MATHEMATICS PROJECT CAPSTONE
PROPOSAL GUIDE
preliminaries
Cover Sheet. Download and complete the Mathematics Capstone Proposal Cover Sheet from the capstone
forms webpage and attach it to the front of your proposal.
Title. Your title should be short, but informative. The title On a Theorem of Binky doesn’t tell the reader
anything. On Differentiation of an Integral is only slightly better; at least the reader knows it’s analysis.
The title Quadratic Convergence of Lax/Wendroff Schemes with Optimal Results is much more descriptive.
Abstract. Your abstract should include the following:
What is the proposal about, in miniature and without specific details?
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State main objectives. (What did you investigate? Why?)
Describe methods. (What did you do?)
Summarize the most important results. (What did you find out?)
State major conclusions and significance. (What do your results mean? So what?)
Additional Tips.
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Abstract length: Up to 300 words.
Process: Extract key points from each section. Condense in successive revisions.
Do not include references to figures, tables, or sources.
Do not include information that is not in your proposal.
Capstone Proposal Body
Introduction. Describe in general terms what your Capstone will be about and state the learning outcomes.
You will want to mention what type of capstone you’ll be doing, a reading-based capstone project or facultysponsored capstone projects.
Background. Imagine your are trying to describe what you’ll be doing for you capstone to fellow math
major. Provide the reader with the background and the context of your topic, demonstrating your current
understanding. It is appropriate to identify and discuss books, articles and other source materials that you
read. Any resource should be mentioned in your reference section. You are merely commenting on the most
valuable material you have identified that you will need to assimilate for your project.
This background should be written assuming that you are writing the background section of your final capstone
paper.
Reading-Based Capstone Projects. You want to give an overview the mathematical knowledge you need
to start your capstone. Most mathematics textbooks provide a description of the prerequisite knowledge
expected of the reader. Specific definitions, theorems and related results will be expected.
Date: Fall 2008.
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PROJECT CAPSTONE PROPOSAL GUIDE
Faculty-Sponsored Capstone Projects. Since this track will usually involve a research component, you’ll want
describe the context of your research question and why it’s significant. You’ll need to conduct a literature
review. A literature review is an analytical essay that informs your reader about the state of the art in your
research area. In the literature review section you may answer questions such as What kind of research has
been done before? What kind of relevant studies or techniques needed to be mastered to do your project?
How have others gone about trying to solve your problem, and how does your approach differ?
Learning Outcomes. Describe what you expect to learn during your capstone and why it is interesting,
challenging, and important. Your outcomes must be neither trivial nor impossible.
Proposed Work/Research. In this section you will describe your intended reading or your plans for
research. You want to justify your strategy for accomplishing your learning outcomes state why is your
strategy is appropriate. You will also want to explain how you will achieve your goals. For reading based
project you must specify exactly which problems you will complete for your Capstone Project.
Timeline
Include a timeline that lists every week (or month) between now and when your capstone report is due
(which is the first week of April. Your timeline should show the start and completion dates for each major
task you must complete.
References
Reference literature cited in the text using an appropriate style of documentation. You should minimize the
use of electronic sources.
Department of Mathematics and Statistics, California State University, Monterey Bay, 100 Campus Center,
Seaside, CA 93955
E-mail address: math@csumb.edu