The Capstone Experience is a project derived from each student's disciplinary or career interests.  The purpose of the project is to demonstrate the student's interdisciplinary knowledge of the MNR's core learning objectives, and the student's ability to synthesize these concepts and apply them to a specific problem for management purposes.  As part of their capstone project students are required to write a professional report describing the problem analyzed, statistical methods used for the analysis, and their findings.  The report will demonstrate the student's competency in writing and communicating ideas, and ability to present this information professionally.  Depending upon the project, students are allowed to take 3 or 6 credits of NR 6600 Capstone Experience to be applied to their MNR degree program.  Students will receive guidance and approval for their capstone project, and for the number of credits they will receive for the project, during their second committee meeting.

MNR students are required to meet with their committee sometime within their first semester to review their Program of Study, and begin discussions of possible capstone projects.

Proposal: Students must submit a proposal on their capstone project that summarizes what the student and their graduate committee members agreed to during the second committee meeting.  This will include: the number of capstone credits the student intends to complete; the problem identified for analysis (i.e., Problem Statement); the proposed method(s) to be used for identifying both the issues involved, as well as potential management solutions; and, other information suitable to the student's project.  Students must submit their proposal to the Student Advisor within 4-weeks of their second committee meeting.  The proposal will be sent to the student's Committee Chair within 48-hours of receipt, and the Chair will respond with edits within 2-weeks.

3-credit Requirements: Students are expected to submit a written report identifying a problem and the issues associated with it. Students must take an interdisciplinary approach to identify the problem, including: a description of the human dimension aspects of the problem; economic concerns; policies and laws affecting it; ecological features; the science used to quantify or qualify the problem; and, administrative considerations.  The capstone report should show the relationship between these aspects of the problem and the current management approach.

Students doing a 3-credit capstone project are required to submit an initial draft of their written report to the Student Advisor by the 8th week of the semester prior to graduation.  The draft report will be sent to the student's Committee Chair within 48-hours of receipt, and the Chair will respond with edits within 4-weeks.  Students are required to submit a second draft of their written report by the last week of the semester prior to graduation.

6-credit Requirements: Students receiving 6-credits for their capstone project will submit a written report identifying a problem and issues associated with it using an interdisciplinary approach.  This will include: a description of the human dimension aspects of the problem; economic concerns; policies and laws affecting it; ecological features the science used to quantify or qualify the problem; and, administrative considerations.  In addition to identifying and analyzing the problem, students will identify solutions, methods of implementation, and expected results.  Again, students are expected to approach the solutions from an interdisciplinary management perspective.

Students doing a 6-credit capstone project are expected to submit their written report in two parts.  The first part will include the problem statement, a discussion of the problem from an interdisciplinary perspective, methods of analysis for each aspect of the problem, and identification of current management practices.  An initial draft of the first part of the report will be submitted to the Student Advisor by the 8th week, two semesters prior to graduation.  The draft report will be sent to the student's Committee Chair within 48-hours of receipt, and the Chair will respond with edits within 4-weeks.

The second part of the report will include solutions to the problem, also from an interdisciplinary perspective.  The report will include how the solutions were identified, methods of implementation, and expected results.  An initial draft of the second part of the student's written report must be submitted to the Student Advisor by the 8th week of the semester prior to graduation.  The second part of the report will be sent to the student's Committee Chair within 48-hours of receipt, and the Chair will respond with edits within 4-weeks.

Students will submit to the Student Advisor a draft of the full report by the last week of the semester prior to graduation.  The draft report will be sent to the student's graduate committee within 48-hours of receipt, and the committee will respond with edits within 6-weeks.  Students are required to submit a final draft of the report 4-weeks to the end of the semester (graduation).

Students should submit their report as a Word file using USU's Big File Transfer.

Examples of Capstone Experience projects
MNR Capstone Report Guidance