Projects sourced from industry and government create dynamic fall semester for Master of Engineering students

On the first day of the fall 2025 semester, the Institute for Advanced Computing launched right into a core aspect of its mission – connections with industry and government in the greater Washington, D.C., area.

Master of Engineering students heard from representatives from companies (large and small) and government organizations who are contributing challenges to their Integrated Project Design and Capstone courses this fall. This was “pitch day” – a gathering at Academic Building One in Alexandria where organizations detailed the real-world problems they are enlisting Virginia Tech computer science and computer engineering students to solve. More than 150 students participated.

“Interest in our project-based program, and collaborating with our master’s students, continues to grow,” said Kirk Cameron, interim director of the Institute for Advanced Computing. “We are excited about the range of projects for this year, and the opportunities they create for our students and our partners.” 

New for this fall, Northrop Grumman introduced projects focused on two significant computational tasks faced by those designing quantum computers. And the U.S. Secret Service asked students to develop and implement a system to identify and neutralize hostile or unauthorized drones. In fact, Northrop Grumman is recommending all M.Eng students check out their early careers page for the latest on internships and entry level positions. 

Boeing and the U.S. Marine Corps Community Services were returning participants, having guided student teams since the project-based courses were in pilot mode. Boeing has three projects this year – all focused on an aspect of Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems. Each Boeing project is led by a Virginia Tech alum who will mentor a team of master’s students.

Through these collaborations, students gain hands-on experience solving real world challenges, while organizations benefit from new perspectives and solutions. Projects vary in length, from one semester capstone projects, to full year deep-dive in Integrate Project Design courses.

Read about project-based learning.

Projects for Inbox America and MARi – an Alexandria-based data analytics and AI-integration company -- give students the chance to work within a start-up culture. Several projects are also offered through faculty researchers C.T. Lu and Yaling Yang, and students also have the option of proposing their own projects where they consult with the Institute for Advanced Computing’s subject-matter experts for guidance.

This fall, 500 students are enrolled in the Master of Engineering programs in computer science and computer engineering, of which more than 350 are based in Northern Virginia and 115 are participating in project-based courses.

Students participating in semester long projects will present their project results at the presentation day set for December 12, 2025.