EMAC CAPSTONE PROPOSAL
Required to register for EMAC 6390
We often describe your capstone project as the culmination of your graduate education. It should
demonstrate your ability to combine theory with creative practice to produce something that shows you
understand the implications of our networked world. Good projects are more than just something you
produce; they address an underlying problem or question that has some theoretical significance and
relates to an audience. In doing so, your project should demonstrate how you have mastered the EMAC
program objectives described in the university catalog:
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Analyze and articulate an understanding of critical theories in emerging media and culture
Demonstrate advanced perspectives of emerging media practices
Create original research in the digital realm that demonstrates artistic and technical skills
Engage in the professional world that encompasses emerging media technologies and
communications
To put it another way, when thinking about your capstone project, you should ask yourself, “How does
this project demonstrate that I have a graduate education?” If your project only demonstrates mastery
of skills that you could have picked up from Lynda, CodeAcademy, or the WordPress toolbox, you aren’t
demonstrating a graduate education. If your proposal focuses on the final deliverable – a video, a blog,
an app prototype, a research paper – without some theoretical framework or context to give it purpose,
your project does not demonstrate the depth and breadth of your education.
You demonstrate the strength of your EMAC education when you use theory to ground your project. To
develop a theoretical frame, you might start by reviewing your syllabi and notes from courses you have
taken. For example, in EMAC 6300, we discuss social capital and information ownership, in EMAC 6373,
we discuss participatory culture and surveillance, and in EMAC 6375, we discuss different approaches to
research in Emerging Media and Communication. Any of these and the theories scholars have used to
elaborate them would serve as appropriate starting points for your frame.
When we consider your proposal, we will evaluate it in terms of:
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Theoretical grounding: Do you have a strong justification for why your project/research paper
matters?
Format: What will your final deliverable look like? How does it take advantage of digital
networks?
Project scope: Is your project sufficiently challenging to demonstrate the quality of your EMAC
education and also manageable in a single semester? What are your markers for success?
The capstone project proposal appears on the following page. Please complete it and return it to
emac@utdallas.edu by Friday, April 15. Return the document in .docx or .pdf format, and use the
filename convention Yourlastname Capstone. Faculty members will meet to review proposals and assign
project supervisors based on the fit of the project topic and methods the following week. Late, incorrect,
or incomplete applications risk reduced supervisor options and could delay graduation.
FALL 2016 EMAC CAPSTONE PROPOSAL (EMAC 6390)
Please answer each of the following questions to develop a proposal that articulates a project scope,
strong theoretical grounding, and appropriate format.
Your Name and UTD email
List keywords that describe your project.
Prepare an abstract that addresses why we should care about the project, what problem you hope to
solve or questions you hope to answer, your approach, and the implications/significance of your
work. (250 words maximum) For example, do you want explore practices? Critique structures? Subvert
dominant practices? Create content that challenges existing beliefs? If you are proposing a creative
project, how do you want your audience to respond?
What theoretical concepts inform that topic? (500-750 words) In other words, what concepts from
your coursework relate to it? Why do they matter? Don’t try to throw in everything but the kitchen sink –
select your theoretical perspectives strategically to define your focus.
In what ways will emerging technology influence your ideas or be used to express your ideas?
What are the affordances of your chosen platform, medium, etc.? How will you use them to enhance
your content?
Describe the one person who is your ideal audience member.
What are the ethical, political, and social implications of your project?