A capstone project is a comprehensive assignment due at the end of a college course. Capstones are designed to determine if a student has learned the cumulative class content. Capstones are tailored for the type of courses involved. For example, an appropriate capstone project for a history course may be a lengthy written project surveying the Civil War; a capstone project for a science class may encompass developing and demonstrating an actual experiment.
A thesis is one piece of an overall capstone assignment. The thesis reflects the specific purpose for the project. Instructors sometimes require students to provide a written thesis statement at the beginning of a project. A thesis statement makes the student's intent clear and assists the instructor in evaluating the project's success.
A thesis statement should concisely state the main point of a project. Vague thesis statements are weak and unhelpful to the audience. For example, if a student is writing a capstone examining reasons for the United States' involvement in World War II, a thesis statement such as "The United States had a plethora of reasons for entering World War II" is ambiguous and ineffective.A strong thesis statement might read, "One reason the United States engaged in World War II stemmed from the attack on Peal Harbor."
A sharp thesis sets the stage for a solid capstone project. It helps organize project research and development. A strong thesis helps the paper's audience focus and serves as a critical component for a successful project.