How to Do a Capstone Project, Step By Step
In preparation for your capstone project, you will need to take a few prior courses before you can register.
Some schools will have you take a research class, others require you to have a specific number of credits.
If your instructor does not talk things over with you, be sure to ask. Once you’re set:
Choose a topic for your capstone project
If your instructor doesn’t assign you a specific topic, select one by following these simple steps.
Brainstorm to collect some capstone project ideas.
Narrow the choices down to end up with one or two that are academically relevant, have enough latitude (existing published data), relevant to your discipline and future career, and interesting enough that you want to explore them.
- With one topic in mind, look for an angle or approach based on a problem you want to solve or a product you would like to evaluate or launch. Formulate a research question to guide you along the way.
Do your preliminary research
Conduct a general information-gathering research process to orient yourself and give you an idea of what you’re looking at. Keep evaluating your topic based on its feasibility and relevance.
Create a capstone project proposal
Armed with this general and background information, formulate a project proposal. You will present this to your instructor and wait for it to be approved before you can proceed. We have a guide to capstone project proposal here.
Create a schedule
Once approved, you will need to create an accurate timetable to pace yourself during the project. You will only succeed if you start early and give it the effort it needs.
Last-minute rushing hardly ever works unless you turn it over to our experts at Help for Assessment.
Conduct in-depth research
Collect all the material you need for the project and research intensively.
As you do it, keep a notebook and pen handy to keep a record of your sources, write down important quotes or data you might need, and generally keep track of the information gathered. Use only very credible sources to add validity to your project.
If your project is a deliverable, this is the stage where you work on it. Make sure to keep accurate and thorough documentation as you proceed.
Create an outline for your write-up
Come up with an outline for the actual write-up. The same goes for a project report, where you will need to provide a good logical structure to organize all the information.
Do the write-up
Start the write-in good time, as this part often takes the most effort and time. Be thorough, concise, and cite all sources accurately.
Revise, refine, then submit
Edit your capstone project and write-up several times before submission. If possible, you can have a third-party go through it to pick out any mistakes.
Prepare the presentation
You will also need to present your project to a panel and in front of an audience.
Prepare for it early. For a creative project, the presentation will essentially be an exhibition of sorts. For a research project, you will be defending your paper from a review panel.
