Up until this point in your college education, it's likely that you've primarily completed projects and written research papers on topics assigned by your instructors. When you're a senior about to embark on a capstone project, however, you'll likely have the opportunity to select your own topic of interest (provided your topic falls within your discipline, of course).
Reflect carefully on the topic you choose, as you'll be working on it for an entire semester. You'll want to choose a topic that meets project requirements and will sustain your interest for the entire time you'll be working on it.
Having trouble coming up with a great idea for your project? You may find it helpful to review your notes, handouts and assignments for all of the classes you’ve taken so far. Was there something in particular that captured your attention? Was there a topic that you’d wished the class explored in further detail? This might make a great topic for your project.
Some capstone project examples include:
- Education: Identify best practices for improving social services support for at-risk students in K-12 schools
- Marketing: Explore whether a customer loyalty program improves customer retention
- Psychology: Consider whether stress affects students’ ability to perform on school exams
- Business administration: Investigate whether the implementation of a company-wide recycling program improves its public image