The NRES Department has designed several new documents to help make the Capstone process easier to navigate and more transparent. These will soon be available on the NRES website. In the meanwhile, if you would like a copy of any of these documents, please contact me at gracon1@illinois.edu. I would be happy to email them to you.
Capstone Readiness Self-Assessment (Please specify for Independent Research or Internship): This document should be submitted to the NRES office by the time you have completed 16 hours of academic coursework. You will be asked to identify the topic of interest to you and evaluate the skills you possess, your abilities to read scientific literature and write technically, and other information pertinent to the onset of your capstone project. The information you provide will guide the strategy for finding a suitable Research Director/Internship Organization and assist you with preparation for the capstone project.
Student Responsibilities for Capstone Projects (Please specify for Independent Research or Internship): There are three important objectives of all capstone projects, to demonstrate your ability to: understand and apply the scientific process; analyze and interpret relevant scientific information; and communicate scientific information proficiently. The option (Independent Research or Internship) that you select will prescribe the appropriate capstone responsibilities. This document will inform you of the process, identify critical success factors, and help you better understand the expectations of students meeting this degree requirement. Numerous resources are recommended including, but not limited to, a list of faculty available to serve as research directors, flow charts to illustrate the process, resources to develop research skills, guidelines for writing the final paper, and resources to improve your skillfulness in writing.
Student Checklist for Capstone Option (Please specify for Independent Research or Internship): This checklist will organize your efforts and help you keep track of your progress. Simple things like meeting coursework requirements, requesting a degree audit, completing your oral presentation by the appropriate semester deadline, etc. are all included in this helpful sheet.
Graduate Internship Approval Form (GIAF) REVISED: Although every capstone project must demonstrate the key objectives mentioned above, an internship must serve two purposes: to meet the needs of the internship organization and to fulfill your academic responsibilities. Establishing clear, well-written and relevant goals and objectives for the project are critical to the project’s success because these are the criteria upon which your project will be evaluated. The goals and objectives section of the former document has been revised in order to more clearly articulate the relationship between goals, objectives and action steps. For further information and an opportunity to practice writing and evaluating goals, we recommend that you attend the Nov. 30 (6:00pm) webinar. You can join the session by going to: https://sas.elluminate.com/m.jnlp?password=M.19C11EA0056D5D3BC3797830F6AFA1&sid=407