The Capstone is a culminating academic project experience that is completed within the confines of a semester-length course. Several Master of Liberal Arts (ALM) fields either require a capstone or offer the option to pursue one. In addition to the information below, review Guide to the ALM Capstone Project website.
Capstones
In the capstone, you’ll draw upon your entire ALM scholarly training to produce an applied research or creative writing project worthy of a Harvard degree. These are projects where you can showcase your talents to current or future employers by solving a real-world dilemma in your field/industry or to agents to showcase your creative expertise.
For some capstones you’ll work in a team and for others you’ll work individually. With all capstones, you’ll commit to full time study, while working in a supportive community of faculty and peers.
For example, ordinarily our cybersecurity, data science, computer science, and systems engineering capstones are team-based projects that have a real-world industry partner for your research.
Our creative writing capstones allow for ample room to work on individual artistic projects, but with the added benefit of weekly engagement with faculty and peers forming a writer’s community.
Human Subjects. If your capstone, regardless of field, will involve the use of human subjects (e.g., interviews, surveys, observations), you will need to have your research vetted by the Committee on the Use of Human Subjects (CUHS) of Harvard University. Please review the IRB Lifecycle Guide located on the CUHS website. Your capstone advisor will help you prepare a draft copy of the project protocol form that you will need to send to CUHS. If you need Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval, factor in time to gain IRB approval as it can take several weeks.
Mandatory Sequencing of Capstones. The capstone is your last course. Due to heavy workload demands, all your other degree requirements must be fulfilled prior to capstone registration. The capstone must be taken alone as your one-and-only remaining degree requirement. You cannot register in any other courses along with the capstone.
Tip: Register on the first day of early degree-candidate registration to obtain a seat in these limited-enrollment courses.
For detailed course description information for all capstones, including specific registration requirements, such as prerequisites, credit minimums, and academic standing requirements, use the Degree Course Search.
Every effort is made to offer the same capstone topics each year (e.g., human development, policy analysis, and social justice); however, topics are subject to change annually.
Mandatory Capstones Archiving. As part of your journey towards graduation, each degree candidate is required to submit a final copy of their capstone project to the Office of ALM Advising and Program Administration for official program archiving. This archival process ensures that the culmination of your academic endeavors is not only celebrated but also preserved for future reference. Your collaboration in this endeavor is greatly appreciated. Failure to submit may delay graduation.
Grading, Maximum Attempts, Academic Standing, and Academic Integrity
Grading and Maximum Attempts. You need to earn a grade of B- or higher to earn degree credit for the capstone. If you earn a grade below a B– (including a WD), you will need to petition the DCE Administrative Board Office for permission to enroll in the capstone for one final time. The Board only reviews cases in which extenuating circumstances prevented the successful completion of the capstone.
Moreover, the petition process is only available if your five-year, degree-completion deadline allows for more time. Your candidacy will automatically expire if you do not successfully complete the capstone requirement by your required deadline.
If approved for a second attempt, you may be required to repeat the precapstone. Please note that you cannot choose a different precapstone/capstone topic to gain additional (more than two) attempts at fulfilling the capstone requirement for your degree.
Academic Standing. If by not passing the capstone you fall into poor academic standing, you’ll need to take additional degree-applicable courses to return to good standing before enrolling in the capstone for your second and final time. This is only an option if your five-year, degree-completion deadline allows for more time to take additional courses.
Academic Integrity. All capstones are electronically reviewed for proper use of sources according to our academic integrity guidelines. Violations of our academic integrity policy will be referred to the Administrative Board.
Precapstones
Precapstone courses set the foundation for successful capstones. In the precapstone you likely spend time critically analyzing the scholarly literature of the field, practicing creative elements, narrowing your research question, and/or designing as well as testing research protocols. In sum, you are doing all the preproduction work necessary to be ready to execute, on day one, a semester-long, academically intensive capstone project.
- Journalism candidates should view the Journalism Capstone section below as a precapstone is not required.
- Global Development Practice, Museum Studies, and Sustainability candidates should view the Precapstone Tutorials section below for additional information.
Mandatory Sequencing of Precapstones. You enroll in the precapstone and capstone courses in back-to-back semesters (e.g., fall/spring), ordinarily with the same instructor, and in your final academic year. Failure to register for the capstone immediately after completion of the precapstone is a violation of academic policy and will require a special petition to the Office of ALM Advising and Program Administration to complete the capstone out of sequence.
Tip: Register on the first day of early degree-candidate registration to obtain a seat in these limited-enrollment courses.
For detailed course description information, including specific registration requirements, such as prerequisites, credit minimums, and academic standing requirements, visit the Degree Course Search.
Grading, Maximum Attempts, Academic Standing, and Academic Integrity
Grading and Maximum Attempts. You have a maximum of two attempts at the precapstone course to earn the required grade of B- or higher. If after two attempts, you have not fulfilled the requirement (a WD grade is considered an attempt), your degree candidacy will expire.
The second attempt policy is only available if your five-year, degree-completion date allows for more time. If you attempt to complete the precapstone in your final year and don’t pass (including a WD grade), your candidacy will automatically expire.
Academic Standing. If by not passing the precapstone you fall into poor academic standing, you will need to take additional degree-applicable courses to return to good standing before enrolling in the precapstone for your second and final time
Academic Integrity. All precapstones are electronically reviewed for proper use of sources according to our academic integrity guidelines. Violations of our academic integrity policy will be referred to the Administrative Board.
Precapstone Tutorials: Prework and Registration Process
The global development practice (DEVP 598), museum studies (MUSE 598), and sustainability (ENVR 598 and ENVR 598a) precapstones are noncredit tutorials. There are two steps for precapstone tutorial registration.
Step one. Meet with your Capstone Advisor early and often about your initial capstone research interests. He or she can provide support as well as course selection advice as you develop preliminary ideas.
Every effort is made to support your capstone interest, guidance is not available for all possible projects. Therefore, revision or a change of capstone topic may be necessary.
- For museum studies students: Your capstone will have a main focus on (1) the business of museums, (2) collections care, (3) exhibition design, (4) museum education, or (5) technology. Whatever focus you choose, you must have at least two courses completed in that area before enrolling in the precapstone tutorial. If not, your enrollment will not be approved.
Step two. Submit your preproposal prework by the required deadline (see below in bold). See the Precapstone Tutorial, Prework Requirements form to obtain prework guidelines.
Prework demonstrates that you have done enough prior reading and research on your topic to begin the capstone proposal process. Registration in the tutorial is limited to degree candidates who submit quality prework. If your prework is not approved, you will need to spend time revising in order to re-submit for the next offering of the tutorial, if your five-year, degree-completion deadline allows.
Prework Submission Timeline
- For summer precapstone tutorials, submit the first draft of the preproposal prework between March 1 and May 15. Actively participate in the tutorial during the summer and end the term with an approved proposal. Register and complete the fall capstone.
- For fall precapstones tutorials, submit the first draft of the preproposal prework between July 18 and August 1. Actively participate in the tutorial during the fall and end the term with an approved proposal. Register and complete the spring capstone.
- For spring precapstones, submit the first draft of the preproposal prework between November 7 and December 10. Actively participate in the tutorial during the spring and end the term with an approved proposal. Register and complete the summer capstone.
Please note that not all fields offer a capstone each term. Refer to your field’s Degree Course Search for the schedule.
International Students in Sustainability or Global Development Practice
- You choose the spring tutorial and summer capstone sequence if you need I-20 for the F1 student visa.
- You must be officially admitted to the degree program before December 10, submit the tutorial prework by December 10, and register for the precapstone on March 1 in order to submit timely I-20 paperwork.
- See international students guidelines for more information.
Precapstone Tutorial Experience
Once registered in the precapstone tutorial, you will receive guidance and mentoring while you iterate on your individual capstone proposal until the document reaches a satisfactory quality. Ordinarily, the tutorial is not a course in the traditional sense. You work independently on your proposal with your capstone advisor by submitting multiple proposal drafts and scheduling individual appointments (often during the hours of 9-5).
You need to make self-directed progress on the proposal without special prompting from the precapstone instructor. While the tutorial is noncredit, your due diligence throughout the semester is required.
If you do not have a proposal that is close to being approved by the semester’s withdrawal deadline, you’ll need to withdraw from the tutorial, delay capstone registration, and re-take the capstone proposal tutorial again in a future semester, if your five-year, degree-completion deadline allows.
Maximum Attempts. You have a maximum of two attempts to successfully complete the precapstone tutorial. The second attempt policy is only available if your five-year, degree-completion date allows for more time.
Journalism Capstone
Over the course of the capstone semester for JOUR E-599, you’ll conduct an in-depth investigation of a single topic and emerge with a portfolio of new work suitable for publishing, posting, or broadcasting. The portfolio requires you to produce several (at least three) related stories on one topic written specifically for the capstone course. (No prior work can be used.) The stories are completed over the course of one semester.
You can register for the capstone once you complete 36 credits, and you work independently to complete the project within a semester time frame. The capstone can be, and often is, completed at a distance.
To begin the capstone approval process, you schedule an appointment with your capstone advisor, June Erlick, (jErlick@fas.Harvard.edu), to discuss your capstone ideas.
While every effort is made to support your capstone interest, guidance is not available for all possible projects. Therefore, revisions or a change of capstone topic may be necessary before it is approved. As in all traditional journalism, projects must take a fair and balanced view by bringing in differing points of view. Projects should not be one-sided or take an advocacy stance.
Once a topic is approved, you submit the first draft of your capstone proposal. (See the Journalism Capstone Project, Crafting the Capstone Proposal form to read the specific guidelines for crafting the capstone proposal.) Ms. Erlick supports you through the fine-tuning of the proposal and works with the Journalism program office to identify a capstone director. Once approved, capstone topics cannot be changed. In the unlikely event that you cannot continue with the project as approved, you must request and receive written permission to pursue a new topic from Ms. Erlick.
A capstone director is a journalism instructor or professional in the field who has expertise relevant to your capstone topic. The final decision about who will serve as director is made by the Journalism program office; however, you are welcome to request a particular instructor. We ask that you not contact an instructor directly prior to capstone approval.
You are expected to work independently on your project with support and direction from the director. The capstone director will meet with you several times over the semester to answer questions, discuss your progress, read drafts, and offer feedback. The director also grades the final project.
Journalism Timeline
- Fall capstone: Meet to discuss capstone ideas by May 1. Submit first draft of capstone proposal by June 1.
- Spring capstone: Meet to discuss capstone ideas by September 1. Submit first draft of capstone proposal by October 1.
- Summer capstone: Meet to discuss capstone ideas by February 1. Submit first draft of capstone proposal by March 1.
