All students must complete a Capstone course requirement for graduation. Capstone courses should be taken in a student’s last semester of study before graduation.
Course Description
With assistance from an applied science Faculty Advisor, students will complete a project based on original research related to a particular problem or issue in their chosen field of study. Students will share the results of this learning process with peers and will assist each other in refining communications skills, developing research and information retrieval techniques, and other research-related competencies.
Students will also present their research and Project Report to demonstrate an understanding of professional business practices. APSC 486 meets in person the first two weeks of the semester, as scheduled, and at the end of the semester for presentations. During the semester you will schedule six individual meetings with your faculty advisor. APSC 486 Faculty will provide more detailed information about the semester calendar in the class syllabus.
Prerequisites
- ENG 209 or equivalent
- Completion of ITS 410
- Completion of one upper-division (300 or 400 level) Writing Intensive (WI) course
- Completion or concurrent enrollment of concentration requirements
- Completion or concurrent enrollment of all BAS degree requirements
Student Learning Outcomes
- Demonstrate critical thinking, research, and communication skills as applied to the public and private sectors (ILO1,3; DLO1, BASLO2,3; ITLO3,4; ISALO3).
- Demonstrate integrative knowledge, skills, and ethics necessary for responsible administrative, technical, and leadership positions in information technology and cyberspace career fields (ILO1,3,4; DLO5,6; BASLO3, 4; ITLO2, 3, 4; ISALO2,3).
- Write, document, research, and provide evidence to support an argument within information technology and cyberspace career fields (ILO1,3,4; DLO4; BASLO1,3; ITLO3,4; ISALO3,4).
Registration
A registration override is required for students to register for a capstone course. Department approval is granted by the Business Administration Division Capstone Coordinator.
Visit the Capstone Registration Information page for more information on how to request a Capstone registration override.
Students planning to graduate and enroll in a Senior Capstone course need to contact their Academic Advisor for a Degree Audit to go over graduation requirements.
Additional Information
How do I select a topic?
Students will conduct an information technology or cyber security project by completing original research related to a particular problem or issue in their concentration area. The objectives of the senior project are to further develop IT Project Management skills, conduct original research, refine communication skills, and demonstrate concentration related competencies.
Senior project topics are subject to approval by the professor.
Where do I start?
- Think about your career goals and job sites where people are doing what you would like to do after leaving school. Consider the types of projects you were to do at one of the job sites or think about an idea that you would like to explore and make a list of objectives and goals.
- Identify potential project topics that meet your objectives and goals and rank them according to preference.
- Consider doing preliminary research into the projects and determine if these support original quantitative research methods. Consider if this is a project that allows you to make a hypothesis, design a research plan, use tools to gather quantitative data for analysis, and make conclusions and recommendations.
- This course builds on what students learn in IT 410 IT Project Management. Consider this as an opportunity to complete the implementation phase of the project management life cycle.
