SME/NSSGA Student Design Competition

Build connections with industry professionals and earn experience beyond the classroom.

The Student Design Competition was introduced in the fall of 2004 and culminated at the 2005 SME Annual Meeting and Exhibit in Salt Lake City, UT. It is a two-stage competition involving a technical design stage and an oral presentation stage based on an aggregate mining industry design problem. It was felt that in combining these two categories of a technical solution and an oral presentation provided the basis for most engineering work once the students enter the mining industry. In this way the students can be involved in a “real world” engineering problem and solution prior to graduation. The teams will be judged on presentation skills, creativity, understanding of aggregate mining processes, and thoughtful methodology.

Submit Team Information

Submitting Procedure
This form must be completed in order to participate in the 2024-2025 Student Design Competition. School information, Faculty Advisor information and at least one team member's information is required to submit the form. If you have any questions regarding submitting your team for the 2024-2025 Student Design competition, please email SME at education@smenet.org.

Team Applications are due by November 1, 2024

Submit Team Application Download the 2024-2025 Student Design Competition Guidelines

Submit Phase 1 Results

Participating teams for the 2024-2025 Student Design Competition should submit their Phase 1 Results by November 27, 2024.

Get Started

Submit Phase 1 Results

Read what our past participants have to say about the Student Design Competition.

"...no matter the outcome of the competition this is a great opportunity to make connections with industry leaders and be part of a fun experience that will perpetuate your career. The purpose behind the competition is to build relationships and learn how to collaborate with different personalities. These are the things that you cannot be taught in a classroom, but through experience and this competition embodies that idea."

-Nancy Tracy, Montana Tech

 

Key dates for 2024-2025:

 
Phase
 
Date
 
Phase 1 Begins Monday, September 16, 2024
Last Day to Submit Phase 1 Problem
Solutions to SDC Committee
Wednesday, November 27, 2024
Results of Phase 1 Presented to Teams                  Early January, 2025
Phase 2 Begins Friday, February 21, 2025
Phase 2 Presentations and Awards Sunday, February 23, 2025
2024 SME Annual Conference and Expo Begins Sunday, February 23, 2025