Capstone

A capstone project (or experience) is a educational experience/requirement that requires the student to "put it all together" to show that they can integrate all the material they learned in the course or program into one comprehensive project.

For example:

(1) A course may have a capstone project or term paper due at the end of the semester to show that the student has mastered the content of the course. (I teach a course that has a capstone term paper at the end.)

(2) An undergraduate nursing program might have a capstone clinical preceptorship in the last semester of the program. Students demonstrate that they can function as a nurse on a clinical unit.

(3) A graduate program might have a capstone research project, clinical project, evidence-based practice project to demonstrate that the student is ready to do advanced projects that contribute to the knowledge base of nursing or improve practice in a particular clinical setting.

The specifics of a capstone project vary, depending upon the particular program.