How to Do a Capstone Project

A capstone project is the culmination of undergrad educations for many people. In fields like English, foreign languages and history, a capstone project serves as the apex of everything students have learned in their given fields. The capstone gives them a chance to present what they know and prepares them for grad school or further research work. Typically, the capstone consists of a semester or two of research that goes into a final paper or sometimes another sort of project. According to "Producing the Capstone Project," by Sharon L. Bender, the project "...is a scholarly activity that usually results in a small contribution to a much larger field of study." (See Reference 1)

Instructions

    • 1

      Talk with your adviser or the head of your department about what's expected from a capstone. Students are often required to sign up for a capstone class, where they receive guidance. They may also be given details about when and where they will present and defend their project.

    • 2

      Narrow down the type of project you'll be completing. Most programs require a final research paper of 15 to 30 pages, subject to the requirements of the department and college.

    • 3

      Select a topic within your field that you're comfortable researching for a great deal of time. The entire project should last about a semester. You will probably be asked to submit an abstract and a proposal to your adviser or capstone head.

    • 4

      Spend several months researching your topic and developing an "angle" for your paper or project. You should learn enough about the topic that you have something new and specific to offer to your discipline and to similar studies.

    • 5

      Write a first draft, edit, then redraft your research paper. It should include five to 10 resources in a "works cited" format, along with several in-text citations.

    • 6

      Submit the final, corrected draft of your paper. Prepare to defend and present the paper in front of the faculty, your capstone class or a group of peers.

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