Creating and Assessing Innovative
Capstone Projects
Dr. Elise Brazier, MBA Program Director
Professor & Chair of Graduate Studies
Concordia University Texas
April 9, 2014
IACBE Annual Conference
San Diego, CA
Overview
Capstone Highlights:
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The Real Value
Getting Started
New and improved – Capstone 2.0
Professional Development
Student to Professional Consultant
Value for the Client sponsor
Capstone Management
Undergrad v. Graduate
Assessment & Outcomes
Capstone’s Value
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Project Management
Leadership & Team Building
Thinking Critically & Creatively
Soft Skills
Partnerships:
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Client needs
Understanding the industry and organization
Research (Quant + Qual) data
Students develop recommendations
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Benchmarks, surveys, focus groups
Selling the Experience
The capstone experience is successful! Our cohort groups
have completed over 50 capstone projects with impressive
results. With a focused course curriculum, expert faculty and our
student’s ability to transform their classroom and professional
experience into consulting solutions, our clients are choosing to
work with The Concordia MBA because of our reputation.
Student consultants will focus on public, private, and non-profit
industries to help business owners and organizations improve
their bottom line and develop better processes for increased
productivity through an ethical lens.
Planning
1. Capstone Info Sessions
2. Finding the right projects
– Innovative
– Creative
– Sustainable
3. Due Diligence
4. Agreements/NDAs
5. Scope
6. Fieldwork
7. Fit – Skills needed
8. Capstone Advisors
Capstone Client Sponsors
Start-ups
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Phoenix Arising Aviation
– Business Plan
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Pilot’s Choice
– Ongoing Capstone
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Alerosoft
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Texas Music Water
– Ongoing Capstone
Small – Local Companies
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Water2Wine (franchise)
– Target Market Study
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Pilot’s Choice (aviation)
– Strategic Marketing Plan
•
CAS Consulting (environmental)
– Feasibility Study
National/Global
•
Microsoft
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Easter Seals
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American Heart Association
•
Encite/Immis
New & Improved – 2.0
Why the Change?
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Capstone 1.0
Project based
Client projects,
simulations, case
studies
Team Focus, team
assessment
Check/Check
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Capstone 2.0
Enhanced Deliverables
Use of Advisors,
Mentors
More Data Focused
Students in Charge
MBA Grooming
Transformation
Post MBA
Capstone Course Design
The Consulting Model:
• Capstone (4 cr)
• Entrepreneurship &
Innovation (2 cr)
• Soft Skills
Identifying Client Needs:
• Challenges
• Marketing!
• Increase Sales!
• Ethics
Recommendations
• Research
• Developing a Plan
 Alignment between faculty in course
coordination and outcomes
 Individual Assignments
 Professional Development
 Capstone Specific
 Client Proposal of Deliverables
 Final Product
 Report
 Presentation
 Ongoing Relationships
Deliverables
Recommend and determine the marketing
launch plan and cost:
Year 1 – Cohort 4
Now in HEB!
Year 2 – Cohort 5
• Advertising (above the line)
• Trade Promotions
• Public Relations/Social
Media/Promotions (Below the line)
• Media mix, rationale and cost
• Rationale by media type and efficacy
(ROI projections)
• Roll out and cost
Recommend a market-by-market regional
launch plan:
• Identify regional markets for expansion
• American Music Water (national)
Assessment
• How to Assess the hard and soft skills?
– Soft and technical skills (ongoing)
– Critical Thinking course and Statistics
– Students Assessing other Students
• Decision Making & Strategy course using GloBus - The primer for
Capstone
• Assessment Tools
– Rubrics, balanced scorecard
– Outside Consultants/Coaches
– Building and connecting outcomes
– Feedback loops (courses, capstone, execution, implementation)
Skill Level – BA v. MBA
• BA
– Early exposure to DECA
or SIFE, then…MBA
skillset will apply
– Non-traditional
programs (older adults)
– Live case study
experience
– Hands –on simulators
– Career Readiness
• understanding
professionalism
• MBA
– Industry experience
– Project management
– Critical Thinking/Analysis
– Focus & Depth
– Application of data
– Communication
• Written & verbal
• Polish
Outcomes
 Applied learning
 Increased knowledge + resume building
 Communication (verbal and written) – client
meetings, presentations, reports
 Confidence & professionalism
 Problem solving/critical thinking skills & analysis
 Benchmarks, data and best practices
 Organizational culture and ethics
 Job and consulting opportunities
Summary
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Plan early
Capstone coordinator
Selecting Professional Coaches/Recruiters
Locating Client Sponsors
Increasing the program profile and project level
Involving faculty and community mentors early on
Consider sponsors (past Capstone clients) – funding
Improving the process
Involving Alumni
References
Bellman, G. M. (2002). The Consultant’s Calling: Bringing Who You Are to What You
Do. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Hackbarth, G., Cata, T., & Cole, L. (2012). Developing a capstone course within a health
informatics program. Perspectives in Health Information Management, , 1-1b.
Payne, S. L., Flynn, J., & Whitfield, J. (2008). Capstone Business Course Assessment:
Exploring Student Readiness Perspectives. Journal of Education for Business, 83(3),
141-146.
Comments & Questions?
Contact:
Dr. Elise Brazier, MBA Program Director
Concordia University Texas
11400 Concordia University Drive
Austin, TX 78726
elise.brazier@concordia.edu
512.313.5308
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