Capstone Requirement
UH West Oʻahu students are required to complete a capstone course in their specific degree and concentration area. A capstone course is the culminating scholastic effort and experience that asks students to incorporate the terms and concepts learned in their various classes to demonstrate the skills and knowledge learned in their area of study. This experience varies depending upon the student’s interest area and is completed in the final semester of the study.
While students are encouraged to participate in other work, research, or field experience opportunities such as internships when they are sophomores or first semester juniors, earning credit for the capstone requirement is limited to the student’s last semester before completing their degree requirements. This allows the student to integrate more classroom learning during the Capstone.
Students should visit and/or contact their UH West Oʻahu Academic Advisor to go over graduation requirements and project their graduation date.
Capstone Course Registration
Refer to the UH West O‘ahu General Catalog for program requirements and specific course description and prerequisites.
Special approval and registration approval overrides are required for registration into a capstone course. Refer to the information listed below for concentration specific contacts and information.
When preparing for registration and graduation, students should also contact and/or visit their UH West O‘ahu Academic Advisor to go over graduation requirements and project a graduation date.
Capstone Options
Senior Project
Students complete a research paper based on original or library research related to a particular problem or issue in their concentration area. The objectives of the senior project are to develop research and information retrieval skills, refine communication skills, and other research related competencies. Students will then share their research demonstrating their understanding theories and practices. Although the senior project is usually in a student’s concentration, students may select topics that require multidisciplinary or interdisciplinary study. Senior Project topics are subject to faculty approval.
SENIOR PROJECT GUIDELINES (PDF)
Senior Practicum
The goal of the practicum course is to allow students the opportunity to gain experience through field-based coursework within the workforce and apply the theories and concepts learned in the classroom. Students will then report on their experience using their understanding of theories and practices. In doing so, students will have the opportunity to demonstrate their ability to adapt to professional situations.
Students will complete field-based coursework related to their concentration area, such as an internship. Education majors will complete Student Teaching where they will be assigned to a school and classroom to teach in the grade level and content area related to their licensure area(s). Student Teaching Seminars are co-requisites.
Senior Practicum Guidelines (PDF)
Forms
A Practicum Affiliation Agreement form and Student Practicum Agreement form are required for students to complete a practicum course. Copies of these forms are distributed only to students who have registered into a 490 Practicum Course.
Contact the Capstone course instructor or program contact (see below) for the required forms.
Program Options and Contacts
Applied Science
| Concentrations | Capstone Courses * | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Hawaiian and Indigenous Health and Healing | APSC 486J Senior Project – HIHH | Dr. Kau’i Baumhofer Merritt nicolekb@hawaii.edu |
| Health Information Management | Student must take both: HIM 490 HIM Practicum & RHIA Exam Prep APSC 486H Senior Project |
Dr. Garry Roy groy@hawaii.edu |
| Health Professions | APSC 486P Senior Project APSC 490P Senior Practicum |
Dr. Rebecca Romine rromine@hawaii.edu |
| Respiratory Care | APSC 486R Senior Project APSC 490R Senior Practicum |
Dr. Kristina Lu kguo@hawaii.edu |
| Culinary Management Facilities Management Information Security and Assurance Information Technology |
APSC 486α Senior Project APSC 490α Senior Practicum |
Susan Yogi Business Division Capstone Coordinator uhwobusa@hawaii.edu |
Business Administration
| Concentrations | Capstone Courses * | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Accounting Facilities Management Finance General Business Administration Hospitality & Tourism Management Marketing |
BUSA 486α Senior Project BUSA 488α Senior Case Studies BUSA 490α Administrative Practicum |
Susan Yogi Business Division Capstone Coordinator uhwobusa@hawaii.edu |
Creative Media
| Concentrations | Capstone Courses * | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Communication and New Media Technology Design and Media Game Design and Development General Creative Media |
CM 490 Creative Media Practicum** CM 491 Senior Project** **Prerequisite: CM 489 Pre-capstone Experience |
Sharla Hanaoka Director, Academy for Creative Media at UH West O‘ahu shanaoka@hawaii.edu |
Education
| Concentrations | Capstone Courses * | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Elementary Education | EDEE 492, Student Teaching Seminar EDEE 490, Student Teaching **corequisites, that must be taken in the same semester |
Dr. Stephanie Kamai, Field Experience Coordinator shkamai@hawaii.edu |
| Middle Education | EDEE 492, Student Teaching Seminar EDEE 490, Student Teaching **corequisites, that must be taken in the same semester |
Dr. Cathy Ikeda, Assistant Professor cathyi@hawaii.edu |
| Secondary Education | EDEE 492, Student Teaching Seminar EDEE 490, Student Teaching **corequisites, that must be taken in the same semester |
Dr. Cathy Ikeda, Assistant Professor cathyi@hawaii.edu |
| Early Childhood Education | SSCI 490C Social Sciences Practicum | Contact instructor for advising and registration approval override. |
Humanities
| Concentrations | Capstone Courses * | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| English | ENG 490 Senior Practicum ENG 491 Senior Project |
Contact instructor for advising and registration approval override. |
| Hawaiian Pacific Studies | HPST 490 Senior Practicum HPST 491 Senior Project |
Contact instructor for advising and registration approval override. |
| History | HPST 490 Senior Practicum HPST 491 Senior Project |
Contact instructor for advising and registration approval override. |
| Mathematics | MATH 491 Senior Project | Contact instructor for advising and registration approval override. |
| Philosophy | PHIL 490 Senior Practicum PHIL 491 Senior Project |
Contact instructor for advising and registration approval override. |
Natural Science
| Concentrations | Capstone Courses * | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Applied Mathematics | NSCI 486α Senior Project NSCI 490α Senior Practicum |
Contact instructor for advising and registration approval override. |
Public Administration
| Concentrations | Capstone Courses * | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Community Health | PUBA 486α Senior Project PUBA 490α Administrative Practicum |
Dr. Camonia Graham-Tutt camonia@hawaii.edu |
| Disaster Preparedness & Emergency Management | PUBA 486α Senior Project PUBA 490α Administrative Practicum |
Dr. Jason Levy jlevy@hawaii.edu |
| Health Care Administration | PUBA 486α Senior Project PUBA 490α Administrative Practicum |
Dr. Kristina Lu kguo@hawaii.edu |
| General Public Administration | PUBA 486α Senior Project PUBA 490α Administrative Practicum |
Contact instructor for advising and registration approval override. |
| Justice Administration | PUBA 486α Senior Project PUBA 490α Administrative Practicum |
Contact instructor for advising and registration approval override. |
| Long-Term Care | PUBA 486α Senior Project PUBA 490α Administrative Practicum |
Dr. Lisa Spencer lisaspen@hawaii.edu |
Social Sciences
| Concentrations | Capstone Courses * | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Psychology | SSCI 486P Senior Project | Contact instructor for advising and registration approval override. |
| Anthropology | SSCI 486α Senior Project SSCI 490α Social Sciences Practicum |
Contact instructor for advising and registration approval override. |
| Economics | SSCI 486α Senior Project SSCI 490α Social Sciences Practicum |
Contact instructor for advising and registration approval override. |
| Political Science | SSCI 486α Senior Project SSCI 490α Social Sciences Practicum |
Contact instructor for advising and registration approval override. |
| Sociology | SSCI 486α Senior Project SSCI 490α Social Sciences Practicum |
Contact instructor for advising and registration approval override. |
| Sustainable Community Food Systems | SCFS 490 Senior Practicum | Dr. Albie Miles albie@hawaii.edu |