Types of Capstone Courses
Some MBA programs require all graduates to complete a class- or cohort-wide capstone course that takes students from various areas of specialization or concentrations and places them together to work on a single project. Other schools require capstone courses only for those in a particular area of concentration or specialization. Regardless, there are essentially two different kinds of capstone courses for MBA students: a field or internship program and a major project course.
MBA Field or Internship Programs In an internship style capstone course, the student participates in an internship, or works in the field, supervised by a faculty member as well as a supervisor in the field. A good example of this is a co-op work education experience. At the end of the co-op term a written report is submitted by the student for evaluation by the co-op coordinator.
MBA Major Project Course As the name implies, in this style of capstone course, an MBA student or group of students generally work on a single large project, such as a thesis paper or large research project, for an entire semester. This is generally the most widely used capstone course format in an MBA program. The capstone course may also incorporate business speakers and, in some instances, can lead to group presentations and a Capstone Conference.
While capstone courses can be challenging, they provide a truly unique learning experience. These important courses give students the opportunity to collaborate with their peers, practice their presentation and organizational skills, use their knowledge, and, ultimately, showcase what they have learned and achieved during their MBA experience. Capstone courses are, in fact, an ideal way to ensure that graduates are prepared for life after their MBA program.
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