Capstone

Ideally, Honors College students will start brainstorming early about what they want to experience and accomplish in their undergraduate careers; choose classes and co-curricular activities that support those goals; initiate a Capstone Project that feeds their unique intellectual passions; and, finally, carry what they have learned forward into life beyond college.

Students have the option of pursuing a capstone inside or outside their major and discipline. In many instances, expectations for the Capstone are in line with honors quality departmental theses, senior design projects, and other senior research projects that enable students to carry out rigorous inquiry, writing, and public presentation.

Introducing the Honors Capstone Project: General information; a sample timeline and the steps to completing a Capstone; registration and paperwork; and tips about using the Capstone Project to pursue other opportunities like fellowships and graduate school admissions.

Video: https://youtu.be/M5ssU7I-98M
Transcript: https://uofi.box.com/v/capstonetranscript

Capstones in Specific Disciplines/Areas of Study

The Honors College encourages students to complete a Capstone Project that will simultaneously fulfill departmental or college requirements/opportunities for advanced undergraduate research and professional presentation, subject to approval by the student’s Capstone Supervisor and Faculty Fellow.

Discipline-Specific Information:

•  See discipline-specific information for your Capstone.

Capstones Outside Your Specific Discipline

Students must have taken sufficient coursework in the field they wish to produce a Capstone Project, and they must locate a faculty member or practitioner from that field to serve as their Capstone Supervisor.

Need Help Deciding on a Capstone In or Outside Your Major? 

Your Capstone Supervisor will be your ultimate guide along the way, but as you move through this process, you can:

• bring general questions to and receive feedback from your Honors College primary advisor,
• brainstorm options with and bring field-specific questions to your Faculty Fellow;
• or make an appointment with the Honors College Capstone specialist Issy Marquez

The Honors Capstone Project involves two semesters of work and is generally supervised ideally by a UIC faculty member. Honors College students also have the option of recruiting an expert outside of the university to be their Capstone Supervisor, as long as that person has appropriate experience in the field, as determined by the Faculty Fellow and the Honors College.

Here are some ways to recruit a Capstone Supervisor:

1. Contact your Faculty Fellow! Your Faculty Fellow is your lifeline to the academic research community on campus. They have myriad connections to other faculty and researchers across campus who can mentor you with your Honors Capstone Project and can help you brainstorm.
2. Approach current faculty or professors you’ve taken classes with in the past! Swing by their office hours and chat with them about your current research interests. Ask them to direct you to relevant peer-reviewed sources articles and to other faculty members or experts in the community.
3. Consider internships, volunteer hours, or work experience as potential sites to initiate an investigation applied research project.
4. Come meet with a member at the Honors College! Contact Issy Marquez at irm3@uic.edu

Note: Honors College students may complete an Honors Capstone Project outside of their major discipline if they have taken sufficient coursework in the field of interest and are able to locate an appropriate Capstone Supervisor.

The Capstone Supervisor reviews drafts, provides feedback, and guides the student as they develop their project. Therefore, the Capstone Supervisor determines whether or not an Honors Capstone Project meets the academic standards of the field for a novice researcher.

Meeting with your Capstone Supervisor

The Capstone Supervisor is knowledgeable in their area of research and is a resource for the student. More specifically:

• Students need to ascertain that the prospective Capstone Supervisor has expertise in the area of study and is willing and able to devote the time required to supervise the project effectively.
• The Capstone Supervisor is expected to enthusiastically mentor the student throughout the project, including by
  • being available to check-in with the student on a recurring basis, ideally in person
  • identifying appropriate research methods and obtaining background reading materials
  • reading and critiquing drafts in a timely manner
  • consulting with the student regularly on the scope and methodology of the project.
  • helping the student find appropriate public presentation venues and forms of presentation
  • evaluating the project to determine whether it meets academic standards and disciplinary requirements
  • attending the public presentation, if possible

Meeting with your Faculty Fellow 

The Faculty Fellow ensures that the student successfully fulfills the Capstone Project requirements. More specifically:

• The Fellow may assist the student in finding an appropriate Capstone Supervisor.
• The Fellow may periodically check with the student to ensure that the project is progressing as expected and that the student is working well under the Capstone Supervisor.
• The Fellow is expected to comment on the quality of the Capstone Project and must certify that it meets the Honors College requirements.
• Some Fellows also serve as Capstone Supervisors for one or more Honors College students, while others do not.

The Honors College Capstone Agreement Form is required for any student who is registered for HON 322. It is the first (#1) of a series of 4 forms related to the Capstone. This is in lieu of the Honors Activity Agreement Form, and must be completed at the beginning of the semester in which a student begins work on the Capstone project. After the Capstone Agreement Form is submitted by the student in HARS, the Project Supervisor will be notified within one business day for electronic approval.

Only after the Project Supervisor has approved the project, will the Fellow be notified for electronic approval. The form should be created in HARS by the end of the third week of the semester.

Log into the Honors Activity Reporting System to generate and print your Capstone Agreement Form.

Registering for HON 322 also involves the following paperwork:

Capstone Agreement Form

Students must submit a Capstone Proposal Agreement Form in HARS by the third Friday of the first semester in which they are enrolled in HON 322.

The form includes a section for the student to include a project proposal. The project proposal should include the following elements:

1. Title
2. Purpose and Goal of the Research – A brief summary of the issues to be addressed and/or questions to be investigated. The issues described should be as specific as possible, and the student may wish to include a summary of preliminary background research.
3. Methodology and Data/Materials Collection – An explanation of what data or other materials are to be collected to answer the research question(s) and how.
4. Analysis and Anticipated Results – An explanation of how the data or materials will be analyzed and the potential scholarly contribution of the results from the study.
5. Preliminary Schedule – A tentative schedule for completing the above steps in two semesters, including plans for preparing and conducting the public presentation. For example, students will likely carry out the necessary background literature review and conduct the bulk of their research during the first semester of the Capstone and then devote the second semester to writing up research and preparing a poster, a PowerPoint presentation, and/or a lecture for public presentation. The venue for public presentation should also be identified.

Students should provide the Capstone Supervisor and Faculty Fellow with an initial draft of the project proposal so that they are able to address their concerns prior to the student submitting the proposal by the third Friday of the semester.

Capstone Progress Report

At the end of the first semester, students submit a Capstone Progress Form indicating the progress made on the project and must be signed by the Project Supervisor. Students must have a completed Capstone Agreement Form approved by both the Capstone Supervisor and the Faculty Fellow before they can access and submit their Capstone Progress Report.

• The Capstone Progress Form is due, signed and submitted in HARS, by the last day of classes.
• Questions about your Capstone Progress Report should be directed to your Capstone Supersivor or your Honors primary advisor