What is Capstone Program?

A capstone course can have a variety of names, depending on where you go to school. A capstone might be called a culmination project, senior thesis, or a final exhibition. Don’t be confused—under any name, the capstone is just a final assignment to help you synthesize and demonstrate what you’ve learned through your studies.

Capstone courses vary in form depending on your major. If you’re an English major, you may have to write a long paper interpreting multiple pieces of literature. If you’re a design major, you may have to put together a show exhibiting theoretical magazines. If you’re an engineering major, you may be asked to put together a project to illustrate how a certain building or bridge could be built in a structurally sound way. The capstone course is intended to apply all of the knowledge and skills you’ve gained over a college career in one assignment.

A capstone course is not always a paper, though a paper is often a piece of it. Art students may put on exhibitions of their work, while other students will have to pass an oral examination, defend their thesis to a group of professors, or complete a book. A capstone is often multifaceted, meaning there’s a presentation or performance, a paper, and research that all come together to make the complete project.

Don’t be overwhelmed by the scale of the projects described. Most students spend an entire semester putting together their capstone and completing the necessary research.