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CAN YOU PROVIDE EXAMPLES OF ONLINE DOCTORATE PROGRAMS THAT OFFER CAPSTONE PROJECTS?

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Walden University offers several Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) programs that include a capstone project. Their Ed.D. programs include specializations in Educational Leadership, Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment, Reading and Literacy Leadership, and Educational Technology. For the capstone at Walden, students must complete a Doctoral Study that involves researching a specific problem within an education organization. Some key requirements for Walden’s Ed.D. capstone include developing a problem statement, purpose statement, and research questions or hypotheses. Students also must complete a literature review, propose research methods and design, get IRB approval, collect and analyze data, and present their findings. The final Doctoral Study paper for Walden is usually between 75-100 pages.

Grand Canyon University offers a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in General Psychology program with a capstone project requirement. For the capstone, students in GCU’s Ph.D. in Psychology program must complete a research project on a topic within psychology. They are required to develop a concept paper that identifies the research problem and purpose of their study. Students then conduct a thorough review of academic literature and develop specific research questions or hypotheses. The capstone also involves completing a research proposal where students detail the specific research methodology and procedures they will use such as what instruments or assessments, sampling techniques, and statistical analyses. Upon receiving IRB approval, students collect and analyze data, discuss key findings, and present conclusions and implications in their final written dissertation paper of around 150-250 pages.

The University of Southern California offers a Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.) in Clinical Psychology entirely online that involves completing a year-long internship and dissertation. For the dissertation capstone, USC Psy.D. students first form a dissertation committee consisting of three faculty members including a committee chair. They work closely with this committee to identify a research topic within clinical, counseling, or school psychology. Students then complete a proposal where they provide an in-depth literature review and state the hypotheses and methodology for their capstone research project. Upon IRB and committee approval, students conduct their research, analyze results, discuss findings and implications, then write and orally defend a final dissertation of around 150 pages. The Psy.D. from USC allows students to focus their research on applied clinical issues.

Northcentral University offers a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Advanced Studies in Psychology entirely online that includes a Dissertation Research Project as the capstone requirement. For this capstone, students choose from one of five dissertation tracks including Applied and Professional Psychology, Brain and Behavior, Clinical Psychology, Industrial and Organizational Psychology, or Educational Psychology. Students work closely with a dissertation chair and committee to develop an achievable research topic, conduct a thorough lit review, propose hypotheses and methodology, collect and analyze data, and write a final dissertation of approximately 125-250 pages. Some unique features of the NCU Ph.D. psychology capstone are the ability for students to incorporate mixed methods and more applied research designs geared towards professionals goals.

These online Doctorate programs from Walden, Grand Canyon, USC, and Northcentral Universities all require completing a substantial research or applied practice-based capstone project as the culminating demonstration of student learning. The capstones involve developing rigorous proposals, obtaining IRB approval, collecting and analyzing project data, and presenting well-documented final papers or dissertations well over 100 pages. Students work closely with faculty dissertation committees throughout to ensure their capstone research addresses important problems, contributes meaningful findings, and meets high scholarly standards. These examples illustrate how online Doctorate programs effectively facilitate extensive student-driven research projects through virtual advising and oversight.

HOW DO MBA PROGRAMS EVALUATE AND ASSESS THE QUALITY OF A STUDENT’S CAPSTONE PROJECT

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MBA capstone projects are generally the culminating experience for students in the program where they integrate and apply what they have learned across their entire MBA curriculum. As such, MBA programs place significant emphasis on rigorously evaluating and assessing the quality of each student’s capstone project. There are typically several factors that are considered in this evaluation process.

To begin, most programs will have a detailed rubric or grading criteria that outlines the expectations for capstone project content and quality. Common areas that are assessed include the depth of research conducted, clarity and structure of the project, application of relevant frameworks and theories, sophistication of analysis, practical feasibility of recommendations, strength of conclusions drawn, quality of writing and presentation, and use of empirical evidence to support arguments. The specific weighting or importance of each criteria area may vary somewhat between programs.

In addition to the grading rubric, capstone projects are usually evaluated by both a faculty advisor as well as an external company representative or panel of experts in the relevant industry. Having multiple evaluators allows for a more well-rounded assessment of different aspects of the project. Faculty advisors can speak to how well academic rigor was demonstrated while practitioners provide feedback on the practical application and business relevance. Combining these perspectives provides students valuable insights beyond just a single grade.

As part of the evaluation process, some MBA programs also require students to formally present and defend their capstone project findings and recommendations to the faculty advisor, external assessors, and sometimes a larger audience of faculty and industry professionals. These presentations are often graded based on additional criteria such as the quality of visual aids, depth of knowledge displayed, ability to field questions, poise under pressure, and effectiveness of oral communication skills. The presentation component further tests a student’s competencies and adds an experiential element to the overall assessment.

Since capstone projects aim to simulate real-world business consulting engagements, many MBA programs have moved towards qualitative evaluation models in addition to traditional letter grades. Written faculty and external assessor feedback provides deeper, more nuanced commentary than a single metric can convey. Qualitative feedback highlight specific strengths, opportunities for improvement, and practical suggestions moving forward. When combined with a letter grade, qualitative reviews give students a more holistic perspective of their performance.

Some leading programs have taken assessment a step further by actively involving their corporate partners and alumni networks. For example, final project reports may be shared more broadly to gather wider industry perspectives beyond just the graded presentation. In some cases, outstanding capstone work has even led directly to job offers or new consulting opportunities for students. Exposing high quality work to the ‘real world’ in this way continues extending the applied learning experience.

As a cumulative experience meant to bridge academic study and professional practice, MBA programs place tremendous value on rigorous and multifaceted capstone project evaluation. With input from multiple evaluators, clear rubrics and standards, qualitative feedback, and opportunities to engage external stakeholders, programs aim to provide students with a realistic assessment resembling workplace feedback and review. This comprehensive approach helps to ensure capstone projects fulfill their purpose of demonstrating each student’s mastery of MBA competencies through an impactful applied research experience.

MBA capstone assessment considers depth of research, application of theory, analytical strength, feasibility, quality of conclusions, presentation skills, and use of evidence – as judged by faculty and practitioners. Qualitative reviews supplement grades. Presentations simulate real consultancies. Top programs involve alumni, potentially leading to jobs. This multifaceted evaluation mirrors professional settings to fully examine student learning.