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There are four primary ways to begin the Capstone Project:
- You can create a topic and select an Advisor on your own, following your interests, and consulting with faculty members whose courses you have enjoyed. Many honors students have done this successfully. The Honors Library in 206 Bowne has a complete set of past projects, with a searchable database. Come see what past students have done – it’s a great way to get started.
- You can work through your major department:
o All Biology students wishing to complete an experimental Capstone Project,
for example, discuss their interests with faculty members, and find a space in
a lab with one of them, joining that research project (many faculty regularly
take on students). They then take BIO 419 in which they meet weekly to share
research techniques and discoveries with other students, under the supervision
of a faculty member.
o If your major offers a “distinction” program, you should participate in that
program. These excellent programs for advanced undergraduates involve a
seminar or series of seminars that teach research methods and help students
write an advanced research paper. They vary by department in format, but all
provide an excellent path to success in the Capstone Project. When you
complete the program (assuming all other Honors requirements are met), you
graduate both with Renée Crown University Honors and with distinction in the
major (see below for details).
- You can attend one of several evening sessions in the fall in which the Honors Program presents information and suggestions to help you understand what a Capstone Project is, and how to find an Advisor and get started on your research. Veteran Capstone Advisors from a number of disciplines will be there to share their wisdom and answer questions. For many students, this is sufficient to get started.
- You can register for HNR 309: Capstone/Thesis Project Planning Seminar in the fall of your junior year, or spring if you are abroad in the fall. HNR 309 is an optional, one-credit, pass-fail seminar designed to help you understand what a Capstone Project is in your
discipline, develop and clarify a topic for your project, find a faculty member who will advise your project, and develop a timeline for completion of the Capstone Project. During the first half of the semester, there will be a series of seminar meetings, assignments, and exercises designed to help you meet these goals. Some special sessions may be held in the evenings. During the second half of the semester, you must meet with your seminar leader to discuss the progress you have made on your Capstone Project.
All students must submit a Capstone Project Proposal Form, signed by their capstone advisor, by mid-November of the junior year. All students must submit a Project Update Form in the spring of the junior year. The forms you need are all on the Capstone Project Resources and Information Page.
For an in-depth explanation of the Capstone Project, see Complete Overview of the Capstone Project.
Here’s the process:
Capstone Project Proposal
You begin by submitting a Capstone Project Proposal Form, signed by your Capstone Advisor. For most students, this is due by mid-November of the junior year. (Exceptions are Architecture and some Engineering students: see below.) If you are working in the sciences, we strongly recommend that you identify a project and a lab in which to work in the spring semester of your sophomore year; we will accept a proposal from you then. Beginning work on the project over that initial summer will be extremely helpful to you. Similarly, if you are studying abroad or otherwise off campus in your junior year, we encourage you to select a topic in spring of your sophomore year, if at all possible.
Remember that this is the initial proposal, not the finished product! You will need to do some preliminary investigation and planning, but you don’t need a detailed sense of the entire project. We want to see a clear exposition of your project idea, and to know that you have an Advisor who attests that this is a “workable” project and has agreed to mentor you. Your proposal should be your best current understanding of what the project involves. We know, and so should you, that the project is likely to evolve as it progresses. Your Advisor will help you refine your topic – narrowing or expanding as necessary. Our goal at the proposal stage is to have you make a strong beginning. Yes, you’re an Honors student, and we expect you to be thorough. But save that “obsessive-compulsive” energy for the end of the project: here we want to see you dig in and get started.
Capstone Update Form
All students must submit a Project Update Form. Most will do so in the spring of the junior year; again, exceptions appear below. The Update asks for somewhat more detailed information on your progress: an initial bibliography; a brief explanation of your methodology; a more complete timeline, and so on. The form helps assure that you, your Advisor, and the Honors Program are all “on the same page” about your progress and the timeline for your future work. Our goal is for you to end the spring semester able to continue your research and creative work over the summer, and to come back in the fall strongly positioned to move forward. Doing so will help you have a more successful – and much less stressful – senior year!
Both forms are available on the web: http://honors.syr.edu/
see Current Students > Capstone Project > Information and Resources > Honors Capstone Project Forms
Exceptions
Architecture and Engineering students, and some of those following “Distinction” programs in their majors, follow a different timetable. See “Exceptions to the Standard Process” under “Complete Overview of the Honors Capstone Project”.
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