Senior Capstone Project
What is an Honors Senior Capstone Project?
The capstone project is the final graduation requirement for recognition or a minor in Honors. The project is an original, independently designed, concentrated work in a student’s major field or another field of interest. We call it a project and not a thesis because our capstone can be many things. Dream widely as you develop your Honors project! Students have taken varied and creative approaches to this requirement, including but not limited to research papers, community service, and creative works, exhibits, and performances.
Whatever form your project takes, all Honors Senior Capstone Projects include a presentation for a general audience and publication on CEDAR, the WWU Libraries archive. These steps ensure that as you complete your capstone, you’ll gain valuable skills and experience in presenting your work and preparing it for publication.
Requirements
Honors Student: Project Timeline
Capstone Advisor: Guidelines for Advisors of Honors Senior Projects
Credits and Proposal
- Honors 390
- HNRS 390 is a required course for students in the 2023 Cohort and beyond. HNRS 390 is a 1-credit course to help students design and execute their capstones. This course promotes an Honors community of scholars who complete a preparatory process to launch their projects.
- Submit Project Proposal
- Complete the Honors Senior Capstone Project webform as soon as practically possible.
- Honors 490
- Students must complete their capstone webform to receive HNRS 490 registration override. The project must be 2-8 credits. Credits are awarded through HNRS 490, which consists of 1-4 credits, repeatable over 1-3 quarters (a credit represents 30 hours of work).
General FAQ
Where can I find information about the steps to complete a capstone, including links to the webform and requirements for different steps?
On the “Project Timeline" on the Capstone Project webpage.
How do I register for credit for a senior project (HNRS 490)?
Fill out the Honors Senior Capstone Project webform and send it to your advisor to sign. After your advisor sends the form to Honors, you’ll receive an override that will allow you to register for HNRS 490.
How do I get information about signing up for a presentation, creating a poster, filing my work on CEDAR, and other capstone resources?
The Honors Senior Capstone Project webform! Once you’ve filed your form, you’ll be put on the email list for information about completing your project. Be sure to check your email regularly, especially during the quarter you complete your project.
Is it okay to use a project from my major as my Honors Senior Project?
Yes! You can use a capstone project from another program as an Honors Senior Project if approved by Honors. If you do this, you will need to add 2 credits of work through HNRS 490 to your major program, and you must still complete the required Capstone steps, including filing your webform, presenting your work to the public, and publishing your results on CEDAR. Please contact capstone coordinator Julie Dugger (duggerj2@wwu.edu) to discuss your project plans.
What if my major capstone is a group project? Will that still count as a capstone?
Honors Senior Projects require original, independent work. If the capstone for your other program is a group project, you can count it toward Honors by presenting on your individual contributions to the group project—that is, what aspects of the project were you most responsible for? Alternately, you can supplement your group project with individual work: for example, writing a reflective journal or filming a documentary of your group project, or completing an additional body of research related to your group work. Please discuss your plans with capstone coordinator Julie Dugger (duggerj2@wwu.edu).
Where can I apply for funding to pay expenses associated with my senior project?
Students can apply for the WWU Undergraduate Research and Creative Opportunities Grant.
I need some help with research. Where can I go?
In addition to talking with your advisor, you can contact one of the subject librarians at WWU for specialized assistance: https://library.wwu.edu/consult-library-professional
My project isn’t working out and I don’t know how to fix it.
You are not the first! Some people you can reach out to for help: your capstone advisor, the capstone coordinator (duggerj2@wwu.edu), or another advisor in Honors (we all enjoy talking with students about their capstone work!).
Capstone Coordinator
Julie Dugger, Ph.D.
Julie Dugger (she/her) grew up in 5 different towns in Washington State. She earned a B.A. from Reed College and a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago, and since then she’s taught literature, interdisciplinary humanities, and academic, professional, and creative writing. As a scholar, she’s interested in popular literature from the 18th century to the present, with emphases in genre fiction, British and Irish literature, historiographical theory, nature writing, the history of publishing, and political and utopian literature. As a creative writer, she works in narrative nonfiction and the novel. Her writing includes publications with Mythlore, LETTERS, Victorian Studies, and Forest Avenue Press, and she enjoys landscapes, a good pastry, and her bicycle commute. At WWU Honors she helps coordinate Senior Projects: come and talk to her about your ideas and your logistics!