Honors College Capstone Project

Honors College students must complete an Honors Capstone Project before graduation. The Capstone is a scholarly experience that incorporates concepts and techniques learned throughout the undergraduate career, and allows students to make original scholarly contributions to their academic disciplines. The Capstone Project must focus on a research problem, theoretical issue, new creative work, or innovative area of application (i.e. design or technological innovation).

The Capstone Project is commensurate with the expectations of departmental honors theses, senior design projects, and other senior research projects intended to prepare students for the rigors of research, writing, and scholarly presentation associated with postgraduate programs. Most students develop a project related to their major, but they may instead pursue a project in another discipline in which they have sufficient coursework and supervision. The Capstone typically involves two semesters of work and is supervised by a faculty member and the student’s Honors College Fellow.

Students may complete a Capstone Project that will simultaneously fulfill other departmental requirements or optional opportunities for advanced undergraduate research. Students in programs that require a culminating senior project or where a senior thesis is required to graduate with distinction may use such projects to satisfy the Honors College Capstone requirement, provided they meet the guidelines of the Honors Capstone, subject to the approval of the Honors College Fellow.

• – Involves the creation of new knowledge or insights rather than simply a summary of known facts or past work in the chosen area of study
• – Is more in-depth and demanding than a typical upper-division undergraduate paper
• – Often takes the form of a written thesis, but may take other forms (e.g., a performance, art work, creative writing product, applied design project, or software program) based on the specific discipline

In standard research projects, the written work typically includes:

• (a) a statement of the research problem being addressed;
• (b) background of the theoretical issue and past scholarship;
• (c) discussion of the methodology used in tackling the research problem;
• (d) presentation of the research results on analyzed data; and
• (e) conclusions of the research.

Students working on creative, design, or business projects in fields such as engineering, computer science, marketing, entrepreneurship, musical composition, art, creative writing, architecture, and theater may produce a different written product, typically including:

• (a) a clear statement of the design, creative, or business issue that the student is attempting to tackle through an original work;
• (b) background on the artistic genre or technological area in which the student is attempting to make a contribution (i.e. what has been done in this area of creative arts or technological design in the past and how this frames the student’s approach);
• (c) discussion of how the design, technological, business, or artistic product was conceived;
• (d) presentation of the results; and
• (e) an evaluation of its contribution to the discipline.

Students are also required to present their research publically in some form. Depending on the project discipline, the presentation could be in the form of:

• – A lecture
• – A poster presentation
• – A reading or “unveiling” of a creative work
• – A concert or other type of performance,
• – A “defense” of the undergraduate thesis, preferably with the opportunity for questions, comments, and evaluation by the audience

The presentation may also take place in a variety of settings, including:

• (1) an academic symposium outside the university (e.g., a national/international or regional scholarly conference for a particular discipline);
• (2) a large university-wide event (e.g., UIC’s Student Research Forum in the spring semester);
• (3) the Honors College Research Symposium (held in the fall semester); or
• (4) a forum or symposium sponsored by the department or college (e.g., the UIC Engineering Expo in the spring semester).

A presentation to other students in a class setting is NOT sufficient to satisfy the public presentation requirement. The project must be presented in a context or to an audience beyond the one in which it was developed.

The Project Supervisor and the Honors College Fellow must approve the public presentation event as an academically appropriate venue. The Project Supervisor should attend the public presentation or otherwise verify that the presentation was completed in a professional manner. Honors College Fellows are also encouraged to attend the presentation whenever possible.

Students pursue their Capstone Projects under the guidance of their Project Supervisors and in consultation with their Honors College Fellows. However, students are ultimately responsible for developing the project, locating a Project Supervisor, and completing the project within the prescribed schedule.

The Project Supervisor is knowledgeable in his or her area of research and is a resource for the student. More specifically:

• Students need to ascertain that the prospective Project Supervisor has expertise in the area of study and is willing and able to devote the time required to supervise the project effectively.
• The Project Supervisor is expected to guide the student throughout the project, including by
  • identifying appropriate research methods and obtaining background reading materials
  • reading and critiquing drafts in a timely manner
  • consulting with the student regularly on the scope and methodology of the project.
  • helping the student find appropriate public presentation venues and forms of presentation
  • evaluates the project to determine whether it meets academic standards and disciplinary requirements
  • attends the public presentation, if possible

The Honors College Fellow ensures that the student successfully fulfills the Capstone Project requirement. More specifically:

• The Honors College Fellow may assist the student in finding an appropriate Project Supervisor.
• The Fellow may periodically check with the student to ensure that the project is progressing as expected and that the student is working well under the Project Supervisor.
• The Fellow is expected to comment on the quality of the Capstone Project and must certify that it meets the Honors College requirement.
• Some Fellows also serve as Project Supervisors for one or more Honors College students, while others do not.

Students should check with their Project Supervisor to see if they may be required to apply for IRB approval to conduct and present their Capstone Project.

Students should begin the IRB process at the proposal stage, prior to engaging in the Capstone Project.

• Students may download and bring the Determination of Whether an Activity Represents Human Subjects Research form
• Projects that meet the definition of human subjects research require submission of appropriate forms to the IRB office for exempt, expedited, or full review.
• Before submitting appropriate forms for IRB approval, students should complete Investigator 101 training (available both in-person or online).
• Students working with protected health information (PHI) must complete HIPAA Research IRB training at UIC.
• Students who are working directly with faculty on research that has been previously approved may be included in the IRB approval for the larger project, but this should be confirmed before the research is presented in public.
• Research conducted as part of a course-related activity is generally exempt from IRB requirements. However, the use of the information outside the classroom (i.e., the public presentation of the research) negates this exemption and may require IRB approval or an exemption determination. Failure to receive required approvals will preclude students from presenting their research in public.
• For more information, contact the Office for the Protection of Research Subjects at 312-996-1711 or uicirb@uic.edu.

Being part of a team project does not reduce the amount of work an Honors College student must exert to successfully complete an independent Capstone Project.

Students may work on larger projects involving faculty, graduate students, and other undergraduates as a team (such as an Engineering Senior Design Project), but students must individually produce their written portion of the Capstone emphasizing their particular role in the project. Students should consult with the Project Supervisor about what data can be included in their written Capstone and how the work of the larger research group should be represented.

In such cases, background research and theoretical discussion may overlap and be quite similar among the student members of the team. Because this may involve issues of both intellectual property and appropriate citation, students must clarify their roles in the research and how their contributions and those of others can be recorded and presented. Students working in teams may present their work together in one presentation, but all students must be present for the entire presentation and for questions and evaluation from attendees.

Students are expected to complete the Capstone Project over two semesters, and they must enroll in HON 322 (0-credit hours) for each of those semesters. HON 322 replaces HON 222 as the required Honors College course registration. Students who complete a Capstone prior to their last semester at UIC should enroll in HON 222 for subsequent semesters and resume Honors Activities until graduation.

In addition to registering for HON 322, students may also enroll in research or independent study courses during their work on the project. Departmental advisors, Honors College Fellows, Project Supervisors, and Honors College staff can help identify such courses.

Registering for HON 322 also involves the following paperwork:

• Capstone Agreement Form

  • Students must complete a Capstone Agreement Form by the end of the third week of each semester in which they are enrolled in HON 322.
  • The form includes a section for the student to include a project proposal. The project proposal should include the following elements:
    1. Title
    2. Purpose and Goal of the Research – A brief summary of the issues to be addressed and/or questions to be investigated. The issues described should be as specific as possible, and the student may wish to include a summary of preliminary background research.
    3. Methodology and Data/Materials Collection – An explanation of what data or other materials are to be collected to answer the research question(s) and how.
    4. Analysis and Anticipated Results – An explanation of how the data or materials will be analyzed and the potential scholarly contribution of the results from the study.
    5. Preliminary Schedule – A tentative schedule for completing the above steps in two semesters, including plans for preparing and conducting the public presentation. For example, students will likely carry out the necessary background literature review and conduct the bulk of their research during the first semester of the Capstone and then devote the second semester to writing up research and preparing a poster, a PowerPoint presentation, and/or a lecture for public presentation. The venue for public presentation should also be identified.

    Students should provide the Project Supervisor and Honors College Fellow with an initial draft of the project proposal so that they are able to address their concerns prior to the student submitting the proposal formally.

• Capstone Progress Report Form

  • At the end of the first semester, students submit a Capstone Progress Report Form indicating the progress made on the project and must be signed by the Project Supervisor
  • The Progress Report Form is due by the last day of classes

• Capstone Proposal Update Form

  • At the beginning of the second semester of the Capstone, students must submit another Agreement Form to describe any changes to the original proposal and to outline a schedule or timeline for completion of the project. Both the Project Supervisor and the Honors College Fellow must sign the Proposal Update Form. In the cases when the Capstone Supervisor is different than the Fellow, this midway review and form is another opportunity for the Fellow to ensure the propose work is meeting Honors College standards.
  • The Proposal Update Form is due to the Honors College reception desk at the end of the third week of the second Capstone semester.

• Capstone Completion Form

  • Both the Project Supervisor and the Honors College Fellow must approve the final project and sign the Capstone Completion Form at the conclusion of the project. While no formal grade will be given by the Honors College on either the written portion or the public presentation of the project, the Project Supervisor indicates that the project is acceptable, and the Honors College Fellow certifies that the project meets the Capstone Project requirements.
  • The Capstone Completion Form is due by the last day of semester classes.

• Submission of the Capstone Project

  • Along with the Capstone Completion Form, students must submit a copy of the completed project for archiving in the Honors College. Students may also include copies of their posters or PowerPoint slides used in the presentation. The Honors College database for the Capstone Project may be archived in digital form, so digitized formats (i.e. the final written product as a PDF) are acceptable.

  Students should consult their Project Supervisors and Honors College Fellows regarding whether they prefer to receive the project in paper or digitized format. In some circumstances, it will not be feasible to copy the entire project, as in the case of art work or a technological prototype accompanying a written portion. In those cases, only the portions of the project that can reasonably be reproduced need to be submitted. However, photographs of such parts of the project should be included, if feasible.

Students following a four-year graduation plan typically complete the Capstone Project during the first and second semesters of the senior year. Students should begin thinking about the capstone project during the junior year and ideally have selected a topic and a Project Supervisor by the end of the semester preceding the formal initiation of the Capstone Project.

See a graphic representation of the recommended Capstone timeline.

The Honors College Capstone project is intended to provide a challenging experience for students, one that builds on their Honors College training in the “art” of research and independent scholarship and allows the production of an original scholarly contribution to a discipline. It involves in-depth examination of a research problem, theoretical issue, new creative work, or innovative area of application (i.e., design or technological innovation) supervised by a faculty member chosen by the student in consultation with his or her Honors College Fellow. The Capstone is commensurate with the expectations of traditional departmental honors theses, senior design projects in many disciplines, and other rigorous senior research projects.

Depending on your discipline, the project may be prepared in any appropriate form (such as a written report, performance, software, artwork, applied design project). However, whatever the form, there must always be a corresponding written discussion or analysis of the project. In addition to the written portion, you must also present your research in a public academic forum. These are the two major components of the project.

Yes, the Honors College encourages students to complete a Capstone project that will simultaneously fulfill departmental or college requirements/opportunities for advanced undergraduate research and professional presentation, subject to approval by the student’s Honors College Faculty Fellow.

Presentation of the results of your work in some form of public academic forum allows you to showcase your accomplishments. It is also a great opportunity for you to share ideas and face challenges from your colleagues. It will be a proud moment for you, your project supervisor, your Fellow, your family and friends, and of course, the Honors College.

The public presentation may take place (1) in a forum/symposium sponsored by the department or college (e.g., an “undergraduate research day” scheduled at a department or college level); (2) at a large university-wide event (e.g., the annual Student Research Forum held at UIC in Spring semester); (3) at the Honors College forum (usually held in Fall semester); or (4) at an academic symposium outside the university (e.g., a national or regional scholarly conference for a particular discipline). The presentation may be a lecture or oral presentation (including PowerPoint-aided talks), a poster presentation, a reading or “unveiling” of creative work, a concert or other type of performance, or a “defense” of the undergraduate thesis. Consult with your project supervisor to identify an appropriate outlet and form for your presentation.

Yes. Given the amount of work involved, except in unusual circumstances, you should carry out your project over two semesters in order to allow enough time to successfully complete all the necessary components of the Capstone. This will also allow you to incorporate the Capstone research into your academic load with less stress and provide more time for close mentorship by your project supervisor and the Honors College Faculty Fellow. Keep in mind that in addition to any departmental research credits, you should be registered for HON 322 for each semester you are working on the Capstone.

Usually, the project should be completed during the last two semesters of your senior year at UIC. This means that you should be thinking about the project and initiate discussion of possible topics with potential faculty mentors by the second semester of your junior year. You may also begin the Capstone project as early as your junior year and complete it prior to your last semester.

Yes, for each semester you register for HON 322, you will need to submit (1) a Capstone Registration and Proposal Form at the beginning of the semester, and (2) a Completion/Progress Report at the end of the semester. You will receive a “DFR” grade if you do not turn in the Completion/Progress Report.

Unless your project supervisor decides not to continue his or her supervision or unforeseen difficulties make it imperative for you to find a different supervisor/project, it is not advisable to make such a change. First, both the project supervisor and you have already committed to the project and put much work into it. Second, you will need to put in extra effort to ensure the new project fulfills capstone requirements. Third, your potential new project supervisor may not feel comfortable supervising your Capstone when another faculty member has already guided you through work on the project.

Research involving human subjects must be approved by the IRB. This is another reason why the Capstone project will take two semesters. Check with your project supervisor and your Faculty Fellow about the IRB review. You can also visit OVCR website for more information: http://research.uic.edu/compliance/irb.

Your project supervisor can provide you with guidance and support. Honors College Fellows can also be extremely helpful. Of course, you can also bring your questions and concerns to the Honors College. For more information, please consult Honors College’s website: http://www.uic.edu/honors/learning/capstone.shtml. You can also contact Michael Franklin (mdf@uic.edu) with any questions you might have.