What are “capstone” projects?

Capstone projects differ from other courses in several respects. They are full credit courses, offered in fall to winter, (September to April) or spring and summer, (May to August). The purpose of a thesis is to make a contribution to the existing body of knowledge in the field of your science area of focus i.e. from your minor program or in an area of interdisciplinary science. It is different from an essay that you would write for a course that summarizes published research. There are no required lectures, seminars, textbooks, tests, etc. Instead, the course consists of an ongoing series of meetings between you and your honours thesis supervisor, during which you talk about each phase of your project. For ISAP 4906, 4907, 4908,  this would include selecting a topic, designing your study, carrying out experiments, collecting your data, analysing your data, and writing up your results, all while spending several hours a week in the lab or field. You will produce a written thesis. You will also produce a poster that you will present at the Undergraduate Research Day in April.

The ISAP program has three course options for which students can look to complete a capstone course. Please refer to the  undergraduate calendar to view the ISAP courses.  https://calendar.carleton.ca/undergrad/courses/ISAP/