What is the Doctoral Capstone?
The doctoral capstone provides an opportunity for students to become innovative leaders and scholars of practice by demonstrating in-depth synthesis and translation of knowledge within an area of focus in a mentored setting.
Students begin the capstone process by identifying and recognizing a gap in practice or unmet need within the community. The doctoral capstone consists of two parts: a doctoral capstone project and a doctoral capstone experience designed to give the student an in-depth exposure to a concentrated area of study. Students must complete didactic coursework and level II fieldwork clinicals prior to beginning the doctoral capstone experience.
Doctoral Capstone Project:
Students in collaboration with their faculty mentor develop individualized capstone projects in the following areas:
- Clinical practice skills
- Research skills
- Administration
- Leadership
- Program and policy development
- Advocacy
- Education
As students progress through the OTD program in collaboration with their capstone team, they create a doctoral capstone project by completing a needs assessment and literature review on a self-selected topic. They must also develop specific learning objectives and identify an evaluation plan to assess the success of their capstone project.
Doctoral Capstone Experience:
The doctoral capstone experience (DCE) is the culminating experiential component of the capstone process. Students implement their projects at a site appropriate for the project during the final semester of the program from January to April. The DCE is different thanclinical fieldwork as it is a very student-directed learning experience. Students collaborate with their faculty mentor and a site mentor prior to the start of the experience to ensure goals and objectives for the experience and project are appropriate and meaningful to both the student and the site. The DCE is 14 weeks (560 hours) in length, 80% of hours must be completed on-site. Students will provide the site with identified deliverables upon completion of the capstone experience.
The capstone coordinator, faculty advisor, site mentor, and the student will use a formal evaluation for objective assessment of the student’s performance during and at the completion of the doctoral capstone.
The Capstone Team:
As already mentioned, to facilitate and guide the doctoral capstone project and experience students will work within a capstone team. This team consists of the student, capstone coordinator, faculty mentor, and site mentor.
Roles of the Capstone Team:
Capstone Student-The capstone student will initiate the project focus and lead the development of the capstone project and experience. They will develop individualized student learning objectives, an evaluation plan, and outcomes for their capstone project and experience through collaboration between all parties within the capstone team.
Doctoral Capstone Coordinator-The doctoral capstone coordinator is a full-time core faculty member who is responsible for the OTD program’s compliance with the doctoral capstone Accreditation Council of Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) standards. The coordinator will guide the entire capstone process as needed.
Faculty Mentor-The faculty mentor provides guidance and feedback throughout the capstone process to make sure the capstone project and experience meet college and program standards.
Site Mentor-The site mentor is a person who supervises the student onsite during the implementation of the capstone project during the doctoral capstone experience. The site mentor does not have to be an occupational therapist however must have demonstrated expertise in the focus area of the doctoral capstone project.
To better understand what a capstone project entails please view the following examples of past capstone projects from students who have graduated from the Kettering College OTD Program.
FAQs
The doctoral capstone experience allows for exploration in an in-depth, customized experience specific to the doctoral pursuit of the occupational therapy student, and the opportunity to extend and refine knowledge and skills acquired in the curriculum.
What is the difference between a dissertation and a doctoral capstone? ›
Dissertations usually involve more comprehensive research and require original findings, whereas capstone projects and thesis papers may concentrate on utilizing existing knowledge to address a particular problem or concern.
How long is the doctoral capstone program? ›
Require that the length of the doctoral capstone experience be a minimum of 14 weeks (560 hours). This may be completed on a part-time basis and must be consistent with the individualized specific objectives and capstone project.
What is an example of a doctoral capstone? ›
Capstone Examples
- Developing and implementing a wellness recovery program for people with depression.
- Implementing an evidence-based program for self-management of chronic disease in a primary care setting.
- Working with a legislator to propose policy changes related to access to and reimbursem*nt for occupational therapy.
Thesis and capstone projects synthesize your overall learning, taking the knowledge you've gained throughout your program and applying it to your own research. A thesis, which often requires more intensive research than a capstone, may span multiple years depending on the level of the psychology program.
Are capstone units hard? ›
It depends on the discipline I suppose. For me the capstone was much more difficult than any previous unit and I feel like that's the way it should be. My understanding of capstones in general is that it's meant to bring together everything you've learned at that point and 'test' you to a point.
What is a PhD without dissertation called? ›
The informal ABD designation indicates that graduate student has met all program requirements except for writing of the dissertation (or thesis) and the final defense at the end of a PhD program.
Can you get a PhD by just writing a dissertation? ›
A new exciting 2 year online dissertation-only PhD program that serves the creative, inventive, and productive student by allowing the student to obtain a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree through the construction of a substantial creative independent work.
Is a thesis harder than a dissertation? ›
For instance, students that learn better by developing their own research ideas may find a dissertation easier than a thesis. Difficulty can also depend on the level of the course. For instance, a thesis completed at doctorate level is likely to require more advanced knowledge than a thesis at undergraduate level.
What is the easiest doctoral program to complete? ›
To be sure, at the Ph. D. level, no program could be considered "easy," but there are certain programs designed to be "easier" than others. Generally, education, humanities, and the social sciences are considered the easiest fields in which to pursue degrees.
Length of Capstone Projects
Capstone Projects vary in length, but you can expect to spend about 4 to 8 weeks working on your project, making revisions, and reviewing the work of your peers. Most Capstone Projects require about 40 hours of total work time.
How long is the shortest PhD program? ›
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) and Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) degrees can be completed in two to three years. They are two of the shortest doctoral degrees available because they focus on practical application and don't require the large amount of research and dissertations that longer programs include.
Is a dissertation better than a capstone? ›
For example, if you would prefer to work directly with a business in your future industry, a capstone may be a more suitable option. A dissertation is likely more fitting if your primary goal is to contribute to the existing literature and research within your field.
Do all doctoral degrees require a dissertation? ›
If you've been researching doctoral degrees, you may notice that virtually all PhD programs require a dissertation, while some professional doctorates require a doctoral capstone or an alternative doctoral project.
What is a doctoral capstone? ›
The goal of the doctoral capstone is to provide an in-depth exposure to one or more of the following: clinical practice skills, research skills, administration, leadership, program and policy development, advocacy, education, and theory development.
What is the meaning of capstone experience? ›
DEFINITION. Capstone experience integrates coursework, knowledge, skills and experiential learning to enable the student to demonstrate a broad mastery of learning across the curriculum for further career advancement.
What is an example of a capstone course? ›
Examples of capstone courses, programs, and/or projects include: Programs and courses that require students to participate in substantial field work such as building a home, producing a show/film/conference. Some programs and courses that require students to go beyond standard credit-hour homework load. Presentations.
Does capstone count as work experience? ›
They are designed to provide students with hands-on experience in a specific industry or field of study and can be a great way for students to gain valuable work experience and make connections in their chosen field.
What is capstone clinical experience? ›
Background: Capstone clinical experiences provide opportunities for students to develop increasing competence and independence in nursing practice, as well as to focus on care that is fundamental to contemporary nursing practice.
