college senior capstone project examples

A Comprehensive Guide on High School Senior Capstone Projects (With Examples)

Reviewed by:

Rohan Jotwani

Former Admissions Committee Member, Columbia University

Reviewed: 3/8/24

As you near the end of your high school journey, it's time to explore the world of senior capstone projects.

If you're a high school student, especially in your senior year, you're likely gearing up for the culmination of your academic journey: the senior capstone project. 

In this comprehensive guide, we'll walk you through everything you need to know about capstone projects, complete with examples to spark your inspiration and help you succeed. Whether you're just starting to explore project ideas or fine-tuning your plans, you've come to the right place!

What Is a Capstone Project?

A capstone project is like the grand finale of your academic or personal journey. It's a focused effort that you tackle within a set timeframe, bringing together everything you've learned or accomplished. Unlike a passion project , which you can work on whenever you feel like it, a capstone project has a clear deadline.

For instance, let’s say you're a culinary arts student nearing graduation. Your passion lies in sustainable cooking practices, and for your capstone project, you decide to create a cookbook featuring locally sourced, eco-friendly recipes. 

Your cookbook project demands months of research, recipe development, testing, and layout design. It's a big commitment that demonstrates your expertise in culinary arts and your dedication to sustainable food practices.

Similarly, in school, a capstone project could take various forms, such as conducting research on a scientific topic, developing a business plan, or creating a multimedia presentation. These projects all reflect your broader interests and passions, demonstrating your skills and knowledge in a specific area.

Overall, your capstone project in high school is a major milestone, allowing you to demonstrate your expertise, creativity, and dedication. It's a chance to bring everything you've learned together and show what you're capable of achieving.

Different Between Capstone and Passion Project

Capstone projects are typically a mandatory part of a school or college program. They're serious business involving thorough research, problem-solving, and often collaboration with teachers or experts. The goal is to demonstrate your mastery of the subject matter and readiness to tackle real-world challenges.

On the other hand, passion projects are all about following your interests and doing something you love. You could focus on writing a novel, starting a community project, or diving into a hobby—passion projects are driven by personal motivation rather than academic requirements. They're more flexible and allow you to explore your passions on your own terms.

So, while both capstone and passion projects are valuable ways to dive deep into a topic you're passionate about, capstone projects are more structured and tied to academic goals, while passion projects offer more freedom and personal expression.

How to Find Ideas for Capstone Project

Looking for capstone project ideas? Let's take a look at some effective strategies to spark inspiration and find the perfect project for you.

Follow Your Interests

Think about what excites you the most. Do you love helping the environment or dreaming up better ways to teach? Pick a topic that really speaks to you. When you're passionate about what you're working on, you'll stay motivated and focused from start to finish.

Use What You've Learned

Consider the subjects you've learned in school. Think about how you can use that knowledge to solve real-life issues. For example, if you've studied marketing, you could create a marketing plan for a nearby business. Or, if you're good at finance, you could analyze a company's finances and propose ways to make them better.

Don't hesitate to reach out to your professors, advisors, or mentors for guidance. They've been through similar experiences and can offer valuable insights and suggestions. They might even be able to connect you with industry contacts or organizations that could provide support or resources for your project. Their feedback can help you refine your ideas and ensure you're on the right track.

Check Feasibility

As you narrow down your options, it's crucial to assess the feasibility of each potential project idea. Consider factors such as the availability of resources, the complexity of the task, and your own time constraints. 

While you want to choose a project that's challenging and meaningful, it's also essential to be realistic about what you can accomplish within the given timeframe. Setting achievable goals will increase your chances of success and prevent unnecessary stress along the way.

Identify Current Issues

Keep up to date with the latest news and trends in your field of study or topics that interest you. Identify important issues or new challenges that you could focus on for your capstone project. By addressing relevant and current topics, you can actively contribute to important discussions and possibly have a bigger impact with your project.

Consider Community Needs

Consider the issues that matter most to your local community or a specific group of people. Is there a problem or something missing that you could help with through your project? By talking to people in your community through volunteer work or doing surveys, you can find project ideas that match real needs and make a positive impact.

Broaden Your Horizons

Think outside the box! Don't stick to just one subject for your capstone project. Instead, think about how you can mix ideas from different areas. By combining different perspectives, you can come up with creative and innovative solutions that you might not have thought of otherwise. This can make your project stand out and bring new insights to your work.

Look for Inspiration from Previous Projects

When searching for ideas for your capstone project, take a look at projects completed by students who came before you. Looking at successful past projects can give you helpful ideas about topics, methods, and how big your project should be. 

Remember, it's important not to copy someone else's work exactly, but you can use it to inspire your own unique ideas and ways of doing things.

Think About Long-Term Goals

Think about how your capstone project can help you achieve your long-term goals, both in school and beyond. Are there particular skills you want to improve or experiences you want to have during the project? By making sure your project connects to your bigger plans, you can make it even more meaningful and helpful for your future journey.

Stay Flexible and Open-Minded

Stay open to exploring new directions and adjusting your project as you learn and receive feedback. Sometimes, the best projects come from unexpected changes or improvements along the way. Stay flexible and welcome the chance to learn and develop throughout your capstone project. 

By blending your interests, what you've learned in school, and advice from mentors, you can create a capstone project that shows off your abilities and makes a difference in your field or community.

Tips on How to Execute Capstone Project

Ready to tackle your capstone project head-on? Here are some practical tips to guide you through the execution process smoothly.

Junior Fall

Brainstorm Ideas : This is your chance to explore a wide range of topics and ideas that pique your interest. Consider what issues or subjects you're passionate about, what challenges you want to address, or what questions you want to explore further. Keep an open mind and jot down any potential project ideas that come to mind, even if they seem unconventional at first.

Set Goals : Once you've generated some project ideas, it's time to clarify your objectives. Think about what you want to accomplish with your capstone project and break it down into smaller, actionable goals. Consider both short-term goals, such as completing research or gathering resources, and long-term goals, such as presenting your findings or implementing a solution.

Junior Spring

Recruit and Fundraise : Depending on the scope of your project, you may need additional support from teammates or financial resources. Reach out to classmates, friends, or faculty members who share your interests and might be interested in collaborating on the project. Additionally, explore fundraising opportunities to secure funding for project-related expenses, such as materials, equipment, or travel.

Hit Milestones : As you begin working on your project, set specific milestones to track your progress and stay on schedule. These milestones could include completing research, conducting experiments or surveys, drafting project proposals or reports, or presenting preliminary findings to peers or advisors. Regularly assess your progress and adjust your approach as needed to ensure you're meeting your goals.

Rising Senior Summer

Stay Busy : Although summer break is a time for relaxation, don't let your momentum wane. Dedicate consistent time each week to work on your capstone project, whether it's conducting research, analyzing data, drafting project documents, or refining your presentation skills. Establish a schedule and stick to it to maintain progress and prevent last-minute rushes.

Stay Connected : While you may be physically distanced from campus during the summer months, stay connected with your advisors, mentors, or project collaborators through email, phone calls, or virtual meetings. Keep them updated on your progress, seek their input or feedback when needed, and leverage their expertise to overcome any challenges you encounter.

Senior Fall

Keep Pushing : As the new school year begins, ramp up your efforts and focus on achieving your project goals. Set new objectives for the upcoming semester and prioritize tasks that will bring you closer to project completion. If your project involves organizing events, conducting experiments, or presenting findings, plan and execute these activities with diligence and attention to detail.

Senior Spring

Plan Ahead : As you approach the final months of your capstone project, take time to reflect on your accomplishments and consider the next steps. Evaluate the impact of your project, gather feedback from stakeholders or participants, and identify any areas for improvement or follow-up activities. Prepare for project completion by documenting your findings, finalizing project deliverables, and communicating your results to relevant audiences.

By following these guidelines and staying committed to your goals, you'll be well-equipped to execute your capstone project successfully and make meaningful contributions to your field of study or community.

Common Mistakes

Let's take a look at nine common mistakes students make in their capstone projects, along with tips on how to sidestep them.

Choosing a Topic That’s Too Broad

Your topic should be relevant to your field of study, but many students make the mistake of selecting broad topics that lack focus. To avoid this, consult with professors or career advisors to narrow down your focus and ensure your topic is both relevant and manageable.

Choosing a Topic You Don’t Really Care About

Passion is key to success. If you're not genuinely interested in your topic, your motivation and enthusiasm will dwindle over time. Select a topic that excites you and aligns with your interests to stay engaged throughout the project.

Not Doing Your Research Properly

Research is the backbone of your project. Skipping this step or relying on inaccurate information can derail your project. Take the time to conduct thorough research, cite credible sources, and ensure the accuracy of your findings.

Not Writing Your Paper in the Correct Format

A well-structured paper is essential for clarity and coherence. Follow a standard format, including sections such as introduction, literature review, methods, results, and conclusion, to ensure your paper is organized and easy to follow.

Not Taking Advantage of All the Resources Available

Don't overlook the resources at your disposal, whether it's the library, the internet, peers, professors , or academic advisors. Utilize these resources for research, guidance, feedback, and support throughout your project.

Not Proofreading Thoroughly Enough

Typos, grammatical errors, and formatting inconsistencies can undermine the credibility of your project. Take the time to proofread your work multiple times, or enlist the help of a peer or professional proofreader to ensure your paper is error-free.

Forgetting to Reference Your Sources

Proper citation is essential to avoid plagiarism and give credit to the original sources of information. Ensure you cite all sources accurately and consistently throughout your paper, following the required citation style guidelines.

Poor Presentation

Your presentation is the final show of your hard work. Neglecting to prepare adequately or rushing through your presentation can detract from the quality of your project. Practice your presentation, create engaging visuals, and rehearse your delivery to captivate your audience.

Waiting Until the Last Minute to Start Writing Your Paper

Procrastination is a common pitfall that can lead to rushed and subpar work. Start early, create a timeline, and break down your project into manageable tasks to avoid last-minute stress and ensure a polished final product.

By steering clear of these common mistakes and approaching your capstone project with diligence and dedication, you'll set yourself up for success and leave a lasting impression with your academic masterpiece.

Ideas and Examples of Capstone Projects

Need some capstone project ideas for high school? Let’s take a look at some high school capstone project examples. 

• Study green marketing strategies that promote sustainability and environmental responsibility.

Engineering

• Develop a system to detect red traffic lights using image processing for safer roads.
• Create a solar panel system with adjustable angles to maximize energy capture.
• Analyze how social media can be used to effectively engage and retain customers through content marketing strategies.
• Design educational programs for nurses on asthma care and point-of-care testing protocols for accurate diagnosis and treatment.

Computer Science

• Develop a smartphone interface for managing medical records to improve accessibility and patient engagement.
• Design a web-based survey system for collecting feedback and analysis in academic or business settings.
• Evaluate the impact of project management practices on the success of political campaigns.
• Assess how technology influences accounting practices and the effectiveness of accounting software in improving financial reporting.
• Explore the benefits of virtual classrooms and digital engagement strategies for remote learning.

Information Technology

• Investigate cybersecurity issues and propose solutions to protect against threats like intrusion and data breaches.
• Create object recognition systems using machine learning for security surveillance and image analysis.

Looking to gain clarity on your senior capstone project? Here are some frequently asked questions to guide you through the process.

1. How Does a Capstone Project Differ from Other High School Projects?

A high school capstone project typically involves more in-depth research and interdisciplinary exploration compared to other projects.

2. How Do I Choose a Topic for My High School Capstone Project?

To choose a topic for your high school capstone project, consider your interests, skills, and academic goals, and seek advice from teachers or mentors.

3. Are High School Capstone Projects Required for Graduation?

High school capstone projects are not always required for graduation and can vary depending on the school or program.

4. Can High School Capstone Projects Be Related to Extracurricular Activities?

Yes, high school capstone projects can be related to extracurricular activities and allow students to integrate their interests and experiences into their academic projects.

Final Thoughts

In short, high school senior capstone projects are your chance to shine. By picking the right topic, steering clear of common pitfalls, and tapping into available resources, you can leave a lasting mark. Whether it's in marketing, engineering, education, or any other field, capstone projects let you show off your skills and get ready for what's next.

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Best Practices for Capstones

See the College Curriculum Council's report on best practices for capstone projects.

Many Brown graduates spend a portion of their senior year hard at work on an independent project of their own design. A senior capstone project enables students to synthesize knowledge gained in the (inter)discipline(s), often by allowing students to apply what they have learned.

A senior capstone experience can be any kind of project that draws on what you have learned in your concentration. It is usually completed in close consultation with an advisor. An honors thesis or independent study is one obvious type of capstone. A performance or art opening is another. And, depending on one's goals, a focused internship or other kind of educational work experience could be another, especially if carried out in consultation with a faculty mentor. Many concentrations at Brown, particularly interdisciplinary and joint concentrations, require a senior capstone experience. Even if such a culminating project is not required by a student's concentration, we encourage all juniors to include such a project in their senior-year planning.

Brown offers several resources to help rising seniors think carefully about possible capstone projects. Faculty members and concentration advisors represent a deep pool of intellectual expertise and can help with the planning and execution. Dean Lindsay Garcia , the Assistant Dean for Junior and Senior Studies, is also available to discuss capstone endeavors or other issues pertaining to your final year at Brown.

Seniors who wish to share their capstone projects with the larger campus community should consider applying to the  Theories in Action  exchange held each spring.

Examples of Departmental Approaches to Capstones

Environmental studies, modern culture and media.

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Capstone Project: Definition, Types, Structure, and Examples

by  Antony W

January 2, 2024

If you're reading this, chances are that you're in your final year of school and the words "capstone project" have come up somewhere in your first or second semester.

You're probably looking for a quick score on the topic - what it's about, a project template, or even a sample. If so, you're in the right place.

Before we get into it, you' need to know that you're in the hands of consummate capstone project experts.

Help for Assessment is composed of scholars at all levels of academic achievement including Masters and Ph.D., all inspired and motivated to help students like you achieve their academic goals. The expertise and experience we have spans years. Even better, this combined academic expertise is placed at your disposal. If your capstone research project is already giving you goosebumps, we will do it for you from scratch including the project proposal, research, write up, and final review before submission.

Remember, you can trust Help for Assessment to complete your capstone project successfully and earn you top grades. All you have to do is order the service here on our service page.

 In the meantime, let us explore the definition of the capstone project, types of projects for students, and a sample capstone project.

What Is a Capstone Project? 

A capstone project in college is a final independent project undertaken in a program of study designed to assess the skills, knowledge, and expertise acquired by the student.

As the name suggests, it is the capstone or crowning achievement of academic life and the last class taken before graduation. It gives you the final credits required to pass the course, which is why every student must take the project.

Since it is designed to assess knowledge and skills gained in a particular discipline, capstone projects vary from school to school and discipline to discipline.

Such a project might involve something as simple as research on a topic, an evaluation of a new technique or method, development of a health program, research into a historical figure or event, or even composing a skit or theatre presentation.

No matter what kind of project you choose to undertake, the result is the same. You get to showcase your understanding of the coursework material learned and display your readiness to enter the professional world to start your career. It is a rewarding experience if done right, but can mess up your final year and possibly your graduation if you manage to mess it up.

Do you know that a successful capstone project also helps to land you lucrative jobs? That’s right, capstone projects are one of the ways potential employers find out just how learned, resourceful, and talented you are. Think of it as a kind of thesis.

Capstone projects are also called culminating projects, experience, senior exhibition, or other similar names. The project is usually self-directed, and most students find it a challenge to even come up with the right capstone project topic. 

Capstone Project Vs. Thesis

A capstone project and a thesis are both very similar in that they represent a final effort from the student just before graduation.

They are done in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the course being undertaken. The comprehensive approach and assessment involved are very similar, and sometimes the structure and methodology might overlap.

Both also have to be reviewed and approved by the institution and will remain in the public domain after publishing.

However, there are some important differences.

• A thesis is purely academic while a capstone project focuses more on the practical preparation of the student for the real world/job market.
• A thesis is guided by a research question resulting in the addition of new knowledge to the field, while a capstone project is guided by the practical importance of the project to the field.
• A thesis involves academic research and analysis, while a capstone project can be anything including a dance or film.
• A thesis is expected to be original and authentic, while a capstone project will have more loose requirements. You can borrow another person’s capstone project ideas , so long as you demonstrate your own advancement in the field.
• A capstone project will usually only have a brief write-up or report, while a thesis generates a detailed, extensive writeup.
• The final presentation of a thesis, called a defense, is meant to prove and show that you have mastered the subject. You are supposed to be a mini-expert in the field. A capstone project presentation comes off as a kind of exhibition where you showcase your project without having to defend it.

Types of Capstone Projects

Capstone projects vary not just in the type of project, also in the level at which they are done.

There are projects for juniors and seniors in college as well as for postgraduate students.

Here are some examples of the forms of projects depending on the academic level.

• In-depth research projects.
• Developing the concept of a product, tool, or service.
• Expositions.
• Experiments.

Capstone projects can be conducted either individually or in a group.

However, the key thing is to make sure that the project proposal has been reviewed and approved by the instructor/panel/institution in charge before proceeding.

Senior Capstone Project

Senior projects are so called because they are done by high school students in their senior year.

Just like other projects, they represent a culmination of the coursework with an interdisciplinary application of knowledge and skills gained so far.

The project usually takes the better part of the final academic year and will have different parts to it, depending on the type of project chosen.

It will also require a presentation where the student(s) explain and describe the project to an audience, including their classmates.

Sample Capstone Project Outline

The write up for a project consists of several parts. However, even before starting the write-up, you need to do a few things:

• Come up with an idea for your project. What will be your subject matter, topic, or premise?
• Find sources for the project and review them beforehand to ensure that they will be of help to you.
• Come up with a step-by-step methodology for your project.

Using this information, you will then write a capstone project proposal for your project. It informs your instructor or review panel exactly what you intend to present so that they can approve or reject it.

Once approved, you can go on to the next stage. The final write-up has the following parts.

• A title page.
• Project outline.
• A description/abstract.
• Introduction
• Rationale/relevance/reason for doing the project.
• Objectives of the project.
• Procedures/methodology.
• Research and analysis.
• Evaluation of results and findings.
• Conclusion and future work/suggestions.
• Bibliography/works cited/reference list.

Note that the project is carried out in stages. Once approved, you will need to be submitting weekly or monthly status reports to your supervisor. After the project report is submitted, you will also have to make a presentation about the whole project.

This brief outline is only meant to be a rough guide. We have a much more detailed article detailing how you can do your capstone project, including a project template. 

Capstone Project Examples

Help for Assessment has extensive experience when it comes to capstone projects of all kinds.

Whether it’s a high school project, a college capstone, or a senior capstone project, you can trust us to carry it out successfully for you.

You can check out various project samples here . 

Get Help With Your Capstone Project

Capstone projects in every level of school are a make or break it deal. Given that they complete the graduation credits required, it makes sense to leave this important part of your coursework to experts.

We are proud to offer you a guide on how to write a capstone project here . If you need help, you can take advantage of our capstone project writing service at affordable, student-friendly rates with amazing discounts. 

Check it out here and make your order to experience excellence, peace of mind, and success thanks to our stellar services.

About the author 

Antony W is a professional writer and coach at Help for Assessment. He spends countless hours every day researching and writing great content filled with expert advice on how to write engaging essays, research papers, and assignments.

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50 Senior Project Ideas That Will Inspire You

Senior project is a long-awaited experience for many high schoolers. The anticipation can lead to a lot of uncertainty on what exactly to do, however. After years of looking forward to this opportunity, many students get so caught up in looking for the perfect idea that they can’t make a decision.

If you’re looking for original and inspiring senior project ideas, this is just the place for you. Read on for suggestions related to a wide variety of interests, from medicine to marketing to environmentalism.

What is a Senior Project?

A senior project allows high school students to explore whatever interests them through experiential learning. Students normally design and implement their own projects from start to finish. These projects often occur in the second semester of senior year, and can involve time off from regular classes.

Senior project ideas include everything from future careers to special talents to community service projects, and can range from research to hands-on activities. One of the great benefits of senior projects is that students can apply their acquired skills and knowledge to a project they’re passionate about, while also gaining greater insight into their particular interest. 

High schoolers can also build essential life skills by participating in a senior project, such as long-term planning and time management.

50 Inspiring Senior Project Ideas  

While many schools will have a list of suggested senior project ideas, they don’t always have one that lines up with a student’s interests, and the best senior projects generally involve a subject or area the student is enthusiastic about. If you’re looking for an engaging and exciting senior project idea, look no further—below are 50 senior project ideas spread across 11 areas of interest to inspire you. 

• Volunteer on the campaign of a local political candidate, or work in the office of a local representative.
• Write op-eds and articles for your local newspaper on issues you truly care about.
• Start a mock senate to give your fellow students a simulated experience with the business of the U.S. Senate and a better understanding of how a bill becomes a law. 
• Define a local problem, the political situation around it, what interest groups and lobbyists have a stake in it and what their positions are. Then, discuss potential solutions, or what it would take for there to be progress on the issue.

Virtual Arts

• Organize the creation of a mural at your school or local community to highlight a memorable moment in local history.
• Take portraits of meaningful life milestones (engagement, wedding, senior photos) for low-income families who might otherwise not be able to afford it.
• Start a painting class for kids from low-income homes who may not have easy access to art supplies. 
• Make a documentary about a lesser-known part of local history. 
• Put on a production of a play you wrote yourself to call attention to issues such as racial discrimination and body image. 
• Create a curriculum for teaching seniors how to use a computer/internet and circulate it to local nursing homes and retirement communities. 
• Organize volunteers to mentor adults without high school diplomas and help them graduate.
• Work with local business people to create a series of workshops teaching vital job skills to people out of work.  
• Construct a “ Little Free Library Box ” in a neighborhood where access to libraries and books is limited.
• Go through the process of changing a school policy that many students disagree with.
• Work with your local senior center or retirement home to teach a foreign language to their members/residents—you’re never too old to learn! 
• Volunteer to assist in an ESL (English as a second language) class, or mentor non-native speakers one-on-one. 
• Develop a website or app where people can find language partners to practice with.
• Act as a translator at school or in a local business, or translate documents/media that are read by a significant immigrant population
• If your school serves a large percentage of non-English or non-native English speakers, petition your school to become more inclusive by also providing documents in the predominant language spoken. 
• Help translate for patients at a doctor’s office with a significant immigrant population.
• Define a community health problem and develop solutions, working with local officials and medical professionals (for example, obesity, diabetes, drug use, etc.).
• Coordinate a free health screening event with medical professionals for at-risk and underserved community members.
• Investigate the accessibility of healthcare in your community by interviewing a diverse selection of residents, and writing a paper on your findings, or creating a documentary.
• Work with a local nonprofit or business to better understand what it takes to thrive in today’s economy.
• Start a business—conduct market research, develop a product or service, and sell it. 
• Identify a local economic issue and develop solutions, working with local representatives and organizations who can make a difference (for example, homelessness, hunger, inaccessible healthcare, low minimum wage, etc.)
• Help a local business with their accounting or record keeping. Tech-savvy students might even upgrade an old business, transferring them from pen-and-paper bookkeeping to a program like Quickbooks.

Marketing/Media

• Create a social marketing campaign for your local animal shelter to raise awareness and find homes for pets.  
• Start your own blog on a topic that you’re passionate about and write SEO-optimized content, or start a blog for a local business or non-profit.
• Intern for a local magazine or newspaper.
• Research the impact of the media on your community during a local or national election.
• Work with your high school Amnesty International Club to create materials like pamphlets and posters to raise awareness of human rights issues. 

Environmentalism

• Work with the local government to create a space for a community garden. 
• Create a documentary to teach people about environmental issues in your community.
• Work with your school cafeteria to implement changes that reduce food waste, like introducing compost or switching to biodegradable trays. 
• Organize an event to clean up a local park or woodland (you can take it a step further and even make it a hike or a run to pick up trash; there’s actually a trend called “plogging” when you jog and pick up trash)
• Work in the lab of a local professor to research a topic that you’re passionate about.
• Develop an app for simplifying school communication. 
• Act as a teaching assistant for your STEM teacher at school, helping students during labs, developing supplemental materials, or holding review sessions.
• Build a website that changes an industry—Facebook, WordPress, and Dell were all founded by undergraduates, and Google began as a Ph.D. research program.
• Develop a plan for building mountain bike trails, organize volunteers, and demonstrate the economic impact they’ll have on the community. 
• Organize a new club for an unrepresented sport at your school, like rock climbing or fencing. 
• Offer a service that pairs high-energy dogs whose owners can’t give them enough exercise with runners looking for a canine training partner. 
• Volunteer to coach a Special Olympics team. 
• Found a group that exposes athletic opportunities to people who might otherwise not experience them—for example, taking inner-city kids backpacking.  
• Take your love of shopping and do good by organizing a squad of shoppers that picks up groceries and medicine for the elderly. 
• Gather a group to make and distribute holiday gifts for kids in the hospital. 
• Set up a ride service that takes the elderly to and from doctors’ appointments. 
• Serve meals at the local homeless shelter, or work with a local restaurant to help feed the homeless. 
• Plan and put on a low-key party for children on the autism spectrum who can find some festivities overwhelming. 

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Design a Capstone Experience

Designing IDEAL capstone experiences is important for promoting the learning and development of all students and for setting them up for success beyond college.

A capstone experience is the culmination of a student's study in a particular major. A capstone experience at Stanford  encourages students to “integrate knowledge and skills developed in the major and to learn and think independently with the tools of the discipline.” Examples include an honors thesis, senior paper or project, and capstone seminar with individual student projects.

Capstones are considered a high-impact educational practice and have been widely shown to be of integral importance to students’ learning and mastery of course material in a major. They require students to assume agency over their learning, synthesize diverse perspectives, respond to targeted feedback, and approximate the methods and outcomes of experts in authentic, real-world contexts. At the same time, students might come to a capstone experience with varying prior experiences, as well as varying future interests and pathways.

More Team Project Ideas

Steps to consider

In pre-capstone courses: 

• Integrate skills that will be highlighted in the capstone course, such as literature review and synthesis, data collection, recommendations of finding to real world settings (you can use VALUE rubric s as a guide) 
• Use the learning goals established for the capstone course to help individual courses integrate goals earlier in the coursework (Stanford Teaching Commons Learning Outcomes Guide )

Stanford examples and resources

• Designing Capstone Experiences , from CTL.
• Bioengineering capstone
• Human Biology capstone
• Religious Studies capstone
• Urban Studies capstone

The VPUE website on Designing Capstones

Evidence-based Capstone Principles and the Capstone Curriculum website  Guidelines for teachers  published by the Australian Government Office for Teaching and Learning

Reynolds, Julie, Smith, Robin, Moskovitz, Cary, Sayle, Amy (2009). “ BioTAP: A systematic Approach to Teaching Scientific Writing and Evaluating Undergraduate Theses ”, Bioscience , 59(10), 896-903. 

Howe, Susannah, Goldberg, Jay (2019). “ Engineering Capstone Design Education: Current Practices, Emerging Trends, and Successful Strategies ”, In Design Education Today . 

Morreale, Joseph C., Shostya, Anna (2020). “ Creating Transformative Learning Experience Through a Capstone Course in Economics ”, International Review of Economics Education , 35, 100198.

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The Blue Tribune is your place to learn about all things Covenant and keep up with stories from campus and beyond. By guiding you through the different aspects of Covenant, we'll help you decide if you want to pursue your very own Covenant experience.

Senior Capstone Projects: A Bridge to Opportunity

• By Sophia Wiersema '26
• Jan 29, 2024
• Academic Excellence

The capstone project, completed by all Covenant seniors, provides students with the opportunity to focus on a specific area of interest related to their major and possibly their future careers. From brainstorming and researching to the final draft or project, the students are guided by a faculty advisor. While the capstone signifies the culmination of a student’s studies at Covenant, it can also serve as a bridge to future opportunities.

From College to Conference

Recently, two Covenant sociology majors, Jon Schimpf ’23 and Kimi Morris ’23, were accepted to present their capstone research at the Christian Sociological Association conference at Eastern University in St. David’s, Pennsylvania. Both students had graduated at the time of the summer conference, yet they were dedicated to presenting their studies and continuing to grow academically after Covenant. 

Expanding an Academic Interest

These two students’ topics reflected their own academic interests, which is not unique to just these students. Across departments, capstones are an intersection of a student's passion and interest related to their field of study. These individual interests result in a variety of capstone projects, including topics such as, “The Breach in Sports Integrity and Fairness” by Harrison Adelgren ’24 studying sport management, “Gospel Hospitality: a Holistic Way of Doing Missions” by Isabel Gregoire ’23 in biblical and theological studies, and “The Role of Tchaikovsky in the Creation of a Russian National Identity” by Sara Rogers ’24, a music major. 

In his capstone project, Jon Schimpf ’23 studied the correlation between language, artistic expression, and culture in his paper “Bridging Cultures Across Language Barriers: Role Taking with the Language of Art.” Part of his research was conducted through interviews with Covenant students whose first language was not English. While integrating his faith into this research, he discussed the command to love our neighbours and how this command is related to art and to understanding other cultures. 

Regarding his project and future research on the topic, Jon said, “This study was only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the ways art can bridge gaps, make people feel safe, and communicate important parts of people’s lives.”

Exploring a Personal Passion

Kimi Morris ’23 also utilized empirical research methods by interviewing Covenant students to understand her topic. Her project, titled “Her Body, His Choice: Perceptions of Bodily Autonomy among Young Christian Women,” contemplated female experiences that can challenge a woman’s ownership and sense of control of her own body. She also discussed how Jesus treats women in the Bible in relation to feminine identity.

“When searching for a proper biblical treatment of women with full acknowledgment of their bodily autonomy, it is no surprise that we look to Jesus,” Kimi writes. “His radical love and care for the marginalized stands out in the heavily patriarchal society of the time.” Describing how the gospels are filled with examples of Jesus’ counter-cultural care for women, Kimi focused her paper on specifically on the hemorrhaging woman and the samaritan woman at the well.

More than a Class Assignment

The senior capstone project is not just something to check off the list to graduate but a door to self-discovery and a key to unlocking further professional opportunities that will give students a leg up in the academic world. The faculty-guided research can serve, as seen here, as a topic for a conference presentation or possibly a writing sample submitted in a graduate school application or research that could serve as the foundation for a masters thesis or doctoral dissertation.

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2020 VPA Senior Capstone Projects and VPA Awards

VPA majors in the class of 2020 senior class designed their capstone projects to highlight their work. Chosen by the faculty of VPA, our  Annual Awards  also highlight the creativity and excellence of our students and events.  See 2021 capstone projects .

What is a senior capstone project?

Senior capstone projects take place in the senior year of study. They are designed to explore a passion with intensity, take the shape of a large experiential project, or complete a research topic written thesis. Projects are designed to challenge and upend your comfort zone. They are publicly celebrated through performance, exhibition, publication, and oral presentation.

VPA Senior Capstone Projects 2020

Performing Artist of the Year-Theatre

Emily Burke  (2020) was nominated for her performance in the fall VPA production of  The Moors,  where she appeared in the role of Huldey. Emily is a Theatre Arts and English major and served this year as the President of the Onstagers Dramatic Society. Emily was also cast in the role of Gertrude McFuzz in the spring musical  Seussical: The Musical  which, unfortunately, had to be cancelled when the college moved to remote learning.

Additional Nominees in this Category: Sarah Scougall 

Performing Artist of the Year-Music

Dillon Cloonan  (2020) was nominated for his innovative concept and execution in his senior capstone project for his Contract Major in Music. Dillon’s project investigates the intersections between the musical styles of rock and rap. Drawing on his extensive and diverse musical knowledge, Dillon’s capstone yielded a well-researched academic thesis, as well as creative music composition work connecting the musical elements of these two styles.

Additional Nominees in this Category: Mike Emery, Kristen Scheeler

David Raymond Visual Artist of the Year

Kevin Benkart  (2020) was nominated for his creative blend of art and design in his senior project. His project brings mental health issues into dialogue producing two complimentary artifacts. Kevin’s working process yielded both highly engaging visual work for a streetwear brand, as well as a thematically linked collection of songs.

Additional Nominees in this Category: Emma Hoey, Nick Paolino, Josh White

Arts Event of the Year

The Merrimack College Christmas Concert  (December 2019) featured the Merrimack Concert Band, Concert Choir, and Jazz Ensemble joining forces to present their annual musical celebration of the Christmas season in the Rogers Center. A second performance of the concert was added for the first time this year, due to audience demand. A benefit event for Lazarus House, all proceeds were donated to that organization to help with their food pantry, homeless shelter, and other services. Over $5,000 was raised at the concerts for these programs, a new record.

Additional Nominees in this Category:  The Moors  (VPA Department Show;  Youniverse  by Emma Hoey, a Pop-Up Exhibition

Nancy Wynn Department Chair and Associate Professor, Graphic Design 978-837-3433 |  email

Dan Vlahos Assistant Professor, Graphic Design 978-837-5952 |  email

Merrimack College Student Receives Newman Civic Fellowship

Since high school, Yarielis Perez-Castillo ’24 has advocated for safety, health and education among youth in Lawrence, Massachusetts.

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What is a Capstone Project? All You Need to Know

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The capstone project can go by different names at many schools, but ultimately, it is a culminating project that helps showcase and tie together all that you have learned through your college experience. Some colleges refer to it as a capstone experience, a senior project, or senior exhibition. But regardless of the name, it is a highly involved project that results in a lot of challenge and growth.

This project may take place in the form of a final paper, a long test, a presentation, or a research project. It could even be an art project or a musical composition. Depending on what you study, your capstone project will vary greatly in form. But each capstone typically involves a synthesis of the information you have gathered throughout your college years.

How to approach the capstone project

You should approach your capstone project as your “last hurrah” in college. It’s a great way to show yourself, your peers, your teachers, and your family what you’ve learned. For music majors, this may be a composition where they employ all of the techniques they’ve learned. For anthropologists, it could be an exercise in combining their new research skills with their theoretical knowledge. Mathematics majors might take an extensive exam or present their own research project.

For papers and presentations

As you approach the project, you might feel overwhelmed; after all, it should be the most ambitious project you undertake. If you begin to feel overwhelmed, it can be a good idea to portion out your tasks. Impose limits on yourself and set approachable goals. Work with your adviser to create a comprehensive calendar of tasks. Set a date to determine your preliminary thesis. Then decide when you’d like to have your first round of research done. Choose a date to start writing, and when to finish a first draft.

Make sure to check back in with your adviser often to discuss your progress. Remember that your thesis does not need to remain consistent throughout the entire process. In fact, it can actually be a good sign that your thesis changes! It shows that you are reacting to the new information that you are learning. If your thesis changes throughout the process, it’s a sign that you are creating a dynamic project.

If you’re studying for a long exam, you should learn what’s going to be on the exam, and set dates to review each topic. You can form a study group with your peers to help get the wheels turning. It can be a good idea to start by going over your notes and converting them into a study guide. Work with your classmates to sift through the immense body of material that you’ve covered. This will help you determine what to prioritize.

Throughout the entire process, you should be in communication with your professors and advisers. They are there to help. Though they probably won’t be able to give you all the details on the exam, they can give advice. If you don’t know whether to prioritize a certain subject matter, they can probably offer some counseling.

Related : How to email your professor (with examples)

Talk to recent grads

Regardless of the nature of your capstone project, it’s always a great idea to talk to recent grads. Talking to someone who recently completed a similar project or test is invaluable. They can tell you what was valued most by your department. They can also share what worked and what didn’t work for them as they prepared. Speaking to someone who just went through the task you are approaching can never hurt.

Leveraging your capstone project for grad school

Your capstone project is not only a great opportunity to grow and reflect on what you’ve learned. It’s also an opportunity to appeal to graduate schools. Capstone projects can be an impressive achievement to include in grad school applications. Especially for students who write papers, it is a concrete example of what you are capable of.

You can also use your capstone project as an opportunity to zero in on a specific area of study that interests you. If you manage to write a 30-page paper about the Mongolian empire for your capstone, perhaps you’d be interested in going on to study more about Genghis Khan in grad school. Grad school is all about going in-depth on specific topics. So, they’ll love to see that you succeeded when completing your capstone project.

See also: The GRE: Everything you need to know

Balancing your capstone project with your other courses

Because capstone projects are so immersive, it may be difficult to balance the workload with your other courses. You should be cautious about neglecting your other schoolwork for your capstone, and vice versa. For this reason, it can be a good idea to try to sign up for an easier courseload for the semester that you complete your capstone. Try to get your other harder courses out of the way during junior year. If it’s too late for that, try to spend one semester of your senior year with easier courses. You can use this semester to focus on your capstone.

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What is a capstone course?

At some colleges, capstone projects are synonymous with a capstone course. Students enroll in a course that walks them through their project or prepares them for an exam. These courses are highly useful, as they help bring structure to this difficult project. If you have multiple options for a capstone course, try to enroll in one with a professor you like. You’ll be working very closely together. So, if you have similar interests or good communication skills, you will see great results.

Deciding on a subject for your capstone project

When it comes time to decide on a subject for your capstone project, you’ll be faced with many choices. You can start by thinking back to other major papers you’ve written in college. If you have a desire to continue with any of the topics, you can do that. But in some cases, the subject will be determined by the capstone course you enroll in.

You should think of the subject of your capstone project as a fluid idea. Once you have an idea, talk it over with your friends over lunch. Try to figure out what you are interested in, but don’t latch on to an idea too quickly. Once you have an idea you are into, keep thinking about it and allow it to change as you do more research.

See also: Top scholarships for graduate students

Earning distinction on your capstone project

Some colleges offer an opportunity for select students to receive distinction on their capstone project. This can be a great honor, and it can look good to grad schools. You may be shooting for distinction as you start your project. But don’t allow the prospect of distinction to paralyze you as you work on your project. To complete an effective capstone project, you’ll have to make mistakes and change it as you go. 

Your best shot to earn distinction would be to start early and not be off-put by errors or changes you have to make. If you finish your project early, you’ll have more time to show it to professors and advisers. This gives you more time to refine it and iron out the kinks. If you finish a messy first draft early, you’ll have plenty of time to perfect your project.

• If your capstone will be in the form of an exam, start taking notes in class with your exam in mind
• At the end of each semester, write out the most important concepts that you learned and put them into a master study guide
• If you’ll be completing a capstone project, remember the papers you write that are most interesting
• Remember to save your sources, and you’ll be saving yourself time later on as you delve back into the subject

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Your chance of acceptance, your chancing factors, extracurriculars, senior capstone project - what to expect.

Hey everyone! I've heard people mention that they're working on their 'senior capstone projects,' and I'm curious about what that entails. What exactly is a capstone project, and what should I expect when my time comes to do one?

Hello! A senior capstone project is a culminating and interdisciplinary assignment typically required in your final year of high school or college. It is designed to showcase the knowledge and skills you have acquired throughout your education. Capstone projects can take various forms, like a research paper, an in-depth study, an original art piece, or even the implementation of a solution to a real-world issue.

When it's time for you to work on your capstone project, here's what you can expect:

1) Topic selection: You'll begin by choosing a topic that aligns with your major or an area of interest. It's essential to pick something you're passionate about and can sustain your enthusiasm throughout the duration of the project.

2) Proposal: After selecting a topic, you'll need to prepare a proposal outlining the scope of your project, its objectives, and the methods you'll use to achieve them.

3) Research and planning: Once your proposal is approved, you'll spend a significant amount of time researching and gathering information related to your topic. You'll also create a detailed plan outlining the steps you'll take to complete your project.

4) Execution: This is the phase where you actually create or implement your capstone project. Depending on the nature of your project, this could mean writing a research paper, developing a website or app, or creating an engaging art piece.

5) Presentation: After completing your project, you'll present your work to a panel of teachers, mentors, or other relevant professionals. This can take the form of an oral presentation, a written report, or a showcase of the finished product. You'll also need to be prepared to answer questions and discuss your findings in detail.

6) Evaluation and grading: Your capstone project will be evaluated based on various parameters, such as the quality of your research, the execution of your project, and how effectively you present your work. The grade you receive will likely have a significant impact on your final academic performance.

Throughout the process, it's normal to expect some challenges, such as time management or unforeseen issues with your project. However, with dedication and perseverance, you can successfully complete your capstone project and gain invaluable skills in problem-solving, project management, and communication to help you as you move forward in your academic or professional life.

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What is a Capstone Project in College?

The capstone project in college is the apogee, or completion marker, of a student's coursework leading to the culmination of their program with a degree in their chosen field of study. The original definition of a capstone focuses on the actual stone placed at the top of a wall or building, marking the successful completion of the structure. It's a significant and celebrated piece of architecture, considered to be the most important of an entire construction project.

"(Capstone projects are) the apex of all a student's work done throughout their college career," said Dr. Jeff Czarnec , a social sciences adjunct online and on-campus at Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU). Retired after 23 years in law enforcement, Czarnec served as an associate dean of criminal justice and social sciences at SNHU for nearly a decade. He now leverages his extensive background to teach social sciences, enriching the academic experience with his practical insights. 

When entering a capstone course, there's an expectation that you have all the necessary skills and knowledge to be successful. 

You have the opportunity to pick a research topic that is of interest to you and run with it. "After having to write research papers in all of their courses prior to (the capstone), the task is not one to dread, but to enjoy. It is their time to shine as students and to enjoy the journey," MacCarty said.

A capstone course is more than a potential degree requirement. It can serve as an opportunity to demonstrate knowledge mastery and creative thinking, which may help you stand out to potential employers.

What is Involved in a Capstone Project?

Each university, program and instructor may have different requirements — or models — for a capstone project. According to Czarnec, a general design might first include selecting a topic of interest that the instructor will approve. 

Czarnec said that, depending on the program, a capstone may include anything from a video presentation or an architectural model to an art exhibit or short film; however, it almost always includes a paper demonstrating an introduction, theory, evaluation, research and individual issues relevant to the proposal.

"Students are expected to be ready to enter the world as professionals in their field upon completion of the capstone course," said MacCarty.

The time it takes to complete a capstone project usually depends on the course's length. If you're in an undergraduate online program at SNHU, for instance, your capstone course would take eight weeks to complete, Czarnec said. 

Capstone courses are research-based, and you can choose your topic early on, allowing you more freedom to conduct research  independently. Capstone topics usually align with a program's specific disciplines, too.

For example, in the social sciences realm, "our focus is on human behavior and cognition, which may be different from a capstone course in business or STEM," MacCarty said.

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Types of capstones.

There are many types of capstone projects that you could consider, and they vary from learner to learner, Czarnec said. "Some will investigate issues or phenomenon that they are familiar with either professionally, personally or courtesy of a discipline-related source, such (as) a police or human services agency," he said. 

In a nutshell, a rough outline of a capstone, according to Czarnec, may look something like this:

• Select a topic and have it approved by the instructor
• Evaluate relevance to the proposal
• Perform necessary research
• Present results in the agreed-upon fashion

Czarnec said that if you're looking for a capstone topic, you may consider focusing on an area you're passionate about or you could also try to ask you instructor for some assistance. For example, Czarnec said that he can act as a guide, mentor, editor and research resource for his students to help them focus and narrow their search for a capstone topic.

Are Capstone Projects Difficult?

"Not necessarily," said Czarnec. "It does force you to be efficient and very specific to topic. No fluff. Straight forward. Razor sharp." 

The capstone is more of an opportunity to catch your breath, he said, and to retrace and pull up what you have learned in a more stress-free environment .

"It helps validate students as learners," Czarnec said.

Depending on the major and course requirements, there may be opportunities to connect with outside contacts, not only to assist with the capstone project research and problem statement but also to provide a networking community .

"Not every research project is, nor should they be, the same," Czarnec said. "Everyone has a different approach."

What is the Difference Between a Thesis and a Capstone Project?

A capstone is similar to a thesis in that the starting point involves the strengths needed for a thesis or dissertation work. For example, you may need to consider the skeletal structure of research and form your theory, hypothesis and problem statement.

"While a capstone is certainly a scholarly piece of work and does share some aspects of a thesis, the time and detail that is required of a master's thesis is greater," MacCarty said. 

A capstone paper may be 25 pages, whereas a thesis could be 100 or more. If you choose to further your education beyond a bachelor's degree, the capstone project could be an invaluable tool in preparing for a graduate thesis.

Capstone Projects are About Your Success

Capstones of all programs are leading you to the end game, Czarnec said. The goal is to develop you into a well-rounded thinker who can pull their work together in a coherent, articulate, well-organized fashion while considering the demands of the profession or vocation you're interested in.

The focus and intent of a capstone should be to create an effective device to assess and measure all that you've learned throughout your program in an aggregate fashion so you can demonstrate your life-long vocational skills in a nice, neat package. 

"My goal is for students to leave the program confident about their skills and abilities," said Czarnec.

MacCarty said that capstone courses should be structured to support your success in fulfilling program requirements and allow you the opportunity to showcase your academic abilities and skills gained throughout your degree program.

A degree can change your life. Choose your program  from 200+ SNHU degrees that can take you where you want to go.

Laurie Smith '14 is a writer, editor and communications specialist. Connect with her on LinkedIn .

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Senior Projects

All computer science and interdisciplinary computing majors are required to complete a year-long project during their senior year. This capstone project provides students an opportunity to demonstrate their mastery of various subjects in computing and their ability to solve real-world problems in a creative way.  In addition, many of our students enjoy unique opportunities to work with faculty during the school year or the summer on research or creative projects.  The research projects are funded either by external agencies such as National Science Foundation, or internal grants provided by the college.  In the past several years, our students have co-authored papers based on their research findings and presented them at various professional conferences.​​​​​​​​

Senior Projects – Class of 2022 Click here to view abstracts of 2022 projects listed below.

NumisList Christian Autor, click here to view poster

Nørd Aadiv Sheth, click here to view poster

Virtual Business Card Julian Mastroianni, click here to view poster

FutureU: A Matching System for Job Seeking College Students Emily Murphy, click here to view poster

Computer Composer Robert Allen, click here to view poster

Project Alpha: Exploring the Future of Trading Marios Bourtzonis and Matthew Solomon, click here to view poster

Centient Ty Deery, Conor Green, and Finnegan McGovern, click here to view poster

Jarida: From the World to the News Rashed Alshamsi, click here to view poster

Gesture Enabled System Interaction Rakan AlZagha, click here to view poster Winner of the 2022 Travelers Companies Foundation Senior Research Prize

Immersive Learning Anna Chin, click here to view poster

Library Data Sorter William Tanamli, click here to view poster

Compare2 Yeran Xu, click here to view poster

Off Mark-It: An Off Market Real Estate Tracker Emily Capprini, click here to view poster

Fibermap Federico Cedolini, click here to view poster

Tattool: The Security Analyst Tool Tyler Brennan, Brian Garten and Iryna Onyshko, click here to view poster

Senior Projects – Class of 2021 Click  here to view abstracts of 2021 projects listed below.

A Real-Time Object Detection Aid for the Visually Impaired Alisa Levin and Rahul Mitra, click here to view poster Winner of the 2021 Travelers Companies Foundation Senior Research Prize

Persistent Virtual Graffiti Hunter Moore, Wayne Sassano, and Tyler Somerville, click here to view poster

TrinTrade Ted Tierney, click here to view poster

RecipeMe App Erika Bates, click here to view poster

Adaptive Agenda Assistant Ryan Gress and Will Laroche, click here to view poster

Squash Program Manager Min Jie Teh, click here to view poster

Smart Scheduling Buddy Julian Garcia-Sanabria, Lewis Nikuze, and Ziad Sakr, click here to view poster

Menstrual Cycle Tracking for the Contraceptive Pill User Kelly Ido, click here to view poster

Get Home Safe Kevin Klotz and Kyle Long, click here to view poster

Playlist Pro Aidan Lee, click here to view poster

Mobile Data Collection in Field Sampling Environments Giles Lemmon, click here to view poster

Pairs Trading Analysis: A Look into the S&P 500 Constituents and the Best Pairs to Trade Gabby Rogers, click here to view poster

Re-imagining Cinestudio’s Ticketing Solution Will Estony and Erkin Verbeek, click here to view poster

Process-oriented Art Journaling App for Visual Artists Quinn Luong, click here to view poster

BESUCHA: The Better Enrollment Software Using a Conflict Handling Algorithm Edwin Aldrich, Logan Drescher, and Bettina King-Smith, click here to view poster

Senior Projects – Class of 2020 Click  here  to view abstracts of 2020 projects listed below.

Echo Edward Li, click here to view poster

Free Financial Data Analysis Platform Weishuang Gao, click here to view poster

Job Hunter: A 3D Platformer Game About Getting a Job Seb Kryspin, click here to view poster

A Web App for Comparable Companies Analysis Prabhat Bhootra, click here to view poster

Personalized Application for Hotel Mulberry Kalsang Sherpa, click here to view poster

Digital Audio Signal Processor Ali Hasan, click here to view poster

StarCraft II Meetup Mason Allen, click here to view poster

VA-NN: A Proposed Machine Learning Model with Limited Labelled Constraints Thanh Son Phung, click here to view poster

Gadfly, a Voting Platform College Students Actually Use Saumik Tewari, click here to view poster

Vote Smart Lucy Matz, click here to view poster

PS4CT: Provable Security for Certificate Transparency Zorawar Singh, click here to view poster Winner of the 2020 Travelers Companies Foundation Senior Research Prize

Digital Truck Tickets: Modernizing Port Logistics Brendan Lynch, click here to view poster

Autonomy through Machine Learning Shelby Cass, click here to view poster

Investment Club Integrated Platform Alejandra Pardos, click here to view poster

Creating Randomness Fumihiro Tamada, click here to view poster

IBM DB2 to Presto SQL Engine Connector Brady Burke, click here to view poster

The Bantu Warrior Mehluko Myanga, click here to view poster

A Dialogue Agent Powered by Deep Learning Yichun Wang, click here to view poster

Offshore Ecommerce Mobile Application for Online Shopping in the U.S Edson Zandamela, click here to view poster

The Trust Game 2.0 Jillian Winer, click here to view poster

Senior Projects – Class of 2019 Click here to view abstracts of 2019 projects listed below.

Early Notes Elijah Hernandez, click here to view poster

E-ventory – Online Inventory System for Technology in Public Schools Selina Ortiz, click here to view poster

P.A.T (The Portable Artistic Tutor) Clear Tavarez, click here to view poster

Chat-with-a-bot Jin Pyo Jeon, click here to view poster

Bioinformatics: An Application Chris LoBianco, click here to view poster

Quantitative Finance Platform Samuel Oyebefun, click here to view poster

BantamBot Ha Tran, click here to view poster

Plectr – On Demand Tutoring Drew Lewis, click here to view poster

MSA (Menu Sorting App) Watson Peng, click here to view poster

Compression Using Massively Parallel Processing James Rodiger, click here to view poster

Plan-t a Pomodoro Binh Vo, click here to view poster

Witam – Connecting ESL Learners and Senior Citizens Brian Cieplicki, click here to view poster Winner of the 2019​ Travelers Companies Foundation Senior Research Prize ​​​

Robin Food Simran Sheth, click here to view poster

Trinity College Campus Navigation App Tess Starr, click here to view poster

Tristy (Trinity + Tasty) Joyce Zhan, click here​ to view poster​

The value of senior capstone projects

by: Hank Pellissier | Updated: September 14, 2022

Print article

Richard W. Riley, a former U.S. Secretary of Education, once called senior year of high school a “wasteland.” So bored, tired, and burned out are these soon-to-be-graduates that their apathy is often reframed as a disease: Senioritis. A dreaded affliction, Senioritis is the culprit for everything from skipping class to forgetting homework — and evokes protestations like, “Why? It’s pointless!”

Though parents and teachers may be inclined to blame teens, experts point to the way we’ve designed high schools. Just as 17- and 18-year-olds can see their whole lives changing — whether they’re headed to college or embarking on a career path — little about their daily life has changed. Their high school schedule isn’t focused on their fast-approaching futures. They know where they’re headed next year. Their grades no longer matter so much. Traditional high school is built around these external measures, and now that they no longer carry as much weight, the whole endeavor does, indeed, seem rather pointless.

What can be done about this plague called Senioritis?

Some high schools have set about making learning relevant by clearing time from seniors’ regular academic schedule so they can work on a capstone project. Senior capstones are ambitious, long-term, in-depth projects during senior year of high school that culminate in written and oral presentations. Not only do they prepare students for college-level work, they help keep the focus on learning in a year plagued by distractions and flagging motivation. And because they are based on the student’s choice, they also allow students to explore a topic or field they might want to pursue as a college major or career.

Depending on the student’s passions, this could range from an aspiring artist researching a local community’s history and painting a public mural, a fashionista designing a new line of clothing and writing an analysis of its inspiration, a future scientist studying soil samples in the nearby elementary school garden and presenting to the local school board on the soil’s safety issues. Many capstone projects combine what is traditionally thought of as “academic” work (writing, research, science) with something more hands-on or creative, such as art, invention, public presentations, marketing, activism, or public service.

Students research their topic over time, take notes, synthesize and analyze what they learn, and then demonstrate their conclusions in a paper, short film, or other product. They also give an oral presentation to a panel of evaluating teachers, peers, and/or experts. Senior capstones are often interdisciplinary, connected to the local community, and include interviews, scientific observations, and sometimes fieldwork, volunteering, or even internships.

Why are senior capstone projects important?

An August 2013 research report examining multiple high schools found that senior capstones both helped students stay engaged with school and were linked to positive outcomes. Teens completing capstones in North Carolina “received job offers, internships, and scholarships”; students in Louisiana reported that the capstone experience “influenced their future goals or plans;” and seniors in Massachusetts reported that their capstone projects helped them in college interviews and built their confidence and self-motivation.

When implemented well, senior capstone projects can…

• Boost self-confidence by giving students a chance to excel in an area of in-depth learning.
• Prepare kids for college-level work, which often requires more rigorous standards and deeper knowledge that typical high school coursework.
• Keep students engaged in the last year of high school by allowing them to pursue something they’re passionate about.
• Give students an opportunity to build and display crucial skills, including critical thinking, research, public speaking, media literacy, strategic thinking, self-sufficiency, and goal-setting.
• Help students explore their interests, sometimes helping students decide which college major and/or career path to pursue (or not).
• Help students find a sense of purpose in terms of how they want to contribute to the world.

How senior capstone projects work

Senior capstone projects can take on different forms and schedules at different schools but typically the student 1) chooses a topic, social problem, or profession that intrigues them, 2) spends several months deeply investigating the subject via research, interviews, and internships, and finally, 3) delivers the product in a paper, presentation, or performance that fully demonstrates the academic skills and knowledge they’ve acquired.

Some schools, like Denver School of Science and Technology: Montview High School , reduce students’ academic schedules during the spring semester to give them more time for their projects.

Capstones are frequently undertaken at the end of high school as a culminating experience, but they’re also tackled earlier, so students can showcase the accomplishment on their college applications. For example, the Jefferson County Open School (JCOS) in Lakewood, CO has one of the oldest capstone programs in the U.S. The school’s “Passages” program requires every student to do six capstone projects to graduate. Each of the six “passages” has a different focus — career exploration, adventure, creative expression, global awareness, logical inquiry, and practical skills — and each involves kids “doing something, an action element,” explains Principal Scott Bain. “They’re not just an academic task.”

“Capstones are a window into a kid’s skill set. They’re also windows into understanding who you are and what you value — personally, socially, intellectually — and what you want to do with your life,” Bain says.

When capstones don’t work

Critics suggest that senior capstone projects are far from a miracle cure, especially in schools where a majority of the students do not have strong academic skills. Deep rigorous learning requires more academic skills, not fewer. Although elite, private schools have successfully used capstones for centuries, EdTrust writer Carlton Jordan points out that the students are accustomed to extensive, in-depth writing. Jordan argues that capstones in predominantly Black and Latino urban schools often fall far short because the students are not sufficiently prepared for the task.

Senior capstone programs can also reinforce existing inequities. In a more haphazard program, students may be expected to use their parents’ connections to reach out to mentors or community members, instead of school staff making sure every student has a feasible plan for carrying out their project.

Key factors to consider:

• Time constraints: Students from low-income families who need to work, take care of family members, or do extensive household chores, may not be able to dedicate as much time to a capstone project as their more affluent classmates.
• Access issues: Students who want to explore their interest in an elite career via a capstone may have an advantage if they have family or friends of family in that occupation — and be at a disadvantage if they do not.
• Implementation issues: Senior capstones are sometimes used as graduation requirement alternatives for students who are expected to fail graduation exams. This enables schools to offer diplomas to students without basic literacy and math skills.
• Additional implementation issues: Conversely, senior capstones are sometimes designed for a few high-performing students, leaving out most of the senior class.

Key takeaways

• Ask if the school has senior capstone projects. If they do, ask to see the guidelines and some successful sample projects.
• No capstone projects at your child’s high school? Ask the principal and 12th grade teachers if researching and producing an in-depth project is an academic option for all students.

For educators:

• If your school doesn’t have capstones, build mini capstones into your class by helping students create multi-faceted, multi-month projects of their own choosing. Help your students create timelines with reasonable interim goals, so they’re not overwhelmed with last-minute tasks.
• Connect students, especially those from underserved communities, to experts, local groups, and resource materials to help them in their research.
• Push students gently out of their comfort zone, to think and work harder than they’ve done in the past.

For administrators:

• If your high schools do not yet have capstone programs, read this research report on different ways schools have implemented them.
• Start a pilot project with one innovative teacher or school site. Attend capstone presentations and urge other administrators, faculty members, and community members to attend and present feedback.

This article is part of our Transforming High School series , a collection of stories, videos, and podcasts exploring the practices that prepare students for success in college and beyond.

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Sports Management capstone projects

Undergraduate Sports Management capstone students work in small teams with a community project partner to solve and/or innovate a solution to a problem.   This class includes a culminating project that demonstrates student ability to work in the industry and solve complex, real-world problems. It is a daunting lesson that takes weeks to bring everything together in a program that prides itself on developing students’ capacity to lead, think, innovate, and design.

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Past Capstone Projects

Student Capstone projects address pressing environmental issues. Most fall within the following topic areas. Because of the interconnected nature of Environmental Studies as a discipline, many projects address more than one topic area.

Browse the lists below for sample Capstone project summaries to give you an idea of the projects students work on as part of the Environmental Studies Capstone

If you’re interested in hosting a Capstone internship apply here .

If you are seeking more examples of Capstones in a particular category, email Sean McDonald , the Capstone instructor.

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Communications/advocacy, conservation/restoration, environmental education, environmental justice, environmental policy, food systems, renewable energy, sustainable business, urbanization, waste management.

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Senior Capstone Projects

Annually, graduating students in Bellevue College’s BS in Computer Science program participate in senior capstone projects. Students work in teams with close supervision from designated faculty advisors to achieve exciting results. Capstone projects prepare graduates from the BS in Computer Science program for a career in the technology field as students grain critical experience addressing real-world scenarios collaboratively in a team.

Senior Capstone projects have been imbedded into the BS in Computer Science curriculum since the inception of the program in 2017.

Previous Senior Capstone Projects

Click an academic year below to learn more about our students’ senior capstone projects from that year.

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Honors College

2024 capstone resources, . heading link copy link.

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What is a Capstone? Heading link Copy link

A “capstone” is the final stone that unifies and protects an underlying structure. All Honors College students complete a Capstone Project—a scholarly experience that incorporates concepts and techniques learned throughout the undergraduate career, through which students can make original scholarly or professional contributions to their field. The Capstone may focus on a research problem, theoretical issue, new creative work, professional challenge, or novel application (such as design, technological, or social innovation).

Expectations for the Capstone are in line with honors quality departmental theses, senior design projects, and other senior research projects that enable students to carry out rigorous inquiry, writing, and public presentation. The Capstone Project is typically pursued in the  final two semesters  at UIC, building upon the knowledge and skills acquired throughout the undergraduate years.

Projects like the Capstone enable students to enhance critical abilities: working independently and as a member of a team; superseding obstacles; cultivating confidence and willingness to take risks; and contributing to a larger community of knowledge.

What is the Purpose of the Capstone Project? Heading link Copy link

The Honors Capstone Project is intended to provide a challenging experience for students, one that builds on their Honors College training in the “art” of research and independent scholarship and allows the production of an original contribution to a discipline or field.

It involves in-depth examination of a research problem, theoretical issue, new creative work, professional challenge, or innovative area of application (i.e., design or technological innovation) supervised by a faculty member chosen by the student in consultation with their Faculty Fellow.

The Capstone Project is commensurate with the expectations of traditional departmental honors theses, senior design projects, and other senior research/inquiry projects intended to prepare students for the rigors of research/inquiry, writing, and scholarly presentation associated with postgraduate professional programs, graduate programs, and careers post-college.

Your Capstone Timeline Heading link Copy link

Worried about Capstone in your  first year of college ? Don’t be! Focus instead on finding your footing academically and joining a student organization or club.

In the  second year , explore your interests! You are probably taking courses related to your major and engaging in stimulating conversations with peers and faculty. What do you find interesting? Surprising? Unexpected? Make a mental note of these things and consider seeking out research opportunities, internships, and other opportunities outside of class.

Third year  is for brainstorming and honing in on your purpose and passions. This is the year when MOST students will take HON 301, a course that helps with Capstone planning. Narrow your focus to topics you most want to pursue. Chat with your Faculty Fellow about your interests; they may help you with project ideas or finding a potential Capstone Supervisor.

In your  final two semesters , take action! You should now have a Capstone plan and Supervisor in place. Your Capstone Supervisor will provide expert guidance and may provide feedback on drafts of the written requirement or practice presentations.

Any time is a great time to view Capstone presentations at a Fall Honors Research Symposium or Spring Undergraduate Research Forum. Throughout this process, your Faculty Fellow and Honors Advisor can offer additional guidance.

Capstone Timeline Overview Graphic Heading link Copy link

The timeline graphic is representative of 4-year graduation, if your time in the Honors College will differ, please consult your Honors Advisor.

Junior Year (any semester) Heading link Copy link

Anytime throughout your Junior year, students should initiate conversations with faculty about potential Honors Capstone topics and meet with the Honors Capstone specialist and/or Faculty Fellow. For detailed steps and required forms as you commence and carry out your project, please see the timeline below.

Foundations of the Future 

The Honors 301 seminar is intended for Honors College students in their junior year. Divided into four major units—research and other forms of creative scholarship, awards, career/internship/graduate school, and long-term future goals—this course will provide specific information about the next steps of your academic and professional career.

In research and other forms of creative scholarship, we will examine different research methods, consider the selection, execution, and value of a Capstone project, and learn how to read and present a journal article. In examining awards, we will show you how to locate and apply for academic and travel awards, understand their professional and personal value, and prepare resumes and personal statements for scholarship applications. The career/internship/graduate school section will aid you in preparing for life after graduation: gap year possibilities, graduate school and career decision making, and networking and mentoring strategies.

The last unit—long-term future goals—will promote broad thinking concerning civic engagement and life-long learning as well as deliver specific information on practical post-grad concerns.

Ideally, Honors College students will start brainstorming early about what they want to experience and accomplish in their undergraduate careers; choose classes and co-curricular activities that support those goals; initiate a Capstone Project that feeds their unique intellectual passions; and, finally, carry what they have learned forward into life beyond college.

Students have the option of pursuing a capstone inside or outside their major and discipline. In many instances, expectations for the Capstone are in line with honors quality departmental theses, senior design projects, and other senior research projects that enable students to carry out rigorous inquiry, writing, and public presentation.

Introducing the Honors Capstone Project:  General information; a sample timeline and the steps to completing a Capstone; registration and paperwork; and tips about using the Capstone Project to pursue other opportunities like fellowships and graduate school admissions.

Video :  https://youtu.be/M5ssU7I-98M Transcript :  https://uofi.box.com/v/capstonetranscript

Capstones in Specific Disciplines/Areas of Study

The Honors College encourages students to complete a Capstone Project that will simultaneously fulfill departmental or college requirements/opportunities for advanced undergraduate research and professional presentation, subject to approval by the student’s Capstone Supervisor and Faculty Fellow.

Discipline-Specific Information :

•   See discipline-specific information for your Capstone.

Capstones Outside Your Specific Discipline

Students must have taken sufficient coursework in the field they wish to produce a Capstone Project, and they must locate a faculty member or practitioner from that field to serve as their Capstone Supervisor.

Need Help Deciding on a Capstone In or Outside Your Major? 

Your Capstone Supervisor will be your ultimate guide along the way, but as you move through this process, you can:

• bring general questions to and receive feedback from your Honors College primary advisor,
• brainstorm options with and bring field-specific questions to your Faculty Fellow;
• or make an appointment with Honors College Capstone specialist Tricia Guerrero ( [email protected] )

The Honors Capstone Project involves two semesters of work and is generally supervised ideally by a UIC faculty member. Honors College students also have the option of recruiting an expert outside of the university to be their Capstone Supervisor, as long as that person has appropriate experience in the field, as determined by the Faculty Fellow and the Honors College.

Here are some ways to recruit a Capstone Supervisor:

• Contact your Faculty Fellow! Your Faculty Fellow is your lifeline to the academic research community on campus. They have myriad connections to other faculty and researchers across campus who can mentor you with your Honors Capstone Project and can help you brainstorm.
• Approach current faculty or professors you’ve taken classes with in the past! Swing by their office hours and chat with them about your current research interests. Ask them to direct you to relevant peer-reviewed sources articles and to other faculty members or experts in the community.
• Consider internships, volunteer hours, or work experience as potential sites to initiate an investigation applied research project.
• Come meet with Tricia! She’s the Capstone Specialist and is here to help you with all stages of the Honors Capstone Project.  You can email her at [email protected] .

Note : Honors College students may complete an Honors Capstone Project outside of their major discipline if they have taken sufficient coursework in the field of interest and are able to locate an appropriate Capstone Supervisor.

The Capstone Supervisor reviews drafts, provides feedback, and guides the student as they develop their project. Therefore, the Capstone Supervisor determines whether or not an Honors Capstone Project meets the academic standards of the field for a novice researcher.

Final/Senior Year (semester 1) Heading link Copy link

Your Honors Capstone takes place across your final two semesters at UIC.

Below is a more detailed breakdown of what students should expect for the first semester of their senior/final year at UIC.

Register for HON 322

If you are a senior and intend to conduct work to satisfy your Honors capstone, you must register for HON 322. This serves as a transcript notation for your honors capstone and allows our capstone specialists to communicate important information and updates through Blackboard.

Students should NEVER register for both HON 222 and HON 322 in the same term ; any student choosing to work on the Capstone and another activity during a single semester should be registered for HON 322 only.

HON 322 – Honors Capstone Activity 

0 credit hours. Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory grade 

Fall Course Reference Number (CRN): 29074 

Meeting with your Capstone Supervisor

The  Capstone Supervisor  is knowledgeable in their area of research and is a resource for the student. More specifically:

• Students need to ascertain that the prospective Capstone Supervisor has expertise in the area of study and is willing and able to devote the time required to supervise the project effectively.
• being available to check-in with the student on a recurring basis, ideally in person
• identifying appropriate research methods and obtaining background reading materials
• reading and critiquing drafts in a timely manner
• consulting with the student regularly on the scope and methodology of the project.
• helping the student find appropriate public presentation venues and forms of presentation
• evaluating the project to determine whether it meets academic standards and disciplinary requirements
• attending the public presentation, if possible

Meeting with your Faculty Fellow 

The  Faculty Fellow  ensures that the student successfully fulfills the Capstone Project requirements. More specifically:

• The Fellow may assist the student in finding an appropriate Capstone Supervisor.
• The Fellow may periodically check with the student to ensure that the project is progressing as expected and that the student is working well under the Capstone Supervisor.
• The Fellow is expected to comment on the quality of the Capstone Project and must certify that it meets the Honors College requirements.
• Some Fellows also serve as Capstone Supervisors for one or more Honors College students, while others do not.

The Honors College Capstone Agreement Form is required for any student who is registered for HON 322. It is the first (#1) of a series of 4 forms related to the Capstone. This is in lieu of the Honors Activity Agreement Form, and must be completed at the beginning of the semester in which a student begins work on the Capstone project. After the Capstone Agreement Form is submitted by the student in HARS, the Project Supervisor will be notified within one business day for electronic approval.

Only after the Project Supervisor has approved the project, will the Fellow be notified for electronic approval. The form should be created in HARS by the end of the third week of the semester.

Log into the Honors Activity Reporting System to generate and print your Capstone Agreement Form.

Registering for HON 322 also involves the following paperwork:

Capstone Agreement Form

Students must submit a signed Capstone Agreement Form to the Honors College front desk by the third Friday of the first semester in which they are enrolled in HON 322.

The form includes a section for the student to include a project proposal. The project proposal should include the following elements:

• Purpose and Goal of the Research  – A brief summary of the issues to be addressed and/or questions to be investigated. The issues described should be as specific as possible, and the student may wish to include a summary of preliminary background research.
• Methodology and Data/Materials Collection  – An explanation of what data or other materials are to be collected to answer the research question(s) and how.
• Analysis and Anticipated Results  – An explanation of how the data or materials will be analyzed and the potential scholarly contribution of the results from the study.
• Preliminary Schedule  – A tentative schedule for completing the above steps in two semesters, including plans for preparing and conducting the public presentation. For example, students will likely carry out the necessary background literature review and conduct the bulk of their research during the first semester of the Capstone and then devote the second semester to writing up research and preparing a poster, a PowerPoint presentation, and/or a lecture for public presentation. The venue for public presentation should also be identified.

Students should provide the Capstone Supervisor and Faculty Fellow with an initial draft of the project proposal so that they are able to address their concerns prior to the student submitting the proposal by the third Friday of the semester.

Capstone Progress Report

At the end of the first semester, students submit a Capstone Progress Form indicating the progress made on the project and must be signed by the Project Supervisor. Students must have a completed Capstone Agreement Form approved by both the Capstone Supervisor and the Faculty Fellow before they can access and submit their Capstone Progress Report.

• The Capstone Progress Form is due, signed and submitted in HARS , by the last day of classes.
• Questions about your Capstone Progress Report should be directed to your Capstone Supersivor or your Honors primary advisor

Final/Senior Year (semester 2) Heading link Copy link

Below is a more detailed breakdown of what students should expect for the second semester of their senior/final year at UIC.

Students are expected to complete the Capstone Project over two semesters, and they must enroll in HON 322 (0-credit hours) for each of those semesters.  HON 322 replaces HON 222 as the required Honors College course registration . Students who complete a Capstone prior to their last semester at UIC should enroll in HON 222 for subsequent semesters and resume Honors Activities until graduation.

In addition to registering for HON 322, students may also enroll in research or independent study courses during their work on the project. Departmental advisors, Faculty Fellows, Capstone Supervisors, and Honors College staff can help identify such courses.

If you are a senior and intend to conduct work to satisfy your Honors capstone, you must register for HON 322. This serves as a transcript notation for your honors capstone and allows our capstone specialists to communicate important information and updates through Blackboard. Students should NEVER register for both HON 222 and HON 322 in the same term; any student choosing to work on the Capstone and another activity during a single semester should be registered for HON 322 only.

Fall 2022 Course Reference Number (CRN): 29074 

At the start of your second semester, you should meet with your Capstone Supervisor to discuss the parameters and expectations of (1) written portion and (2) public presentation

To help you prepare for the meeting, please consider reviewing examples of Capstone projects from former Honors students.

Verified UIC students and faculty/staff can access an evolving collection of Capstone examples at  https://uofi.box.com/v/MoreCapstoneExamples . Graduating Honors College students have consented to share their supervised intellectual property within UIC only, and not all projects are included in their entirety.  ( NOTE:  You must have a UIC Netid and Box account to view these files.  Create Box Account here. )

Below is list of sample capstones from former Honors students:

• Colonizing or Coexisting: The Psychological and Psychogeographical Implications of Gentrification Efforts in Pilsen 
• Analysis of Student Perceptions of Service Learning and Global Health Impact 
• Film and Television Adaptations of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes: Gender and Sexual Orientation 
• Othering and Imperial Criticism: The Ambivalent Message of the Adventure Novel 
• Development of Health Rehabilitation in Mainland China: From Traditional Chinese Medicine to Modern Rehabilitation Methods 
• The Displaced Agent: A Pentadic Analysis of Immigrant’s Protective League Discourse from the 1930s through 1958 
• Dragonfly Abundance and Richness in Chicago’s Community Gardens 
• The Incorporation of UDL into Lesson Plans 
• Geometry and Structure of BaTiO3 Nanocubes 
• Culture Fit in the Interview Process: How Important is it, and How Do We Gauge it? 
• Shattering Mental Health Stigma 

Capstone Proposal Update Form

• At the beginning of the second semester of the Capstone, students must submit a Capstone Proposal Update Form to describe any changes to the original proposal and to outline a schedule or timeline for completion of the project. Both the Capstone Supervisor and the Faculty Fellow must sign the Capstone Proposal Update Form. In the cases when the Capstone Supervisor is different than the Faculty Fellow, this midway review is another opportunity for the Fellow to ensure the proposed work is meeting Honors College standards.
• The signed Capstone Proposal Update Form is due in HARS at the end of the third week of the second Capstone semester.

Students are also required to present their research publicly in some form. Depending on the project discipline, the presentation could be in the form of:

• A poster presentation
• A reading or “unveiling” of a creative work
• A concert or other type of performance,
• A “defense” of the undergraduate thesis, preferably with the opportunity for questions, comments, and evaluation by the audience

The presentation may also take place in a variety of settings, including:

• an academic symposium outside the university (e.g., a national/international or regional scholarly conference for a particular discipline);
• a large university-wide event (e.g., Undergraduate Research Forum in the spring semester);
• the Honors College Research Symposium (held in the fall semester); or
• a forum or symposium sponsored by the department or college (e.g., the UIC Engineering Expo in the spring semester).

A presentation to other students in a class or lab setting is  NOT  sufficient to satisfy the public presentation requirement. The project must be presented in a context or to an audience beyond the one in which it was developed.

The Capstone Supervisor and Faculty Fellow must approve the public presentation event as an academically appropriate venue. The Capstone Supervisor should attend the public presentation or otherwise verify that the presentation was completed in a professional manner. Faculty Fellows are also encouraged to attend the presentation whenever possible.

The public presentation may take place:

• In a forum/symposium sponsored by the department or college (e.g., an “undergraduate research day” scheduled at a department or college level);
• At a large university-wide event (e.g., the annual Undergraduate Research Forum held in the spring semester);
• At the Honors College Research Symposium (held in fall semester); or
• At an academic symposium outside the university (e.g., a national or regional scholarly conference for a particular discipline).

The presentation may be a lecture or oral presentation (including PowerPoint-aided talks), a poster presentation, a reading or “unveiling” of creative work, a concert or other type of performance, or a “defense” of the undergraduate thesis. Consult with your Capstone Supervisor to identify an appropriate outlet and form for your presentation.

Video Guide: Poster Design and Presentation: How to design a good research poster and present it to your audience.

• Video Guide: https://youtu.be/WaB5s7APs_8
• Transcript:  https://uofi.box.com/v/posterdesigntranscript

I Understand the written requirement. Why should I present the project in public? 

Presentation of the results of your work in some form of public academic or professional forum allows you to showcase your accomplishments. It is a great opportunity to share ideas and receive constructive feedback from your colleagues. And it is an important chance to network with academics, professionals, alumni, and others in your field interested in similar lines of inquiry. Overall, it will be a proud moment for you, your Capstone Supervisor, your Faculty Fellow, your family and friends, and of course, the Honors College.

Examples of presentation venues include :

• Undergraduate Research Forum — Annual event in April
• Honors College Research Symposium — Annual event in November
• Chicago Area Undergraduate Research Forum — Annual event in April
• Undergraduate Forum Information

Capstone Completion Form

Both the Capstone Supervisor and the Faculty Fellow must approve the final project and sign the Capstone Completion Form at the conclusion of the project.

While no formal grade will be given by the Honors College on either the written portion or the public presentation of the project, the Capstone Supervisor indicates that the project is acceptable, and the Faculty Fellow certifies that the project meets the Honors College Capstone requirements.

The Capstone Completion Form is due by the last day of classes.

Final Capstone Submission to Blackboard

The student is responsible for submitting their final Honors Capstone Project (written thesis and/or Scholarly Report, and documentation of public presentation) to the Honors College by the last day of classes in the second semester via the Blackboard course site HON 322.

The Capstone Supervisor is responsible for addressing any possible academic honesty and plagiarism issues that are discovered when the student submits drafts of the written portion of their Capstone Project through SafeAssign. Honors Capstone students have the ability to make unlimited submissions of capstone drafts within their Blackboard course site HON 322. They have access to their SafeAssign originality report, and should submit that report to the Capstone Supervisor as part of the iterative writing process. Students who struggle with paraphrasing, quoting, and properly citing should be referred to the UIC Writing Center ( https://writingcenter.uic.edu ) for support.

• Note: The Honors College requires students to run their final capstone submission through SafeAssign. Any academic honesty issues identified at that time may impact the student’s ability to graduate as a member of the Honors College and may be reported for a formal Standards of Conduct Review. The Capstone Supervisor at that time will be contacted about the academic honesty issue. Please work with the student throughout the iterative process to address issues prior to this point.

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Janessa Acosta – “A Bruja from Humboldt Park”

UIC Honors College student Janessa Acosta discusses their Capstone project, “A Bruja from Humboldt Park”, a still-in-progress novel based in the historic Chicago neighborhood.

The story centers around a young woman and involves supernatural cultural elements found in Puerto Rican culture. Janessa describes their ideation of the concept and why she decided on a creative Capstone.

Rahul Kakarlapudi – “Gone Too Soon”

Rahul describes how he incorporated his newfound love for manual photography and his Computer Science major for his Capstone project. Using his newly learned photography techniques, Rahul’s work showcases how some endangered animals in the wild are disappearing.

Various Capstone Examples

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“My Capstone topic is connected to my personal interests because I strongly believe that adequate housing is a basic human right and I am an advocate for fair and equal access to housing for all.”

– Brianna Moling, 2022 Graduate

To read more about Brianna Moling’s Capstone journey and advice for future students, click the link below.

Frequently Asked Questions Heading link Copy link

Yes. Students must have taken sufficient coursework in the field they wish to produce a Capstone Project, and they must locate a faculty member or practitioner from that field to serve as their Capstone Supervisor.

Consult with your Capstone Supervisor to see if your department already requires a written document for Honors College students who wish to use their contribution to a senior group project to satisfy the Honors Capstone Project. The written document in such cases typically includes:

(a) a clear statement of the student’s specific contribution to the design, creative, or business issue that the group project is attempting to tackle

(b) background on the artistic, professional, or technological area in which the group is attempting to make a contribution (i.e., what has been done in this area of creative arts, professional practice, or technological design in the past and how this frames the group’s approach)

(c) discussion of how the design, technological, business, or artistic product was conceived; (d) presentation of the results and how they contribute to the field

(e) an analytical self-reflection about the student’s overall capstone experience. In addition, note that any team-based Capstone Project will require the submission of a Scholarly Report.

More information about the Scholarly Report can be found in the Capstone Student Handbook. Students in this situation would submit three components to the HON 322 Blackboard course site at the end of their second semester of Capstone to satisfy the Honors Capstone Project requirement:

(1) their team-authored final project

(2) their individually authored Scholarly Report

(3) their public presentation.

Every discipline or field has different conventions regarding sufficient page length and number of citations. Your Capstone Supervisor will speak to conventions of your field and what’s appropriate for the Honors Capstone Project.

There are numerous ways to coordinate a study abroad experience with the Capstone Project. In addition to staggering Capstone work before and after a semester abroad, or conducting an Applied project based on a study abroad experience or internship, there are opportunities to conduct research abroad.

Honors College students may apply to conduct research abroad through  EuroScholars , a consortium of five major universities in Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, and Switzerland, that enables 3rd- and 4th-year students to join existing research projects for a semester or full academic year, while earning up to fifteen credit hours per semester. Projects are available in disciplines ranging from humanities and social sciences to biological sciences, engineering, and more. Foreign language skill is not necessary. The Honors College and the UIC Study Abroad Office are collaborating to support students through the nationally-competitive EuroScholars application process. If you are interested in this program, reach out to honors advisor Celia DeBoer at [email protected] . Learn more at  http://euroscholars.eu .

Conducting an Independent Study Project with  SIT Study Abroad  is another option. Examples of independent research projects completed by students in these programs is available at the  SIT website . (Projects are listed alphabetically by country). For more information on the SIT Study Abroad Programs and other study abroad programs, visit the  Study Abroad website .

• Study Abroad Office

Yes. Given the amount of work involved, except in unusual circumstances, you should carry out your project over two semesters in order to allow enough time to successfully complete all the necessary components of the Capstone. This will also allow you to incorporate the Capstone research into your academic load with less stress and provide more time for close mentorship by your Capstone Supervisor and the Faculty Fellow.

Keep in mind that in addition to any departmental research credits, you should be registered for HON 322 for each semester you are working on the Capstone.

Finally, please note, if it is possible you will graduate early, you must proactively plan to register for HON 322 for two semesters of Capstone work.

You should begin thinking about the Capstone Project and initiate discussion of your research interests and possible Capstone topics with potential Capstone Supervisors in your sophomore and junior years. Usually, the project should be completed during the last two semesters of your senior year at UIC.  You may also begin the Capstone Project as early as your junior year and complete it prior to your last semester.

Note that if this does happen, you will need to continue to register for HON 222 and complete an Honors Activity up until graduation.

Students are expected to complete their Honors Capstone Project within two semesters. Be sure to plan accordingly so that you meet this deadline. Should extraordinary circumstances require you to need a third semester to complete the Honors Capstone Project, you need to meet with your Honors advisor as early as possible to review whether a policy exception can be made for you.

If due to extraordinary circumstances you are given approval by the Honors College to use a third semester, you will submit a Capstone Progress Form at the end of your second semester and you will receive a deferred grade in HON 322. For the following semester, you must create a new Capstone Activity in HARS and thus fill out a new Capstone Proposal Update Form, in which you map out your plans for completion. You must also register again for HON 222, and you must complete an Honors Activity, for which you will submit a separate Honors Activity Form and Honors Completion Form.

Upon the successful completion of the Honors Capstone Project, you will email your Honors advisor and request that you be added to the Blackboard course site HON 322 so that you can submit your final Capstone Project. You will also submit the signed Capstone Completion Form to the Honors College front desk. Soon after, the Deferred grade for HON 322 will be changed to passing.

Unless you are working on a project with two distinct parts (such as internship & immersion), this is not advisable. If you are thinking about making a change, your Capstone Supervisor cannot continue their supervision, or unforeseen difficulties make it imperative for you to find a different supervisor/project, reach out to your Honors advisor as soon as possible.

Possibly, depending on your project’s use of human subjects and whether you intend to present your work beyond the UIC community. Early in your first semester of working on the Capstone Project, you should check with your Capstone Supervisor to see if you should apply for IRB approval to conduct and present your Capstone Project.

The Capstone Supervisor should consult the Capstone Supervisor Handbook for information about the IRB and Honors Capstone Projects.

If you have signed an NDA and you believe submission of the Capstone written portion and public presentation would compromise this NDA, you should first consult with your Capstone Supervisor on this matter. If your Supervisor agrees with you, they should contact us at Honors College Support to notify the Honors College.

Regardless of the type of capstone project you are completing, you must also write a Scholarly Report of 3 to 5 pages that include at least: (a) a critical self-analysis of your overall UIC academic experience and how the Honors Capstone Project is a culmination of this experience; and (b) an examination of how the Honors Capstone Project is the outcome of their passion, curiosity, and aspirations. More information about Scholarly Reports can be found in the Honors Capstone Student Handbook.

You should submit the Scholarly Report in the Blackboard course site HON 322 by the end of the second semester.

What Is a Capstone Project in University?

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Importance of Capstone Courses

Characteristics of capstone projects, capstone project vs. capstone course, examples across various majors, capstone project process, benefits for students, challenges and tips, frequently asked questions about capstone in university.

Confused with the concept of a capstone project ? As you approach your senior year, you might be hearing about this culmination project—whether a research endeavor, final paper, application, or portfolio— this academic endeavor aims to showcase the depth of your learning throughout your college years and prepares you for the professional world.

 In this blog post, I will explore what it means, how to prepare for it, and how you can bring this academic achievement to life. I'll guide you through this process, ensuring you have the support and resources you need. With the right guidance and understanding, you can transform this challenging task into an opportunity for growth and real-world application.

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Capstone courses are part of university curricula and are strategically designed to prepare students for a seamless transition from academia to the workforce. They may include research endeavors and theses. However, each has a distinct focus and purpose.

These projects often highlight practical applications and skill enrichment, making them more aligned with professional practice (often done as a group project).

On the other hand, research and theses contribute to the academic body of knowledge, delving deeper into theoretical aspects. Bridging this knowledge gap is essential to empowering students with the understanding needed to make informed decisions about their final-year assessments.

In a broader context, a capstone project is designed to integrate theoretical knowledge with practical application. It provides a platform to reflect on academic journeys, apply acquired knowledge to real-world scenarios, and develop problem-solving skills. By addressing tangible challenges, learners enhance their readiness for the professional world.

The benefits of capstone projects extend beyond academic prowess. They empower students to navigate complex, work-related issues, through practical experience and fostering a deeper understanding on a particular subject.

This synthesis of knowledge and practical application enriches the graduate student's educational experience and typically involves graduates with a skill set essential for success in their higher education.

Although the terms "capstone project" and "capstone course" are often used interchangeably, it's necessary to understand their differences:

A  capstone project   is an independent assignment that encapsulates students' academic learning and demonstrates their proficiency in a specific discipline or field.

The focus is on individual research, problem-solving, or creative endeavors, providing a medium to demonstrate the knowledge acquired as students finish their studies. A capstone project is part of a course (think of it as a final assignment).

A  capstone course   contains a broader coursework and educational experience. It is an entire course (like any other) in which students incorporate and apply their knowledge gained throughout a program. It often requires students to collaborate on projects, engage in discussions, and participate in various activities. It can take longer to complete and varies depending on the institution. 

Students across different degree programs engage in multifaceted capstone experiences at the end of their college careers. These experiences can vary widely, from individual research to collaborative group endeavors, reflecting the essence of their academic achievements.

For example, in fields such as political science, students may delve into a senior thesis, conducting extensive research and showcasing their critical thinking skills.

Alternatively, within literature courses, the last capstone course may involve a comprehensive literature review, illustrating the culmination of knowledge and skills acquired throughout the course of the degree program.

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Many capstone courses extend beyond conventional research papers, requiring you to work on a final project addressing a real-world problem. This collaborative effort and practical method, which can be conducted in small groups, emphasizes teamwork, a significant amount of research, and a strong work ethic (fundamental skills that prepare students for the workplace).

In addition to meeting the degree program and requirements, these capstone experiences often involve a final exhibition, allowing students to present and demonstrate their problem statement to professors, other students, peers, and sometimes even external stakeholders.

A capstone course experience serves as a bridge to graduate degrees or even doctorates, honing research capabilities that are essential for success and develop the necessary skills for potential employers.

As Jolanta Burke and Majella Dempsey highlight in their Practical Guide for Students Book , commencing a capstone project is like constructing a house:

Firstly, you must establish solid foundations, much like a house, ensuring reliability. Then, continue learning and enhancing your skills to build it. Once armed with the necessary skills and information, the next step is to decide on the materials, devise a plan of action, and follow through until the house—your project—is complete and ready for use.

Just as a house requires a robust foundation, a capstone project initiates with meticulous planning. This phase encompasses defining content, goals, and methodologies, ensuring the project demonstrates most capstone courses.

For instance, if your project revolves around human-centered design, identify a problem, such as a shortage of shelters in a city, and conduct research. Then, the person and approach to solving this problem should be determined, perhaps by studying the owner of an existing shelter and identifying gaps in current approaches.

While delving into extensive research, it's crucial for students to hone academic capabilities by studying other courses and examining what has already been done about the specific problem. Seeking input from people, professors, and TAs are invaluable. Once enough material, like a literature review or interviews, is gathered, present it to your professor for feedback before progressing.

Pre-Execution

Jus like choosing construction materials for a house, students must decide on materials and formulate a detailed action plan, meeting degree or course requirements. This phase demands careful consideration of methodologies and strategies, emphasizing material determination—whether it's an app, a history psychology project, or any other course. Craft a structured plan and present it as a proposal before delving deeper into the subject.

The final stage involves executing the plan and completing the project, demonstrating the capstone experience. The research project needs to be prepared for use, showcasing the culmination of efforts.

Presentation

The presentation serves as the grand reveal of the completed project. A well-structured project and a compelling pitch, typically required, is essential to demonstrate its readiness for use.

This approach ensures a seamless transition from planning to execution, essential for success in capstone courses and the culmination of their academic journey.

The preparatory nature of these projects makes students discover what they enjoy the most, what comes easily, and the potential to find areas of improvement. The benefits are crucial for student' personal and professional development, providing a real connection between academic knowledge and real-world application.

Gaining Skills and Experiences

Capstone projects showcase the skills and experiences accumulated throughout a student's educational journey. From research prowess to critical thinking and effective communication, the project culminates in these proficiencies, bringing them to the student's forefront.

Practical Transition to the Next Phase

Capstone projects are vital in preparing students to transition to the professional world or advance in academic pursuits. It's a practical initiation into college career, familiarizing students with the challenges and responsibilities they'll encounter in their future careers or advanced degrees at other schools.

Initiation of Work or Advanced Studies

Working on a capstone project program allows students to navigate the complexities they'll encounter in their chosen field. This experiential learning program equips them with valuable insights and the confidence and adaptability required to transition to the professional world or pursue advanced degrees.

Holistic Development for Future Success

Capstone projects contribute significantly to students' and major programs' holistic development, ensuring they are academically qualified and possess the practical skills demanded by prospective employers for their future endeavors.

Here are some potential burdens and some capstone journey strategies that have helped me throughout my projects during school.

Choosing a Subject:

• Challenge:  Defining the size of your capstone project can be daunting. I recommend balancing ambition with feasibility. For example, if you are trying to help dog shelters, maybe focus on how to prevent owners from abandoning them by educating dog owners. In the case of a more research-based project, look at the literature review of your research focus and build upon what has already been investigated.
• Strategy:  Begin with a clear project scope and revisit the risks regularly. Prioritize key objectives to avoid complicating your project, and focus on a single issue .

Time Management:

• Challenge:  Capstone projects often overlap with other academic commitments. Time management becomes paramount.
• Strategy:  Create a detailed timeline, allocating specific tasks to manageable time frames. Regularly reassess and adjust as needed.

Research Roadblocks:

• Challenge:  Conducting extensive research may lead to information overload or difficulty finding relevant sources.
• Strategy:  Define research questions early. What is the project doing? For whom? In what builds upon? Utilize academic databases and seek guidance from mentors for targeted resource discovery.

Team Dynamics (if applicable):

• Challenge:  Group projects may need help coordinating schedules, differing work styles, or conflicting ideas.
• Strategy:  Establish clear communication channels, set expectations from the beginning, and address conflicts promptly.

What exactly is a capstone project?

A capstone project is a culmination endeavor in your last year of college. This final assignment showcases the knowledge you acquired throughout your college years. It's a bridge between academia and the professional world, demonstrating the complete scope of your learning.

How do capstone courses differ from capstone projects?

A capstone project is an independent culminating assignment reflecting academic individual proficiency. On the other hand, a capstone course is an entire academic course that may involve collaborative projects, discussions, diverse activities, and presentations.

What are the benefits and challenges of capstone projects?

Capstone projects offer transformative experiences, unveiling skills and experiences gained through academic years. The benefits include skill refinement, self-discovery, and a practical transition to the professional realm.

However, challenges such as choosing a subject, time management, research roadblocks, and team dynamics may arise. Strategies like clear project scoping, time management, focused research questions, and effective team communication can help overcome these challenges.

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Senior Capstone

The purpose of the senior capstone is to engage each senior in the exploration and communication of mathematical ideas encountered in 300+ level mathematics/statistics coursework and beyond.

Basic Components

The student independently studies a topic of interest and creates a poster covering their topic. The student gives a 20-minute presentation of the poster to an audience of Mathematics and Statistics faculty and later participates in the Senior Mathematics & Statistics Poster Symposium, where they share their work with the wider Kenyon community.

Requirements and Important Dates

1. student selects a topic., 2. student submits a formal proposal describing the proposed topic for their poster and presentation..

• 3. Student presents the background and preliminaries of their topic to peers in the Senior Seminar.
• 4. Student presents their main results and the implications of those results to peers in the Senior Seminar.

5. Student completes and submits an electronic version of their poster.

6. student presents their poster to mathematics and statistics faculty members..

• 7. Students participate in the Senior Mathematics & Statistics Poster Symposium.

As this is the capstone experience for the mathematics major, we expect the work to build on earlier intermediate and advanced work in the discipline.  In choosing a topic, the student has four options:

• Survey of a Contemporary Research Problem: The poster presents a contemporary open problem in mathematics or statistics, discusses historical approaches to the problem, and reports on progress that has been made.
• Summary of Research or Internship: The poster summarizes mathematical or statistical results stemming from the student’s experience in an undergraduate research program or in an internship involving mathematical or statistical ideas at the 300+ course level.
• Introduction to a 300+ Level Math/Stat Course Topic: T he poster provides a lively presentation of a specific topic from a 300+ level mathematics or statistics course that is accessible to a junior/senior-level mathematics major who has not taken the course.
• Presentation of a Topic Leading into Honors Study: The poster describes material the student has learned in preparation for a spring-semester Honors project in Mathematics or Statistics.

More details about these topics can be found here .

The student's topic should be of suitable difficulty — not too easy and not too hard. If in doubt, the student should consult with faculty members about this. Once the student has a topic and a few print resources (books or articles) in mind, they should approach one or more faculty members to consult on the suitability of the proposed topic and to discuss ideas for the proposal.

Students should have topic ideas and some resources in hand no later than the first week of the fall semester. (Classes begin Thursday, August 29, 2024.) We encourage students to begin thinking about possible topics in the spring of their junior year.

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Even though the proposal itself is fairly short, the amount of work that goes into it is much greater. Writing a good proposal requires a reasonably good understanding of the major ideas and technical material involved in the topic. Before attempting to write the proposal:

• The student needs to understand the general motivation behind the topic.
• The student needs to identify the end-goal(s) for the senior capstone. 
• The student needs to make sure they have the necessary background and appropriate resources for completing the topic. 
• The student needs to be fairly sure the project is doable in the given timeline. 

In other words, the student cannot write a reasonable proposal without studying their major resources enough to get a good sense of the topic, its difficulty, and its feasibility. All of this requires a substantial amount of reading and background work prior to writing the proposal. Therefore the preliminary work needs to begin several weeks in advance of this first deadline.

In addition to extensive reading, the student should be consulting with one or more faculty members who will be able to give guidance on end goals and feasibility. It will ordinarily take several discussions with faculty members to really narrow down the goals of the project.

Students should not underestimate the importance of the preparation step or the amount of work that goes into it. This is a big part of the overall senior capstone project and a big deadline.

The proposal must include:

• a description of the topic: this is more than the mere title of the topic. The description should include motivation and describe the basic ideas underlying the topic. It should also state specific end-goals and the nature of the mathematical material that is needed and will be covered. The description should also explain how the topic fits the students’ background and interests in mathematics. The student should also be careful to choose a topic that has substantial content and that is also doable in the timeline given for the senior capstone. 
• an annotated bibliography saying generally what is in each source and how the student expects the source to contribute to the eventual poster, (these annotations need not be extensive; keep them general and short, but writing them will require the student to have done some reading in the source.)
• a list of courses the student has had that will support study of the topic, and
• a summary of the discussions the student has had with faculty members concerning the topic.

Deadline for the Proposal:  Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024, by 5 p.m. Departmental Response by:  Friday, Sept. 13, 2024

3. Student presents background and preliminary information to peers in the Senior Seminar.

Students present the mathematical background information and preliminary results for their projects in 7- to 10-minute talks to a subset of the seminar class. Seminar students in the audience and the seminar instructor will provide constructive feedback based on this presentation.

Background/Preliminary Presentations:  during seminar on the week of Monday, Sept. 16, 2024.

4. Student presents main results and the implications of those results to peers in the Senior Seminar.

Students present main results and implications (with significant mathematical content) from their projects in 7- to 10-minute talks to a subset of the seminar class. Seminar students in the audience and the seminar instructor provide constructive feedback based on this presentation.

Results/Implications Presentations: during seminar on the week of Monday, Sept. 30, 2024.

Students submit complete, electronic but print-ready, versions of their posters. Each poster should be designed to facilitate an accessible, efficient, and engaging presentation of the topic to an audience of peers. To this end, the poster should include all components necessary to tell a complete story about the student’s project. This may include, but is not limited to, definitions, examples, theorems (and their proofs), applications, and any other critical content.  Visualizations should be incorporated to support the story line and to convey key concepts, when appropriate. The poster will be submitted to the Senior Seminar Moodle page.

General Poster Instructions:

• The poster will be formatted using a template provided in Senior Seminar.
• The poster should be self-contained. The necessary background, basic definitions, and useful examples must be explicitly included so that the audience can understand it without consulting other sources. The poster may, however, assume the general background covered in the core courses in mathematics and (if necessary) the material covered in other math courses the student has taken at Kenyon.
• The poster text should be written so that it is understandable to junior/senior-level mathematics majors. 
• The poster should include graphics, data, and/or calculations that facilitate understanding of the topic.
• When using multiple sources for the project, the student will be expected to coordinate and systematize material from these sources. This includes standardizing the notation, which often varies from one source to another.
• Information presented on the poster should be well-organized with appropriate headings, and the student is expected to use correct English and mathematical grammar throughout.

Deadline for Electronic Poster:  Friday, Nov. 8, 2024 by 5 p.m.

Each student gives a 20-minute oral presentation of their poster to an audience of Mathematics and Statistics faculty at an assigned date and time. This will be followed by a question and answer session with the faculty members. In this presentation, the student will tell a complete story about the topic they have selected, highlighting the components of their poster.

Poster Presentations:  Monday, Nov. 11, Wednesday, Nov. 13, and Friday, Nov. 15, 2024 at times to be specified.

General Presentation Instructions: 

• Like the poster, itself, the presentation should be a self-contained story of the student’s results. Any background information necessary to understand the story should be included, beyond the core course content for the mathematics major.
• The student should practice their presentation to ensure that they meet the 18- to 20-minute time requirement.
• After the formal presentation, the student should be prepared to respond to questions posed by the Mathematics and Statistics faculty members in attendance.
• The presentation will be evaluated on the correctness, completeness, and clarity of the presented material.

7. Student participates in the Senior Mathematics & Statistics Poster Symposium.

All students will participate in the Senior Mathematics & Statistics Poster Symposium. At the Symposium, students will present their work to the wider Kenyon community.

Poster File:  Final poster files must be submitted by Friday, Nov. 22, 2024, at 4 PM

Poster Symposium:  Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024, from 11:10 AM - 1 PM.

Evaluation of the Capstone

The department will evaluate each senior capstone poster and presentation (the result being either distinction, pass, or failure) using the criteria on this rubric. The student's work will be rated as exemplary, acceptable, marginally acceptable, or unacceptable in each category. An evaluation of "unacceptable" on any component of the senior capstone may be considered grounds for failure. To achieve distinction on the senior capstone, each component of the evaluation must be judged “exemplary.”

Second Chance to Pass the Capstone

College policy provides each student who fails their senior capstone the first time with a second chance. If the senior capstone poster and/or presentation was found to be unacceptable, the student will be required to construct a poster and make a presentation on a topic chosen by the department. The second poster and presentation will be due during the penultimate week of classes in the spring semester. Other (preliminary) deadlines will be imposed by the department in consultation with the student.

Senior Capstone

Whether they're called senior capstones or some other name, these culminating experiences ask students nearing the end of their college years to create a project of some sort that integrates and synthesizes what they've learned. The project might be a thesis, a performance or an exhibit of artwork. In spring and summer 2023, we invited college presidents, chief academic officers, deans of students and deans of admissions from more than 1,500 schools to nominate up to 15 institutions with stellar examples of senior capstones. Colleges and universities that received 10 or more nominations are ranked here. Read the methodology »

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Princeton University

Princeton, NJ

• #1 in Senior Capstone
• #1 in National Universities

The ivy-covered campus of Princeton University, a private institution, is located in the quiet town of Princeton, New Jersey. Princeton was the first university to offer a "no loan" policy to financially needy students, giving grants instead of loans to accepted students who need help paying tuition.

(fall 2022)

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Yale University

New Haven, CT

• #2 in Senior Capstone
• #5 in National Universities

Yale University, located in New Haven, Connecticut, offers a small college life with the resources of a major research institution. Yale students are divided into 14 residential colleges that foster a supportive environment for living, learning and socializing.

The College of Wooster

Wooster, OH

• #3 in Senior Capstone
• #75 in National Liberal Arts Colleges  (tie)

Founded in 1866, The College of Wooster is a private institution. The College of Wooster offers a Greek system, where 12 percent of the student body is involved in a sorority and 12% is involved in a fraternity.

Swarthmore College

Swarthmore, PA

• #4 in Senior Capstone
• #4 in National Liberal Arts Colleges  (tie)

About 10 miles outside of Philadelphia is Swarthmore College, a private liberal arts institution that also offers a unique engineering degree program. Because Swarthmore is part of the Tri-College Consortium, students can also take courses at nearby Bryn Mawr College and Haverford College.

Brown University

Providence, RI

• #5 in Senior Capstone
• #9 in National Universities  (tie)

At Brown University, undergraduate students are responsible for designing their own academic study with more than 80 concentration programs to choose from. Another unique offering at this private, Ivy League institution in Providence, Rhode Island, is the Program in Liberal Medical Education, which grants both a bachelor’s degree and medical degree in eight years.

Stanford University

Stanford, CA

• #6 in Senior Capstone
• #3 in National Universities  (tie)

The sunny campus of Stanford University is located in California’s Bay Area, about 30 miles from San Francisco. The private institution stresses a multidisciplinary combination of teaching, learning, and research, and students have many opportunities to get involved in research projects.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA

• #7 in Senior Capstone
• #2 in National Universities

Though the Massachusetts Institute of Technology may be best known for its math, science and engineering education, this private research university also offers architecture, humanities, management and social science programs. The school is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, just across the Charles River from downtown Boston.

Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA

• #8 in Senior Capstone
• #24 in National Universities  (tie)

Carnegie Mellon University, a private institution in Pittsburgh, is the country’s only school founded by industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. The school specializes in academic areas including engineering, business, computer science and fine arts.

Elon University

• #9 in Senior Capstone
• #133 in National Universities  (tie)

Elon University is located in Elon, N.C., between Greensboro and the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill triangle. With more than 240 clubs and organizations, there are many ways for students to get involved. Every Tuesday, the community hosts College Coffee, a weekly campus tradition during which faculty, staff and students gather for coffee and snacks at the Phi Beta Kappa Commons. Students can work off the extra calories participating in intramural, club or varsity sports. The Phoenix, Elon’s varsity athletic teams, compete in the NCAA Division I Colonial Athletic Association (CAA). Greek organizations are a significant part of social life on campus, representing about 35% of the student body. All first- and second-year students are required to live on campus in one of the residence halls.

Duke University

• #10 in Senior Capstone
• #7 in National Universities  (tie)

Located in Durham, North Carolina, Duke University is a private institution that has liberal arts and engineering programs for undergraduates. The Duke Blue Devils sports teams have a fierce rivalry with the University of North Carolina—Chapel Hill Tar Heels and are best known for their outstanding men's basketball program.

Honors College

• Prospective Students
• Current Students

Capstone Project

The honors capstone project.

The Honors Capstone is the culminating project that completes your Honors degree. The project is a prized academic milestone, signifying a great amount of research and organization of thought. While the project will serve as a remarkable personal achievement, it will also provide evidence—to graduate school admissions committees, scholarship review boards, and prospective employers—that you have the capacity to pursue independent academic endeavors and present your findings.

Important Notice

In an effort to provide students with an exceptional academic experience, the Honors College seeks to designate courses for Honors credit taught by some of the most rigorous faculty in the university. Students are strongly encouraged to approach full-time instructors in their academic major as mentors for the Honors Capstone. In order to ensure rigor and maintain consistency, graduate students and part-time, adjunct faculty members should not supervise an Honors Capstone project.

Each College/School determines which option(s) their students may select to fulfill the Honors Capstone requirement. Note: All students will produce a deliverable and showcase their Capstone project at the Honors Research Symposium (HRS) with a poster presentation.

Capstone Examples

Previous Capstone projects can be found in the Carolyn A. Barros Reading Room (The CAB) in College Hall #100-A. Additionally, starting with the completed projects from Spring 2022, these and future projects can be accessed through the UTA Libraries Research Commons in  UTA Libraries Honors Capstones  database. 

• Capstone Options
• Research Option This option offers students the opportunity to complete sustained original research or creative activity in their major field.
• International Option Students work with their major adviser to identify appropriate courses that can be applied to their degree and normally spend one or two semesters abroad (fall and/or spring only for Capstone projects). These students also work with a UTA faculty mentor to produce a detailed, substantive written research project that focuses on a disciplinary problem and documents how the study abroad or service abroad experience helped them in addressing and/or understanding the problem.
• Professional Option Students work with a faculty mentor to produce a detailed, substantive written research project that focuses on a disciplinary problem and documents how the internship, co-op, or practicum helped them in addressing and/or understanding the problem.
• Creative Option Students work with a faculty mentor to produce a detailed, substantive creative project that focuses on a disciplinary problem and/or addresses a need within a particular discipline.
• College-Specific Option Students work with a faculty mentor to develop a substantive project specific to the major College. Note: this option is only available to students in the College of Engineering.

Resources and Forms

All Senior Project options use the same Proposal Form.

• Capstone Project Options Overview
• Capstone Template
• Capstone Template Tips & Tricks
• Capstone Proposal Form
• Capstone Timeline
• How To Write Your Capstone Proposal — Non-Engineering
• How To Write Your Capstone Proposal — Engineering Group Project
• Capstone Approval form
• Writing Guide: How To Not See Red: Your Writing And You
• Writing Guide: Writing A Literature Review
• The Honors Degree
• Interdisciplinary Studies
• Course Schedules
• The Credit System
• Dates and Deadlines
• Project Binding
• Honors Research Symposium
• Honors Experiences

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• Civil Engineering
• Civil Engineering Senior Capstone Projects

Civil Engineering Senior Capstone Design Projects

During the 2022-2023 academic year, our senior civil engineering students used their acquired University of Dayton School of Engineering skills for the  Common Good. Please enjoy this glimpse of their senior capstone design projects as we wish them well in their future endeavors as civil engineers.

Mentors: Ben Van De Weghe, Shell and Meyer Associates Inc.

Students: Shaikhah Almutairi, Ethan Macula, Dylan Palmqvist and Sean Simpson Project: The project aims to design a building to house a combined daycare and a community healthcare facility in Dayton, Ohio. The new facility provide a daycare on the first floor along with a pediatric clinic for Dayton Children’s Hospital on the second floor.

Mentors: Joseph E. Saliba, Ph.D., P.E., University of Dayton

Students: Jacob Caraballo, Brian Carney, Stephen Dyke, Mike Perrone, Mark LeChard Project: The project aims to design a soccer academy in Beavercreek, Ohio. With soccer being the most popular sport in the world, there has been a growing desire for youth soccer in the United States. Chelsea sees an opportunity to build a soccer academy in Southwestern Ohio because it is central location and the growing popularity and interest in the Midwest.

Mentors: Stephanie Ann Goff, P.E., P.S. Green County Engineer and Paul C. Goodhue, P.E., PTOE, Goodhue, Consulting

Students: Collen Flach, Sally Benintendi, Nathan Geers and Ravleen Kaur

Project: The project aims is to investigate the preferred intersection improvement design for SR 235 and Trebein Road. The goal is to increase safety by reducing the number of accidents and to relieve the predicted increase of traffic volumes that will be caused by future planned developments in the area.

Mentors: David Marshall, Civil Engineering Group Leader, Midwest

Students: Ali Bischof, Joe Bradesca, Jacob Deuley, Zirui Wang and Brad Ward

Project: The project aims to develop and lay out a community college campus in Miami Township. The community college will focus on serving individuals wanting to obtain an education in aviation technology and mechanics.

Students – Group #1 : Emma Allington, Kiara DiLoreto, Keely Dryden, Abigail Hoeppner, Liz Riedel, Jsssie Stranen, Joseph Urso, Abigail Ward

Students – Group #2: Joe Craft, Grace Fiala, Anthony Hattrup, Anna Molnar, Liam O'Neill, Tanner Smid, Ryan Vanschelven, Nick Verderano

Project: The project will focus on developing engineering and construction documents for a new 40,000 SF addition to Cleveland elementary school for a school district in Dayton, Ohio. The school will have a 2-story classroom wing with an elevator and two stairwells. The supporting areas will include a kitchen, cafetorium, administration, restrooms, mechanical rooms, and a gymnasium. The new school addition shall represent a net-zero installation completely independent of any electrical, natural gas, water, storm sewer and sanitary sewer system. The design will satisfy all applicable local and state codes and regulations.

Students: Matthew Brown, Zac Colebourn, Jon Gardner, Julia Holstead, Chris Karhoff, Nick Koening, Matt Prock, Ricardo Vazauez

Project: The project will focus on developing engineering and construction documents for improvements at crash-prone intersections in Montgomery County, Ohio. The scope includes identifying at least four intersection candidates for improvement through a study of crash data. Design documents for at least one intersection shall be developed with the design incorporating a roundabout. The design will satisfy all applicable local and state codes and regulations.

Students: Mary Baldridge, Dom Beaver, Sam Carlson, Carl Frey, Mia Graeber, Andrew Monnin, Ray Schmidlin, Elizabeth Woodrich

Project: The proposed project will focus on developing engineering and construction documents for a pedestrian bridge that connects the existing Sunrise Park and the proposed Sunset Park in downtown Dayton, Ohio. The bridge shall incorporate innovative design so that it is itself a park. It is hoped that the bridge design shall bring national and even international recognition to the City of Dayton as well as the design firm. The design will satisfy all applicable local and state codes and regulations.