Two types of capstone courses are offered. Both provide excellent opportunities to develop transferable skills and knowledge. How to choose between them? Consider your career goals.
FOOD 4907 – Honours Essay and Research Proposal
If you are interested in a career in public administration, working with trade organizations or in corporate research, FOOD 4907 is likely a more valuable learning opportunity for you. FOOD 4907 requires you to prepare what is in effect a research proposal of the type required for NSERC, CIHR and for research scientists in companies and the Federal Government. In a 4907 project, you can explore the topic by negotiation with an academic supervisor who is qualified to help you in your area of interest. You conduct a thorough, independent, literature review and formulate a research question that should be addressed. Based on this, you then propose and defend an experimental design to answer your scientific question, with an analysis of what you propose if your strategy does not yield the information as anticipated. To do it well is a demanding task and can be a great learning exercise.
FOOD 4908 – Food Science Research Project
If you enjoy the laboratory environment, and are interested in working in a laboratory setting as a technician, manager, or researcher, then FOOD 4908 is likely a more valuable learning opportunity for you. FOOD 4908 requires you to carry out a hypothesis-driven laboratory-based research project under the direction of a faculty member or an approved external supervisor. You will troubleshoot and optimize protocols, perform experiments, analyze and interpret data. Your thesis will include a thorough literature review, a justification for your study, a description of results and a discussion of their significance on your field of study. FOOD 4908 requires students to dedicate a large proportion of their time in the lab, during normal working hours.