Understanding Capstone Project in PhD and Masters Program
Before completing one’s graduate school, students are typically required to complete a thesis or capstone project. What a capstone project is varies from university to university, and major to major. However, the basic principal behind a capstone project is the same, take the culmination of one’s education and put it into a large scale experiential project that is then reviewed by professors and/or peers.
Capstone projects are usually associated with master’s programs focusing in social services, liberal arts, communications, and public administration. But other majors may require capstones as well. The reasons why a capstone may be required over a thesis is that these areas of study are often aimed are real world application. These kind of projects offer students real experience as a working professional in their chosen industry while still having access to advisors and professors.