The main objective of this paper was to report the development of instructional engineering projects and necessary tutorials that utilize the GT-POWER software for engine simulations in combustion-related courses at Missouri S&T as part of the Partners for the Advancement of Collaborative Engineering Education (PACE) program. Students teamed up to perform modeling of engine performance and emission characteristics so that they could learn state-of-the art engine technology and explore innovative design procedures routinely employed by the leading automotive companies. The projects included understanding and comparison of simple hand calculations using typical textbook assumptions with detailed and complicated software calculations. Such projects would help to bridge the gap between the theoretical and simple concepts learned by students in the classroom and the practical and advanced skills desired by industry. Various tools available for studying engine combustion fueled by alternative fuels were also introduced.