Senior Capstone Guidelines

The Education Studies Capstone enables students to tackle a major question in the field of Education and create their own unique contribution. This project is designed to draw upon each Scholar’s previous Education Studies (and related) coursework and field experience, encouraging each individual to become an expert in a self-selected topic of particular personal interest.  

Students have the option to complete the capstone in EDST 400 (spring of junior year) and EDST 410 or EDST 470 Independent Study (fall of senior year). In certain cases, students can opt to complete the capstone in one semester. 

Capstone Format

Both one-semester and two-semester capstones are expected to be at least 30 pages (the typical article-length study), with the exception of the two-part creative project, whose length may vary but will be accompanied by a 15-page (minimum) essay. All projects will aim to engage with or cite approximately 40+ secondary sources.  

Capstone project format options include: 

  1. Literature review essay 
  2. Original qualitative and/or quantitative research producing an analysis of findings (IRB approval required if engaging human subjects) 
  3. Innovation: Design a proof of concept proposal for an education-related product, start-up, website, etc. 
  4. Policy: In-depth research in an area of policy producing a series of policy memos/briefs/white papers – this may be conducted as community-based learning in an informal consulting capacity with an actual organization 
  5. Creative project (for example: YA novel, picture book, podcast, original musical, museum exhibit, comic, zine, etc) completed alongside a 15-page analytical discussion of your project in the context of relevant literature. 
  6. Curriculum Design: Conduct research in an area of curriculum or other practice and write a series of unit/lesson plans, professional development plans, etc.  (This option might involve classroom observation and practice teaching as part of the research and final assessment.) Like the creative project option, your curriculum project will be accompanied by a 15-page analytical discussion of your project in the context of relevant literature.  
  7. An essay following conventions not described above, such as creative non-fiction, literary criticism, or journalistic reporting. This option will still engage with at least 40 secondary sources and be at least 30 pages.  

Capstone Rubric

 
Topic development: Students who produce an excellent capstone will have developed a topic appropriate to their skills, interests, and of appropriate scope for a senior capstone in Education Studies, including an accurate understanding of the study’s limitations and contributions.  

Originality: Successful capstone projects need to show evidence of contributing new information to a field of study and posing a clear research question whose answer is not yet known. This could include original research, a creative project, a new policy proposal, an innovative curriculum development, or a literature review that offers a novel synthesis or evaluation of the topic.  

Literature Review: Students who excel will have read and engaged rigorously with the literature most relevant to their topic. The form of the literature review can vary depending on the project design, with 40+ secondary sources engaged.  

Argument, Analysis and Evidence: In strong capstones, argument and analysis are consistently backed up by evidence (the evidence could include original or secondary qualitative or quantitative data). The analysis should be thorough, convincing and original. For a creative project, this evidence-based argumentation will take place in the accompanying essay component.  

Organization and Style: Stellar capstones are well-written, well-organized, and free from distracting errors. The student uses the citation practice of their field consistently and appropriately. The paper should be at least 30 pages, except for creative/curricular projects which will be accompanied by a 15-page minimum literature review essay.