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Capstone Project

94-739

Units: 12

Description

The Heinz College Capstone Project is a semester-long applied learning experience in which students work in teams to address a real-world problem for an external client, community partner, internal university partner, or through faculty-guided research or innovation. The course bridges classroom learning with professional practice by requiring students to apply analytic, technical, policy, managerial, and communication skills to an authentic project.

Projects may vary in disciplinary focus, method, and final product, but all capstone projects require students to move from an initially broad or ambiguous problem to a clearly scoped project, a feasible workplan, evidence-based analysis or solution development, and professional-quality deliverables. Students are expected to integrate knowledge and skills from across their Heinz coursework while developing professional competencies in project management, teamwork, client engagement, ethical judgment, and communication.

This course is structured as a project-based studio/seminar. Students will work in teams, engage with clients or sponsors, complete structured course deliverables, and receive faculty guidance at key points throughout the semester. The faculty advisor will support multiple project teams and will serve as instructor, project coach, milestone reviewer, and escalation point. Students are expected to lead the project, manage the client relationship, coordinate the work of the team, and seek faculty guidance proactively.

 

Learning Outcomes

1. Problem scoping and framing: Translate an ambiguous client, organizational, policy, analytic, technical, or community problem into a clear, feasible, and actionable project scope.
2. Analytic, technical, policy, or managerial application: Apply appropriate methods, frameworks, tools, and evidence to understand the problem and develop solutions.
3. Project management and professional collaboration: Demonstrate effective project planning, role clarity, timeline management, risk identification, communication, and teamwork.
4. Client and stakeholder engagement:Communicate professionally with clients or sponsors, manage expectations, prepare for meetings, document decisions, and respond constructively to feedback.
5. Solution design and recommendation development: Develop feasible, evidence-based recommendations, interventions, analyses, tools, prototypes, or implementation guidance that address the client’s needs.
6. Communication: Deliver clear, concise, professional written, visual, and oral communication tailored to relevant audiences.
7. Ethical and professional judgment: Identify relevant limitations, risks, ethical considerations, data constraints, stakeholder implications, and implementation barriers.
8. Reflection and professional growth: Reflect on individual contributions, team process, skill development, ambiguity, client engagement, and professional learning.

Prerequisites Description

N/a

Syllabus

• Syllabus (Haylee Massaro - F26)
• Syllabus (Rebekah Fitzsimmons - F26)