The Honors Capstone Track is a selective, cohort-based alternative to the Honors Thesis Track. Students who are accepted into the Capstone Track complete the Honors Program’s culminating project requirement through a collaborative, mentored experience rather than an individual thesis.
While the Thesis Track remains the default pathway for completing the Honors Program, a limited number of students are selected each year to pursue the Capstone Track based on interest, preparation, and alignment with the focus of the track.
Purpose of the Capstone Track
The Capstone Track was developed to provide an alternative form of advanced academic engagement for students who are interested in collaborative learning, mentorship, and sustained participation in a shared intellectual project.
Rather than producing an individual thesis, students in the Capstone Track work as a cohort to help design, support, and facilitate an Honors seminar for first-year students, centered on a shared theme. Through this process, capstone students gain experience in leadership, discussion facilitation, mentoring, and program-level academic engagement.
What Do Students in the Capstone Track Do?
Students in the Capstone Track participate in a year-long, mentored experience that combines advanced seminar work with applied leadership and mentorship.
As part of the track, students will:
- work within a shared Honors theme selected by the program
- collaboratively design the structure of a first-year Honors seminar
- develop course units and a coherent progression across the semester
- select and organize readings, media, and other learning materials
- design major assignments, discussion prompts, and learning activities
- articulate learning goals and align assignments with those goals
- reflect on pedagogy, inclusion, and ethical approaches to teaching and learning
- help facilitate discussions and learning activities when the course is offered
- mentor and support first-year Honors students enrolled in the course
Students are not expected to teach independently. Instead, they function as a mentored design team and learning community, working alongside a faculty mentor to build and support the course.
Structure of the Capstone Track
The Capstone Track replaces the traditional thesis sequence for students who are selected. It spans multiple semesters and carries a total of four hours of Honors credit.
In the fall semester, students enroll in Designing a First-Year Honors Seminar. In this course, students work collaboratively to design a First-Year Honors Seminar organized around the program’s annual theme. As a cohort, and under the guidance of the Honors Faculty Fellow, students engage deeply with the theme and conduct research that informs the course’s structure. During this phase, students develop concrete elements of the seminar, including units, readings, assignments, discussion frameworks, and co-curricular activities, while shaping the overall intellectual arc of the course.
In the spring semester, students enroll in Facilitating a First-Year Seminar. In this course, the cohort supports the implementation of the seminar (KNGHT 102) they designed. Students work closely with the faculty mentor to help facilitate discussions, mentor first-year Honors students, and assist with course-related programming and community engagement. Students do not teach independently, but play an active role in sustaining the learning environment they helped create.
Throughout the track, students meet regularly as a cohort to reflect on the experience, connect theory to practice, and develop skills in collaboration, mentorship, and academic leadership.
Faculty Mentorship
As with the Thesis Track, faculty mentorship is central to the Capstone Track. Students work closely with the Honors Faculty Fellow who guides the cohort, facilitates reflection, and models effective pedagogical and leadership practices. The fellow will also serve as the primary instructor for the course they collaboratively design.
Rather than one-on-one research supervision, mentorship in the Capstone Track focuses on collaborative learning, facilitation, ethical leadership, and the shared responsibility of shaping an academic community.
Who Might Be a Good Fit for the Capstone Track?
The Capstone Track may be a good fit for students who:
- enjoy collaborative and discussion-based learning
- are interested in mentorship and leadership within the Honors Program
- are curious about pedagogy, facilitation, or community engagement
- value sustained engagement with a shared intellectual project
- want an alternative to an independent thesis
Students in the Capstone Track should be comfortable working as part of a cohort and contributing consistently over time.
Selection and Application
Participation in the Capstone Track is selective and requires a formal application. Interested students apply during the spring semester of their sophomore year using this link.
Applications are reviewed by the Honors Program, and selections are made prior to registration for the following fall semester. This timeline allows students to plan appropriately for either the Capstone Track or the Thesis Track, which remains the default pathway for completing the Honors Program.
Advising is available to help students determine whether the Capstone Track aligns with their interests, academic goals, and preferred working style.