The capstone springboard project permits students to combine capstone research with any of seven 2-credit courses offered in Spring 2015:

MPAG 8520 – Social Justice Advocacy (Glenzer)

MPAG 8521 – Action Research for Social Change (Glenzer/Ortiz)

MPAG 8540 – Social Sector Needs Assessment (Kardam)

MPAG 8542 – Communicating for Social Change (Kardam)

MPAG 8567 – Behavior Change Strategies in Public Health (Schooley)

MPAG 8571 – Proposal Writing (Ortiz)

MPAG 8583 – Starting Your Own SCO (Bloom)

Rather than signing up for MPAG 8605, students who wish to pursue capstone projects that are closely aligned with the content offered in any of these seven classes should sign up for the two-credit content class, then complete their capstone registration by signing up for MPAG 8604.

This new structure for capstone was developed in order to a) permit students to take a class that builds new content knowledge/competencies while doing their capstone, without pushing students over credit limits that can be costly, and b) give students who do not require or want the “learning and support community” approach of MPAG8605 a more appropriate structure.

Approach

The “2x2” capstone structure is appropriate for students who have a clear idea -- prior to Spring semester – of a topic they wish to focus on and who see the content one of the seven “capstone springboard classes” listed above as central to that project. MPAG 8604 will be run as a set of directed studies: all interactions, after our first class, will be one-on-one, between myself and individual students. My role will be coaching on process, being a sounding board, ensuring that each student understands the quality standards of the capstone project, and presentation mentoring.

Students who do not have a very good idea – in November 2014 – of the thematic focus of their capstone project or who do not have a project idea that could greatly benefit from one of the classes listed above should sign up for MPAG 8605, the standard Capstone Seminar.

Please note that classes taken under the 2x2 capstone option cannot be used to meet the MPA workshop requirement.