The Capstone Course

Most colleges and universities have examined and revised their liberal arts education curricula in recent years. These analyses have included both the entire curriculum, as well as, the major. One aspect of the major, receiving particular attention, has been the capstone course, a culminating experience in which students are expected to integrate, extend, critique, and apply the knowledge gained in the major. This article, and those that accompany some of the syllabi that follow, examine some possibilities for the capstone course in sociology. I begin by reviewing the efforts of the Association of American Colleges, the prime mover in the curriculum review movement. I, then, address what might constitute a capstone course. Finally, I examine some decisions involved in developing a capstone course.