The Honors Capstone

Your Honors Capstone is a rigorous culminating project that represents a sustained academic experience at NAU and in Honors. Depending on your major/minor, interest areas, and personal and career goals, your Honors Capstone may look very different from other students’ Honors Capstones. The unifying thread for all Honors Capstones is that they contribute to the development of disciplinary knowledge or practice, and that they result in a public presentation component where you share what you have learned.

Ideally, students will complete their Honors Capstone in their Senior year, however, in some instances students can propose to begin their capstone project as early as their 4th term. Throughout your progression in Honors, you define your own path through your major and Honors. Individually tailored, these paths guide your scholarship while helping define your long-term goals. You will typically begin identifying options for your Capstone,  choose your mentor, and write your capstone proposal in the 1-unit HON 303. Unlike most honors colleges, you may use a variety of options to complete your Honors Capstone, including, independent study, internships, undergraduate research, Honors coursework, a more traditional thesis or any combination of these types of experiences.

Our curriculum ensures you will gain the knowledge and skills that will prepare you for success—personally, academically, and professionally. Conduct research, create art, conduct an internship or other individually tailored options that will help you achieve your career goals. The Capstone will account for 6 of the 27 Honors credits required for graduation. Honors Capstone Guidelines

Capstone Approval Process Accordion Closed

  1. Explore opportunities for potential Capstone projects (on campus, off campus, study abroad, etc).
  2. Write Capstone Proposal in HON 303
    1. Your finished proposal will include each of these areas in your Proposal with the specified sub-headings:
      1. Completed Proposal Form: This will be signed by your 303 instructor after you have completed the course requirements.
      2. Cover Page: Include your name, project title, and date.
      3. Abstract: You will develop a coherent abstract which explains, in 200 words or less, the scope of your project and the intention behind it. You will most likely write this portion of your proposal at the very end of the process, once you are able to articulate your ideas concisely.
      4. Project Overview: You will frame the scope of the project and articulate what will comprise your six-credit Honors Capstone experience. You should explain what relevant coursework, experiences, or combination of both you will use. This section serves as the “what” of your project.
      5. Project Specifics: You will clarify how you plan to complete your Capstone and the steps necessary. The project specifics section will identify the “how” of your project.  This section should be in narrative form, with the exception of the schedule and timeline for completion, which can be bulleted. This section should include:
        1. Course sequence
        2. Research methods and ethics (IRB)
        3. Schedule/timeline for completing the project (can be in bulleted form)
        4. Resources needed
        5. Budget for the project
        6. Deliverables or products generated from the project: i.e: final paper, reflective synthesis paper, research poster, or other culminating materials.
        7. Public Sharing Component
      6. Project Goals: This section will clarify the “why” behind your project. You will articulate the goals and aims of your project and the larger impact. This section should include:
        1. The significance of your project– why it is important to you and how it will contribute to the  larger community
        2. Questions shaping your project
        3. Limitations
        4. Potential problems or issues impacting project.
  3. Submit Capstone proposal to Honors College Dean or designee for review
    1. IF APPROVED: Submit appropriate proposal forms to earn credit for Capstone coursework, ie HON 497, 485, major capstone contract, to Honors College for review
    2. IF NOT APPROVED: Revise and resubmit incorporating feedback from reviewer
  4. Changes to approved Honors Capstones can be submitted online and will be reviewed by the Honors dean and Capstone Coordinator.

Related Documents and Forms

Capstone Project and Proposal Samples and Examples

Honors Capstone 1

Honors Capstone 3

Honors Capstone 2

Honors Capstone Poster Samples

Honors Capstone Poster Sample

 

Honors Capstone Poster Sample 2

 

Honors College
Location
Building 41
NAU Honors College
1350 S. Knoles Dr.
Flagstaff, Arizona 86011
Mailing Address
PO Box 5689
Flagstaff, Arizona 86011