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Capstone

The AU Honors Program prides itself on developing integrative, interdisciplinary, problem-based learners, through its rigorous and diverse curriculum. The Capstone is the culminating course of this challenging 4-year sequence. Students may use the capstone to bridge work in two majors or between a major and a minor. The Capstone may be used to explore a field of interest other than a major.

There are two ways to fulfill the Honors Capstone requirement. The most popular way is by completing an Honors-approved Capstone in your major and adding HNRS-098, the Honors Capstone Supplement, onto the course. The second option is by taking HNRS-498, which is an independent study research project of your choice.

All Capstones, regardless of how they are completed, must meet the guidelines listed below. Submit your Capstone to honors@american.edu by the last day of the final exam period.

Honors Capstone Guidelines

  1. Demonstrate sufficient knowledge of a field or discipline 
  2. Represent a semester of deep study and analysis, or equivalent 
  3. Result in an essay, document, performance, artwork, or some other artifact
  4. Be taken for a letter grade (A-F) and passed with a grade of B or better 
  5. Be a minimum of 3 credits 
  6. Can be done over the summer if needed, upon approval.

Students will be expected to present their final Capstone projects at the Honors Research Conference in April. Students also submit a copy of their final Capstone project in order to receive a grade (P/F) for HNRS-098.

Major-Based Capstone

These are the steps to getting a major-based Capstone approved:

1. Student submits Capstone Planning Form.

2. Honors will review your submission and build a section of HNRS-098 (0 credits), the Honors Capstone supplement, for you. The Honors Faculty Director serves as the faculty of record for all HNRS-098 sections.

4. Honors will register you for HNRS-098.

Honors Capstone

Honors 498 is an independent study. This course can be used to create a research project that spans multiple majors or minors. This is an opportunity to create a unique final project of your choice to culminate your AU career.

You are responsible for designing your research project or creative work, and identifying the faculty member who will guide and assess you throughout the semester. Make sure you consult with your faculty member and your academic advisor before registering.

HNRS-498 follows the same registration process as a typical independent study. The form you need for registration can be found on Registrar's website.