MS IN COMMUNICATION MANAGEMENT
MS Capstone Overview and Requirements
All MS students are required to complete a capstone project during their last semester in the program. Essentially, the capstone is a required independent study whose purpose is to allow the student to develop substantial expertise in an area related to that student’s career goals. Some students who want to go on for further graduate study may approach their capstone like a master’s thesis, a scholarly research project. Other students may treat their capstone as an opportunity to cultivate credentials and expertise directly relevant to their job. The capstone may take a variety of forms—for example, an original research paper, a critical case study, a survey of ‘best practices’ or in-depth analysis of a topic supported by existing literature. No matter what its form, a capstone must always demonstrate thorough understanding of relevant theories, sources, research methods, and literature.
The capstone project will be supervised by a full-time member of the STOC faculty, who will chair a capstone committee that has two other members. At least one of these two other committee members must be on the STOC faculty full time. The third committee member may come from within or outside of STOC (e.g., a professional who has taught a MS course in the past).
Every capstone project results in two products. The first is a paper of substantial length, up to about 50 pages. The second is a meeting with three capstone committee members in which you present your results and discuss various aspects of your project with the committee.
Further information about these and other aspects of the capstone is contained in the FAQs below.
How do I get started on the capstone?
By the time you reach your final semester you will probably have a few ideas for possible capstones. You can begin by discussing these possibilities with your academic advisor or another StOC MS faculty member in your area of interest, possibly someone with whom you have already taken a course.
After defining a capstone topic, students should write two items. The first is a brief (1-2 page maximum) overview of the proposed capstone project that clearly defines the topic and the purposes or goals of the project. For example, past capstones have explored “best practices” in employee communication; compared attitudes of publics inside and outside the U.S. toward crisis communications by U.S. companies; and proposed marketing plans geared toward social media. In addition, the brief overview should state the major theories that underpin your capstone research; and describe how you plan to conduct your research (interviews? surveys? secondary research only?).
The second item students should produce at the beginning of the capstone project is a timeline that extends through the final capstone meeting. When doing this timeline, students should keep in mind the following:
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Most capstones require about three drafts before the advisor considers them ready to go to the capstone committee.
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The advisor needs two weeks to read each draft; the capstone committee needs two weeks to read the final draft before the capstone meeting.
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Capstones that require primary research with human subjects must go through the Institutional Review Board, requiring an additional 3-4 weeks.
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The capstone meeting should take place at least one week before final grades are due (the SCT Graduate Office knows precise dates each semester).
Capstone timelines should reflect these time constraints.
The topics of capstones completed by other MS students are available here.
Sample capstone timeline are available here.
Under what circumstances does my capstone research require approval by Temple’s Institutional Review Board?
Anyone—faculty or student—who conducts primary research with human subjects must have the research plan and instruments approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) before the research is conducted. Students contemplating this type of research should discuss IRB requirements with their capstone advisor and should acquaint themselves with the required process and forms (a good place to start is at the following url: www.citiprogram.org). In addition, students must pass the full IRB research compliance course (see the following url: www.citiprogram.org). None of this is difficult and should not deter you from undertaking human subjects research, but it does require some time, care, and advance planning.
Do I have to complete all my coursework before taking the capstone?
No. The capstone must be taken in your last semester; some students may finish up other remaining MS coursework during that last semester. However, students should keep in mind that the capstone genuinely requires 3 s.h. of work—fully equivalent to taking a regular three-credit classroom course. Therefore, students with a lot of other demands on their time are encouraged to wait to take the capstone, making it their only coursework during their last semester.
Is the capstone offered during the summer?
No, only in fall and spring semesters. That is because a seven-week summer session is considered too short for the intensive and demanding research that a capstone project requires. In addition, faculty may not be available during the summer months.
Suppose I don’t finish my capstone during the semester in which I register for it?
As with other courses, students can take an “Incomplete” (or “I”) in a capstone course. When they have completed the capstone, that grade will be changed to a final letter grade: A, B, C, and so forth. However, students should keep in mind that an “I” in the capstone is treated like an “I” in any other course: that is, they must complete the capstone by one year from the end of the semester in which they registered for the course, or the grade will default to “F.” In order to receive an “I,” students must complete an agreement with their capstone advisor using the form located at the following url: www.temple.edu/vpus/forms/documents/UniversityIncompleteForm.5.25.06.pdf
Who is my capstone advisor?
MS students choose their own capstone advisor. Your capstone advisor can be any full-time STOC faculty member who teaches in the MS program. Part-time MS instructors cannot supervise a capstone, although they can serve as one member of the capstone committee. The capstone advisor does not have to be the same person who was assigned to be your academic advisor when you entered the program. Instead, you should choose as your capstone advisor someone who shares your interests in the capstone topic and with whom you enjoy working closely. If you aren’t sure whom to ask to be your capstone advisor, ask your academic advisor or the MS program director.
Students should also keep in mind that, as with all independent studies, capstones are add-ons to faculty members’ regular teaching and administrative responsibilities. Since capstone supervision is voluntary and discretionary for faculty, during times when faculty have a great deal of extra duties they may not be available to supervise a student’s capstone no matter how interested they are in the topic.
Who should be on my capstone committee?
You and your capstone advisor should mutually select other committee members. At least one committee member must be on the STOC faculty full time. The other committee member may come from within or outside of STOC.
Like the capstone advisor, capstone committee members are faculty or professionals who have interest and expertise in various aspects of your capstone topic. You may draw on that expertise during the entire time you are writing your capstone. However, most of the time the two members of the capstone committee come in only at the end. When the capstone advisor decides the capstone paper is ready, the final draft is given to the other two capstone committee members at least two weeks before the capstone meeting takes place.
What happens during the capstone meeting?
Generally, capstone meetings last from one to two hours. They are held in a conference room with all three members of your capstone committee, although you can invite anyone else—friends, other professors, family—to sit in as well. At the beginning of the meeting you will be asked to give a brief (no more than 10 minutes) presentation in which you hit the highlights of your capstone project, discuss what made you choose this project, and present the implications or recommendations or next steps implied by the project. Some students prefer to talk from notes; others prefer to use a platform like Powerpoint. Either choice is fine, but you should prepare carefully since your presentation is part of your capstone grade.
After your presentation, the three capstone committee members will ask you questions about your capstone project: they may ask for clarification of specific point, suggest different ways to interpret your data, or press you to extend your conclusions and recommendations. This discussion takes most of the time during the capstone meeting. Again, you should be prepared to answer possible questions to the best of your ability, since the quality of your discussion is part of your final capstone grade.
After the discussion ends, you will be asked to leave the room for a few minutes while the three capstone committee members discuss your project and your responses during the discussion, as well as your final capstone grade. Then you will be invited back into the room; generally your capstone advisor will summarize the gist of the committee discussion. Occasionally students may be asked to make revisions in order to bring the capstone up to par before graduation. Most often, the capstone paper is not revised but its strengths and weaknesses are reflected in committee comments and the grade.
What should I expect my capstone advisor to do?
Students work closely with their capstone advisor throughout the entire project. Once you have signed on with a capstone advisor, that person will review your topic, check your timeline, and read your drafts (capstones always go to more than one draft, and often three or four drafts). The capstone advisor will at every stage give you feedback, suggesting ways to refine your initial topic and sources to read. The advisor will serve as Principal Investigator if your capstone project needs to the approved by Temple’s Institutional Review Board. The advisor will read each draft and make suggestions for improvement; and the advisor will decide when the project is ready to be given to the other members of the capstone committee. Only after the advisor informs the student that the capstone is ready may the student distribute copies to the other committee members and set up the capstone meeting.
What should I expect my capstone committee to do?
In most cases, the capstone committee comes on at the very end of the project, only to read the final draft. At least two weeks before the final capstone meeting, you will give everyone on your committee a final draft of your capstone paper. During the capstone meeting, all three members of your committee will ask you follow-up questions about the project and comment on strengths and weaknesses of the paper. At the end of your capstone meeting, the three capstone committee members will decide mutually what grade to give your capstone project.
What do my capstone advisor and committee expect from me?
Capstone advisors expect their students to stay in touch throughout the project. It is up to students to contact the advisor as each stage of the project proceeds; capstone advisors should not have to get in touch with students or remind students about deadlines and requirements. It is not advisable for students to limit contact with advisors to the beginning and end of the semester; advisors should be involved throughout the process.
In addition to staying in touch, students are responsible for meeting deadlines established in the capstone timeline. It is especially important for students to give advisors and committee members enough time to read drafts; generally, that means two weeks for each draft.
Clearly, the overriding expectation is that students will produce capstone work that meets the high expectations of the MS program. That expectation for professional performance includes not only the capstone paper itself but also the capstone meeting, where faculty expect students to have a presentation prepared and to be able to respond thoughtfully to questions about the project.
Criteria for grading capstone projects are similar to those for any MS course. Your advisor may have additional expectations, but generically, the criteria are described below.
C grade: The project merely fulfills basic capstone requirements. Specifically, for a grade of C, the work will:
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be completed according to schedule
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meet the objectives laid out at the beginning of the project
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include all the elements proposed for the research (e.g., literature review, primary research, etc.)
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demonstrate reasonable directness, competence, and strategic judgment
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be free of serious grammatical, punctuation, syntax, or word usage errors
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cite all words or ideas drawn from the work of others
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be summarized in an oral presentation at the meeting with the entire capstone committee
At this level of performance it is possible that the capstone committee might ask the student to rework some portions of the paper before accepting the work.
B grade: The terms of the project have been fulfilled thoroughly and thoughtfully, with some evidence of originality and creativity. Specifically, for a grade of B, the work is good and will include all the qualities of C level work, plus:
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demonstrate originality and depth of thought
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include thorough and exhaustive research
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display clear organization and professional presentation
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demonstrate skillful presentation both in writing and orally, at the meeting with the entire capstone committee
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display thoughtful consideration and a reasonable command of the subject when asked questions at the meeting with the entire capstone committee
A grade: At this level, the capstone project goes well beyond fulfills the terms of the original plan: it shows evidence of original, creative, analytical, and interesting thought. Specifically, a grade of A will include all the qualities of B level and C level work, plus:
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constitute a true contribution to the knowledge of the reader or audience (e.g., advance or refine specific theories, produce information that has not been previously known through data collection or analysis)
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demonstrate fluency and polish that strengthen the impact of the research
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show professional-level written and oral presentation quality
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display an exceptional command of the subject and ability to think on one’s feet when asked questions at the meeting with the entire capstone committee
Below-average work (grade of D or F) should never happen if the student stays in touch with the capstone advisor. However, if it did occur, such work would have major deficiencies, and would not meet expectations for upper-level master’s work. It might show severe writing problems, poor research and data-gathering, and/or discussion and recommendations that do not match the evidence. At this level of performance the capstone committee would certainly ask the student to rework major portions of the paper; the work would necessitate heavy reworking to be acceptable.
Bottom line: What do MS students particularly need to keep in mind as they do their capstones?
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Stay in touch with your advisor
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Adhere to the agreed-on timeline
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Don’t expect to complete the project in one or two drafts
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Don’t expect capstone committee members to read drafts in less than two weeks
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Keep your writing concise (more pages do not mean better quality); use plenty of subheads; use clear illustrations; provide clear guideposts to let your reader know where your argument is going
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Prepare carefully for the capstone meeting since that is one important component of the capstone final grade
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Above all, be prepared to treat the capstone project as requiring at least as much time, effort, and thought as your most challenging 3-credit classroom course.
