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An MBA capstone project is the final step in many MBA programs. It’s here that MBA students put all that they’ve learned into practice by analyzing a meaningful and strategic business question. Often, this involves hands-on work within an existing company, but not always: MBA capstone projects can take the form of startup business plans and business simulations, too.

No matter their format or focus, each capstone project will likely be the most intensive and rewarding feature of an MBA candidate’s journey.

A capstone project is not the same as a thesis project, although they do share some qualities. Thesis projects are focused on theory and research and are based on the situations one would face in academia. Often taking the form of a large research paper, thesis projects can last the entire final year of an academic program, and some students may even begin before that, with the ultimate goal of contributing new knowledge to the canon of business research.

MBA capstone projects, by contrast, are more practical and similar to situations one would face in the business world. Here, students work in teams to answer strategic business questions. MBA capstones are hands-on immersions with real-world consequences, and they can have a major impact on an MBA graduate’s program experience and career.

Read on to see some examples of MBA capstone projects and get a walkthrough of the general process.

Stages of an MBA Capstone Project

Most MBA capstone projects occur during a program’s final year and can last anywhere from four weeks to a full semester. They often include some form of instruction (whether through prerequisite courses or scheduled advising) and practical application.

While MBA capstone programs will vary in format from program to program, they generally include the following stages:

  • Topic Selection
  • Preliminary Research
  • Project Execution
  • Written Report
  • Final Presentation

It’s not necessarily over after the final presentation, either: some capstone projects carry over beyond the MBA program, leading to successful startup businesses, offers of employment, or investment opportunities.

Choosing a Capstone Topic

Many MBA programs provide some structured options for choosing a capstone topic. This can mean students are allowed to select from a list of possible partnership opportunities; it can also mean that faculty advisors will work with students to find a topic that meets the student’s strengths, weaknesses, and goals. But in other programs, MBA students are more free to choose their topic and their partner organization.

In their capstone project, MBA students should select a topic where they can answer a meaningful and strategic business question: one that’s complex enough to warrant significant time and energy, but also realistic enough to be achievable. These are not theoretical questions; each is tailored to a specific real-world business.

Some examples of MBA capstone topics include:

  • What are the short-term outcomes of a mutual fund’s impact-investing initiative?
  • How do multinational companies’ diversity and inclusion efforts adapt to non-Western office environments?
  • What is the market feasibility of a startup’s application in target demographics?
  • How can a recently downsized organization recover employee morale while balancing the budget?

The capstone topic must be specifically relevant to the partner company or organization. To this end, MBA students should heavily research the company’s strengths, weaknesses, and objectives before selecting their topic.

Similarly, MBA students should also turn that lens on themselves: what problems do they want to explore in their business careers, what causes do they find interesting, and how can their unique skill set be best put to use?

How an MBA Capstone is Graded

Some programs provide MBA candidates with a rubric for how their capstone will be graded, while others do not. Most capstones are graded through their ability to demonstrate key business skills (theoretical, practical, applied, and reflective) across functional areas (finance, human resources, marketing, and operations).

The final presentation is also a factor, as this is where the candidate demonstrates what they learned, or didn’t, through the course of the capstone.

An MBA candidate will rarely fail their capstone project. After all, they’ve made it through practically an entire MBA program up until then. Even if the project is a failure from a business point of view, an MBA candidate will likely still be able to effectively analyze where and why the project failed, and what lessons can be learned from that failure going forward.

Examples of MBA Capstone Projects

Ucla anderson school of management capstone project.

The MBA program at UCLA Anderson School of Management offers three capstone options: the Global Access Program (GAP), the Business Creation Project (BCP), and Anderson Student Asset Management (ASAM).

In the GAP, students partner with high-growth global companies in a market-entry consulting project. Working in five- to six-person teams, students bid on partnership opportunities, perform five to six months of research, then travel internationally to the partner organization. Combining interviews, meetings, and research, the students develop effective strategic business plans to advance the organization’s growth and present it to the organization’s executives, potential investors, and industry professionals.

Along the way, students are advised by faculty members who have directed, invested in, and provided consulting services to leading companies worldwide. In the last 20 years, over 3,000 students have completed the GAP, impacting 738 companies across 23 countries.

For students with an entrepreneurship focus, the BCP offers them the chance to launch a company. Students will work in teams across two academic quarters after taking two prerequisite courses to prepare their business plans. Through extensive research, development, and implementation, students will put strategies for every aspect of their business into practice. In three years, the BCO has had 47 teams and launched 24 companies.

The ASAM program is for current and aspiring quants who want experience as successful long-term portfolio managers. Guided by a faculty advisor and oversight committee, students in the ASAM program will select an optimal mix of equity, fixed income, and cash investments. Each four-member team manages approximately $200,000. Students will rotate work roles between that of an executive board member, strategy lead, risk manager, and programmer.

Carnegie Mellon University Tepper School of Business Capstone Project

The MBA program at Carnegie Mellon University Tepper School of Business offers students two different forms of capstone program: Strategic Management of the Enterprise and Management Game.

The Strategic Management of the Enterprise capstone is an experiential learning course where students are matched with one of several consulting projects to solve business problems partner companies face. This is a more traditional capstone program, focused on the practical application of business skills learned through the MBA curriculum. Past clients have included Walmart, P&G, and Ameriprise.

Tepper’s Management Game capstone is an applied management experience. Student teams run a computer-simulated multinational manufacturing company for three years, acting as its executive committee. Taking place at the end of the MBA program’s curriculum, the Management Game capstone focuses on the unstructured nature of business problems and prods students to use all the functional skills they’ve learned so far. External-facing exercises include interaction with industry partners and are related to each student’s career choices.

Uniquely, the Management Game capstone is graded by external professionals on the merit of the results students deliver; students can receive direct feedback from corporate partners throughout the process.

University of Dallas Satish & Yasmin Gupta College of Business Capstone Consulting Experience

The capstone consulting experience in the MBA program at the University of Dallas allows students to solve a strategic problem an organization faces. Since it was launched in 1973 as one of the first student consulting and research programs in the U.S., this capstone consulting experience has prepared graduates to consult with business leaders. MBA students in this capstone consulting experience have completed over 900 projects for over 500 companies including Fortune 1000 firms, entrepreneurial ventures, and nonprofit organizations.

Under the guidance of faculty members, students participate on a team assigned to work with a real organization on a 12-week comprehensive project. Every team will work together to provide actionable recommendations, including a proposal, industry/market research, a presentation, and recommendations in the form of a report.

Matt Zbrog is a writer and researcher from Southern California. Since 2018, he’s written extensively about how new and aspiring business school students can best plan their education and careers. In the Two Views series, he conducts detailed interviews with recent business school alumni, with a particular focus on the choice between in-person, online, and hybrid learning models. His Femme-BA series highlights business schools that not only excel academically but also take unique and robust steps to support a diverse and inclusive learning environment for women.

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MBA Capstone Project – How to Write, Types, Format, Examples and Resources

Terms like Capstone, dissertation, and thesis are often interchangeably used by people for referring to their master’s degree course project . All these terms perform similar actions but also maintain their individuality.

The Capstone project is a part of a master’s degree course in which students pursue independent research on a topic or a problem of their choice. While choosing the topic students to take into account their interest, competence level, professional experience, and exploration of future career options. Under the guidance of faculty mentors or supervisor students produce a substantial paper that displays a deep understanding of their topic.

Capstone project as a whole is both intellectual experience and a medium through which students of any degree course demonstrate their research, analytical, and writing skills.

  • MBA Capstone Project

The MBA capstone project is usually the two-semester process. Students have to work independently on their chosen topic or problem. The students use their research skills to gather new information and use their reasoning skills to analyze their findings. MBA students’ capstone projects demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of theories and analysis techniques that are being taught during MBA coursework.

The foremost step of working on capstone is the ‘Capstone Proposal’. Students show their capstone proposal outlining the topic they want to research to the mentor. The chosen topic should address a real business problem with a practical solution. It should also navigate students’ intended career paths.

In order to complete the capstone project authentically and objectively. MBA students go for an internship to gain practical knowledge and experience. Students use their practice knowledge and personal experience giving a concrete shape to their capstone.

Students also use their management skills and apply their course’s different methodologies and techniques to the problem for creating an applicable solution that can be implemented for the eradication of that particular problem.

Researchers gather people’s perspectives regarding the topic of the capstone by conducting interviews and poll. They also record their progress in a project journal. Lastly, for grading students should submit their final draft of the capstone and present their research in front of the faculty panel.

How to Write MBA  Capstone Project?

Students use different topics and methodologies for the project work. But they have to follow the proper format of writing Capstone Project. Here are the components which are necessary for writing the Capstone project.

A title paper creates a strong impression and tells what the capstone project is about. It includes a strong and attractive title along with the purpose of conducting the study.

It provides a clear and concise summary of the capstone project, along with its scope, and purpose. It also includes the main area of research and the reason why this research is conducted.

Copyright page

It is an important component whose purpose is to protect your writing from cheating or misusing without your permission.

Introduction

This is the first part of your capstone project where writers have familiarized readers with topics. He also discussed the kind of techniques or methodologies is implemented to develop the project.

Research methods

The researchers talk in detail about the methods which have been used for conducting the research and collection of data. Interviews, questionnaires, data assessment, and surveys are some useful tools for collecting data.

Research findings

Here the result of the research is clearly displayed. It also states the facts and figures along with the reasoning behind the data received.

Limitations

Discuss the problem you have faced during the research work. Enlist all the limitations which restrict your research capabilities in any manner.

The conclusion provides the whole gist of your capstone research and analyzes your results. It also highlights the information that your capstone project research added to the field of study.

Bibliography

A bibliography or reference page is an essential component of a capstone project. It enlisted all sources in alphabetical order that contributed to your MBA capstone project.

Acknowledgments

The purpose of this page is to thank and mention all the people who have provided academic subsistence or provided information and support during research.

Effective Way of  Writing an MBA Capstone Project

In order to make your MBA capstone project writing an effective and efficient process, you have to draft it the given framework or guidelines. Here are some characteristics of writing an MBA capstone project which makes your work more presentable and attractive.

Originality:

The capstone project gives you a chance to show your creative and analytical skills. In order to maintain originality students should formulate their own perspective about the chosen problem and give a new direction to their research.

Independence:

In spite of having a mentor, who guides you in your research process, capstone projects give you ample opportunities to work independently. From choosing the topic to serving a conclusion students work on their own and demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of their MBA coursework practically.

Appropriate Scope:

The Capstone project takes 10 weeks to two semesters depending on the different universities’ program schedules. It’s an extensive research study to conduct. Students should choose the area for research that has the appropriate scope and career relevance to them. Students also try to make it more realistic by highlighting elements that directly touch our lives.

Orderly & Objective Process of Inquiry:

The MBA capstone project research should be carried out in a well organized and unbiased way. While conducting inquiry students demonstrate their abilities like critical thinking, identifying and selecting information, using data and evidence in the right manner. It also enhances questioning and reasoning power. It also solves problems by using a specific set of tools to derive an objective result.

Intellectual Stretch:

Working on an MBA capstone project stretches the intellectual horizons of the students. Capstone research allows them to explore the area of study and go beyond their potentials to derive a realistic conclusion.

Different types of MBA Capstone Project and Example Topics:

MBA students can work on one of four types of Capstone Project:

Research Dissertation:

This is solely a theoretical MBA capstone project. In this kind of project where students review the literature of business and administration. Highlight theories and concepts and attempt to conduct research that generates new data. It encourages the formulation of new theories addressing the gaps in the present problems in the business literature.

Here are some Research Dissertation’s ideas for your MBA Capstone Project:

· Basic principles of crisis management and business continuity.

· Development of a strategic, financial, and information system for an existing small business.

· An investigation of marketing methods.

· Diagnostic tool in small businesses.

· Improving continual learning at an executive level.

Business Consultancy Project:

In this type of capstone project, students address specific business problems and locate solutions to the client companies.

Projects are sourced from a good range of Multinationals to smaller not-for-profit organizations’ information. This kind of project provides a great experience and value-added outcomes in the business consultancy field.

Here are some Business Consultancy ideas for your MBA Capstone Project:

· How marketing strategies change to avoid offending and harming people.

· Globalization and integration in e-business.

· Study evaluating the feasibility of establishing an international consultancy.

· Measuring customer perception effectively.

· Public relations on corporate firms.

Business Plan:

In this type of MBA capstone project, students prepare a full-fledged plan for a research venture. It incorporates cost, investment, and expected returns of the business. It also reviews the literature of business for creating a link between the course knowledge and practical understanding.

Here are some Business Plan ideas for your MBA Capstone Project:

· Business plan for a new start-up venture, or product.

· How to create an efficient franchising system.

· Business plan to guide the development & implementation of a new strategic business unit.

· Old shopping malls maintaining competition with new ones.

· Reorganizing factory flow in a small manufacturing operation.

This type of capstone project is meant for analyzing problems of business from its core. These researches reached the conclusion that displays present conditions and future expectations regarding the problem.

Here are some Business and Management Case study related ideas for your MBA Capstone Project:

· Research on when consumers prefer to pay with credit cards.

· How cultural differences between people affect management processes.

· Feasibility and market analysis for a web-based cell phone application.

· Outsourcing of business processes: a review of effectiveness and real costs.

· Key challenges in multinational management and how to approach them.

Online MBA Courses and Capstone Project

Following is the list of some universities which offer online MBA programs and excellent capstone project support. These universities provide you a chance to work under expert professionals. These universities offer opportunities for students to acquire business knowledge and skills at their doorsteps. And also allow students to demonstrate their practical understanding of coursework by applying it in their MBA Capstone project.

· Tepper School of Business, Carnegie Mellon University

· Temple University

· Herzing University

· DeVry University

· University of Virginia, School of continuing and professional studies

Order Capstone project

These are some platforms where you can order your MBA capstone project online. If you don’t have enough time to write your Capstone project or to conduct research authentically. Then these websites will rescue you and provide you with professionals as well as a well-structured capstone project.

  • CapstoneProject.net

Capstone Project provides an opportunity for MBA students to develop the ability to identify, research, analyze, and propose a solution to a real problem in the business or administration world. This type of project not only shows students deep knowledge and understanding of the topic but also added valuable weightage to your MBA degree as well as your resume.

what is an mba capstone project

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Mba capstone project ideas | example & outline, bob cardens.

  • September 2, 2022
  • Essay Topics and Ideas

MBA Capstone Project Ideas and Topics To Write About

Completing an MBA is no small feat. In addition to completing coursework, students must also complete a capstone project in order to graduate. The capstone project is designed to showcase the student’s knowledge and skills learned throughout their MBA program.

If you’re looking for ideas and topics for your MBA capstone project , look no further! This article will provide you with some great ideas that you can use for your project.

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List of Fifty MBA Capstone Project Ideas (MBA Capstone Project Ideas and Topics To Write About)

  • Develop a new product or service for your company.
  • Create a marketing plan for your company’s product or service.
  • Conduct a customer satisfaction survey and analyze the results.
  • Develop a social media strategy for your company.
  • Write a business plan for a new venture.
  • Develop a financial plan for your company.
  • Write a human resources policy manual for your company.
  • Research and write a report on a current business topic of interest to your company.
  • Develop an advertising campaign for your company’s product or service.
  • Write a public relations plan for your company.
  • Design a new company logo or update an existing one.
  • Create a company website or update an existing one.
  • Develop a direct marketing campaign for your company’s product or service.
  • Write a market research report on a current business topic of interest to your company.
  • Plan and execute a special event for your company (e.g., a grand opening, trade show booth, etc.).
  • Develop a sales training program for your company’s sales force.
  • Write an operations manual for your company.
  • Develop a quality control plan for your company’s products or services.
  • Create a customer service training program for your company’s customer service representatives.
  • Research and write a report on a current industry trend of interest to your company.
  • Develop a business continuity plan for your company.
  • Develop an environmental health and safety plan for your company.
  • Create a corporate giving program for your company.
  • Plan and execute a fund-raising event for your favorite charity.
  • Develop a social media strategy for promoting your company’s product or service.
  • Write a marketing plan for launching a new product or service.
  • Conduct customer focus groups to gather feedback on a new product or service concept.
  • Write a report on your findings from customer focus groups testing a new product or service concept.
  • Develop a promotional campaign for a new product or service launch.
  • Plan and execute a trade show booth display to promote your company’s products or services.
  • Develop an advertising campaign for a new product or service launch.
  • Write a public relations plan for promoting a new product or service launch.
  • Create point-of-purchase displays to promote your company’s products in retail stores.
  • write an article about your company’sproducts or services for a trade publication.
  • Develop a direct mail campaign to promote your company’s products or services.
  • Plan and execute a grand opening event for a new retail store location.
  • Develop a social media strategy for promoting your company’s grand opening event.
  • Write a press release about your company’s grand opening event.
  • Create a TV commercial to promote your company’s products or services.
  • Produce a radio commercial to promote your company’s products or services.
  • Plan and execute a media relations campaign to promote your company in the news.
  • Develop an online marketing strategy to promote your company’s products or services online.
  • Create banner ads and other online advertising to promote your company’s product or service online.
  • Optimize your company’s website for search engine visibility to attract new customers online.
  • Write and distribute press releases about your company’s product or service launches, events, etc., online and offline.
  • Develop a blog and post regular entries about your company, its products, services, industry, etc.
  • Create and maintain active social media accounts for your company (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.).
  • Plan and execute a direct marketing campaign to promote your company’s products or services.

Mba capstone project ideas

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MBA Capstone Project Topics

Choosing a capstone project for your MBA can be a daunting task. But never fear! We have compiled a list of fifty potential topics and ideas to help get you started.

  • Developing a marketing plan for a small business
  • Creating a business model for a new startup
  • Conducting a feasibility study for a proposed new product or service
  • Analyzing the competitive landscape for a particular industry
  • Evaluating the financial performance of a publicly-traded company
  • assessing the impact of political, economic, or social factors on business operations
  • Developing an international expansion strategy for a multinational corporation
  • Investigating the root cause of customer satisfaction or dissatisfaction
  • designing and implementing a lean manufacturing process
  • Streamlining the supply chain for a manufacturing company
  • Implementing an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system in a manufacturing company
  • Creating a human resources plan for a small business
  • evaluating the effectiveness of training and development programs in an organization
  • designing and conducting employee engagement survey
  • Writing a research paper on any business-related topic of your choice
  • Develop a new business process for your company.
  • Implement a new software system for your company.
  • Write a business continuity plan for your company.
  • Develop a crisis management plan for your company.
  • Create an employee handbook for your company.
  • Develop an onboarding program for new employees at your company.
  • Write a job description for a new position at your company.
  • Conduct a salary survey and write a report on the results.
  • Develop a benefits package for employees at your company.
  • Write an Employee Code of Conduct for your company.
  • Develop a performance management system for your company.
  • Write a report on best practices for recruiting and hiring employees.
  • Develop a retention strategy for your company.
  • Conduct an exit interview with departing employees and write a report on the results.
  • Write a paper on the legal aspects of human resources management.
  • Develop a plan for managing workplace conflict at your company.
  • Write a report on effective communication in the workplace.
  • Develop a plan for managing change in the workplace.
  • Write a report on employee motivation and morale in the workplace.
  • Develop a wellness program for employees at your company.
  • Write a report on employee stress and its impact on the workplace.
  • Develop a plan for managing work-life balance in the workplace.
  • Write a report on the impact of technology on the workplace.
  • Develop a social media policy for your company.
  • Write a report on effective teambuilding in the workplace.
  • Develop a plan for managing remote employees.
  • Write a report on cross-cultural communication in the workplace.
  • Develop a plan for managing diversity in the workplace.
  • Write a report on ethics and compliance in the workplace.
  • Choose any other topic related to business management and write a research paper on it.

Current MBA Capstone Project Ideas

MBA students are often required to complete a capstone project as part of their degree program. A capstone project is typically an intensive research project that addresses a real-world problem or challenge faced by businesses or organizations. Students may work on their projects individually or in teams, and they may have the opportunity to present their findings to faculty, peers, and/or industry experts.

The following is a list of thirty ideas for MBA capstone projects:

  • Develop a marketing plan for a new product or service launch
  • Conduct a customer satisfaction survey and analyze the results
  • Develop a social media strategy for a business or organization
  • Create a financial plan for a small business
  • Analyze the impact of a change in the tax code on businesses
  • Study the feasibility of starting a new business in a specific industry
  • Research and write a white paper on a hot topic in business or management
  • Developa human resources plan fora small business
  • Evaluate the effectiveness of a sales training program
  • Designa customer loyalty programfora retail company
  • Evaluate the risks and rewards of expanding into international markets
  • Compare and contrast two differentbusiness models
  • Develop a business plan for a new venture
  • Write a case study on a successful or unsuccessful business
  • Research and write a report on a current trend in business
  • Developa social media policyfora company
  • Analyze the financial statements of a publicly traded company
  • Develop a marketing campaign fora new product or service
  • Evaluate the effectiveness of an advertising campaign
  • Conduct market research fora new product or service
  • Create a brand identity fora new business
  • Designa customer retention programfora business
  • Develop a sales strategy fora new product or service
  • Write a business plan fora new small business
  • Evaluate the risks and rewards of starting a franchise
  • Research and write a report on sustainable business practices
  • Develop an employee handbook fora small business
  • Write a case study on an ethical dilemma faced by a business
  • Research and write a report on the impact of technology on businesses
  • Develop a business continuity plan fora small business

Find out more on  How to write DNP capstone project Methodology Chapter ,  How to write a DNP Capstone Project Literature Review ,  How to write a DNP capstone project chapter 1 – Introduction , and  DNP Capstone project Abstract Examples [Outline & How-to]  (how to write your nursing dissertation pdf)

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what is an mba capstone project

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  • Bid on unique opportunities to partner with a select international company
  • Spend six months gaining consulting experience conducting in-depth primary and secondary research, including market assessment, competitive analysis and other critical functions
  • Travel internationally to consult with top company executives and attend industry conferences domestically conducting interviews

By The Numbers

$ 940,000,000

In value added through capital-raising and mergers & acquisition activity

Return On Investment for Finnish Companies

what is an mba capstone project

GAP companies are selected based on their track record, their potential for growth and must meet specific corporate and investment requirements.

If you are an organization interested in participating in the Global Access Program

Hear the Student Experiences

what is an mba capstone project

"The team identified a cultural divide with the organization. We immediately implemented the recommendation and saw a cultural shift, which boosted morale. It was as though we had a different company."

SIMON OXENHAM Managing Director of Convic (Australia)

Access a world of information

UCLA Anderson FEMBA

Phone: (310) 206-8086 / (310) 825-2505

Dr. Forman is the founder and director of the Management Communication Program at the Anderson School of Management at UCLA. In this capacity, she teaches communication strategy and practices in the full-time and executive MBA programs and trains a staff who teach communications across the curriculum. She has taught corporate communication for the last decade as a faculty advisor for more than a hundred MBA "Living Cases," which are extended international strategic studies for multi-national companies, such as Microsoft, Hughes, Nestle, Coca-Cola, and Disney, and for start-up firms in Austria, Australia, Chile, Finland, France, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Spain, New Zealand, and the United States. The Fully-Employed MBA Program and the Global Access Program (GAP) in which she teaches business planning and investor communications were ranked first in the United States by Business Week in 2008. She was a founding faculty member of the GAP program.

She was named the outstanding researcher in 1995 by the Association for Business Communication. The award is based on her entire publication record and its pivotal role in extending research in her discipline and in educating managers. She is the recipient of numerous awards for research, including fellowships from the Fulbright Foundation, the Center for International Business Education and Research, the Council of Public Relations Firms, and the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Her book, The Power of Corporate Communication, written with Professor Paul Argenti of the Tuck School, won the Distinguished Publication Award for 2003 from the Association for Business Communication. Dr. Forman has published three other books, including The Random House Guide to Business Writing, and numerous articles in publications such as The Journal of Business Communication, Technical Communication Quarterly, The Journal of Business and Technical Communication, Corporate Reputation Review, and Strategy & Business. She is a frequent presenter at international research and business forums and in on the editorial board of Business Communication Quarterly.

Dr. Forman is under contract with Stanford University Press for a book on storytelling and organizations, a project partially funded by the Harold and Pauline Price Center for Entrepreneurial Studies at UCLA's Anderson School of Management. Her current research focuses on storytelling ("When Stories Create an Organization's Future," Strategy & Business ; "Leaders as Storytellers: Finding Waldo," Business Communication Quarterly) as well as on the related subjects of the role of communication in the implementation of organizational strategy ("The Communication Advantage" in Hatch et al., The Expressive Organization, Oxford University Press, and featured as one of the outstanding articles in management in The Financial Times Book of Management) and the role of storytelling and translation in producing effective strategic communications ("More than Survival: The Discipline of Business Communication and the Uses of Translation," The Journal of Business Communication).

She is the faculty director for the Executive Education Program on Advanced Strategic Management for European-based corporate communication professionals and has consulted to a wide variety of organizations, including Cap Gemini/Ernst & Young, Invesco, Knapp Communications, Colony Capital, the MTA, and BBDO. She has been a visiting professor at Dartmouth's Tuck School of Business, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, the University of California at San Diego's Rady School of Business, and the University of Lugano.

Ph.D. 1980, Rutgers College

Communications

Published Papers

Janis Forman. (Second Quarter 1999). When Stories Create an Organization's Future. Strategy & Business, Issue 15.

Janis Forman and Patricia Katsky. (Fall 1986). The Group Report: A Problem in Small Group or Writing Processes. The Journal of Business Communication

UCLA Anderson FEMBA

Jonathan G. Lasch, Ph.D., is the Executive Director for the Alfred E. Mann Institute for Biomedical Engineering at the University of Southern California (AMI-USC), where he brings more than 25 years of experience in science and technology development and evaluation in the fields of biomedical instruments and systems, biotechnology, chemistry, and materials science. He is a Research Professor of Biomedical Engineering in the Viterbi School of Engineering and holds a courtesy appointment as a Professor of Clinical Entrepreneurship in the Greif Center of the Marshall School of Business at USC.

Prior to joining AMI-USC he served as a Managing Director of Convergent Ventures (CV), an early stage life sciences venture investment and development company. He has served as chairman or member of the boards of directors and CEO of several CV portfolio companies. From 2002-2007, he was on the board of directors of Precision Dynamics Corporation, a privately held healthcare products company, and he currently serves on the board of directors of the Southern California Biomedical Council. Dr. Lasch has held leadership positions at Materia, a materials science company spun out of Caltech, where he served as founding President and CEO, and Cyrano Sciences, a Caltech spin- out based on chemical sensor technology. Previously, he served as vice president, technology development for The Scripps Research Institute, the largest not-for-profit biomedical research institute in the United States and was director of research, biotechnology, for PPG Industries.

He is entering his sixth year as a UCLA Anderson FEMBA GAP faculty advisor, and he served two years as the Director of the EMBA Field Study Program.

B.S. Biological Sciences, University of Texas at El Paso Ph.D. Chemistry, University of Texas at Austin

UCLA Anderson FEMBA

Phone: (310) 825-3564 / Fax: (310) 267-2193

Since 1995, Eric has been a lecturer in accounting and real estate at the UCLA Anderson Graduate School of Management, where he has been voted Teacher of the Year thirteen times by Anderson's MBA students, and has been awarded the Citibank Teaching Award (1998) and the Neidorf Decade Teaching Award (2008), both voted upon by a committee of faculty members. He has also received recognition by Businessweek as one of the Top Ten Most Popular Business School Professors in the country.

He teaches in the areas of cost/managerial accounting, financial accounting (beginning through advanced), financial statement analysis, equity valuation, corporate financial reporting, and real estate investment and finance to undergraduate, graduate, and Executive Education students. He created Insight FSA, an analytical software tool to automatically and critically measure, evaluate, and report upon the financial accounting and corporate reporting risk for all public companies via Edgar On-line.

In addition, he has advised numerous Full-time and Fully Employed MBA field study teams and consulted for large and small firms, nationally and globally, and is a frequent lecturer on varied financial, accounting, and corporate reporting topics. He has led student travel groups to Brazil, China, Dubai, Saudi Arabia, and Abu Dhabi. He has served as an expert witness and consultant for commercial litigation, involving matters of corporate financial reporting and disclosure, audit effectiveness, valuation, real estate due diligence and related practices, and overall damage analyses.

Outside of campus, Mr. Sussman is president of Amber Capital, Inc., Manager of Fountain Management, LLC and Clear Capital, LLC, and Managing Partner of Sequoia Real Estate Partners, and the Pacific Value Opportunities Funds, which have acquired, rehabilitated, developed, and managed over two million square feet of residential and commercial real estate in the past 20 years. The firms' portfolio presently consists of industrial, multi-family residential, single-family residential, and retail properties (approximately 2,200 residential units and some 500,000 square feet of commercial space).

He is Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Causeway Capital's group of funds (International Value, Emerging Markets, Global Value, and Global Absolute Return Funds, which collectively have in excess of $5.0 billion in assets), sits on the Board of Directors of Pacific Charter School Development, Inc. and Bentley-Forbes, LLC; and was former Chairman of the Presidio Fund and former Audit Committee Chair of Atlantic Inertial Systems, Inc., a producer and manufacturer of electromagnetic sensors. He received his MBA from Stanford, with honors, in 1993, after graduating Summa cum Laude from UCLA in 1987. He is a licensed CPA in the State of California.

Teaching Focus

Issues in Corporate Financial Reporting, Financial Statement Analysis and Valuation, Complex Deals, Cost Measurement and Evaluation, Real Estate Investment and Finance

MBA 1993, Stanford University B.A. Business and Economics, 1987, UCLA

Auditing, Financial Statement Analysis, Fraud Detection, Personal Finance, Real Estate, Asset Valuation, Shareholder Litigation, Cost Evaluation and Measurement

Recognition

Neidorf 'Decade' Award

what is an mba capstone project

[email protected]

UCLA Anderson School of Management in 1985, Peter Cowen has been a technology serial entrepreneur, angel investor, advisor to startups and an investment banker. Today, he is Managing Director at Sutton Capital Partners a middle market technology advisory firm. The focus is on enterprise and Saas software, digital technology and tech- enabled outsourced services. He is currently on the board of 4 venture-backed companies.

Previously, Mr. Cowen co-founded three companies that were sold to strategic investors—one in computer networks (DataVoice Solutions Inc.), another in biometric security (Biometric ID Inc) and the other in logistic fleet optimization (TransDecisions Inc.). After selling his first company he traveled around the world for a year, primarily in Southeast Asia and the Middle East, and has visited over 40 countries.

Mr. Cowen has been an angel investor in over 50 early stage companies and VC funds, primarily in digital technology, including Cognition(sold to Nuance NSDQ: NUAN), StyleHaul (sold to Bertelsmann) , Mind Body, Inc. (NSDQ: MB), Pulse (NSDQ: PLSE) and ESalon. He is a foundingmember of Tech Coast Angels, Los Angeles, part of the largest angel network in the country. Before that, he worked in marketing at Unilever and Hewlett Packard, and then worked with the Israeli Export Institute to help Israeli technology companies into the U.S. Mr. Cowen also served on the board of directors of the UCLA Anderson Alumni for over 10 years, and created the “Recurring Revenue Conference” which is the largest conference in Southern California focused on the subscription economy. He has been a GAP advisor for 9 years.

MBA, Finance, UCLA Anderson School of Management

B.A., Psychology, University of Pennsylvania

what is an mba capstone project

[email protected]

Daniel Nathanson has over 25 years of experience as an entrepreneur, executive, investor, consultant and educator, with accom- plishments in building businesses, creating financial value, and helping fellow entrepreneurs achieve success. He is a professor of Business Plan Development and New Venture Initiation at the UCLA Anderson School of Management, a position he has held since 2008. In addition to teaching, Dr. Nathanson serves as a faculty advisor to student teams conducting capstone field study projects. In 2010, he became Managing Director of SJ Investment Company (SJIC), an investment fund providing capital, oversight, and direction to high potential, early stage companies that have demonstrated “proof of concept.” SJIC also finances proven operating companies to facilitate strategic growth opportunities.

Dr. Nathanson began his executive career as the EVP and Chief Corporate Planner in charge of Mergers and Acquisitions at Ver- nitron Corporation, a publicly traded medical equipment and diversified electronics firm. As the Executive Vice President, he was responsible for the overall direction and financial performance of the company. He founded and served as CEO of CRS, a nation- wide turnkey point-of-sale computer company. Developing this state-of-the-art technology company from its inception, he guided CRS to become the leading company in its field.

After selling CRS in 1993, Dr. Nathanson accepted a position as Clinical Assistant Professor at NYU’s Stern School of Business, where he taught entrepreneurship and business strategy. While at NYU, he founded S.M.A.R.T. Management Consulting, specializing in helping small to mid-size entrepreneurs successfully grow their businesses. He also served as Chairman of two groups of CEOs for Vistage, an international organization of CEOs with over 14,000 members.

Shortly after founding the Washington Square Capital Fund (WSCF), a formalized angel group that invests in early-stage compa- nies, Dr. Nathanson left the Stern School to focus on investing activities and to take active leadership roles in a number of early stage ventures, including the CEO at Tickmark Solutions. In less than 18 months under his leadership, revenues of this software company rose from $500,000 to almost $4 million. In 2002, he engineered the successful sale of Tickmark.

Dr. Nathanson served as CEO and President of a promotional products firm, followed by an asset management venture. He worked with company founders to develop strategies, build infrastructures, raise capital and establish important strategic relationships in order to achieve successful growth and build sustainable value.

Dr. Nathanson is the co-author of Strategy Implementation: The Role of Structure and Process and author of a number of published articles in the area of strategy implementation. He is also a member of the Tech Coast Angels investment organization. He has been a GAP advisor for 7 years.

Ph.D., Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, MBA, NYU’s Graduate School of Business

B.A., Washington University in St. Louis, MO

what is an mba capstone project

Terry Kramer has a 30 year career in telecommunications and technology. For 18 of those 25 years, Mr. Kramer worked for Vodafone Group Plc/ AirTouch Communications in a variety of roles domestically and internationally, including Group Strategy and Business Improvement Officer, Regional President, Vodafone Americas which included oversight of Vodafone's 45% interest in Verizon Wireless and Vodafone's venture capital activities, Group Human Resources Officer & Chief of Staff, President AirTouch Paging and Vice President/GM AirTouch Cellular-Southwest Market. In June 2012, Mr. Kramer received an appointment by President Obama to serve as Ambassador, Head of U.S. Delegation for the World Conference on International Telecommunications which was held in December 2012 in Dubai. In this role, he led a 100+ person delegation of U.S. government, industry, and civil society representatives negotiating a treaty on international telecommunications policy. This delegation formulated and communicated the U.S. policy regarding the criticality of a free and open internet, the criticality of inclusive, multi stakeholder governance, the need to proactively address cybersecurity threats and the need for liberalized, open markets which encourage accelerated broadband access in markets worldwide.

Mr. Kramer is currently a full time Adjunct Professor at UCLA's Anderson School of Management, teaching two courses--the foundational technology management course and a course on the evolution and innovation in the mobile communications industry. He is also a Faculty Advisor in the Global Access Program (GAP) and the Strategic Management Research Program (SMR), advising students working on client assignments involved in new market entry, product development and business strategy. Furthermore, he currently serves as Chair to Thiota. In 2017, he was awarded UCLA Anderson's teaching award from the Fully Employed Executive MBA's. From 2011 to 2013, he was an Entrepreneur in Residence at the Harvard Business School. Mr. Kramer currently sits on the Boards/Advisory Boards of TeleSign, TangoCard, RapidSOS, Textpert, the Harvard Business School California Research Center, UCLA Economics Department Board of Visitors and is the Chairman of Larkin Street Youth Services in San Francisco.

MBA, Harvard University

Jeffrey Lapin is the immediate past President of Tech Coast Angels in Los Angeles. He has made over 20 startup investments in the past five years, and serves on many company boards and advises several companies.

Mr. Lapin began his career as an attorney with Mitchell, Silberberg and Knupp in Los Angeles. He then served in various executive capacities with Starwood Hotels & Resorts and its predecessors (NYSE: HOT), from January 1995 to June 1996 as President and Chief Operating Officer, and from May 1991 to January 1995 as President and Chief Executive Officer.

In 1996, Mr. Lapin served as President of House of Blues Hospitality, Inc. and Executive Vice President of House of Blues Entertain-ment, Inc.

Two years later, he began serving as Vice Chairman of THQ Inc. (NASDAQ: THQI), a developer and publisher of interactive soft- ware. During his time with THQ, Mr. Lapin also served as Chief Operating Officer and Director of the company.

Mr. Lapin was the Director and Chief Executive Officer of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO), a developer and publisher of interactive entertainment software (sales of $1.2 billion).

From 2009 to 2010, Mr. Lapin served as the Chief Executive Officer of Atari, S.A., a French public company that develops and pub- lishes online and boxed video games and related applications. Prior, Mr. Lapin served as a Director and Chief Executive Officer and President of RazorGator Interactive Group, an ecommerce company which sells secondary event tickets and related services.

Mr. Lapin has served as a private consultant to several companies, including In-Fusio Group, Riverdeep, Ubisoft, Capcom, and Four Queens. He has served and continues to serve as Director of several for profit and nonprofit entities. He has been a GAP advisor for 4 years.

J.D., Loyola Law School B.A., Economics, University of California, Los Angeles

Todd Senturia is a partner based in Bain & Company’s Los Angeles office. Prior to moving to California, Mr. Senturia spent the first part of his Bain career in the Boston office, and three years working in the Asian and Australian practices. He has led projects ranging from corporate and business-unit strategy to the detailed design and implementation of large-scale transformational restructuring and turnaround programs. He has also supported buyer or seller in several merger & acquisition negotiations.

As one of the global leaders of Bain’s Results Delivery/Change Management capability area, Mr. Senturia has personally supported more than 18 large-scale, multi-year client change and transformation programs. He is also a core member of Bain’s performance improvement, organization, tech/telecom and industrial practices. Since 2010, he has also taken on responsibility for co-leading the firm’s internal Professional Development and Training Environment.

Over his career, Mr. Senturia has worked for Bain clients in North America, Asia, Australia, and Europe. He has significant depth of experience in the technology and telecom practices, including semiconductors and computers, wireline and wireless telecommunications, and cable television. Mr. Senturia has also served multiple aerospace and defense, industrial, and automotive clients on issues ranging from growth to cost reduction. His consumer products/retail clients have included branded packaged goods, consumer electronics, consumer imaging, and a wide variety of food categories.

Prior to joining Bain, Mr. Senturia spent almost nine years on the senior management team of a small high technology sensor and instrumentation company, where he served most recently as Vice President of Marketing and Sales, as well as Treasurer. He was also a founding board member of Polychromix, a VC-backed startup in the optical sensing sector that was recently purchased by Thermo-Electron.

Mr. Senturia joined UCLA Anderson as an Executive in Residence for Management Consulting in 2011, and became a GAP faculty advisor in 2012.

His Master’s thesis, “Globalizing the Emerging High Technology Company”, was subsequently published in Industrial Marketing Management. Todd Senturia has been a GAP advisor for 4 years.

M.S., Management, MIT Sloan School of Management B.A., East Asian Studies, Harvard College

what is an mba capstone project

Gary Hutchinson has over 30+ years of experience in business and entrepreneurship. He served as a panel judge for the Global Access Program (GAP) at The UCLA Anderson School of Management from 2003-2013. In 2014, he accepted a position as faculty advisor to the program.

Mr. Hutchinson currently serves as the President and CEO of Biothelium, a startup focused on the cardiology market with tech- nology developed in conjunction with the Alfred E. Mann Institute at the University of Southern California (AMI) and U.C. San Francisco. He also serves as Entrepreneur in Residence at AMI, which is a non-profit organization that supports research, develop- ment and commercialization of biomedical devices and other technologies. In addition, Mr. Hutchinson is Executive Chairman of Nelson-Miller Inc, a leading company in electronic human interface solutions serving the healthcare, defense and consumer industry markets.

Mr. Hutchinson began his career as the Chairman, President and CEO of Zymed, a privately held company focused on the research, development, production and marketing, and sales of Holter EKG Ambulatory Monitoring Systems, Event Monitoring, In Patient Telemetry Monitoring Systems and Trans-telephonic Systems. Through extensive technology development and strategic alliances, the company became the industry leader in Ambulatory Monitoring and Arrhythmia Detection Algorithms. The company grew to $25M in sales and $5M in EBITDA.

Following the acquisition of Zymed by Philips Medical Systems, Mr. Hutchinson assumed the VP/GM position of the Cardiology Division. The $200M business unit was responsible for manufacturing, research and development, sales and marketing world-wide for non-invasive cardiology products focused on EKG Carts, Holter / Event Monitoring, EKG Data Storage & Analysis Systems and Transtelephonic EKG monitoring. Offices were also maintained in Shanghai, China.

From 2002 to 2010, Mr. Hutchinson served as President and CEO of Precision Dynamics Corporation (PDC), a privately held company is the leading manufacturer of healthcare and patron management identification solutions. In late 2010 he assumed a directorship and executive advisory role through the sale of the company to Brady Corporation in December 2012. The company grew from $43M to $170M in sales, and from $2M to $30M in EBITDA. It established European headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, developed manufacturing operations in Tijuana, Mexico, and partnered with Water Street Healthcare Partners, a Chicago private equity firm. Furthermore, the company acquired the wristband product line from Hollister, Inc., (Libertyville, IL) and TimeMed Labeling Systems, Inc. (Burr Ridge, IL).

Mr. Hutchinson has served on ten boards of directors, and contributed as advisor and consultant to twelve assignments.

B.A. in History from Ohio State University, 1971

what is an mba capstone project

Molly Schmid has specific expertise in guiding early stage companies and technology commercialization, stemming from her roles in scientific management, project leadership, and business development in four biotechnology companies. Her career has been about equally split between academia and industry. Currently, she serves primarily as an Entrepreneur-in-Residence at the Alfred Mann Institute for Biomedical Engineering at USC and as a Senior Counselor for TriTechSBDC.

Dr. Schmid has held senior leadership positions in the biotech industry, where she served as Group Vice President, Life Science at ieCrowd (Riverside, CA), Senior Vice President of Preclinical Programs at Affinium Pharmaceuticals (Toronto, ON), Director of Genomics and Bioinformatics at Genencor International (Palo Alto CA), and Vice President of Research Alliances at Microcide Pharmaceuticals (Mountain View, CA).

In these companies, she was part of executive teams that raised over $200MM in funding through venture capital, corporate partnerships, public markets, and US and Canadian federal research grants. Her experiences with these companies included two IPO’s, two compounds that entered human clinical trials, international, multi-year, multi-million dollar corporate partnerships with a number of companies, including Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, and Daiichi Pharmaceuticals, and building and managing first-rate scientific teams, while satisfying the business needs of the organizations. She has nine issued U.S. patents, and several others pending.

She began her career in academia, where she has had a distinguished career. Most recently, she was Professor and Entrepreneur- in-Residence at Keck Graduate Institute of Applied Life Sciences in Claremont, CA and formerly an Assistant Professor of Molecular Biology at Princeton University. In addition, she has held adjunct professor positions at the University of Southern California (Marshall School of Business), San Diego State University (Biology), and Claremont Graduate University (Drucker School of Management). Dr. Schmid has served on numerous NSF and NIH grant review panels, and served as chair of an NIH SBIR/STTR grant review panel for several years. She is a Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering, a Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology, a Searle Scholar, and a Damon-Runyon Fellow.

She has embedded herself in the Southern California entrepreneurial community since moving here in 2005. She is a member and past president of the Inland SoCal Tech Coast Angels, a member of the TCA Board of Governors (2011-2014), and a Senior Counselor for TriTech Small Business Development Center. Molly Schmid has been a GAP advisor for 3 years.

Ph.D., Biology University of Utah B.S., Biology, University at Albany - SUNY

Business Creation Project

BCP Success Story: Bellanove (Class of 2017)

BellaNove offers a monthly rental service for modern, sophisticated, professional maternity clothing items, aiming to help all women stay sharp and stylish from boardrooms to doctor check-ups with less hassle and fuss.

what is an mba capstone project

BellaNove Founder and Wolfen Fellow, Jenny Leung (’17) launched the company October 2017.

BCP Mentors

what is an mba capstone project

Anderson Student Asset Management

Subject to minimum liquidity requirements, the Fund may hold the stock of any publicly traded U.S. firm on an approved list of stocks. A portion of the long-term profits of the fund will be donated to the UCLA Anderson School of Management for support in student scholarships and for support of research in finance.

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What is an Online MBA Capstone Project?

business woman

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You are acclimated to your Online MBA Program curriculum by this time, and you are plotting your journey. Where will I intern? Have I started a list of networks and job possibilities? But before we complete the program, there’s the Online MBA capstone project.

capstone project

We have heard this word throughout our higher education journey. Some of us cringe at the sound of it, but in all essence, it’s not that bad. A capstone course is a course that serves as the culminating and usually integrative experience of an educational program. This is an integral piece to the puzzle as you move toward the completion of your Online MBA. The word capstone is usually found in the architectural field and is used for a crowning achievement. The Online MBA capstone project is an essential component of the curriculum at universities across the country. While some may look and sound different on paper, they all serve the same purpose. During your capstone, you have the opportunity to work alongside others in your field and work through real-world issues and situations that you will encounter in the workforce. 

The capstone project looks different from school to school but still has a rubric set for the same outcome. Many programs, such as the Tepper School of Business , offer options within your capstone. At Tepper, you have the opportunity to work alongside corporations and even work and travel abroad. Many programs have a cumulative capstone at the end of the entire program, while Online MBA Programs like Questrom School of Business have a capstone at the end of every program module. Uniquely different in their own right, these programs have created a capstone model that works with their course catalog. As a student in an Online MBA program, you must store information and valuable lessons you have learned along the way. They will be used in some capacity with your capstone project or in real-life situations at your job. 

Why do I need to do a capstone project? 

As students, we have frequently heard how dreaded the capstone project is, but let’s change this language. This is a time for you to put your money where your mouth is. The capstone is designed to help students think deeper, and it shows instructors what students have learned while enrolled in the program. But let’s not make this moment about the university or the instructors. Let’s make this about you. You have the chance to take everything you have learned and see if you are prepared to enter into the workforce. 

Why is this important? 

The capstone project is the opportunity to apply what you have learned in real-time. In some MBA Programs, the capstone project is immersive- pulling the student into the real world of their area of study. By this time in your career/ education, taking a test is the old-fashioned way to measure success. It is more satisfying being immersed in your craft and dealing with the real-time intricacies of your field.   

Can I build my CV during the capstone?

man at computer

Earning your Online MBA can be a considerable advantage in the workforce. The more you know, the more you grow. The capstone project is an opportunity to showcase your gifts and talents. This will also help professionals stand out among the group in this highly competitive field of work. Completing a capstone project will show your employer that you employ out-of-the-box thinking and know-how to troubleshoot and problem solve in the moment. It will also show that you are project-focused and can manage a project from start to finish, 

When there is mention of a capstone project, let that be music to your ears. 

  • You are near completion of your MBA. 
  • You are about to set yourself apart from the others in your field.
  • You are about to put what you have learned into practice. 

Some capstone projects allow for you to travel and work abroad—step outside of the four walls of the classroom and conventional learning practices. Suppose your program allows you to customize your MBA experience. In that case, you might have the opportunity to travel abroad to Tokyo, New York City, or Hong Kong to prepare for your capstone project. Inevitably the capstone will be a part of your program, but this is not a dreaded term, embrace and conquer it.

How do I write a successful capstone project?

There is varied research out there on the best way to approach your Online MBA capstone project. We know that the area of focus is going to be business-related. Of course, that is a vast area, but this is where you become creative and play to your strengths. According to  Student Pocket Guide , here are a few ways to get the juices flowing.

  • Identify & Narrow Focus 
  • Craft a Proposal 
  • Proposal Introduction
  • Description of Problem 
  • Literary Review
  • Description of Project

woman at computer

These seven steps aren’t written in stone but are merely a beginning for you to start the process. The capstone can be stressful, and we want you to be prepared for this journey. Pick an area that you are passionate about and one which you can support your findings with a ton of information. You might also have to defend your project in front of the faculty. Yes, this can be nerve-wracking, but you know this information like the back of your hand. Stand firm on facts and data and present your findings and, of course, your anecdote to the problem. 

Action Plans

I am sure you have heard of the saying, prepare in a time of peace for war. Now that you know this is inevitable, this is an excellent time to start preparing. Take good notes, record lectures, and do as much outside research as possible. Start thinking about your area of focus/ emphasis and begin researching that area when your schedule allows. Don’t forget self-care is the best care along this journey. We must have balance and make sure that we don’t lose ourselves amongst the mele when studying and taking tests. Remember, you aren’t suitable to anyone, specifically yourself, if you crash and burn. Schedule time for yourself and make sure you stick to that schedule.  

The Online MBA capstone project is your marker identifying the end of your journey towards completion of your Online MBA. Yes, it can be a very tedious and arduous task, but you have invested so much time, energy, and money into your Online MBA this is icing on the cake. When we leap into the workforce, we want to know that we are prepared for every obstacle that may come our way. Yes, there will be OJT (On the Job Training), but with a robust skill set and training in said field, you will be ready to handle any task that will come your way. Seeking a job in the business world is very competitive, and the more trained and prepared you are, the better the outcome will be. Take good notes, chronicle/ journal your experiences, and use everything that you have learned along the way to prepare for your capstone project. As Benjamin Franklins said, “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” Let the journey begin. Good luck!

Related Resources:

How Can I take Free Online MBA Courses? Top Online MBA Programs

what is an mba capstone project

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MBA graduates Kate Francis-Mulder and Rob Stankiewicz

MBA capstone projects: your fast track to industry experience

Careers Published 9 Feb, 2024  ·  5-minute read

If you’re considering studying a  Master of Business Administration (MBA), it’s likely you’re hoping to increase your understanding of core business concepts while also expanding your network and gaining industry experience. One of the key ways you’ll do this during the UQ MBA is via the MBA capstone project.

This essential component of the program will also help you solidify everything you’ve learned and prepare you to take the next step.

Here’s a breakdown of what a capstone project is and why it’s so beneficial for our MBA graduates – along with some MBA capstone project examples.

What is a capstone project in the MBA and how can it help you gain business experience?

An MBA capstone project allows students to work with real industry clients on solutions to their challenges or explore their own entrepreneurial project. Over 13 weeks, you’ll have the chance to put everything you’ve learned during your studies into practice with your choice of 1 of 2 capstone courses: Entrepreneurship or  Industry Engagement .

Whichever capstone project you choose, you’ll gain practical experience in leading real-life business decisions.

Entrepreneurship MBA Capstone Project

Entrepreneurship is about more than startups. While you can work with and for startups as part of this project, entrepreneurship happens in all sorts of organisations. If you have a corporate innovation or a service or product development idea, entrepreneurship and innovation skills can help it grow.

As part of this capstone project, you could work on your own business idea, alongside a startup, with a small to medium enterprise or in a large organisation. You’ll learn how to interrogate and explore a new business venture at its inception. You’ll also get familiar with best practice processes to increase the success of a new venture, startup or idea.

Who you’ll learn from

Cameron Turner  is an Entrepreneur in Residence and Industry Professor at UQ Business School . He has founded 4 startups commercialising world-first innovations. He has over 30 years of experience researching problems, developing solutions and transforming ideas into sustainable competitive advantage.

Practical skills you’ll develop

  • Research discovery
  • Customer discovery
  • Lean startup and agile tools

MBA capstone project example: Siobhan Coster

Siobhan Coster

"I chose this capstone because I really wanted to develop my entrepreneurial skills. That’s the direction I wanted to go with my career, and I had a business idea that I wanted to test. As part of the course, you learn how to apply entrepreneurial theory to validate, build, grow and scale businesses. I was particularly interested in innovation and how to apply that to my future career.

"The team present you with a few different companies you’re able to work with on your project, and at the time I did my capstone, one of these companies was CSIRO. As a result, I put my own idea on the backburner and eagerly threw myself into exploring the opportunity CSIRO presented us with."

"During this project, I worked with CSIRO and 2 other students to investigate how we could identify commercialisation opportunities for this amazing technology CSIRO have called precision fermentation. We came up with a food technology startup, which uses this technology to sustainably make crucial nutrients from yeast, starting with lactoferrin – an immunity-boosting nutrient found in breast milk."

"Since graduating, I have continued to work on the startup with CSIRO as a venture builder and am on a mission to make crucial nutrients, such as lactoferrin, more accessible."

Learn more about Siobhan’s MBA story ​​​​​​

MBA capstone project example: Jan Bodnaruk

Jan Bodnaruk

"I chose to complete the entrepreneurship capstone and focus my learning on starting my own engineering company, which had been my goal from the beginning of the program.

"Over 13–14 weeks, I was able to identify what my clients wanted, what problems they wanted to solve, and how I could implement solutions to those problems.

"I had particularly great mentorship from the professor who was able to guide me through the whole process.

"The capstone was assessed based on our understanding of what we needed to do to make sure our business would be viable and successful. For the purposes of the assessment, it didn’t matter if the business would be successful in 10 years’ time; it was more about making sure we understood the process of researching whether our idea and ventures were really something the market needs and whether there were clients for it."

"I was able to use all the learnings from the MBA but particularly this capstone project to start my own company, BB Civil, 2 weeks after graduating."

Learn more about Jan’s MBA story

What it’s like to complete the Entrepreneurship MBA Capstone Project

Watch UQ MBA Entreprenurship Capstone Experience on YouTube.

Industry Engagement MBA Capstone Project

During the Industry Engagement MBA Capstone Project, you’ll work in high-performing teams to interrogate and research a strategic business problem for an industry partner from the corporate, not-for-profit, government or startup sector. As a team, you’ll become sector experts as you work with your client to examine and explore strategic recommendations that respond to 'wicked' problems.

If you’re looking to work in dynamic team environments, engage in high-level strategic problem solving and gain experience working with clients from a broad range of industries, this is the capstone for you. It's also a great option if you’re thinking about moving into consulting.

Associate Professor Nicole Hartley  is the Director of UQ’s MBA program. She works closely with companies, particularly those in the healthcare, technology startup and social enterprise sectors. Here, she provides marketing and stakeholder engagement expertise to help advance the adoption of technology-based service interventions nationally and globally. She also speaks regularly on leadership skills and capability, particularly leadership qualities that address current business dynamics.

Learn more about the  UQ academics you’ll learn from during the MBA .

Associate Professor Nicole Hartley and 2 MBA students

  • High-level stakeholder management skills
  • Client engagement and negotiation skills
  • Working collaboratively with a high-performing team
  • Complex business problem solving
  • Research discovery skills
  • Formulating strategic recommendations
  • Pitching to and influencing a senior management team

Examples of previous capstone project partners

  • Queensland Police
  • SRO Technology
  • Brisbane City Winery
  • Australian Robotics
  • MS Queensland
  • Brisbane Arts Theatre
  • Brisbane Marketing
  • Children’s Health Queensland
  • Workcover Queensland
  • Australian Superannuation Funds Association
  • Magpie Goose
  • Boeing Research and Technology
  • Queensland AI Hub

What it’s like to complete the Industry Engagement Capstone Project

Watch UQ MBA Industry Engagement Project with City Winery on YouTube.

Which project will you choose and where could it take your career?

Learn more about the UQ MBA

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MBA story Siobhan Coster

Siobhan’s MBA story: improving global access to nutrition

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Jan’s MBA story: from civil engineer to entrepreneur

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What's the best MBA for you? Choosing the right program

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Is an MBA worth it?

6-minute read

Conquer the MBA Capstone with these 5 Tips

23 January 2019

Student standing outside University of Edinburgh Business School

The MBA Capstone is the final and crucial project undertaken during The Edinburgh MBA, the outcome of which dictates the award that students will get on their degree. It brings together all the knowledge and experience gained during the year and is considered to be one of the most invaluable experiences of the MBA.

Objectives of the Capstone

The overall objective of the MBA Capstone is to give students the chance to contribute knowledge through their project. This can be done through an in-depth study of topics in which they are particularly interested, and of which they would like to develop their experience, in order to add value to their career.

In addition to attaining a specialisation (Strategy, Entrepreneurship or Finance), MBA Candidates can choose the format they want to adopt for their capstones. The Capstone can be a classical research dissertation, a company-sponsored consultancy project, a business plan for a business they aspire to start after the MBA, or an early stage feasibility study for a company or entrepreneurial startup.

My approach to the capstone was linked to my professional aspirations. After the completion of my MBA I want to take on a strategy or management consultant role, and I planned to use the Capstone to pave the way.

My first step was to choose a specialisation. I opted for the strategy specialisation during the MBA, which aimed to introduce us to various topics, discussions and thought leadership resources to enhance our knowledge and skills.

The strategy specialisation exposes students to real-life issues and provides the opportunity to work on various local and international projects. My second step was to get involved with as many projects as possible. For example, during semester 2a, Simon Harris took us to Colombia to work with a local transportation company as part of the International Business in Context course. In Dr Susan Murphy’s Consultancy Project we worked with a major international consultancy firm to analyse the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on the banking sector. And we even worked with an international bank to identify how they could overcome digital disruption impacted by recent legislation passed by the British Parliament, in Julian Rawel’s Strategic Leadership course.

Finally, my third step was to find a client who needed a strategy for their business. Therefore, my Capstone project, combined with the knowledge, experience and skills I gained during the Edinburgh MBA, helped me to conceive a strategy an Edinburgh-based startup could implement to expand their business into other cities across the UK, to achieve profitable and sustainable growth.

Tips for Capstone

Create a rapport with your adviser.

A Capstone Adviser's role is to advise you from proposal through to completion. They will help you to formalise your goals and shape the direction the Capstone is taking. Your adviser will go through and advise on at least one chapter, and will be the driving force on how to conduct your qualitative or quantitative research. My Capstone Adviser was Dr Susan Murphy . I chose her due to her extensive knowledge in strategy, and my experience with her during the core and elective strategy courses.

What Excites You?

Anyone working on their Capstone should ask themselves this question from the get-go. If you get up in the morning and are not looking forward to your day ahead, then maybe you need to reconsider your topic, or at least make it more interesting for yourself. Always speak to your adviser and see what they have to say about the relevance of the topic and where it is headed. Consider a topic that will make an impact, help you in your future career, and grow your skills.

Step Out of Your Comfort Zone

Joining a top-tier MBA programme at a top business school is an investment that goes a long way. It also indicates to your network that you are willing to take on challenges and step out of your comfort zone. My move from Deloitte Middle East in Dubai to Edinburgh is something of which I am very proud.

At Deloitte, I was already comfortable dealing with clients, their last minute changes to deadlines, and the other challenges that came with the role. But I was not comfortable with the theoretical aspect of the Capstone—extensive qualitative analysis, running online questionnaires for the quantitative research, and examining the comprehensive data collected from nearly 300 people across the country. But the MBA had geared me up to overcome these challenges and allowed me to step out of my comfort zone, roll up my sleeves and do my best. In the end, I was proud of the final product, the feedback, and the impact it has had on my clients business—they have already started their expansion.

Have a Break

It goes without saying that how you manage your time is crucial. Things can get complicated and stressful at any time. Keeping your mental health in check is essential. You can do this by rewarding yourself with a well-deserved break, unwinding in the evening with friends, go to some Fringe shows , or even starting your day by going to the gym (my go-to stress relief). This will help realign your thoughts, generate better ideas, and help you write well.

And please, save your work on the University OneDrive!

Pay it Forward

Last but not least, pay it forward. Your positive and motivational actions will help your friends and colleagues to do their best. It sounds like a cliché, but it isn’t. The idea is simple: if someone helped you by sharing or participating in your survey, editing a section you were struggling with, or even arranging your page numbering, then you can pay it forward by helping others. Not only will this will create a positive environment during the Capstone period and promote positive mental health, but it will also solidify your relationships. Don’t forget to mention them in your acknowledgements!

So there you have it, my top five tips for the unavoidable Capstone period. Good luck!

Saad Fayyaz, MBA 2018

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Tepper School of Business

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MBA Capstone Courses

Capstones are immersive, experiential courses at the end of your Tepper experience. Options include working alongside corporations or participating in a strategic management exercise.

Management Game is offered in the online format; Strategic Management of the Enterprise is available to students who can take classes on campus.

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Capstones in Tracks

Students who enroll in an mba track complete their capstone course within that track. , "my capstone showed me that as a business community, we need to invest in bringing emerging energy markets to maturity. it’s exciting, because once the economic problems are solved through scale or incentive structure, there's an opportunity to really change the way the world works in 15 or 20 years.", zachary blustein, mba 2022 (he/him).

what is an mba capstone project

Management Game

Management Game is an applied strategic and general management exercise. Teams of students operate computer-simulated companies for three years, acting as the executive committee of a multinational manufacturing company.

Explore Management Game

Strategic Management of the Enterprise

Offered in partnership with A.T. Kearney and select sponsoring companies, this capstone is an experiential learning course that sensitizes students to the real-world challenges faced by managers.

Explore Strategic Management of the Enterprise

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MS/MBA Biotechnology: Life Sciences

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Each student develops a capstone project in their second year of studies that challenges them to perform an in-depth structured scientific and business analysis of a biotechnology opportunity. The capstone requires students to combine lessons from their MBA and MS coursework. Students will receive guidance on their work from faculty mentors and present their work to their classmates and joint-degree program faculty at the conclusion of the course.

As in the real world, conversations take surprising directions.

The presentations are wide-ranging discussions. Like in the case method classroom, the presenter, advisors, and fellow students share their opinions and experiences. It’s a collegial conversation, a debate stage, a celebration of hard work, and a showcase of two years of building the foundation to lead transformative organizations that will advance new drug discoveries and therapeutics with those equally passionate about changing the business of healthcare for the better.

The practicalities of business decisions meet the practicalities of hard science.

Students become adept at delving into startup fundraising strategies and at parsing the complexities of medical research. The capstone lets students demonstrate to their advisors (and to themselves) that they have the foundation to successfully enter any new field of scientific interest – not only as researchers, or only as executives, but as both.

Global experts provide guidance across all student interests.

While Capstone advisors often include leading experts in their fields, students have the ability to choose capstones across any medical and biotechnology specialty. Recent capstone topics have included bioelectricity, brain-computer interfaces, genetic medicine, microbiomes, opioid use disorder, organoid systems for drug development, oncology, psychedelics, women’s health, and many more.

Recent Capstone Projects

iPSC-Derived NK Cells – Changing Cancer’s Fate

Richard Nixon declared a war on cancer in 1971, but oncology treatment still has a long way to go. Genetic engineering is one particularly promising type of therapy, in which patients’ own immune cells are altered to specifically target the cancer. This project described a next-generation approach to make this therapy more efficacious and affordable by genetically engineering a new type of immune cell (natural killer cells), rather than the previously used type (T cells).

Circular RNA – Shifting the Paradigm or Reinventing the Wheel?

The genetic information inside our cells is contained within DNA, and that information is made into proteins (which do lots of things) through an RNA intermediary. The role of RNA has recently been more widely appreciated, and millions are the recipients of a RNA vaccine from Moderna or Pfizer/BioNTech for Covid-19. This project described the potential for circular RNA therapeutics, which could greatly stabilize the therapeutic and increase its versatility into applications for other diseases.

TBG – A Promising Non-Hallucinogenic Psychedelic Molecule for Treating Opioid Use Disorder

Some recreational drugs like LSD and PCP are psychedelics that alter the user’s perception of reality. These drugs act on the brain by interfering with normal cellular signaling. Recently, it has been appreciated that these drugs can provide benefits to patients with severe mental health disorders including depression and addiction. This project described an approach to modify these psychedelic compounds to (in some cases) remove their hallucinogenic properties but keep the therapeutic benefit.

Using TREES as an Innovative Approach to Restore Hearing Loss

Hearing loss can arise from a variety of different causes, some genetic and others environmental. Devices like hearing aids or cochlear implants are able to help in some cases, but not others. This project investigated potential genetic technologies like Tissue Regeneration Enhancer Elements (TREEs), which may enable the replacement of damaged or dead sound-sensing inner ear hair cells.

Redefining Female Reproductive Health

Women’s health as a field is only recently beginning to catch up on centuries of de-prioritization. For example, regulations barred women of reproductive age from clinical trials until the 1990s. Organoid systems, which recreate human physiology, make it possible to conduct scientific investigation far more efficiently than in vitro work. This project investigated the potential of a fully human ovarian organoid system for use in toxicology screening studies as well as in further phases of drug development.

what is an mba capstone project

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How Your MBA Capstone Can Help Land Your Dream Job

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How Your MBA Capstone Can Help Land Your Dream Job

In this article, Dean of Admissions/ Military Education Coordinator Amanda Heller speaks with the Dean of Business Dr. Susan Marcus to get all the details about what an MBA Capstone is and why it’s important.

what is an mba capstone project

You’ll see what I mean by our BUS 598 Applied Capstone course description : In the capstone course, students identify, examine, and apply the practical connections between the MBA program, their personal and professional lives, organizations, their communities, and the triple bottom line perspective that includes financial, environmental, and social impacts. Using skills and competencies that demonstrate mastery of the MBA program learning outcomes, students identify a project in which to apply their learning. Employing a variety of tools, students demonstrate their ability to synthesize and apply theory to create an implementation plan for improved organizational performance and make a contribution to the literature on sustainable business practices.

This is the outcomes document I was referring to:

BUS 598 Capstone Course Learning Outcomes Matrix

The ACHS MBA program Capstone project is designed to provide students an opportunity to demonstrate mastery of course learning outcomes in a context that is relevant to students’ current and future professional goals and interests. As such, you are at liberty to select a project topic and scope, subject to approval by your Capstone course instructor. Once you have selected a project topic, use this matrix in combination with other project proposal assignments to demonstrate how course learning outcomes will be met. Include 1) the aspect or component of your Capstone that will reflect these learning outcomes, and 2) the actual evidence (text, charts and visuals, artifacts within appendices, etc.) within the project itself that demonstrates mastery. 

Student Highlight: Wife and Husband Team Start New Business

Amanda: It sounds like your goal for this Capstone experience is for it to be relevant for students, and could even be a project they actually implement. Is that correct?

We actually invite students to begin thinking about their Capstone project from the very first course, Organizational Leadership & Effectiveness . We ask them to reflect on their specific interests, which might include research, structural change to bring about diversity, equity, and inclusion, leadership development, change management related to sustainable practices, or general organizational effectiveness. We ask students in that initial core MBA class to create a portfolio using Google Sites, and begin to think about which of their assignments and projects throughout the program will result in artifacts they will want to refer to in their Capstone, and beyond. This might be the Risk Management Plan they produce in Business Law , a Sustainability Report created in Accounting & Financial Management , a performance dashboard in Business Analytics , or their marketing plan in the Marketing & Communications course. The portfolio becomes an outward-facing resource they can use for professional development purposes.  

Student Highlight: Holistic Health, Gratitude, and Smoothies |achs.edu

The Capstone can be anything from a business plan to a strategic change initiative. It might be a comprehensive Sustainability Plan for an organization, or a Health and Wellness Audit. As long as students have a solid roadmap for demonstrating mastery of the learning outcomes discussed above, we’re good. 

Students receive heavy coaching during the course of their work in the Capstone class, and have reading and discussion assignments in support of their project work. They submit components of the project at certain points in the semester for feedback which can be incorporated into their final version. There is also an opportunity for peer reviews, and students present their projects during the final week of class. There is plenty of celebrating and a few surprise visits that week, too!

If you’re ready to apply to an online MBA program with ACHS, you can start your application here . If you’re interested in starting out with a single business course, start your single course application here .

Still wondering what to expect during the application process? An admissions advisor is happy to speak to you at a time that works for you. Schedule an appointment with an admissions advisor here .

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About American College of Healthcare Sciences

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This commitment to our students and graduates reflects in our current survey results that reflect 98% of our students would recommend ACHS to a friend or family member.

We believe education is the most powerful tool for changing an individual and the world around us.

When a person enrolls as ACHS, it is vitally important that they graduate with tools they need to forge their own holistic and sustainable missions, build up their communities confidently and changing the face of healthcare with knowledge.

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Everything You Need to Know About the MBA Practicum and Capstone

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Graduating with a Master of Business Administration (MBA) and entering a management position allows you to command high wages, even fresh out of school. But your starting salary depends on many factors, including how prepared you are to enter the business world. SNU is committed to preparing learners for lucrative and rewarding careers. We believe in graduating students who become exceptional business leaders poised to serve their communities. Our MBA practicum is a key component of this goal. Sometimes called an MBA capstone project, this experiential learning project is fully integrated into your coursework, allowing you to master business management skills as you complete your classes.

When you complete your MBA at SNU , you will be ready to compete for high wages and demanding roles from day one.

What Is a Practicum?

Theory is one thing. Putting it to practice is another. The working world is sometimes messier and less predictable than classroom theories would lead you to believe. That’s why future business leaders must cultivate the skills they need in business well before taking the helm.

A practicum offers fieldwork that allows students to practice the duties they will one day perform in their jobs. An MBA can prepare you for a wide range of careers, from entrepreneurship to a spot in the C-suite. Your practicum is a chance to test out one of these roles and cultivate strategies for managing day-to-day challenges.

The Benefits of an MBA Capstone Project

Today’s businesses face a wide range of challenges and opportunities for growth. Although an MBA can prepare you with business theories and strategies for effective management, no program can equip you with the ability to solve every conceivable business challenge.

This is where an MBA practicum comes in. This is your chance to put theory to practice in a simulated business environment, test out the skills you have learned and master flexible thinking. With this project, you can:

  • Put theory into practice. This helps you understand the real-world implications of the ideas you’ve learned about in school.
  • Build self-confidence. There is no substitute for actually managing a business. A capstone project gives you the chance to do precisely that, but without any of the risks.
  • Test your ideas. SNU’s MBA capstone project uses a simulation to assess how well your theories will work in the real world.
  • Graduate ready to work. Your capstone project helps you master the skills you will need for the rest of your career, preparing you to work from day one.

How SNU’s MBA Practicum Prepares You for a Career

At SNU, we understand how valuable a capstone project can be. We also know that students — especially adult learners — are juggling many responsibilities. Adding a capstone on top of it can feel overwhelming. That’s why we integrate the capstone project into the program, making it a part of your coursework so you can build your project as you accumulate knowledge. This paced approach mimics the realities of business life, where projects build slowly and steadily and may face setbacks. Employers understand the value of the SNU MBA capstone. They know we challenge students and graduate experts who are ready to work.

Why consider an MBA? It can change your career trajectory. Learn more. →

Components of SNU’s Capstone Project

SNU’s capstone project has two components: the project itself and the class. The capstone class is three credit hours and the culmination of the program. Your capstone project — like many businesses — begins with a business plan that you will revise and adapt as you move through the project. The business plan is integrated into your classes, so as you learn more information, you can incorporate it into your plan.

During the class, you will complete two full simulations to test the results of your project ideas. You will also complete an individual simulation and a team simulation. In business, both your individual efforts and the team you work with can greatly influence results.

We use Comp-XM (a Capsim product) to simulate the individual project, testing analytical skills and business ideas to see how they might work in the real world. Comp-XM is nationally normed, enabling students to compare their results to students nationwide. We use Capsim , a Capstone simulation program, to simulate team results. This simulation assessment tool draws on real-world data to assess performance and provide meaningful feedback.

Students will also complete a business plan debrief, which allows them to compare their results to their initial goals. With this process, they can assess how realistic their ideas were, how effective they were in practice and how they could improve their business plan. This gives students the benefit of simulated successes and failures without the real-world risk, preparing them for the realities of running a business. By integrating the capstone project into our SNU MBA curriculum, we afford students the chance to gain valuable business experience without eating into busy schedules or taking on the risk of starting a business. We nurture business acumen and help students weigh how realistic and effective their ideas are in the real world. Graduates tell us the MBA practicum capstone was highly effective at modeling the challenges they experience in their post-MBA careers.

Are you struggling to choose the right MBA program for your business career?  Check out SNU’s guide to MBA programs. →

Choosing the Right MBA Program

The MBA program you choose is a predictor of your success. Good schools lead to good jobs. Additionally, your school experience can affect how well you do and whether you finish, especially if you’re an adult learner juggling multiple responsibilities.

Some things to look for in your program include:

  • Flexible scheduling options, including online and night classes, so you can fit school into your routine — not the other way around.
  • Supportive financial aid so that school doesn’t break your budget.
  • Rigorous courses taught by quality instructors.
  • No Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) or Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) requirements for admission.
  • The right accreditation, so you know your transfer credits will go with you if you move to a different school.
  • A commitment to nurturing the whole person and embracing diversity, equity and inclusion.

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What is a Capstone Project in College?

A woman in a yellow shirt working on her college capstone project

The capstone project in college is the apogee, or completion marker, of a student's coursework leading to the culmination of their program with a degree in their chosen field of study. The original definition of a capstone focuses on the actual stone placed at the top of a wall or building, marking the successful completion of the structure. It's a significant and celebrated piece of architecture, considered to be the most important of an entire construction project.

"(Capstone projects are) the apex of all a student's work done throughout their college career," said Dr. Jeff Czarnec , a social sciences adjunct online and on-campus at Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU). Retired after 23 years in law enforcement, Czarnec served as an associate dean of criminal justice and social sciences at SNHU for nearly a decade. He now leverages his extensive background to teach social sciences, enriching the academic experience with his practical insights. 

When entering a capstone course, there's an expectation that you have all the necessary skills and knowledge to be successful. 

Dr. Thomas MaCarty, associate dean of social sciences programs at SNHU

You have the opportunity to pick a research topic that is of interest to you and run with it. "After having to write research papers in all of their courses prior to (the capstone), the task is not one to dread, but to enjoy. It is their time to shine as students and to enjoy the journey," MacCarty said.

A capstone course is more than a potential degree requirement. It can serve as an opportunity to demonstrate knowledge mastery and creative thinking, which may help you stand out to potential employers.

What is Involved in a Capstone Project?

Dr. Jeff Czarnec, a social sciences adjunct at SNHU

Each university, program and instructor may have different requirements — or models — for a capstone project. According to Czarnec, a general design might first include selecting a topic of interest that the instructor will approve. 

Czarnec said that, depending on the program, a capstone may include anything from a video presentation or an architectural model to an art exhibit or short film; however, it almost always includes a paper demonstrating an introduction, theory, evaluation, research and individual issues relevant to the proposal.

"Students are expected to be ready to enter the world as professionals in their field upon completion of the capstone course," said MacCarty.

The time it takes to complete a capstone project usually depends on the course's length. If you're in an undergraduate online program at SNHU, for instance, your capstone course would take eight weeks to complete, Czarnec said. 

Capstone courses are research-based, and you can choose your topic early on, allowing you more freedom to conduct research  independently. Capstone topics usually align with a program's specific disciplines, too.

For example, in the social sciences realm, "our focus is on human behavior and cognition, which may be different from a capstone course in business or STEM," MacCarty said.

Find Your Program

Types of capstones.

There are many types of capstone projects that you could consider, and they vary from learner to learner, Czarnec said. "Some will investigate issues or phenomenon that they are familiar with either professionally, personally or courtesy of a discipline-related source, such (as) a police or human services agency," he said. 

In a nutshell, a rough outline of a capstone, according to Czarnec, may look something like this:

  • Select a topic and have it approved by the instructor
  • Evaluate relevance to the proposal
  • Perform necessary research
  • Present results in the agreed-upon fashion

Czarnec said that if you're looking for a capstone topic, you may consider focusing on an area you're passionate about or you could also try to ask you instructor for some assistance. For example, Czarnec said that he can act as a guide, mentor, editor and research resource for his students to help them focus and narrow their search for a capstone topic.

Are Capstone Projects Difficult?

"Not necessarily," said Czarnec. "It does force you to be efficient and very specific to topic. No fluff. Straight forward. Razor sharp." 

The capstone is more of an opportunity to catch your breath, he said, and to retrace and pull up what you have learned in a more stress-free environment .

"It helps validate students as learners," Czarnec said.

Depending on the major and course requirements, there may be opportunities to connect with outside contacts, not only to assist with the capstone project research and problem statement but also to provide a networking community .

"Not every research project is, nor should they be, the same," Czarnec said. "Everyone has a different approach."

What is the Difference Between a Thesis and a Capstone Project?

A blue and white icon of a pencil writing on lines

A capstone is similar to a thesis in that the starting point involves the strengths needed for a thesis or dissertation work. For example, you may need to consider the skeletal structure of research and form your theory, hypothesis and problem statement.

"While a capstone is certainly a scholarly piece of work and does share some aspects of a thesis, the time and detail that is required of a master's thesis is greater," MacCarty said. 

A capstone paper may be 25 pages, whereas a thesis could be 100 or more. If you choose to further your education beyond a bachelor's degree, the capstone project could be an invaluable tool in preparing for a graduate thesis.

Capstone Projects are About Your Success

Capstones of all programs are leading you to the end game, Czarnec said. The goal is to develop you into a well-rounded thinker who can pull their work together in a coherent, articulate, well-organized fashion while considering the demands of the profession or vocation you're interested in.

The focus and intent of a capstone should be to create an effective device to assess and measure all that you've learned throughout your program in an aggregate fashion so you can demonstrate your life-long vocational skills in a nice, neat package. 

"My goal is for students to leave the program confident about their skills and abilities," said Czarnec.

MacCarty said that capstone courses should be structured to support your success in fulfilling program requirements and allow you the opportunity to showcase your academic abilities and skills gained throughout your degree program.

A degree can change your life. Choose your program  from 200+ SNHU degrees that can take you where you want to go.

Laurie Smith '14 is a writer, editor and communications specialist. Connect with her on LinkedIn .

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About southern new hampshire university.

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SNHU is a nonprofit, accredited university with a mission to make high-quality education more accessible and affordable for everyone.

Founded in 1932, and online since 1995, we’ve helped countless students reach their goals with flexible, career-focused programs . Our 300-acre campus in Manchester, NH is home to over 3,000 students, and we serve over 135,000 students online. Visit our about SNHU  page to learn more about our mission, accreditations, leadership team, national recognitions and awards.

M.S. in Business Analytics Capstone

MSBA student smiling presenting chart to group of 4 peers

Gain Real-World Experience and Address Business Challenges

In the Capstone Project for Georgetown McDonough’s M.S. in Business Analytics (MSBA) program, you’ll apply the concepts, methods, and tools learned in the program to a challenging business analytics problem with a local, national, or global organization.

Over the course of two semesters, you’ll work with Georgetown’s faculty advisors and a group of other MSBA students to:

  • Define an organizational challenge.
  • Collect and analyze necessary data.
  • Assess possible courses of action.
  • Make a recommendation to the organization.
  • Present actionable insights to partners and McDonough faculty.

As you move through the Capstone Project, you’ll hone your skills with analytics tools, business functions, computing and technology, and value-based data analytics. Your experience from the Capstone Project will help you to stand out from other applicants as you seek to establish or advance your career.

“Graduates are going to show readiness to use data science in real life. They will be able to add this to their resume, show it to employers, and even use it to start a career. The Capstone Projects will be drawn from real-world problems and may be conducted with both industry and academic partners.” Sudipta Dasmohapatra, MSBA Academic Director and Professor

MSBA Curriculum

The curriculum for Georgetown McDonough’s MSBA program includes a total of 18 courses, and each course lasts seven weeks. Part of the curriculum is a two-course Capstone Project, which will begin mid-residency and end with a final project presentation to a partner company/organization prior to graduation.

Selected Capstone Partner Organizations

We have some great partner organizations for you to work with on your projects. Below are just a few of the groups our students have worked with.

  • Capco Consulting
  • Dovel Technologies
  • Deloitte Consulting
  • Gray Associates
  • Marriott International
  • The Census Bureau
  • US Green Building Council
  • Virtus Investment Partners

Capstone Project Timeline

Rather than moving toward a prescribed outcome, the Capstone Project and its goals should mimic the workplace by emerging organically from insights based on the data collected. To pace the Capstone Project appropriately, student groups adhere to the following timeline of project milestones.

Project Advisors

The Capstone Project will be overseen by the program leadership including the program manager. Other relevant MSBA and Georgetown faculty experts will serve as project mentors, as needed.

  • Faculty Team: Professors Sudipta Dasmohapatra and Gregory Lyon

Professor Sudipta Dasmohapatra

Sudipta Dasmohapatra is the academic director of the M.S. in Business Analytics (MSBA) and professor of the practice at the McDonough School of Business. She has worked with numerous industry partners and government and non-profit organizations on a variety of business analytics projects.

She has over 10 years of experience consulting in analytics and data science and served on the advisory boards of two strategic analytics start-up firms— Vertaeon, Inc. based in Atlanta, and Kloutics, Inc., based in Pune, India. She joined the board of the Statistical and Mathematical Sciences Institute (SAMSI), an NSF-funded math and statistics institute, in July 2018 as the associate director of diversity. She holds a Ph.D. from The Pennsylvania State University.

Professor Gregory Lyon

Dr. Lyon is the Assistant Director for the Master of Science in Business Analytics (MSBA) and Assistant Teaching Professor in Business Analytics at the McDonough School of Business. He has served as a data science consultant for projects ranging from survey research to global workforce development to regulatory compliance and has taught programming, analytics, and data science to students of all levels, including graduate students and working professionals. Dr. Lyon also holds multiple certifications in cloud computing and analytics including AWS cloud architecture (SAA-C02) as well specialized AWS cloud certifications in machine learning (MLS-C01) and data analytics (DAS-C01). Prior to Georgetown, he earned his Ph.D. at Rutgers University and was a postdoctoral researcher in data science and survey research at Tufts University.

Capstone Partnership Opportunities

The McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University is always seeking additional partners for the MSBA Capstone Project. The MSBA program accepts proposals each spring for additional Capstone Project partner organizations.

“These Capstone Projects will be conducted with industry, government, or academic partners in any field you can imagine, from healthcare to retail to financial services to education. The Capstone Project teams will consist of student members who will be carefully selected into their teams based on the needs of the project.” Sudipta Dasmohapatra, MSBA Academic Director and Professor

By becoming a partner for an MSBA Capstone Project, your company can provide a real-world learning experience for Georgetown students while working through data-driven solutions to your unique challenges.

Download a PDF  for more details about the benefits of a Capstone Project partnership.

For more information about how organizations can get involved with Georgetown University, visit  https://msb.georgetown.edu/corporate-partnerships/

Contact Our MSBA Team

[email protected] Call Today:  (202) 729-9995

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The MBA Capstone Project

The MBA Capstone Project lets students put on their consultant caps to analyze real-world business scenarios in real companies. Lasting two months, the initiative gathers 360 students from 60 countries,   IESE faculty members and decision makers from 10 companies with challenges that range from developing a family-succession plan to designing a social-media launch.

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Quantic Help Docs

What is the Capstone Project? (Class of March 2024 and previous)

The Capstone Project is the culminating project of the Executive MBA program in which you will develop a complete business plan and pitch presentation based on the business idea of your choice. Students will submit the written business plan and either present to Quantic academic team members in a live video conference or submit a recorded presentation for their final grade. This project may be completed in a group or individually. Learners use this as an opportunity to apply frameworks and skills learned throughout the program as they consider all elements of a potential business. 

Important dates—including the Capstone Kickoff, Check-Ins, and submission deadlines for your business plan and presentation—can be found in your course schedule . You will receive more information about the project during the Capstone Kickoff week, as per your schedule. 

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Division of Management

Online healthcare mba, transforming the business of healthcare.

As a student, you'll acquire valuable insights and connections at the nexus of business administration and health systems, thanks to the collective expertise and network provided by the School of Medicine at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) and the School of Business at Portland State University (PSU). These institutions jointly offer this AACSB-accredited Healthcare MBA.

- The MBA in Healthcare Management is crafted to cultivate top-tier healthcare leaders. - An inventive business curriculum provides a practical approach to healthcare decision-making. - Tailored for the hectic schedules of healthcare professionals, this master's program is fully online, enabling healthcare professionals to advance their education.

  • Program Length: 21 Months
  • 100% Online
  • Cost: $45,000
  • 94% Experienced Career Growth by Graduation
  • Average Post-Graduation Salary: $220,000
  • 4-7 Years: 15%
  • 8-12 Years: 20%
  • 13-20 Years: 48%
  • Over 20 Years: 17%

Submit the form to take the next step in transforming your career!

QS World University Online MBA Americas Rankings, 2023

Photos of faculty and staff with ranking text across photo

Saunders College of Business at Rochester Institute of Technology continues to garner attention in national and international rankings and recognitions . In the 2023 World University Online MBA Americas Rankings , by QS Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) , Saunders College Online Executive MBA program placed 27th among 52 programs in three countries.

QS World University Rankings collect data annually from schools, students, academics, and employers. Programs are evaluated in four weighted categories: faculty and teaching, class profile, class experience, and employer reputation. According to QS, their “rankings are used by millions of candidates each year on topMBA.com to learn about various business school programs, connect directly with admissions professionals, and prepare their applications.”

Notably, the Saunders Online Executive MBA program received a perfect score (100) for class experience, placing it first regionally. The program also was ranked 7th in faculty and teaching and 10th in class profile.

Designed for mid-to-upper-level professionals, the Saunders Online Executive MBA program provides students with opportunities to hone their business and leadership skills in order to enhance their performance, assume greater responsibilities, and effectively position themselves for future opportunities.

Visit the Saunders  events page  to view  graduate information session  opportunities and other events.

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March 5, 2024

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New Finger Lakes Brewery Owners Wear Two Hats Every Day   

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what is an mba capstone project

Master of Business Administration – 3/2

Studying business through a liberal arts lens uniquely prepares you to become a global thought leader in everything from finance and marketing to operations and sustainable enterprise. Jump-start your passion while also saving time and money on your personalized path to success through Rollins’ 3/2 Accelerated MBA Program, which allows you to earn your bachelor’s degree from the No. 1 regional university in the South and Florida’s No. 1 MBA from Rollins’ Crummer Graduate School of Business in just five years.

The accelerated business program combines Rollins’ signature approach to liberal arts education—personalized learning, meaningful mentorship, future-proof skills—with the technical expertise of an MBA. Open to all majors, the 3/2 MBA is a natural fit for business students, but at Rollins you’re encouraged to think broadly about your education: to major in biochemistry if you’re interested in health-care policy, to study studio art if you want to run a museum, to focus on writing if you want to become a marketer or entrepreneur.

Throughout the program, you’ll make connections to local business leaders and expert faculty who are authorities in their fields while tapping into Crummer’s extensive alumni network and forging relationships with your peers in a cohort-style environment that mimics the workplace. You’ll apply what you’re learning to real business challenges through internships, study abroad, and leadership development programs, preparing you to stand out among giants in a highly competitive global market.

Why Enroll in the 3/2 Accelerated MBA Program at Rollins

We’re no. 1.

Forbes regularly ranks Rollins’ Crummer Graduate School of Business as the No. 1 MBA program in Florida based on a student’s return on investment just five years after graduation. Our advisory board is chock-full of industry leaders and luminaries who work with faculty to drive the program toward the future of business, creating a contemporary, actionable curriculum that you can apply immediately.

Ready for the Real World

Rollins’ strong connections to the community and emphasis on experiential learning mean that you’ll enter your graduate studies with experience locked in, and Crummer’s dedicated partnerships with industry leaders mean your experience will continue to grow. Just ask Ryan Abronski ’20 ’21MBA, who worked with the NASA Transfer Program to develop a health-tech startup harnessing NASA technology to measure volatile organic compounds in human breath.

Personalized Approach

You’ll benefit from small, discussion-based class sizes, a cohort-based program structure, and accessible, experienced faculty. Our dedicated advisors not only help you navigate the ins and outs of the program, but also help you tailor it to your specific interests and goals. You’ll also have the ongoing support of the Crummer Career Center, an invaluable resource as you leverage your experience, optimize your job search, and connect with potential employers.

Sarah Walker ’16 ’17MBA

“Participating in the 3/2 Accelerated MBA Program helps jump-start your college experience. There are so many opportunities and resources available to students to help them succeed from day one. After completing the program, I had higher expectations for my goals and abilities. Having both a BA and an MBA has set me apart in the market and has given me the soft and hard skills to excel in my position.” Sarah Walker ’16 ’17MBA Policy Advisor, National Security Council, The White House

Rollins 3/2 Accelerated MBA Program Careers

Rollins 3/2 AMP grads are making tomorrow happen at some of the world’s most innovative companies and influential governmental agencies.

Brennan Smith ’16 ’17MBA

Brennan Smith ’16 ’17MBA

Corporate Development, Innovative Systems

Brandon Calamaras ’15 ’16MBA

Brandon Calamaras ’15 ’16MBA

Development Director, Electronic Arts

Courtney Sparling ’15 ’16MBA

Courtney Sparling ’15 16MBA

Senior Brand Marketing Manager, EnergyX

Sarah Neely ’20 ’21MBA

Sarah Neely ’20 ’21MBA

Business Strategy Analyst, Siemens Energy

Cameron Brown ’15 ’16MBA

Cameron Brown ’15 ’16MBA

Senior Associate, Bain Capital Private Equity

Sarah Bishop Edwards ’14 ’15MBA

Sarah Bishop Edwards ’14 ’15MBA

Assistant Vice President, Wealth Management Advisor, Merrill Lynch

Real World Experience

From internships to professional development opportunities, 3/2 Accelerated MBA students hone their skills in the real world.

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Interested in the 3/2 Accelerated MBA Program at Rollins?

Sign up to receive more information about living and learning at Rollins.

Beyond the Classroom

Study Abroad Study the effects of cultural influences on business right at the source through global experiences that include everything from capstone and consulting projects to international exchange programs. By honing communication and analytical skills and developing the ability to navigate foreign cultures and languages, you’ll have a serious leg up on the global market before you even graduate.

Connections for Life From one-on-one advising with expert faculty to our alumni mentorship program, you’ll gain deep insight into the mechanics of success and forge close-knit relationships that will extend well beyond graduation. You’ll also become a part of the Crummer Alumni Association, a global network of more than 7,000 grads living and working across the country and in 53 countries around the world.

Proximity to Progress Rollins is just minutes from downtown Orlando, a thriving metropolis that in recent years has led the nation in job growth. A fast-emerging tech and startup hub, Orlando is attracting some of the biggest names in business and creating thousands of high-wage, high-tech jobs. More than 150 international companies representing 20 countries do business in The City Beautiful.

Adam Schwartz ’10 ’12MBA

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September 06, 2023

Rollins Recognized Among Nation’s Best MBA Programs

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June 09, 2022

Khourisader ’23 ’24MBA Earns AAUW Selected Professions Fellowship

Angelina Khourisader ’23 ’24MBA has won an award from the American Association of University Women that provides funding to women of color in historically underrepresented fields.

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See for Yourself

Get a feel for Rollins’ unique brand of engaged learning and personalized attention through one of our virtual or in-person visit experiences.

Six seniors recognized with Dean’s Awards for outstanding capstone projects

Topics include a method to detect earthquake victims and an image-to-text application for the visually impaired.

A group of Harvard SEAS seniors with Dean David Parkes, holding awards for outstanding engineering projects

Six SEAS students have been recognized with Dean’s Award for Outstanding Engineering Projects (Eliza Grinnell/SEAS)

Six students from the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) were recognized with the Dean’s Award for Outstanding Engineering Projects at the recent SEAS Design and Project Fair at the Science and Engineering Complex. Recipients participated in ES100, a year-long capstone course for seniors in the SB engineering program, where each student develops a project to address a real-world engineering problem. The award comes with a prize of $500.

“SEAS students make things that may be really cool, quirky, or fun,” said SEAS Dean David Parkes. “And just as often, their work will help solve a real-world problem and have a significant impact on people’s lives. During ES100, a year-long capstone course for seniors in the SB engineering program, students tackle specific problems. They develop technical specs, design solutions, test their ideas using quantitative analysis and simulations, prototype, and build.”

For the 2023-24 academic year, 42 students completed ES100 projects. Five projects, including one two-student team project, were selected for the award. The award-winning projects covered a broad range of topics, including a remote sensor network for detecting earthquake victims trapped under rubble, an image-to-text application for the visually impaired, a quadcopter drone with enhanced maneuverability, and tool for determining potential water contaminants and suggested filtration solutions in wells.

Serena Zhao’s bioengineering capstone, “Developing Uniform, Photon-Emitting Nanoprobes for Multi-Color Electron Microscopy,” designed nanoprobes that emit colored light when hit by protons from an electron microscope, allowing for much more detailed imaging at the nanoscale level.

“Electron microscopy (EM) images are black and white,” Zhao said. “There’s no specificity, no color labeling. When it comes to studying complex biological processes, that’s a huge disadvantage. My project was trying to build these nanoprobes that emit color under EM, so we can get an electron image, a colored probe image, and then we can overlay them into a colored, labeled image that still has specificity and high resolution.”

The other four award winners were:

  • Arba Shkreli and Molly Bosworth , electrical engineering, for their project, “SeASAR: Sensor Application for Search & Rescue in Urban Settings”
  • Yasmine Omri, electrical engineering, for her project, “Towards a Real-Time Image-to-Speech Tool for the Visually Impaired: Efficient Hardware for On-device Image Classification”
  • Lachlan McGranahan , mechanical engineering, for his project, “Modeling, Simulation, and Control for a Tilt-Rotor Quadcopter”
  • Layla Seaver, environmental science and engineering, for her project, “Addressing Forever Chemicals: An Algorithm for PFAS Prediction Modeling and Filter Selection for Private Well-Users”

“I’m interested in using my engineering background to serve actual human needs,” Omri said. “My project falls into a field that we call ‘tiny machine learning.’ I wanted to find a way to run a very complex system locally, with energy efficiency and performance speed. I tried to consolidate it into a practical, application-based system focused specifically on the visually impaired.”

A group of Harvard SEAS seniors with Dean David Parkes, holding awards for honorable mention for outstanding engineering projects

Four SEAS students received Honorable Mention for their senior capstone projects (Eliza Grinnell/SEAS)

Four additional SEAS students received Honorable Mentions for their capstone projects. They are:

  • Cherish Jongwe, bioengineering, for his project, “Biofilm-Enhanced Household Water Filtration System for Heavy Metals Removal”
  • Nicholas Laws , mechanical engineering, for his project, “Visualization Tool for Chemical Kinetic Pathways in Plasma-Assisted Combustion”
  • Anna Ramos, electrical engineering, for her project, “Eye Controls for Quadriplegic Gamers”
  • Emma Zuckerman , mechanical engineering, for her project, “Low Reynolds Number Anemometer for Earth’s Stratosphere and the Martian Atmosphere”

Seaver also received a $500 award from the Society of American Military Engineers. A former project lead and co-president of the Harvard chapter of Engineers Without Borders, Seaver has devoted most of her Harvard career to water research and infrastructure development.

“I took Elsie Sunderland’s class on toxicology, which introduced the idea of forever chemicals and contaminants like PFAS,” Seaver said. “When it came time to choose a thesis topic, I thought about the importance of these emerging contaminants for water quality and public health, and how I had the opportunity to work with one of the leading experts in this field through Elsie’s lab. If I could create a tool to make that information from the lab more readily available to users, that’d be the best way I could have an impact with my thesis.”

After she graduates, she’ll be working on water projects at the Boston office of Kleinfelder, an engineering firm.

“One of their most recent developments is looking at PFAS removal technology at the municipal level, which I’m really excited about,” she said.

Topics: Academics , Dean , Awards , Bioengineering , Electrical Engineering , Environmental Science & Engineering , Materials Science & Mechanical Engineering

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IMAGES

  1. MBA Capstone Project Ideas

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  2. 240 Innovative Capstone Project Ideas For Students

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  5. 30+ Best MBA Capstone Project Ideas for IT, HR & Marketing

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VIDEO

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  2. MBA Capstone Self Reflection

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COMMENTS

  1. What is an MBA Capstone Project? Sample Work & What to Expect

    An MBA capstone project is the final step in many MBA programs. It's here that MBA students put all that they've learned into practice by analyzing a meaningful and strategic business question. Often, this involves hands-on work within an existing company, but not always: MBA capstone projects can take the form of startup business plans and ...

  2. Online MBA Capstone Projects and Thesis Guide

    While a capstone and thesis serve similar functions, most MBA programs distinguish between the two projects. MBAs typically include practicum/internship components, enabling students to gain hands-on experience in professional business environments. Capstones build on this experience, requiring students to develop practical solutions to real ...

  3. Capstone Project

    UCLA Anderson launched the first MBA field study program 54 years ago. The AMR program has worked with over 5,000 clients, including Fortune 500 companies, nonprofits, microfinance institutions and startups. You'll work with a team of peers on a two-quarter project that will solve an organization's key business problem, while expanding your ...

  4. MBA Capstone Project

    Here are some Research Dissertation's ideas for your MBA Capstone Project: · Basic principles of crisis management and business continuity. · Development of a strategic, financial, and information system for an existing small business. · An investigation of marketing methods. · Diagnostic tool in small businesses.

  5. MBA Capstone Project Ideas

    MBA Capstone Project Ideas and Topics To Write About. Completing an MBA is no small feat. In addition to completing coursework, students must also complete a capstone project in order to graduate. The capstone project is designed to showcase the student's knowledge and skills learned throughout their MBA program.

  6. Choosing the Right MBA Capstone Project Topic: A Guide

    The MBA capstone project serves as the culmination of your academic journey, allowing you to apply the knowledge and skills acquired throughout your program to address a real-world business challenge.

  7. What is a capstone project? And why is it important?

    The capstone project is a unique opportunity to carry out independent group research in order to devise an innovative solution for a real-world problem. While a project of this scope and scale can be challenging, it can also be very rewarding. The capstone project is usually the final assignment and plays a vital role in preparing students for ...

  8. Capstone Project

    Applying MBA Knowledge in Real Time. The capstone project is your opportunity to apply the tools from the first two years of the program to a real-world business challenge in real time. Whether you're part of a consulting team working for an international tech company or creating your own business from the ground up, UCLA Anderson offers ...

  9. What is an Online MBA Capstone Project?

    The Online MBA capstone project is an essential component of the curriculum at universities across the country. While some may look and sound different on paper, they all serve the same purpose. During your capstone, you have the opportunity to work alongside others in your field and work through real-world issues and situations that you will ...

  10. MBA capstone projects

    An MBA capstone project allows students to work with real industry clients on solutions to their challenges or explore their own entrepreneurial project. Over 13 weeks, you'll have the chance to put everything you've learned during your studies into practice with your choice of 1 of 2 capstone courses: Entrepreneurship or Industry Engagement.

  11. Conquer the MBA Capstone with these 5 Tips

    The MBA Capstone is the final and crucial project undertaken during The Edinburgh MBA, the outcome of which dictates the award that students will get on their degree. It brings together all the knowledge and experience gained during the year and is considered to be one of the most invaluable experiences of the MBA.

  12. Tepper School of Business

    Strategic Management of the Enterprise. Offered in partnership with A.T. Kearney and select sponsoring companies, this capstone is an experiential learning course that sensitizes students to the real-world challenges faced by managers. Capstones are immersive, experiential courses at the end of the Tepper School MBA journey.

  13. Capstone

    Capstone. Each student develops a capstone project in their second year of studies that challenges them to perform an in-depth structured scientific and business analysis of a biotechnology opportunity. The capstone requires students to combine lessons from their MBA and MS coursework. Students will receive guidance on their work from faculty ...

  14. How Your MBA Capstone Can Help Land Your Dream Job

    The ACHS MBA program Capstone project is designed to provide students an opportunity to demonstrate mastery of course learning outcomes in a context that is relevant to students' current and future professional goals and interests. As such, you are at liberty to select a project topic and scope, subject to approval by your Capstone course ...

  15. Everything You Need to Know About the MBA Practicum and Capstone

    Our MBA practicum is a key component of this goal. Sometimes called an MBA capstone project, this experiential learning project is fully integrated into your coursework, allowing you to master business management skills as you complete your classes. When you complete your MBA at SNU, you will be ready to compete for high wages and demanding ...

  16. What Is A Capstone Course? Everything You Need To Know

    Capstone courses typically last at least a semester and sometimes include internships or volunteering. A capstone course typically involves a project such as a final paper, a portfolio, a ...

  17. What is a Capstone Project in College?

    A capstone project in college is a culmination of knowledge and experience that occurs at the end of a student's an academic program. The capstone project in college is the apogee, or completion marker, of a student's coursework leading to the culmination of their program with a degree in their chosen field of study.

  18. What is the Capstone Project? (Class of June 2024 and beyond)

    The Capstone Project is the culminating project of both the Quantic MBA and Executive MBA programs and consists of both a written plan and a presentation component. Over the final five months of the program, students will have a choice to complete either a business plan or an executive strategy report. Throughout this period, students will ...

  19. Capstone project

    The Capstone Project puts your leadership skills to the test, giving students the opportunity to apply, integrate and synthesize their knowledge to a real business challenge. The project is an analysis and implementation of a meaningful strategic question. Your project will leverage your EMBA knowledge to achieve your professional goals.

  20. Capstone Project vs. Thesis: What's the Difference?

    The thesis, also called a "dissertation," is a super-sized form of a research paper that serves as the final project before you complete your master's degree or doctoral degree. One of the primary differences between a thesis and a capstone is the scholarly nature of the thesis, which allows you to contribute valuable research to your ...

  21. MSBA

    Contact Our MSBA Team. [email protected]. Call Today: (202) 729-9995. Request Info. Gain real-world experience and address business challenges through the MSBA Capstone project. Explore the scope of this project and see if it's a fit for you.

  22. The MBA Capstone Project

    The MBA Capstone Project lets students put on their consultant caps to analyze real-world business scenarios in real companies. Lasting two months, the initiative gathers 360 students from 60 countries, IESE faculty members and decision makers from 10 companies with challenges that range from developing a family-succession plan to designing a social-media launch.

  23. What is the Capstone Project? (Class of March 2024 and previous)

    The Capstone Project is the culminating project of the Executive MBA program in which you will develop a complete business plan and pitch presentation based on the business idea of your choice. Students will submit the written business plan and either present to Quantic academic team members in a live video conference or submit a recorded ...

  24. Best Online MBA in Finance Programs

    The MBA in finance focuses on global finance strategies, effective financial decision-making, and ethical leadership. The program culminates in a team leadership and collaboration capstone project. Classes run throughout six-week sessions, and learners can start at the beginning of any session throughout the year.

  25. Online Healthcare MBA

    - The MBA in Healthcare Management is crafted to cultivate top-tier healthcare leaders. - An inventive business curriculum provides a practical approach to healthcare decision-making. - Tailored for the hectic schedules of healthcare professionals, this master's program is fully online, enabling healthcare professionals to advance their education.

  26. QS World University Online MBA Americas Rankings, 2023

    RIT has again been recognized for offering one of the best online programs in the nation. The 2024 U.S. News & World Report Best Online Programs rankings, released this week, listed Saunders College of Business' online Executive MBA program as tied for No. 9 in the nation for "Best Online MBA Programs.". November 20, 2023.

  27. Accelerated MBA Program at Rollins College, Florida

    The accelerated business program combines Rollins' signature approach to liberal arts education—personalized learning, meaningful mentorship, future-proof skills—with the technical expertise of an MBA. Open to all majors, the 3/2 MBA is a natural fit for business students, but at Rollins you're encouraged to think broadly about your ...

  28. Six seniors recognized with Dean's Awards for outstanding capstone projects

    Six students from the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) were recognized with the Dean's Award for Outstanding Engineering Projects at the recent SEAS Design and Project Fair at the Science and Engineering Complex. Recipients participated in ES100, a year-long capstone course for seniors in the SB engineering program, where each student develops a ...