Northeastern University prides itself on providing students with experiential learning opportunities through their capstone program in the final year of study. The capstone is designed to allow students to integrate the knowledge and skills gained throughout their undergraduate studies by completing a substantial project that addresses a real-world problem or issue. Students work closely with faculty advisors and often externship partners in the community to design and implement their capstone projects.
Some past capstone projects from Northeastern students include:
Design and development of a mobile application for a nonprofit organization that supports refugees resettling in Boston. The app helps refugees locate important resources like housing, education, healthcare, and employment assistance. It was designed based on user testing and feedback from refugees and the nonprofit’s caseworkers.
Analysis of food insecurity and lack of access to nutritious food options on college campuses. The student conducted surveys and interviews at Northeastern and other local universities. Their capstone project report offered recommendations to schools on partnerships with local farms/grocers, strategies for increasing EBT/SNAP acceptance on campus, and designs for improving campus food pantries.
Development of workplace training programs and materials for a growing technology startup in the education space. The student analyzed the company’s current products, identified skills gaps for different employee roles, and created online and in-person training modules focused on pedagogy, instructional design, and role-specific tech platforms.
Research and policy proposals around increasing the energy efficiency of older buildings in Boston. The student performed an audit of energy usage data from city-owned buildings, identified retrofitting opportunities, and drafted recommendations for regulations, incentives, and pilot programs to scale up energy efficiency upgrades citywide.
Design and prototyping of adaptive switch devices to improve independence for individuals with limited hand mobility due to conditions like arthritis. The biomedical engineering student worked with occupational therapists and patients to understand needs and gathered anatomical data to 3D print prototype switches in different sizes, angles, and textures for testing.
The capstone experience at Northeastern takes place over two quarters (6 months) during a student’s senior or penultimate year of study. Students follow a structured process of selecting their project, conducting background research and literature reviews, developing detailed project plans and timelines, getting requisite IRB approvals if working with human subjects, implementing their work, and reporting out results.
Capstone projects can take the form of applied research studies, needs assessments, program/product designs and development activities, policy analyses and recommendations, business/nonprofit consulting projects, and more. The common thread is that they allow students to engage in authentic professional work that puts their accumulated learning to practical use.
Students work under the guidance of both a capstone faculty advisor from their department as well as an external advisor or mentor from the partner organization if applicable. Throughout the capstone period, students meet regularly with their advisors for feedback, submit interim deliverables and progress updates, and ultimately produce a final capstone report, presentation, and documentation of their process and outcomes.
The capstone holds special significance as the culminating experience of a Northeastern education. It allows undergraduate students an early opportunity to take on a professional project from start to finish, building skills in self-directed learning, collaboration, project management, critical thinking, and communication that will serve them well as they transition to post-graduate roles or further study. Faculty and organizational partners also value the opportunity to engage with soon-to-be graduates who can help address real problems through their applied work.
Through intensive, experiential capstone projects, Northeastern University ensures its students integrate classroom learning into thoughtful, impactful approaches to issues facing communities locally and globally. The model continues Northeastern’s commitment to providing a practice-centered education that prepares graduates for lifelong success across all career fields and sectors.