Draft:
Preface for Application for Designation as an Associate Degree Capstone Course
February 28, 2013
Definition: In standard academic parlance, a Capstone course is the highest level, or most advanced, course offered within a major, and, typically, such courses are taken by fourth-year students at four-year colleges. A Capstone course prepares fourth-year students to begin graduate studies in their discipline, to enter into the workforce, and to help them to integrate their knowledge of their field. In addition, Capstone courses, also called senior seminars, are distinct from Core Curriculum courses.
The City Tech LAA/LAS Associate Capstone is designed with a similar philosophy in mind, but with a different metric, as students who are eligible for Capstone courses typically are second year students. LAA/LAS Associate Capstone courses are meant to prepare students to continue their studies in a bachelor’s degree third-year, or junior, level. In addition, Associate Capstone courses are meant to help students develop an awareness of the importance of knowledge, values and skills developed in general education courses; and to integrate this knowledge, these values and these skills into their advanced academic study and professional careers. .
Procedure:
- The course for consideration should be a pre-existing course or if it is a new course, one that has already been approved by the Curriculum Committee.
- Consult the Capstone Course Approval Form for guidelines on how to construct a course with the Capstone designation in mind.
- Please contact the chair of the Capstone Experience Committee with any questions or concerns. The current chair is Professor Laureen Park, Lpark@citytech.cuny.edu.
- Fill out the Capstone Course Approval Form and send to the chair of the Capstone Experience Committee along with a course outline.
- The Capstone Experience Committee members will take a vote to determine approval of the course for a Capstone designation.
- The Committee will then send recommendations to the Dean of Liberal Arts and Sciences, who will finally notify the registrar of the approved designation.