CATALOG DESCRIPTION:

The Capstone Project course is a 12-week intensive course, culminating in a comprehensive research paper and oral presentation. The research paper will be a minimum of 20 pages (excluding appendices), and will involve an extensive review of empirical and theoretical literature related to the student’s chosen topic. The topic will be a business-related issue,
integrating and synthesizing the skills and information learned and applied throughout the bachelor curriculum. Each student will be responsible for choosing a topic, to be approved by their Professor. The research paper will involve a minimum of 15 references (of which, 8 must be peer-reviewed sources) and will adhere to the most current APA edition. The oral presentation will take place during the last two weeks of class. Evaluation will be focused on the quality and depth of the research, and the student’s critical thinking, writing and oral presentation abilities.
(6 credits)

COURSE INTRODUCTION:

This course explores a business leader’s challenge to provide a rich learning organization culture while maintaining solid profit margins, navigating dynamic markets, and blending strategic organizational growth goals with tactical mission requirements. Business leaders will constantly
face organizational challenges requiring critical thinking that involves problem definition, root cause analysis, and application of practical corrective actions. This Capstone Project is an intensive culmination of the major areas of study with the application of scholarly research, to
address a contemporary organizational opportunity in the form of a comprehensive case study/business plan.

OVERALL OBJECTIVES OF THE COURSE:

Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to:
• Develop practical planning tools for strategy including mission statements, leadership techniques, technological innovations, and organizational collaboration.
• Apply scholarly research to any given set of organizational opportunities in ways that allow you to identify the dynamic interplay of root causes, further classify and identify critical cause-effect relationships, and subsequently develop an empirically validated corrective action path.
• Distinguish among major research designs and methodologies, qualitative and quantitative, demonstrating through research project methodology selection appropriate use of each for business research.
• Demonstrate scholarly critical thinking by applying research design and methodology to a contemporary business issue or challenge.
Eastern Nazarene College, Quincy, MA
BS 446 – Business Capstone Project

Adult & Graduate Studies 2 Student Syllabus

• Demonstrate proficiency in scholarly research through a literature review synthesizing a broad spectrum of research relevant to the research topic.
• Apply the concepts of an empirically valid research methodology to the design of a research project targeting a specific organizational challenge.
• Demonstrate communication skills necessary to gain management support for applying research outcomes through a final project oral presentation.
• Understand the application and integration of scholarly research into common business analysis tools through clear articulation of a solution path for the student’s selected organizational challenge, based on literature review, data analysis, and data interpretation.
• Provide an integrated understanding of the theory and practice of business as experienced throughout the program.