Interprofessional Projects (IPRO) Program

Home
�糵��
Interprofessional Projects (IPRO) Program

Since 1995 Illinois Tech’s IPRO Program has provided the alternative to a traditional undergraduate education. Our signature IPRO Program remains one of just a few programs of its kind in the country. IPRO joins students from various majors to work together to solve real-world problems, often on behalf of sponsor companies and nonprofits. A required academic program, IPRO teaches leadership, creativity, teamwork, design thinking, and project management—uniquely preparing students to succeed in a professional work environment.

Innovation Day

Each semester culminates with Innovation Day, a forum where students showcase their team’s outcomes for members of the Illinois Tech community, sponsors, and public at large. Students prepare posters, conduct live demos, show off their designs and prototypes, and have the opportunity to speak with expert guests about their work—along the way developing public speaking and presentation skills.

View Story and Photo Gallery from Prior Innovation Day

IPRO: A Case Study

IPRO student teams have explored a range of ambitious topics. These include developing a platform for safe drug disposal, designing a net-zero community, harvesting condensate from HVAC systems to create drinking water for humans, and hundreds more. In one course (see video), students developed multiple creative solutions to address a physical condition.

Faculty member talking to students during an IPRO class inside Kaplan Institute

Go Inside IPRO

Read about current and upcoming IPRO courses, student projects, and Innovation Day.

“My IPRO was a fantastic introduction to real-world problem solving. Over the course of the semester, we worked on setting up an automatic irrigation system for an urban farm we have on campus, UFarm. Not only was I able to work with students of different backgrounds, I was able to work with the Wanger Institute for Sustainable Energy Research and see the applications of renewable energy and resource conservation right on the farm.”

—Maddy Urig (Mechanical Engineering 4th Year), Cleveland

“I want to make infrastructure reliable and sustainable for communities. My IPRO aims to tackle housing feasibility and zoning issues surrounding the Bronzeville area in addition to maintaining quality of life and sustainability. I hope to see a day where all people can live within their means and have a place to call home that they are proud of. This project is a good place to start.”

—George Beck (Structural Engineering 4th Year), Wheaton, Illinois

“The resources here and unique programs like IPRO allow you to experience creating professional-grade work while still in school. Learning to clearly identify a problem and apply the correct tools to solve that problem is an important skill, one that is emphasized at Illinois Tech.”

—Matthew McMullen (Business Administration 4th Year), Fleming Island, Florida

A faculty member talking to students during an IPRO class

One-of-a-Kind Education

Illinois Tech’s IPRO Program offers undergraduates exceptional preparation to succeed in the real world. IPRO is based at the Ed Kaplan Family Institute for Innovation and Tech Entrepreneurship, the university’s innovation hub.

�糵����