The Honors Capstone Project is an exciting opportunity extended to members of the Maynor Honors College. While capstone projects always involve a written component and a poster presentation, approaches to the project may take many forms, from laboratory research to artistic expression, from philosophical inquiry to service-learning. In general, projects typically fall into one of three broad categories outlined below, but the below descriptions not designed to restrict or confine possible projects.
Community and Civic Engagement Projects
These types of projects involve active (volunteer) participation and leadership in a focused
project involving service to the community, an organization, or a business. The project
should be appropriate to the student's field of study, and the student will work with a
faculty member to research the project and plan the experience. The final written product
may be an extended reflection paper, action plan, or research paper, depending on the
project, and should include research as well as a description of the project. Community and
civic engagement projects may be combined with creative or research work.
Creative Projects
These projects are appropriate for creative writers, visual artists, or performing artists.
Students will work with a faculty mentor to develop the project. The student will display or
perform the work and also provide a written description/interpretation of the work, which
may take the form of a professional genre such as program notes or an extended artist
statement. Creative work may be combined with research or community and civic
engagement work.
Research Projects
Research projects may focus on primary research (experimental, archival) or secondary
research (review and analysis of published work) and should be completed under the
direction of a faculty mentor. Research projects tend to involve a substantial written
product and a formal presentation of the results. Research projects may be combined with
creative or community and civic engagement work.
The capstone project unfolds over two semesters: first taking HON 4000 (one credit hour) and concluding with HON 4500 (three credit hours). Over this span, students plan and complete the project under the supervision of their faculty mentor and with support from the Honors College capstone project coordinator. More information about the capstone project and process can be found in the Capstone Project Handbook and in the FAQs below.
CAPSTONE PROJECT FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Why should I complete a capstone project?
The capstone project is a requirement for graduation from the Honors College, but it is also a culmination of the years of honors curriculum that precedes it. Taking on a large self-directed project like this allows students to work closely with faculty experts, to become active members of their chosen disciplines, and to create a material record that can serve as a springboard to whatever comes in post-graduation life: whether a professional career, graduate school, or something else entirely.
When should I plan complete a capstone project?
While members of the Honors College are welcome to complete the capstone at any point in their academic career, we often find that the junior year is an ideal time for this project. Students need to have an established understanding of their chosen field and a clear vision for what kind of project will most benefit them academically and professionally, but they often benefit from completing the project before the crunch of their senior year. Additionally, completing the project as a junior allows students to continue to expand the work into a conference presentation and/or publication during their final year on campus and allows them to include the completed project in their applications for jobs, internships, and graduate schools.
Who can serve as my faculty mentor?
While technically there are no limits on who among UNCP faculty can and cannot serve as faculty mentor to an honors capstone project, there are certainly some best practices. In my experience, students are best served when selecting a (1) full-time faculty member (2) in their major department who (3) they already have a positive working relationship with from a previous class or lab experience. Your mentor will be crucial in shaping and directing the project at every stage, so choosing your faculty mentor wisely is the first step towards a great capstone project.
How long should my capstone project be?
There is so much variation from discipline to discipline and project to project, that providing a simple word count or page count is often difficult. Additionally, many projects will involve creative or service work that isn’t easily represented on the page. However, remember that your honors capstone project is designed to meet the expectations for a 3-credit hour course. According to most standards, a student should expect to spend approximately 3 hours of work per week for each course hour taken. By this metric, the capstone project (HON 4500) should require around 144 hours of total work time and the final product should reflect that level of engagement.
Do I have to present my project findings in front of the campus?
All students participating in HON 4500 will be expected to present their project, but this doesn’t mean standing in-front of a crowd and giving a scholarly talk! Typically, capstone project presentations take the form of a research poster (more info here or at the "Research Poster Basics" link to the right) which is displayed in Mary Livermore Library during finals week as part of the Honors Project Symposium each semester. Based on their discipline or format, other projects may require more specialized forms of presentation or performance which can be arranged on a project-by-project basis.
Is there any funding available to support my capstone project?
Yes, there is! When submitting your capstone project proposal at the end of HON 4000, you will be asked to submit a funding request for any materials or services you might need to successfully complete your project. While we cannot guarantee that all funding requests will be processed in the full amount requested, we often have funds available to assist with capstone project costs and we’re happy to coordinate with other offices on campus to provide as much support as we can.
What if I already have a capstone experience as part of my major?
Depending on the size and scope of your departmental capstone, you might include it in the honors capstone project sequence in several different ways. Typically, the departmental capstone and honors capstone project exist as related, but distinct, pieces of research, creativity, and/or service, but these are questions that can be addressed during HON 4000 and the development of the project proposal. In the rare instances that a departmental capstone already satisfies the requirements for the honors capstone project as formulated, students would STILL be expected to enroll in HON 4000 and could use a Course Equivalency Proposal to apply for an equivalency between their departmental capstone and HON 4500.
