The purpose of the capstone to the Degree Program
Review the Degree Program’s Purpose and Learning Outcomes, and then use the questions below to determine what types of culminating experiences might align best with your program.
Consider the purpose of your degree program Accordion Closed
Majors have been designed for a variety of purposes. Designing a capstone course for a program that prepares students for entry into a profession will likely include different experiences than a degree that prepares students for a variety of different future experiences. What is the purpose of your degree program?
Consider whether it is necessary to satisfy:
Specialized accreditation requirements?: Accordion Closed
- Review your specialized accreditation requirements. Accreditors may require specific experiences or assessments be conducted. If so, start with what is required by your accreditor and then tailor it to achieve any unique values or outcomes related to your program, its students, and/or its faculty.
Emphasis area outcomes?: Accordion Closed
- Consider whether an experience is integrative across emphasis areas (students re-convene at the end of their major to work together on a final project, even though they are from different emphasis areas) or
- Consider whether it would be best for each emphasis area to have its own culminating experience.
Consider academic unit resources, faculty teaching and research loads, and total students in the major when considering types of culminating experiences to implement for the capstone.
The following three considerations assist faculty to tailor the course design and experience in a student-centric manner Accordion Closed
- How do you want the capstone experience to be beneficial to the students’ post-baccalaureate experience?
- How might you design the capstone to address students’ personal growth? Academic growth? Professional growth?
- How might student ownership, responsibility, and engagement be central to the capstone experience?