Capstone

Starting Your Capstone Project
Capstone Projects are the crowning achievement of the your degree program experience. They demonstrate mastery of the interdisciplinary curriculum and your ability to apply an information technology solution to a real-world problem in an organizational setting.

Capstone Projects must:

• Solve a real-world problem using information technology
• Integrate key concepts from every course of study
• Go beyond the base Grad Center curriculum (for excellence)
• Include deliverables and a final presentation/defense
• Be SUBSTANTIAL (think of how much work you put into your toughest class so far - this is to be TWICE that in terms of scope and industry)

Your instructors and advisors expect you to work hard on your Capstone. We expect you to solve complex problems by proposing elegant solutions that incorporate all that you have learned throughout your program of study. And we expect that in return you will learn a great deal about how to attack real-world, intricate, IT-based problems, and implement plans and systems to help real organizations succeed.

For the investment you make in time, effort, energy and brainpower, the payback will be in rich learning and rich experiences that you can immediately apply to your career after Marlboro.

Capstone Process
All Students will:

1. Consult with a faculty member / the Academic Director to select a project and find a sponsor from an external organization (your workplace or any organization you select)
   
2. Develop and revise a proposal that defines the focus and scope of the project. Your proposal should define the focus and scope of the project in consultation with your Program Director and/or the Academic Director. This document and a discussion with your Program Director or the Academic Director is essential for the GC staff to determine if you do indeed have a project that will become a valid Capstone project.
   
3. Obtain a detailed letter of support from the external project sponsor (this is optional for MSIE students)
   
4. Submit a customized component map, created in consultation with a Program Director or Capstone Project Advisor, for (final) approval one month prior to defense. Your Capstone Advisor is selected in conjunction with your Program Director and/or the Academic Director.
   
5. Deliver all project materials on or before the final presentation

Selecting a Capstone:
Pick a client organization that fits your goals for the program. If you're certain that you want to get into web application development for a department within a large organization, use your Capstone to both hone your skills working with a large organization and to add a brand name to your resume. If you're leaning towards a management position with a medium-sized company, find one with a new or emerging IT department that will benefit from your skills. Since you can pick any organization, pick one that interests you, either as a prospective employer or as representative of an industry you'd like to explore. If you know you're going to stay in the non-profit domain, work for a non-profit.

We expect that Capstones will demonstrate mastery of all aspects of technology management: project management, technology integration, (marketing, strategy and programming, if your degree program included those courses, for example). You should also pick a discipline emphasis that serves your interests. You will be able to shape the criteria by which your Capstone is evaluated, so your areas of emphases should be reflected in that final document - the Component map.

Finding a Sponsor
Having a sponsor from an external organization often (we find) provides the best opportunity to learn from a real world situation and gives practice in many aspects of project management and institutional 'interaction' that is absent for self-sponsored projects. A real client suggests that (s)he has a real project that solves a real problem. All of these aspects are possible with a self-sponsored project but we will expect them all to be apparent in your final deliverables.

If you have a sponsoring client you must obtain a detailed letter of support from him/her. This is to clarify expectations and support up-front. Failing to do this can cause later problems.

Although some potential sponsors contact Marlboro College with prospective projects (see list of current projects), we encourage you to seek your own sponsors as well. If you know of a sponsor who would like to propose a project, please direct them to complete our sponsorship form. The recommended process for obtaining sponsorship may follow a sequence somewhat like this:

1. Identify the potential sponsor from faculty, colleague, fellow student, employer, or other suggestions (see Selecting a Capstone, above)
   
2. Prepare to contact the potential sponsor by ensuring that you clearly understand the Capstone process, timelines, and guidelines
   
3. Develop a written list of questions to ask about the organization, its members, its priorities, and its potential projects; develop a list of your qualifications (have a resume on hand or online for easy reference)
   
4. Contact the potential sponsor
   
5. Communicate clearly with the potential sponsor about your goals for a Capstone Project, seeking to match your proposed solution with a problem the prospective sponsoring organization may face
   
6. Discuss mutual expectations; ask your questions (from prepared list in step 3, above)
   
7. Take careful notes about the potential sponsor's project, including contact information, scope, dates, and relevant details (some projects include monetary stipend)
   
8. Thank your potential sponsor for the time and set a realistic date within which to make your decision
   
9. Evaluate your ability to complete this project carefully; discuss your potential sponsor and project with your instructors, colleagues, fellow students, and Program Director or Project Advisor
   
10. Contact the potential sponsor on or before the agreed-upon date to convey your decision and any follow-up questions you may have

Be sure that the sponsor you select will be your principal contact for the project. If the person you speak to first will not be able to serve as your principal contact, find out who will serve in that role, and explain to your first contact that a sponsor must remain in touch with you throughout the entire project. Some sponsors who delegate this role to others may wish to remain co-sponsors of the project. In any case, for capstones with a third party sponsor, you will need a letter of support from the organization that lays out the terms of the project along with mutual expectations. You will compose this letter with the sponsor, but the sponsor must agree to sign and send it to Marlboro College on your behalf.

If your sponsor does not agree to sign your letter of support, this is a good indication that you may need to seek another sponsor.

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