTHS '26 · Purdue '30

“The PLTW Capstone class allowed me to apply everything I learned in and outside of my previous PLTW courses. I researched all about a new topic and the engineering that goes into it, learning new things along the way, so I could lay the groundwork for my prototype. Beyond building a novel prototype, I learned how to work effectively within a group.”

Jia Shibi

MTHS '26 · Rutgers '30

“PLTW Capstone is the penultimate of everything I've learned in engineering thus far. In this class, I applied the engineering design process to research, design and develop a prototype to solve a problem of my choosing. Through this process, I got insight to different skills as well as ethical concerns to consider in engineering, giving me insight to how life would be in my future as an engineer when designing and implementing projects.”

Course Highlights

Expert Panel Defense

Present and defend your finished project to an external panel of practicing engineers — the real review experience.

Showcase

Community Partnership Projects

Many teams solve problems sourced from local organizations, so your prototype helps real people.

Real World

PLTW National Recognition

Standout capstone projects can earn recognition through PLTW's national programs.

Award

University Mentorship

Higher-ed and industry mentors guide your research, design reviews, and testing all year.

Academic