Time to get started
New Capstone Project Options for 2011-12
Two Options
Beginning with the 2011-2012 academic year, the NKU Honors Program will offer all students in the Honors Program, both new and continuing, a choice between two Capstone project options. Students will be able to choose between a 3-hour Capstone and a 6-hour (two semester) "intensive" Capstone.
Both models will continue to offer the research and/or creative option, but we will offer more hands-on advising within Honors to enable students to make the correct choice as they progress through the program. This advising will be systematic and ongoing as students move toward program completion, and students need not choose between the 3-hour and 6-hour option until they have completed several credit hours in Honors.
Both Capstone options will continue to require an approved proposal prior to the student being allowed to register for any Capstone-bearing credit.
All Honors Program students will continue to need 21 credit hours of Honors work.
The 6-hour "intensive" Capstone should be seriously considered by students targeting graduate and/or professional school; students who want to travel to national and regional conferences to present their Honors work; STEM-discipline Honors students who may be targeting or already involved in significant research associated with their major; students engaged in significant civic engagement projects; students undertaking study abroad endeavors; students in the arts moving toward senior shows or performances in the major; and others interested in more extensive research and/or creative work.
Only students choosing the 6-hour Capstone option will all be eligible to apply for Scripps-Howard Honors Fellowships. Students choosing the 6-hour Capstone option may be at an advantage for some Honors travel opportunities, such as conference presentations at NCHC (National Collegiate Honors Council) and SRHC (Southern Regional Honors Council).
Students completing 6-hour Capstones will continue to follow the current guidelines for presenting their project publicly at the Conference of Honors at the end of the academic semester during which the Capstone project is completed.
Students choosing the 3-hour (one semester) Capstone project will also complete a proposal as well as a project directed by an NKU faculty member. Rather than undertaking a two-semester Capstone project, they will have the flexibility of taking an additional course in Honors. This option may prove particularly appealing to students who complete 15-18 hours of Honors credit before they seriously engage their major and feel prepared to select a Capstone project and director. Students will receive ongoing advising within Honors as move toward a decision on what Capstone option to pursue.
Students completing 3-hour Capstones will produce a conference-quality poster offering an overview of the project. They will present their poster for interactive discussion with a small group of Honors faculty and students at the end of the academic semester during which the Capstone project is completed.
For more information, please refer to the Honors Capstone Handbook (pdf).
We're here to help!
For questions specific to the Capstone process, contact Ken Oswald, Honors Capstone Project Coordinator.
For general Honors advising, please contact David Kime.