public health informatics capstone project ideas

Biomedical Graduate Education

Capstone Projects

2022-2023 graduates, nelson moore.

Data Scientist at Essential Software Inc

Capstone Project: Modeling and code implementation to support data search and filter through the NCI Cancer Data Aggregator Industry Mentor: Frederick National Lab for Cancer Research: FNLCR

Joelle Fitzgerald

Business Analyst at Ascension Health Care

Capstone Project: Analysis of patient safety event reports data. Industry Mentor: MedStar Health. National Center for Human Factors in Healthcare

Kader (Abdelkader) Bouregag

Healthcare Xplorer | Medical Informatics at Genentech (internship)

Capstone Project: Transforming the Immuno-Oncology data to the OMOP CDM Industry Mentor: MSKCC/ MedStar/ Georgetown University/ Hackensack

Junaid Imam

Data Scientist at Medstar Institute

Capstone Project: Create an [trans-] eQTL visualization tool

Industry Mentor: Pfizer Inc / Harvard

Abbie Gillen

Staff Data Analyst at Nice Healthcare

Capstone Project: Nice Healthcare: Predicting Nice healthcare utilization

Industry Mentor: Nice Healthcare

Capstone Project: Next Generation Data Commons

Industry Mentor: ICF International

2021-2022 Graduates

Ahson saiyed.

NLP Engineer/Data Scientist at TrinetX

Capstone Project : Research Data Platform Pipelines Industry Mentor: Invitae

Walid Nashashibi

Data Scientist at FEMA

Capstone Project: Xenopus RNA-Seq Analysis to Understand Tissue Regeneration Mechanisms Industry Mentor: FDA

Tony Albini

Data Analyst at ClearView Healthcare Partners

Capstone project: Data Mining to understand the patient landscape of Chronic Kidney Disease Population Industry Mentor: AstraZeneca

Anvitha Gooty Agraharam

Business Account Manager at GeneData

Capstone Project: Computational estimation of Pleiotropy in Genome-Phenome Associations for target discovery Industry Mentor: AstraZeneca

Natalie Cortopassi

Researcher at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation

Capstone project: Analysis of Clinical Trial Attrition in Neuropsychiatric Clinical Trials using Machine Learning Industry Mentor: AstraZeneca

Christle Iroezi

Business System Analyst at Centene Corporation

Capstone project: Visualize Digital HealthCare ROI Industry Mentor: MedStar Health

R & D Analyst II at GEICO

Capstone project: Heat Waves and Health Outcomes Industry Mentor: ICF

Research Specialist at Georgetown University

Capstone project: Mental Health Data Commons Industry Mentor: ICF

2020-2021 Graduates

Technology Transformation Analyst, Grant Thornton LLP

Capstone Project: Research Data Platform Pipelines Industry Mentor: Invitae

Research Technician at Georgetown University

Capstone Project: Using a configurable, open-source framework to create a fully functional data commons with the REMBRANDT dataset Industry Mentor: Frederick National Lab for Cancer Research – FNLCR

Consultant at Deloitte

Capstone Project: Building a patient centric data warehouse Industry Mentor: Invitae

Marcio Rosas

Project Manager of Technology and Informatics at Georgetown University

Capstone Project: Knowledge-Based Predictive Modeling of Clinical Trials Enrollment Rates Industry Mentor : AstraZeneca

Yuezheng (Kerry) He

Data Product Associate at YipitData

Capstone Project: ClinicalTrials2Vec – Accelerating trial-level computing using a vectorized model of clinical trial summaries and results Industry Mentor: AstraZeneca

Data Programmer at Chemonics International

Capstone Project: Multi-scale modeling to enable data-driven biomarker and target discovery Industry Mentor: AstraZeneca

2019-2020 Graduates

Pratyush tandale.

Informatics Specialist I at Mayo Clinic

Capstone Project: Improving clinical mapping process for lab data using LOINC Industry Mentor: Flatiron Roche

Shabeeb Kannattikuni

Senior Statistical Programmer at PRA Health Sciences (ICON Pl)

Capstone Project: NGS Data Analysis for the QA of viral vaccines Industry Mentor: Argentys Informatics

Fuyuan Wang (Bruce)

Software Engineer at Essential Software Inc , Frederick National Labs

Capstone Project: Cancer Data Model Visualization framework Industry Mentor: Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research

Ayah Elshikh

Capstone Project: NGS Data Analysis for the QA of viral vaccines

Industry Mentor: Argentys Informatics

Yue (Lilian) Li

Biostatistician and Statistical Programmer , Baim Institute for Clinical Research

Capstone Project: Analysis of COVID-19 Serological test data to improve the COVID-19 Detection capabalities Industry Mentor: Argentys Informatics

Algorithm Performance Engineer at Optovue

Capstone Project: Socioeconomic factors to readmissions after major cancer surgery Industry Mentor: Medstar Health

Jiazhong Zhang

Management Trainee at China Bohai Bank

Jianyi Zhang

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5 Exciting Health Care Informatics Projects

Thanks to revolutionary technological advancements, modern medicine is poised for transformation from a “disease industry” to a “scientific wellness industry,” according to a report in healthcareitnews.com . And at the heart of this transition is the field of health care informatics.

Big data is changing everything — and the rapidly expanding use of artificial intelligence and predictive analytics is expected to drive breakthroughs in the health of entire populations and in individual health care that is more personalized than ever before.

“The contrast between 20th and 21st-century medicine is striking,” said Leroy Hood, Chief Science Officer at Providence St. Joseph Health, describing care that is more proactive and “focused on the individual,” and that employs “personalized data clouds to explore the complexities of human beings.”

Hood sees the potential to create “a world virtually free of Alzheimer’s” within 10 years by processing information from such data clouds with computer-aided diagnostics to identify and track risk far earlier, and to design new treatments for specific sub-types of the debilitating disease.

That’s just one example of how health informatics is changing the future of health care right now. From battling the opioid epidemic to breakthroughs in combating sepsis and pediatric asthma, health informatics is the common denominator among countless initiatives with the promise to make the world a healthier place.

Additionally, because the demand for health informatics professionals is expanding so rapidly, this is also a time of opportunity in the employment market for people who possess health care and/or information technology experience.

For a closer look at the fascinating work being done by health care informatics professionals, here are several examples of notable health informatics projects and initiatives.

Combating the Opioid Crisis

With an average of 44 deaths each day from opioid-related overdoses and an estimated 2 million Americans suffering from addiction to prescription painkillers, the opioid epidemic is one of the nation’s most significant public health crises.

Now, providers are looking to health informatics — combining data analytics and population health management strategies — to respond more effectively. Health informaticians are using improved access to data (including prescribing data) to:

• Deepen their understanding of the risk factors for addiction
• Reassess prescribing practices and introduce opioid alternatives where appropriate
• Crack down more effectively on the small percentage of patients who are trying to scam providers into issuing prescriptions
• Utilize new data-driven insights to put in place population health management strategies that help individual patients

Examples include the MO HealthNet initiative in Missouri, which used health informatics data insights to realize a 30 percent statewide drop in the rate of prescriptions for Schedule II opioids.

Another example involves a dashboard tool created by the Rhode Island Quality Institute that makes it easier for primary care providers and opioid treatment centers to more effectively access and share information. Users of the Care Management Dashboard saw their patients’ emergency department return visits within 30 days reduced by 16 percent, an outcome that earned the institute a 2018 Innovator Award from Healthcare Informatics .

[RELATED]  How Health Informatics is Shaping Future of Health Information Management >>

Fighting Pediatric Asthma

Another Innovator Awards semifinalist is using informatics data to reduce emergency room visits for pediatric asthma-related issues by 18 percent and cut about $1 million in avoided emergency room costs.

As part of its strategic plan for population health management of pediatric patients, Children’s Hospital of Orange County (Calif.) developed a system of asthma patient measures designed to better manage the condition and keep individual patients out of emergency situations. The measures are built into each patient’s electronic health record and the data is available to providers in real time as part of the clinical workflow.

The number of children with an asthma action plan grew quickly, fueling the reduction in emergency room encounters and earning them a Healthcare Informatics Innovator Award .

Life-Saving Technology

One man’s path into the field of health informatics led directly to a project that is credited with speeding up medical science’s ability to detect signs of sepsis — a life-threatening condition that kills an estimated quarter million patients annually and is caused by the body’s extreme response to an infection.

Andrew Harrison was a student in the Mayo Clinic’s Medical Scientist Training Program when he attended a lecture about “data sniffers,” computer applications that sift through a patient’s electronic health record and alert care providers to early signs of dangerous syndromes.

“I knew nothing of clinical informatics,” Harrison said in a story in Discovery’s Edge (the research magazine of the Mayo Clinic). But he was intrigued that computers could be taught to conduct medical surveillance and that data analysis could improve clinical decision-making.

Working alongside the researcher whose talk initially inspired his passion for informaticsHarrison focused his doctoral studies on developing a first-generation “sepsis sniffer” application. He continued to improve the sniffer, and in a clinical study it was able to identify patients with sepsis sooner than bedside clinicians.

Harrison is “a prototype for medical students trained to heal both patients and the health care system,” according to the Mayo Clinic story chronicling his work. “Instead of searching for breakthroughs under a microscope, he discovered statistical enlightenment — the kind that becomes a best practice and improves care around the world.”

[RELATED]  8 Technologies that are Changing Healthcare >>

Real Improvements Through Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Despite some healthy skepticism from critics , artificial intelligence is already ubiquitous throughout the health care industry.

In fact, according to a healthitanalytics.com report titled “Top 12 Ways Artificial Intelligence Will Impact Healthcare,” as more and more data becomes available — including through billing and payment systems that capture incredible amounts of valuable information about patients and their conditions — “artificial intelligence is poised to be the engine that drives improvements across the care continuum.”

Providers are already using AI algorithms to gain “unprecedented insights into diagnostics, care processes, treatment variability and patient outcomes,” according to the report, which explains how the medical community is using artificial intelligence to capitalize upon the “nearly endless opportunities to leverage technology to deploy more precise, efficient and impactful interventions at exactly the right moment in a patient’s care.”

Strategies for harnessing artificial intelligence to improve health care include:

• Expanding access to care in underserved or developing regions — In areas where there is a deficit of trained medical personnel, AI can be used to perform diagnostic duties typically handled by humans.
• Transforming smartphone selfies into powerful diagnostic tools — Experts believe that images taken from smartphones and other devices will increasingly become an important tool for medical imaging, particularly in underserved areas.
• Using AI algorithms to enhance the ability of “smart devices” now widely used in health care to identify deterioration in a patient’s condition or detect the development of complications.
• Developing the next generation of non-invasive radiology tools for diagnostic processes that still rely on tissue samples obtained through biopsy.
• Assisting providers with decision making at bedside — According to healthitanalytics.com, AI offers tremendous potential for “powering predictive analytics and clinical decision support tools that clue providers in to problems long before they might otherwise recognize the need to act.”

Putting the ‘Me’ in Personalized Medicine

In addition to equipping doctors and nurses with powerful tools designed to improve patient health and the delivery of care, health informatics is also opening up incredible new possibilities for patients to become more actively engaged in their own care.

For example, tech giant Apple has developed a personalized Health Records system that promises to reshape patient engagement, according to Dr. Shez Partovi, chief digital officer and senior vice president of digital transformation at Dignity Health, a longtime collaborator with Apple and an early adopter of its Health Records program. Since its launch in January 2018, more than 100 hospitals and clinics have signed on to the initiative.

Apple has developed health care applications for its iPhones and tablets that enable both providers and patients to instantly access a patient’s entire medical record. Working in conjunction with the traditional patient portals used by many health organizations, the Apple system securely transfers a patient’s medical data to the Health Records app so the patient, as well as providers, can view in it instantly in a familiar, easy-to-use interface. High-resolution display and powerful graphics capabilities even give doctors the ability to view a patient’s imaging studies on an iPad.

But in addition to enabling care providers to work more efficiently on a patient’s behalf, one of the most exciting aspects of the program is that it enables patients to better manage their own care and even connect remotely with providers between visits.

According to Apple, the program enables patients to “aggregate their health records from multiple institutions alongside their patient-generated data, creating a more holistic view of their health.”

Dr. Partovi at Dignity Health said the Apple initiative involves “empowering patients by giving them their data.” In addition to ownership of their medical data, patients will benefit from apps (both currently existing and those to be developed in the future) that help them make better, healthier use of their data — for example, an app that helps diabetes sufferers treat their condition by using food as medicine.

The goal of all of this, says Apple, is “care that becomes more efficient, more personalized, and ultimately more human.”

Learning More About Health Care Informatics

Despite showing great promise to make the world a healthier place, the field of health care informatics continues to face a talent shortage, with strong demand and high pay for employees who possess medical/clinical experience as well as proficiency in data analysis, information technology or informatics.

For that reason, many current and future health informatics professionals are taking advantage of specialized master’s degree programs that build on their work experience and knowledge of the health care field while refining their programmatic, technical and analytical skills.

One of the most exciting aspects of health informatics is the future breakthroughs that “we cannot even imagine yet,” said Dr. Jonathan Mack, program director for health care informatics and nursing informatics at University of San Diego. In Q&A about career growth in the field of health informatics , Dr. Mack speaks about the state of this fast-growing discipline and the significant opportunities for motivated individuals to pursue a meaningful career in health informatics.

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Program Capstone for the Master's in Health Informatics, Northwestern University School of Professional Studies - Northwestern School of Professional Studies

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Health Informatics Capstone

Health Informatics

What is the Capstone project?

As a culminating experience , each student will independently put into practice the knowledge and skills they learned during their coursework through a Capstone Project.

Students will have the opportunity to develop and implement a Health Informatics project in their workplace or other academic / industry organizations . The project will challenge each student to conduct research and apply knowledge, skills and competencies built through coursework completed in the MHI program.  

If students are unable to find a real-world project, they can alternatively develop a culminating, two-part project, that will leverage health informatics to provide a solution to a need or problem arising as part of a case study. Note: Finding a real-world project would be preferred over working on a case study.

Each student will work with the course instructor to identify a “Knowledge Expert” for their capstone project along with a faculty advisor from the Northwestern University Health Informatics program.   

What can students expect during the MHI Capstone course?

A challenging but rewarding experience that would prepare or enhance their professional skills in the field of Health Informatics. There will be a focus on more career and real-world experiences than the other courses in the MHI program.  The Capstone course is more about the hands-on (or applied experiences) in the world of Health Informatics.  Depending on the complexity of your project, you can expect to spend 5 to 10 hours a week, or 50 to 100 hours during the quarter working on your project.

With whom can you do a capstone project ?

Your Employer / Workplace: You may work on a discrete project from your workplace for your capstone project.  This will need to be above and beyond your day-to-day job responsibilities.  You will need to identify a Knowledge Expert / Mentor at your organization to support you during the project.

“Sponsor” organization projects : You may partner with an external organization in the industry who may be interested in sponsoring a capstone project.  There may be opportunities available through Northwestern University or you will need to find one on your own.

Academic Partners:  You may work with a MHI Faculty member, or with other academic partners at Northwestern University (such as Feinberg School of Medicine or Northwestern Memorial Hospital), or other academic institutions to work on an informatics or research based capstone project.

Capstone Project Cases : Alternatively, if you are unable to find a real-world project, you may choose to work on one of the capstone project cases made available through the course.

What is the Capstone Course timeline?

The MHI Capstone Course can only be done in the last quarter of the MHI program prior to your graduation.  Like the other courses in the program, you will have 10 weeks to complete your capstone project. Due to this aggressive timeline in the quarter, we will divide your capstone project in the following phases:

• Capstone Identification and Proposal: 1-2 weeks
• Capstone Implementation: 5-7 weeks
• Capstone Paper and Presentation: 1-2 weeks

How to Prepare for the Capstone

Capstone pre-work: complete prior to starting the capstone course.

• Reflect on your career goals. What do you want to do after you graduate from the MHI program?  There is no right or wrong answer to this.  If you have not yet thought about it, this exercise should help you get started.
• Prepare your CV / Resume that includes your most up to date professional and academic experiences (including the MHI program) prior to the start of the MHI Capstone Course.
• Start thinking about capstone project ideas that ideally align with your career goals.
• Do you already have a “sponsor” or organization in mind to do your capstone with?
• If you are currently working in the healthcare industry, explore possible capstone project opportunities with your employer that would be above and beyond your day-to-day job responsibilities. I would also encourage you to reach out to any relevant contacts in your professional network to find a capstone project opportunity, if needed.
• Some “sponsors” or organizations will work with you in a virtual environment, while others may prefer an in-person or hybrid model.
• If you have already selected a project for your capstone, then complete any onboarding work such as contracting, drug tests, training, IRB approvals, etc. as soon as possible so that you can start working on your project implementation during the capstone course.

Capstone Advising Sessions

This Capstone course has been overwhelmingly successful with respect to the student experience based on feedback. The only critique of Capstone is the timeframe – students feel that one quarter to complete the project limits the potential for projects.

In order to address the time constraint of a single quarter, students will be given the opportunity to meet with their capstone instructor during pre-capstone advising sessions in the quarter prior to their capstone. This will allow students to navigate the pre-work with the support of their instructor, allowing for more time to connect with potential partners for their proposed project leading to a more time fulfilling project experience.

Students approaching their final quarter will be contacted to set up an appointment with the capstone instructor during the quarter prior to the capstone.

The MHI Capstone Experience

Student reflections.

MHI faculty member Imran Khan interviewed two of his graduating students, Regina Schwind and Angela Mazzari, to discuss their experiences in the MHI program and their respective Capstone projects.

Recent Capstone Project Topics

• Reducing Infant and Maternal Mortality Rates in the Black Populations of Athens, GA
• Population Health Provider and Patient Engagement Strategy
• Scalable Monitoring System to Address Emergency Care Usage among Patients with Multiple Chronic Conditions
• Improving Anticoagulation Safety & Drug Compliance (of cardiac patients) through a Remote Monitoring System
• WordGlass: Technology to Provide Live Closed Captioning for the Hearing- Impaired in the Health Care Setting
• Hand Hygiene Audit Tool  
• Adoption of an Electronic Lab Notebook in a WSU Research Lab
• Digital Health Solutions for a Rural Healthcare System
• A Comprehensive Solution to Improving Diabetic Outcomes and Improved Shared- Savings Returns by Achieving the Together to Goal Program Metrics
• Hierarchical Condition Category Risk Adjustment Documentation in Epic
• Clinical Decision Support System for the Prenatal Care of Obese Patients at a Family Practice Residency Clinic
• Engaging High-Need Patients to Produce Scalable High-Value Health Care
• A Care Management Dashboard for Population Stratification using Johns Hopkins ACG System in the Enterprise Data Warehouse

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Capstone Project

The Capstone Project is the culminating experience required for graduation from the Master of Public Health Program. MPH students apply the knowledge and skills learned in class to public health problems in a chosen skillset or area of interest under the guidance of a Capstone Mentor. The projects should be chosen to help students address their academic interests and afford them an opportunity to master advanced public health competencies. The MPH capstone satisfies the CEPH Integrated Learning Experience.

Supporting Students in Capstone

To support this process, students are required to take two semester-long Capstone courses, Capstone I and Capstone II. Capstone I will help guide students in selecting an appropriate project, identifying a mentor, and starting their project, while Capstone II will help guide them in completing their project, analyzing any results, and developing deliverables. At the end, students submit a written paper and deliver a 10-minute public presentation. The nature and scope of the capstone project is determined collaboratively by the student, Capstone Mentor, and their Capstone Instructor, but they should be scaled appropriately for the time frame available.

Your Capstone Team

MPH students are not alone in completing their Capstone Project at any point in the process; there are different support systems in place to carry you through from project formation to completion and delivery.

Who is your Capstone Mentor?

Your Capstone Mentor is a public health professional and expert in the field of your Capstone who helps guide you through the project. Students collaborate with and seek the counsel of their Mentor to ensure their project is conducted thoroughly, being mindful of standards of the field. A project can have mentoring team, such as a content mentor and a methods mentor.

Who is your Capstone Instructor?

Your Capstone Instructor is an MPH teaching faculty who leads your Capstone seminar courses. You could have the same Capstone I and II instructor or they could be different, but your instructor will be there throughout your project as a support system to answer questions, adjust scope, assist with hurdles, and maintain perspective. The Capstone I instructor supports you in creating or finding a project, identifying a Capstone Mentor, and setting up a plan to carry out the project. The Capstone II instructor picks up the project and guides you to completion, confirming what written deliverables are needed and assisting in the preparation of your 20 minute professional presentation.

What is the role of your Capstone classmates?

Your Capstone classmates are as much a resource as your Mentor and Instructor. Capstone I and II seminars use peer-review and shared learning to help students progress through their own project while supporting their peers on their projects. From sharing project hurdles and overcoming them to motivating each other through preparing written deliverables to serving as a practice audience for presentation “dry-runs,” your Capstone classmates are your biggest cheerleaders and another incredible support mechanism.

From the very first day of Capstone, I felt supported and encouraged enough to delve deep into my specific area of interest. I was able to thoroughly cement my research, policy analysis, and public speaking skills, all while actively advancing the current academic literature. Without the Capstone process, I wouldn’t be nearly as confident in calling myself a public health professional, and I am extremely grateful for the opportunity.

Michael Adjei-Poku

MPH Student

Halle’s Capstone Project in Urban Farming

My Capstone experience allowed me to make a real difference in a community I love. I wanted to give back and the guidance of my mentor really helped me make a tangible impact for an organization I’m passionate about. My mentor helped the Capstone process unfold organically which helped ease a lot of anxiety and doubt that I had. I gained a lot of confidence in my skill set through this experience.

Halle Watkin

Working with Capstone mentees is one of my favorite ways to engage with our MPH students. Supporting their ideas and public health passions to bring a Capstone project to fruition is a privilege and I am always amazed at the incredible work they do!

Heather Klusaritz

Capstone Instructor

Capstone Skills vs Content Area

MPH Students can tailor their Capstone Projects to the kinds of skills they want to learn and grow or  focus their efforts on numerous public health content areas to prepare them to be future public health professionals. Below is a non-exhaustive list of the content areas and skillsets our students have explored in their Capstone work.

Skills Gained

Community Needs Assessment (surveys, logic models, focus groups, key informant interviews)

Systematic / Narrative Review (quantitative and/or qualitative, thematic analysis)

Program Development (creating an intervention or curriculum)

Program Evaluation (quantitative and/or qualitative)

Policy Brief / Policy Analysis (evidence-based analysis)

Quality Improvement Programs (run charts, go-sees, additional quantitative and/or qualitative analyses, creating an A3, process mapping)

Public Health Education and Health Communication (pamphlets, podcasts, apps, websites, blogs, community resources, instructional seminar/training/curricula, online social media platform)

Creating a Survey or other Measurement Tool (quantitative and/or qualitative)

Research Projects (primary or secondary, quantitative or qualitative)

Community Based Participatory Research (stakeholder engagement, recruitment, organizing/running meetings, community engagement and needs assessments, team building)

Implementation Science Projects (quantitative and/or qualitative)

Data Analysis (quantitative and/or qualitative, GIS, epidemiology, large and small datasets)

Content Areas

Adolescent and Young Adult Health

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)

Aging, Memory, and Geriatric Health

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD)

Behavioral Economics

Cancer Risk and Screenings

Chronic Disease Issues

city planning and housing issues

communicable diseases

community health

criminal justice issues

driving safety

environmental health issues

food insecurity

Geography & Health

gender affirming healthcare needs

global health issues

gun violence

health journalism

health law and health policy

health literacy

healthcare decision making

homelessness and housing insecurity

hospital policies and practices

infectious diseases

intimate partner violence (IPV)

LGBTQIA+ healthcare needs

maternal and child health

Mental Health

oral health and public health dentistry

peer support and peer education

public health risk preparedness

race, systemic racism, and health disparities in various public health areas

refugee and immigrant health

reproductive health issues

substance use, addiction, and recovery

support for non-English speaking and ESL populations

vaccine intention and hesitancy

zoonotic and veterinary diseases (One Health)

My capstone project explores the integration of public health education into San Cristóbal, Galápagos. Working collaboratively with our partners in Galápagos, we have been able to produce several lesson plans and identify other routes outside of school to reinforce these topics. My time in Galápagos has been enriching and invaluable.

Darby Gallagher

MPH STudent

Home > Public Health > IPH_CAPSTONE

Public Health Capstone Projects

Capstone projects from 2024 2024.

Can’t Help You Here; Barriers to Access and Necessary Measures for Improving Health Inequities for Transgender Sex Workers , Andrew E. Colvin

PrEP Inequities Among Black and Latino MSM in the United States: Identifying Barriers and Opportunities Using a Social Ecological Model (SEM) Framework , Ryan Fisher

Tracking Childhood Vaccination Trends by Race: Analyzing MMR-Only, DTaP-Only, and Varicella-Only Vaccine Coverage Rates from 2016-2022 , Victoria Gallagher

Payment Assessment of Giving Birth in America Among Insurance Types for Years 2017 through 2021 , Jacy D. Harrell

The Association between Oral Contraceptives and Cardiovascular Disease: A Biomarker Analysis using Total Cholesterol, Low-Density Lipoprotein, and High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein , Maryam Z. Kenning

The Relationship between Mental and Environmental Health in Urban Salvador Brazil: Development of a Research Protocol , Rashad Parmer

Long COVID Among US Women: Racial Disparities and the Mediating Role of Severe COVID Infection , Amelia Phan

Analyzing the Associations between Pre- and Post-COVID-19 Pandemic Childhood ADHD Prevalence, Demographics and Environmental Factors in the United States , Reisha Rhodenbaugh

Health Care Toolkit to Support Patients with Disabilities , Sydnie E. Smith

The Most Diverse Square Mile in America: Sociodemographic, Health Profiles, and Access to Healthcare among the Refugee, Immigrant, and Migrant Population in Clarkston, Georgia , Win Min Thein

Assessment of a Multidisciplinary Feeding Program's Caregiver Education Material through the Application of Health Literacy Principles , Mary Thomas

Capstone Projects from 2023 2023

Positive Behavior Support Parent Academy Curriculum - An Additional Approach , Lupe Arteaga

Association between Socio economic Factors and Contraceptive Use among Married Women in Guinea and Mali: An Examination of the Demographic and Health Survey Data 2018 , Mamadou Abdoulaye R Diallo

Fall Risk Assessment of Elderly Community-Dwelling Individuals , Jha'Meisheia Griffin

Reducing Health Disparities for U.S. Hispanics by Increasing the Cultural Literacy of Nutrition Professionals , Norma Esther Guardado López

The Associations between Selected Demographic, Socioeconomic, and Health Factors for Depression in Elderly Americans , Pema Lhewa

Epigenetic Changes and Health Disparities: An Evaluation Plan for Mamatoto Village Programming , Diamond T. Robinson

Adapting the International Protocol for Sexual Violence within the Department of Defense: Sexual Assault Prevention & Response Office , Tehnyat Sohail

Stigma, Social Norms, and Culture as Mediators of HIV and AIDS Incidence in South Africa , Skyeisha Swain

Capstone Projects from 2022 2022

Survival of Anthrax Patients with Fluid Collections by Treatment Status , Sophie Binney

A Review of Economic Policies to Reduce and Prevent Child Maltreatment and Other Adverse Childhood Experiences , Kaila Farmer

Behavioral and Epidemiological factors behind Vaccine Hesitancy in The United States , Maggie Hanusek

The Evaluation Plan for the LGBTQ+ Runaway & Homelessness Youth (LRHY) Outreach Program , Jade Matthews

Analysis of the Association between Physical and Mental Health in Adults: Understanding the Literature and Developing a Plan for Future Research , Max Moskowitz

Health Insurance Status and Severe Maternal Morbidity Outcomes in the United States - A Policy Review , Adejumobi Otekunrin

The Associations Between Overweight/Obesity Among Children and Select Social and Economic Predictors , Lauren A. Powell

“We Really are Seeing Racism in the Hospitals”: Racism and Doula Care , Ayeesha Sayyad

Concepts for Antiracist Policy Formulation , Sophia Steinberg

“a Doula Is Not a Visitor...a Birth Doula Is an Essential Part of the Birth Team”: Interprofessional Dynamics among Doulas, Doctors, and Nurses , Kaniya Williamson

Capstone Projects from 2021 2021

Challenges and Prospects of Implementing Mobile Health in Angola: Lessons Learned from Kenya and Denmark. , Maria da Graca Ambrosio

Evaluating Funding Structures of Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) in Metropolitan Atlanta: A Basis for Public Policy , Mamta Sanam Chaudhary

Levels of Engagement in a Comprehensive Parenting Intervention to Reduce Child Neglect Among Mothers without a High School Diploma: A Profile Examination , De Gao

The Need for Speed: Broadband Access as a Social Determinant of Health , Mwoddah Habib

An Evaluation Plan for Georgia's Injury Prevention Program , Joy Ngene

Examining United States Drug Policy from 2010-2021: A Qualitative Summation Using PEST Framework Model , Izadora A. Nunes

U.S. Rural Healthcare Shortage: A Review of Strategies in the U.S., Canada, and Colombia. , Carlos Perez

Comparing Water Quality Data of Atlanta's Sewage Overflows and Spills , Bonnie M. Pirlot

Policy Recommendations to Address Disproportionate Health Outcomes Caused by Healthy Food Access in Relation to Housing Districts Segregated by Class and Race , Roselyn Quarcoo

Characterization of Hand Hygiene Techniques Among Intensive Care Nurses: A Descriptive Study , Ashley L. Reyes

Analysis of Loss of Work during the COVID-19 Pandemic in the United States , Mira Shah

Research Proposal: COVID-19 Pandemic and Birth Experiences: Describing the Relationship Between Policies and the Birth Experiences of Georgia Mothers , Katherine Thornburgh

Georgia Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC) Resource and Protocol Guide , Sanon Williams

Developing and Disseminating the Children’s Environmental Health Index with Web GIS , Allegra Yeley

Branched Chain Amino Acids and Risk of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Literature Review , Alina Yemelyanov

Capstone Projects from 2020 2020

The Role of Policy in Preventing Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and Childhood Trauma in Georgia , Hallie Andrews

StayNeighbor: Community Platform for Essential Supplies and Services During the COVID-19 Pandemic , Samuel Archbold

Strategies in Maintaining Financial Sustainability of National Health Insurance Under A Single-payer System in Indonesia, Taiwan, and Canada: A Comparative Study , Arif Budiman

Aligning the Georgia Child Abuse & Neglect Prevention Plan with Governor Kemp's Priorities and Initiatives , Taylor Jennings

Healthcare for All: Achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) through the Strengthening of Health Systems , Diene Kaba

Youth Vaping: An Analysis of an Epidemic , Tina Kilpatrick

Georgia’s Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation Prevention Technical Assistance Resource Guide (TARG) Evaluation Report , Maureen Oginga

U.S. Opioid Epidemic: Challenges and Opportunities for Evidence-based Policies , Imoh S. Okon

The Association between Mental Illness and Incarceration Among the African American/Black Population in the United States , Brittany Oladipupo

Capstone Projects from 2019 2019

A Cross-Sectional Study to Identify Factors Associated with Extrapulmonary Tuberculosis Among Foreign-Born In DeKalb County Georgia During 2008-2018 , Chinedu F. Egbuonu

WHO Drinking Water Guidelines , Aja Jagne

Evaluating Strategies for Community-sourced Photography for Mapping Alcohol Adverts in the Urban Slums in Kampala, Uganda , Joseph Madden

Community Organizing as a Vehicle to Promote Public Health in Clarkston, GA: A Literature Review & Case Study of Georgia Refugee Health and Mental Health , Maylott Mulugeta

The Use of Art to Increase Awareness about Mental Well-being and Promotion of Mental Health among the African American Community , Andromada Murden

Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Opt-out Testing in a Southern Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) , Leah Pinholster

A Resource Guide on the Epidemiology, Prevention, and Treatment of Opioid and Other Substance Use. , Anthony F. Rotoloni

Promoting an Urban Utopia: The Role of Community Gardens on Community Vitality , Kayla Danielle Staley

Augmenting Coastal Georgia’s Fresh-Water Supply while Reducing Local Salt-Water Intrusion into Groundwater Reservoirs , Forrest A. Strickland

Capstone Projects from 2018 2018

A Resource Guide To Empower Older Adults to Make Informed Health Decisions About Prescription Opioids And The Potential For Misuse , Kandia S. Al-Haddad

Program Evaluation Aspects of Atlanta Streets Alive , Rebecca A. Ament

A Systematic Analysis of Hepatitis C Virus Screening Trends and Linkage to Care Program in the United States , Ijeoma Azih

Understanding Educational Vulnerability in the Context of Disasters Using Visualizations , Cherish Caldwell

Tobacco-free Campus Post-implementation Program , Ashley Campbell

Examining the Relationship between Drought and Mental Health Outcomes of Depression and Anxiety in the U.S. , Robyn J. Cathey

Urban Water Planning in Lagos, Nigeria: An Analysis of Current Infrastructure Developments and Future Water Management Solutions , Adaure Chiori

A Review of Childhood Obesity Prevention Efforts among Evidence-Based Home Visiting Programs , Olga Costa

Prevention Messages to Reduce the Risk of Shigellosis among Men who have Sex with Men , Steve Evener

A Baseline Comparison of PATSCH and Parent as Teachers , Irasema Garcia-Rosales

A Mobile Initiative for Waste Disposal in Bringing Awareness to the Damage Littering Behavior Has on Storm Drains , Kimberly Hung

Examining the Community Outreach Efforts of Local African American Religious Organizations in Relation to Drug Use and HIV Transmission , Alyshia Jackson

A Qualitative Analysis of the Environmental and Personal Factors which Influence the Help-Seeking Behaviors of Men who have Sex with Men in Light of the Emerging Threat of Antimicrobial Resistance to Shigella Bacteria , Kathleen Jacobson

Alcohol Use among Orphans in Sub-saharan Africa: a Literature Review , Megan M. Mallett

Community- Based Walking Programs to Reduce Chronic Illness Among Racial/Ethnic Minorities in Limited Resource Neighborhoods: A Literature Review and Program Materials for Walk the Line , Alanti McGill

Consolidating Resources for the Aged-Out Human Trafficking Population Using a Mobile Application , Soumya Nalli

Mobile Application for Survivors of Domestic Violence , Varsha Neelam

A Historical Review of the Influenza Outbreaks Within Military Settings and Understanding the Viral Spread of the 1918 Influenza Pandemic , Naomi Ngadiman

How Social and Lifestyle Factors of African American Women Influence Behavior and Prevalence of Obesity: Literature Review , Briana E. Oliver

The Epidemiology of Wasting in Nigeria , Oluwatoyin Victoria Omotosho

Understanding Open Access Data Using Visualizations in R , Hazel Shah

An Evaluation of A National Sexual Violence Prevention Program: The Rape Prevention and Education Program , Arielle Shiver

Protecting College Students with Good Samaritan Policies: A Call to Action! , Nia Sutton

Assessment of Policies and Programs That Apply Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study Research , Rohjan Tajik

Capstone Projects from 2017 2017

Policy Recommendations for Addressing Health Insurance Network Adequacy and Provider Network Standards in the Georgia Insurance Market , Oluwatoyin Adedapo-Jimoh

A Grant Proposal to Evaluate the Effect Antibiotic TB Treatment has on the Gut Microbiota and on Metabolic Functions of Pediatric TB Patients in Dekalb County , Oluwatobiloba Adeola Akingbade

An Evaluation of a School-based Behavioral Health Initiative in Three Rural Counties , Bianca Anderson

Relationships Between Physical Activity and Neighborhood Walking Characteristics: Analysis of the 2015 National Health Interview Survey , Colby Brown

Epidemiology of Type 2 Diabetes in populations of African Descent , Kenyatta Bruce

Physical Injury as a Result of Intimate Partner Violence: An Individual, County, and State Level Analysis , Sharon Caslin

Factors That Contribute to The Disproportionate Rates of HIV among Black Men Who Have Sex with Men (MSM): A Systematic Review , Santanna S. Comer

Exploring Mental Health Services for Women Post Incarceration , Jalisa Cruver

An Examination of Metabolic Syndrome in Asthmatic Subjects: A Study Using the 2013-2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey , Jasmine N. Cunningham

Health Interventions to Promote the Polio Vaccine within the Global Polio Eradication Initiative: A Systematic Review From 2000-2014. , Aime Serge Dali

Evidence of Injury Following Sexual Assault: A Research Proposal , Brea Echard

Street Medicine: A Program Evaluation , Ariel L. Edwards

Exploring Strategies to Increase Fruit and Vegetable Consumption Among Students in a School Cafeteria , Abigail Furtner

Branched Chain Amino Acids: Causal or Predictive of Type 2 Diabetes , Jency George

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• Master of Science in Biomedical Informatics

Capstone Project

Experiential learning with a capstone project, develop and lead an actionable biomedical informatics plan.

Professional experience is an essential part of the Master of Science in Biomedical Informatics (MScBMI) at the University of Chicago. As the culminating experience of the program, you will work with an organization to solve a biomedical informatics problem. You will work on real projects solving real problems for businesses in research, technology, healthcare, or education.

This challenging and rewarding project will give you experience in the field, help you build connections, and increase your career potential.

Build a network while solving real-world problems

Make a difference while you are still a student.

The Capstone process provides a path to build expertise in your focus area, connect with your cohort, and meet potential employers or references.

It is designed to offer students an opportunity to gain experience working on real-life biomedical informatics-related problems. You will network with key industry leaders and will have individualized instruction from your academic advisor. This experience will push you into discovery, pave the way for published research, help you explore potential employment opportunities, and challenge you with problem-based work – all having an immediate and positive impact on your career.

Capstone teams engage with problems that may have wide-ranging effects in a variety of settings including clinical, research, and industry. Students identify the knowledge and framework required to address the problem and use the methodologies learned in the Biomedical Informatics program coursework to develop strategies which may involve creating new information management resources, optimizing current data systems, conducting data analysis, and scoping new solutions.

Capstone Project details

• Capstone Overview: The capstone project is a degree requirement for students and is completed during the last three quarters of their program. Students work in small teams with a business partner to address key problems the company needs to solve. The program aids students in identifying viable projects and establishing a scientific advisory panel for oversight and mentorship. At our Capstone Showcase events, all projects are presented to faculty and sponsors for review and evaluation. (link to more details?)
• Capstone Course Sequence: The Capstone course sequence consists of three consecutive classes. You will work directly with a Capstone sponsor according to your preferences, professional experience, and skills. After completing your research, you will produce a final report with all essential components of an academic paper.
• Capstone Sponsor: Your Capstone sponsor is a representative from the organization sponsoring your project who will directly oversee your work. You will connect with your sponsor weekly or bi-weekly to discuss your project’s deliverables, goals, and scope. 
• Scientific Advisors: Scientific advisors are MScBMI program instructors with subject-matter expertise on your project. You will meet with them regularly to talk about your proposal, research methods, and presentation.
• Choosing a Capstone Partner: UChicago provide a portfolio of projects students may be matched to, based on their skills and interest. This provides them a vetted project, sponsor or researcher with real-world problem. Partnerships test program knowledge, but also skills like leadership, time management, project management, and teamwork. Some students get hired into the partner organization after graduation, while others find it easier to obtain a new role based on this experience and references from the project work. Students may also propose their own project. It may be related to work or research they are interested in but must be something outside of their normal daily job responsibilities.

Capstone Projects tailored to your area of specialization and interest

Some of our recent topics:.

Students evaluated the frequency and causes of duplicate computed tomography (CT) scanning in receiving pediatric and adult trauma centers and considered use of electronic methods for image exchange.

Impact: Utilized scholarly research database to conduct literature review and concluded an industry-wide standards-based framework to facilitate the seamless electronic exchange of images is necessary to reduce duplication.

Students developed analytic template leveraging grouper methodology to examine health expenditures of a large corporation’s population.

Impact: Identified major drivers of population costs utilizing data analytics and visualization tools.

A cancer center at a large university has developed a research data warehouse for translational research. Data is generated across multiple domains and stored in a centralized repository. Robust Extract-Transform-Load capabilities have been missing. Students evaluated and made recommendations for ETL workflow.

Impact: Identified ETL workflow, informatics pipeline, and data quality-control strategies. Reviewed data collection process and documented risks to data quality. Proposed learning system approach for continuous data collection.

The need exists to characterize disease occurring in population with moderate-to-severe psoriasis (PsO) that may not be applicable to mild PsO or the general population. Students evaluated and identified cohorts based on EMR information.

Impact: Utilized EMR data to identify and stratify cohort of patients with PsO by severity based on their medication. Conducted descriptive and regression-based tree analyses to characterize each cohort. Concluded characteristics of those within the moderate-to-severe PsO cohort included advanced age, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes consistent with literature describing patients with more severe forms of PsO.

Gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma has a poor prognosis, high molecular heterogeneity and few targeted therapeutic options. Guardant360 is a clinical 73-gene next generation sequencing (NGS) panel for plasma circulating tumor (ct)DNA. Students evaluated a global cohort of 1314 Guardant360 tests to determine correlations between allele frequency of ctDNA, median overall survival and immunotherapy-treated survival.

Impact: Concluded ctDNA analysis merits further evaluation as a prognostic and predictive biomarker and in evaluating molecular heterogeneity.

Students evaluated correlation between pre-operative lab data and post-discharge adverse outcomes in elective hip and knee joint replacement.

Impact: Identified significant laboratory tests, risk adjusted data, and used logistic regression to predict an adverse event. Concluded abnormal values of Albumin and Hemoglobin were significant predictors of prolonged length of stay in both hip and knee patients.

Students developed a tool to assist clinical genomics group in handling the increasing volume of patient genetic data for a large healthcare system.

Impact: Utilized programming scripts to extract, transform and load data from dbSNP, ClinVar and COSMIC into postgreSQL database. Genetic information is now available through a single resource which helps with repeatability, documentation, and incidental reporting.

Students developed web-based database management system for acute care surgical residents.

Impact: Improved data collection and analysis for tracking patient status and estimate operative complication risks. Improved resident workflow and quality measures, provided residents with individual complication rates.

Shape the Future of Health Informatics: Become a Capstone Advisor or Sponsor

Are you passionate about driving innovation in healthcare technology? We invite industry leaders and experts to join us as a Capstone sponsors for our prestigious Biomedical Informatics program at UChicago.

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Home > PCEC > CIS > MBI_CAPSTONE

Health Informatics and Bioinformatics Capstone Projects

Submissions from 2020 2020.

Impact of HITECH ACT on Electronic Health Records (EHR) systems : A Literature Review , Snigdha Chintalaphani

Gene Expression Changes in CD4+ T Cells Exposed to Endothelial Cells and Implications for HIV-1 Infection , Brenna Kizer

A Literature Review of:Has Electronic Health Records decrease Mortality Rates , Robert Locke

Identifying and Visualizing Various Risk Factors of Heart Disease Data , Sai Kumar Murakonda

Educational interventions and Meaningful use of Electronic Health Records – a literature review , Ramanjaneyulu Potru

An Evaluation of Machine Learning Methods to Predict Ferritin from Clinical Laboratory Results and Demographics , Laura Tate

Comparative analysis of machine learning algorithms' ability to predict in-hospital mortality in Myocardial Infarction patients , Jigyasha Timsina

A Systematic Review on Challenges associated with Computerized Decision Making in Dentistry , Kalyani Yedla

Submissions from 2018 2018

Identifying Features that Impact Diabetes Mellitus Readmission Rates , Omotayo Emmanuel Ajileye

Identifying and Predicting Areas of Increasing Heart Disease Mortality in the United States , Jacob Bourgeois

Impact of EHR Usability on Patient-Provider Relationships and Health Outcomes A Literature Review , Jamie Cole

Prediction Comparative Study on Cervical Cancer Analysis in Women using Machine Learning Algorithms , Upendra Naik Khimavath

Leading Cause of Death in the US -- Prediction and Visual Analysis , Pavan Kumar Komma

Comparison of Machine Learning Algorithms on Mental Health Survey Data , Vyshanavi Priyanka Kotla

Comparison of Supervised Machine Algorithms by Classifying a Cardiotocography Data Set , Shreya Paithankar

Submissions from 2017 2017

Data Mining Techniques Applied to the Hydrogen Lactose Breath Test , Vanaja Danda

Health Information Exchange in OPENMRS using HL7 & FHIR , Shivanshu Gupta

Comparative Study of Classification Algorithms in Breast Cancer Prediction , Sai Kotha

Comparing the Performance of Scalpel to GATK-HaplotypeCaller Using Simulated Reads , Matthew Lueder

Diabetes Mellitus Prediction in Women , Rama Musti

Visualizing Smoking Trends in the US , Vittal Kavya Naram

Comparing Classification Algorithms to Predict Vertebral Column Disorder , Sowjanya Ratho

Prediction of Parkinson’s Disease Using Machine Learning Approaches , Gnana Velagapalli

A Data-Driven Approach To Predict Cerebral Aneurysm Ruptures Using Discretized Data , Bhanu Yandrapragada

Submissions from 2016 2016

Exploring Medicare Costs using Machine Learning , Alec Ashburn

A Model for Health Response Assessment (HRA) , Swati Gupta

Prevalence and Severity of Asthmatic Symptoms in Grenada , Rohit Kandalkar

3-D Modeling of Diffusion Limited Aggregation (DLA) in Hydraulics of Urine , Krishna Nadiminiti

Challenges in Clinical Research Informatics: Data Quality and Transferability in Publically Available Databases , Michelle Padley

A Cancer Risk Study , Raveena Pendyam

Investigation of the Relationship of Sleep/Rest to Different Diseases , Garima Vohra

Submissions from 2014 2014

Visualization Models for Anticipated Primary Care Provider Need Under the Insurance Individual Mandate , Mary Ellen Hoinski

Android Mobile Application for tranSMART API , Olvi Tole

Aspects of Cervical Cancer in Rural West Africa , Cheick O. Traore

Factors Associated with Survival Probability of Melanoma Patients: Cox Proportional Hazard Model , Marla Tribble

A Geographical Information Systems Tool for E.coli Monitoring in the Plaster Creek Watershed , Holli Ward

Submissions from 2013 2013

Cost Accrued as a Measure of Hospital Quality Improvement- Can Lean Health Make A Difference , AmarChandra Ganna

Analysis of Virulence Factors of Helicobacter pylori Infection and Human Migration , Yuka Kutsumi

Aspects of Mobile Health in Africa , Cheick Traore

Clinical Decision Support Systems – An Economic Evaluation , Nicholas VanderLaan

Submissions from 2012 2012

Requisites and Best Practices in the Implementation of Lean Principles Applied to Hospital Quality Improvement Initiatives , Chris Bretl

Risk Prediction For A Fly Genome In A Clinical Context , Lakshmi Mamidi

Submissions from 2010 2010

Building a Dynamic Explorer Tree to Investigate Behavioral Risk , James W. Bund

Chronological Age Estimation Of An Individual Using Machine Learning Algorithms , Arjun Kumar Gopal

Epidemiological Data Visualization and Web 2.0 - The U.S. Cause of Death Project , Markus Neuhoff

Improving a Diabetes Type 2 Risk Calculator: A Machine Learning Approach , Mrutyunjaya Parida

Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors in Children: Validating Findings of a C-Reactive Protein Concentration Study , Karthik Ragir

Submissions from 2009 2009

Identification of High-risk and Low-risk Groups among Men Who Chew Tobacco through Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) and Support Vector Machines (SVM) , Divya Gunda and Manjari Vadlapatla

Laboratory-based versus non-laboratory-based method for assessment of cardiovascular disease risk: fatal event prediction using the NHANES III Linked Mortality File in proportional hazards modeling , Kevin Purdue

Evaluating Clinical Information Systems - How the Electronic Medical Record is Used in Hospitals in Michigan , Nonhlanhla Sibanda

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University of Washington

Health Systems and Population Health

School of public health.

• Thesis or Capstone: HSPop MPH
• Academic Experience
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• Health Systems and Population Health Master of Public Health
• Program Experience: HSPop MPH

All UW Health Systems and Population Health Master of Public Health (MPH) students, regardless of their concentration, are required to write a thesis or complete a capstone project as their culminating experience.

Most students in the generalist concentration or Social and Behavioral Sciences (SBS) concentration choose to write a thesis. Students in the Health Systems and Policy (HSP) concentration tend to select a capstone project.

A master’s thesis is original research presented in a scholarly format that generates new knowledge carried out using rigorous methods appropriate to the research questions, while also applying concepts and methods from one or more branches of science relevant to public health.

The thesis demonstrates the student’s comprehensive knowledge of the substantive area of the study and their chosen research methods. The thesis is the culminating work of the master’s program, and an opportunity to integrate and apply content, concepts, methods, and analysis.

Previous Thesis Examples

HSPop MPH student thesis titles, along with Health Services Ph.D. student dissertation titles, are available in the UW Library Research Archives.

A capstone project is a scholarly project usually conducted for, or on behalf of, an organization, constituency, or community.

The capstone project allows students to expand and apply their analytical, policy, and leadership skills by exploring a question of policy importance. The capstone might take the form of an evaluation of the implementation of a piece of legislation or public program, the synthesis of existing data to inform the development of a policy agenda, the collection of new information that changes our understanding of a policy problem, or an analysis of the options available to address a specific policy question.

Previous Capstone Project Examples

Select capstone title examples. This does not include all Health Systems and Population Health MPH capstones from this year.

One Omada: Giving Voice to a Company’s Changing Product Offerings (capstone) Student: Siobhan Kelly Capstone Faculty Chair: Karasz Capstone Faculty Member(s): Chan

The 2020 Washington State Health Equity for Immigrants Report Student: Emily Gibson Capstone Faculty Chair: Baquero Capstone Faculty Member(s): Katz

The 2020 Washington State Health Equity for Immigrants Report Student: Cassidy Farrow Capstone Faculty Chair: Katz Capstone Faculty Member(s): Hagopian

Washington Food System Policy Gap Analysis During COVID-19 Student: Lance Frankel Capstone Faculty Chair: Baquero Capstone Faculty Member(s): Krieger, Colman

Policy Influences on Racial Health Disparities in Washington State: Labor, Housing, Governance, and COVID-19 Student: Hana Hartman Capstone Faculty Chair: Katz Capstone Faculty Member(s): Ornelas

Provide HTIP with a database of all of their evaluation and registration data from the past 12 years. Analyze this database for common themes and provide a set of recommendations for future actions HTIP can take to increase their webinar effectiveness. Student: Katherine Andersen Capstone Faculty Chair: Bekemeier Capstone Faculty Member(s): Rogers

Update and maintain a homeless deaths data set, incorporating meaningful information about homeless deaths in King County. Document the history of the Seattle Women in Black vigils and explore the role of public mourning in activism/organizing for public health issues. Student: Colleen McCarty Capstone Faculty Chair: Hagopian Capstone Faculty Member(s): N/A

What can we learn from the COVID-19 experiences of Sequim Food Bank (SFB), its visitors and volunteers? Student: Shafaq Babar Capstone Faculty Chair: Sharkey Capstone Faculty Member(s): Smith

Medical Provider Fluoride Prescribing Practices Student: Tiffany Bass Capstone Faculty Chair: Chi Capstone Faculty Member(s): Reynolds

Behavioral Health Equity in King County’s Mental Illness and Drug Dependency (MIDD) Sales Tax Fund Student: Christina Caso Capstone Faculty Chair: Chayet Capstone Faculty Member(s): Pfohman

Evaluating Rates of Quantity Not Sufficient Sweat Testing at Seattle Children’s Hospital Student: Marina Choi Capstone Faculty Chair: Klein Capstone Faculty Member(s): Rosenfeld

Using Texas Infertility Prevention Project (TIPP) data to inform sexual and reproductive health initiatives. Student: Katherine Greenawalt Capstone Faculty Chair: Harris Capstone Faculty Member(s): Ambrose

A Virtual Workshop Training to Help Social Networks Engage with Older Adults to Move Safely Student: Evelyn Le Capstone Faculty Chair: Meischke Capstone Faculty Member(s): Phelan

Select capstone title examples. This does not include all Health Services MPH capstones from this year.

The Impact of Medicaid Work Requirements of Tribal Health Systems and American Indian/Alaska Native Medicaid Beneficiaries Student: Daysha Gunther Capstone Faculty Chair: Katz Capstone Faculty Member(s): Duran

Fire Department – REACH Partnership Student: Thomas McAuliffe Capstone Faculty Chair: Meischke Capstone Faculty Member(s): N/A

Implementation Plan of FINDconnect in School Based Health Centers Student: Elizabeth Meiselman Capstone Faculty Chair: Niessen Capstone Faculty Member(s): N/A

Community Health Board Coalition Student: Colin Rhodes Capstone Faculty Chair: Krishnaswamy Capstone Faculty Member(s): Ornelas

Developing an E-Learning Module on Mentoring Student: Jacylyn Litzau Capstone Faculty Chair: Bekemeier Capstone Faculty Member(s): Baquero

Evaluation of medical dental integration strategy: A qualitative study Student: Catherine Pawloski Capstone Faculty Chair: Cunha-Cruz Capstone Faculty Member(s): Senturia

Evaluating the emergency preparedness capabilities of CMS-participating hospice and home health organizations in western Washington Student: Joshua Edrich Capstone Faculty Chair: Errett Capstone Faculty Member(s): Sconyers

County-based health coverage for undocumented adults; Recommendations on how to design health coverage that is accessible and trusted in King County, WA Student: Hannah Rapp Capstone Faculty Chair: Katz Capstone Faculty Member(s): Ornelas

Policy assessment of global rotavirus vaccine Student: Lauren MacHarg Capstone Faculty Chair: Fishman Capstone Faculty Member(s): Stergachis

Evaluating the quality of commentary and integrative health services Student: Sarah McDonald Capstone Faculty Chair: Petrescu-Prahova Capstone Faculty Member(s): Baldwin

Through the Eyes of Community/Cultural Mediators: A Qualitative Evaluation of the Community House Calls Program After Twenty Years Student: Janna Gross Capstone Faculty Chair: Kwan-Gett Capstone Faculty Member(s): Painter

Analysis of Death Records in Washington State Residents with Hepatitis C, Washington State, 2000-2016 Student: Kimberly Desmarais Capstone Faculty Chair: Painter Capstone Faculty Member(s): Jaenicke

In Quest of the Quadruple Aim – Development, Deployment and Assessment of a Team-Based Care Model in a Large Internal Medicine Primary Care Clinic Student: Nathan Morrow Capstone Faculty Chair: Painter Capstone Faculty Member(s): Masuda

The Diamond Project: Cross Jurisdiction Quality Improvements in Immunization Work Student: Kylerose Delaney Capstone Faculty Chair: Bekemeier Capstone Faculty Member(s): Cunha-Cruz

Department of Defense Transgender Policy: Exploring Barriers to Integration and Acceptance Student: Jenny Paul Capstone Faculty Chair: Spigner Capstone Faculty Member(s): Greenwald, Castro

Exploring the feasibility of non-potable water reuse systems in Washington State: professional perspectives on need, safety, economic viability, and impact on existing water/sewer utilities Student: Wesley Loven Capstone Faculty Chair: Spigner Capstone Faculty Member(s): Mazengia

Competencies, Trainings and Team Environment: A Qualitative Approach to Understanding the Needs of the CHW Workforce in a Primary Care Clinic Student: Leah Wainman Capstone Faculty Chair: Petrescu-Prahova Capstone Faculty Member(s): N/A

Pilot Study for Longitudinal Tracking of Eco-Evolutionary Dynamics in the Gut and Immune System Development in an Infant Cohort Student: Amanda Holmes Capstone Faculty Chair: Painter Capstone Faculty Member(s): N/A

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Students in the Masters of Public Health (MPH) program are required to complete a Capstone project to address a public health issue through the lens of management; quality improvement; program planning, implementation or evaluation; policy; practice; or research. The capstone is undertaken near the end of the course of study and all required MPH courses should be completed prior to registering for the Capstone course (MPH 699).

The capstone project is a self-directed, independent endeavor completed with guidance from the capstone course manager, a capstone advisor (first reader), and an external partner (second reader). Group capstones may be available in special circumstances, under the direction of the capstone course manager. The level of effort and amount of time spent on the capstone is expected to approximate the level of effort of a one-semester, 3 credit course. Capstone presentation dates are available during the fall and spring semesters.

Capstone projects should ideally be designed to benefit a community partner or program, including efforts within the Muskie School’s Cutler Institute.

The Capstone project encompasses four assignments:

• Written proposal (non-graded) – The proposal must be approved by the advisor and first reader prior to the proposal presentation.
• Proposal presentation (non-graded) – Students will receive feedback from faculty and others. Visual aids are encouraged.
• Capstone (graded) – This will be a written product appropriate to the topic, created after carrying out the work of the proposal.
• Final presentation (graded) – Students will present the project and its findings to faculty, students, and other interested parties. The presentation will include a discussion with the audience. Visual aids are encouraged.

Completed capstones from former students are available through Digital Commons .

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• v.9(Summer); Summer 2012

Developing a Capstone Course within a Health Informatics Program

Gary hackbarth.

Gary Hackbarth, PhD, is an assistant professor in the College of Informatics at Northern Kentucky University in Highland Heights, KY.

Teuta Cata, PhD, is an associate professor in the College of Informatics at Northern Kentucky University in Highland Heights, KY.

Laura Cole, MBA, PMP, is a project manager for Catholic Health Initiatives in Lexington, KY.

This article discusses the ongoing development of a health informatics capstone program in a Midwest university from the hiring of a program coordinator to the development of a capstone course, through initial student results. University health informatics programs require a strong academic program to be successful but also require a spirited program coordinator to manage resources and organize an effective capstone course. This is particularly true of health informatics master's programs that support health industry career fields, whereby employers can locate and work with a pool of qualified applicants. The analysis of students’ logs confirms that students’ areas of focus and concern are consistent with course objectives and company work requirements during the work-study portion of the student capstone project. The article further discusses lessons learned and future improvements to be made in the health informatics capstone course.

Introduction

Are master's degree candidates prepared for the professional world as they approach graduation? This question hinges on student career choices and the expectations of future employers searching the applicant pool for just the right person. Universities are caught between competing requirements as they justifiably teach a range of courses that give students a depth and breadth of knowledge across a broad range of academic areas while developing academic majors that interest students and target career fields in the business/healthcare domain. Students leave the university feeling that academia is not totally in tune with the real world, and potential employers feel that students are unprepared for reality since a university education does not provide all the necessary background and basic core experiences needed to succeed in the professional world. Capstone courses serve to bridge this gap.

A well-developed healthcare informatics capstone course can be an essential bridge between students and the real world. 1 Further, this course can serve as a bidirectional link whereby students bring back real-world knowledge to educate fellow students, faculty, and the academic administrators responsible for developing course materials and providing resources to faculty. 2 Employers can become intimately engaged in the learning process by providing feedback to faculty that improves the program's courses. The key in developing these relationships is hiring a program coordinator with the professional skills needed to fine-tune the program's goals, coordinate faculty activities with the needs of industry partners, and direct students in their final course before graduation. This article discusses the ongoing development of a capstone course in a health informatics program designed to integrate classroom knowledge with practical industry experiences within an academic structure by placing students in a professional situation whereby they perform as real employees but also must reflect upon what they are learning.

This article describes the creation of a health informatics program, selection of the program coordinator, the evolution and development of the health informatics capstone course, and student performance in the course. Conclusions are drawn from the experience, and recommendations for future improvement to overcome miscues and move constructively forward are discussed.

Creating a Health Informatics Program

Health informatics is a specialized field of study dating from the 1970s that integrates the concepts of clinical informatics (the principal focus of which is on patient care) and general healthcare information systems (IS), which focuses on institutional administration. Targeted business needs range from the storage, retrieval, and interpretation of information in the context of patient care to the implementation and management of complex information systems used in the administration of healthcare. The key players in health informatics include hospitals; physician networks and practice groups; third-party payers and regulatory agencies; and industry suppliers such as pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology companies, and vendors of hospital equipment and medical supplies. Within the context of health informatics, the subfield of clinical informatics focuses on computer applications that address medical data (collection, analysis, and representation of information). 3

A successful health informatics program should have a community focus, a desire to aggressively revise the curriculum, an existing technology community, an existing healthcare community, and the desire to leverage regional healthcare needs. 4 The distinguishing characteristic for such a program is the focus on the integration and interoperability of technology within the managerial and communication context of the healthcare business environment. Martz et al. (2007) discussed the development of a health informatics graduate program; however, over the intervening years, academic and governmental policy and business needs have led to an expanded interest in the curriculum, making it necessary to create a capstone course that meets different stakeholder needs than could be achieved in a typical work-study program, internship, or co-op. 5 The overall health informatics program at this university still addresses clinical informatics and health IS concerns by focusing on the integration and interoperability of technology within the context of healthcare management. However, the capstone course was envisioned to integrate multiple disciplines such as information technology (IT), project management, workflow analysis, business process redesign, and so forth.

A critical success factor for the program was hiring an aggressive coordinator who could inform employers of the unique contributions of the program. Students with a medical background needed to be placed within a medical IT environment where they could demonstrate their new IT skills. Traditional IT students needed to be in a medical environment where they could practice medical terminology (vocabulary) and apply their IT skills. Employers selected to participate in the program are required to assign students to jobs that complement what they have learned rather than jobs that simply require completing projects that have been on the back burner or just being somebody's assistant for a few months. It is important to emphasize that the hybrid capstone course uniquely targets students with a broad range of IT, business, and professional medical backgrounds that addresses the business needs of the medical community.

The terms internship and capstone course can be used interchangeably in terms of student learning and experience gained; however, the hybrid approach of our course requires a much closer scrutiny in the selection of the internship location and the assigned student work experience. Students must work in the healthcare industry, work in a business area where they have not worked before, participate in a meaningful activity that broadens their new skill set, and complete regular reports for the program coordinator. Further, we envisioned a joint selection process that places a student based on educational requirements and organizational needs.

Upon completion of the capstone course, we wanted graduates to be ready for hiring within the healthcare industry. Such a graduate would have desirable and proven skills. The closer relationship between students, the program coordinator, and healthcare organizations would allow for more timely updates of the curriculum and a work environment with documented student success on both the program and business sides. This interaction would create a synergistic effect whereby successful students would be hired or promoted and thus encourage other students and healthcare organizations to participate in the program.

The Capstone Coordinator

Selecting a capstone coordinator was the first step in creating a sound program. Experience from similar programs suggested that programs without a champion typically stalled or failed to progress. Considerable thought went into the type of individual and the complementary skills needed to grow the type of program we foresaw. In general, we envisioned that students would complement their course work with some kind of work-study program to establish their credibility as they ultimately sought new positions within the healthcare industry.

Beyond this vision, we had little funding, some interest from a small number of employers, a few students interested in the concept, and buy-in from college leadership, who agreed that a capstone course/program was a future direction in which they wanted the college to go.

Qualifications, Functions, and Job Qualifications

A list of capstone coordinator qualifications was contrived based on what we thought was needed to advance the program. This list was used to screen applicants and guide the interview process. Candidate qualifications, functions, and job requirements included the following:

• Have strong ties to the state and/or community.
• Have a healthcare background.
• Have the ability to advise graduate students.
• Be a member of the college's Master of Health Informatics (MHI) program advisory board.
• Chair student capstone committees.
• Maintain the MHI website.
• Have strong references indicating a wide network of contacts.
• Participate in the writing of healthcare grants.
• Be a leader in the recruitment of students.
• Develop community relationships and expand the diversity of organizations considered for student internships.
• Expand the program into the public health sector.
• Be familiar with federal, regional, state, and local quality improvement programs and healthcare initiatives in general.

Student Relationships

• Assist students in developing resumes and electronic portfolios.
• Mentor students in personal habits and job productivity skills.
• Mentor students about the healthcare culture and professional conduct.
• Guide students to schedule about 12 hours a week for their capstone experience.
• Encourage students to seek a professional mentor.

Capstone Courses in IS and Health Programs

A capstone course is offered toward the end of an academic program and integrates student knowledge accumulated during previous courses. 7 , 8 These courses integrate a variety of learning styles, focus on hands-on experiences, and prepare graduates for the transition to a professional career. Students should work on a variety of projects utilizing different skills but must also complete documentation that assesses their training. Faculty members oversee the course and optimize student learning experiences. 9

A survey of capstone courses brought to light many different approaches and designs that need to be considered in designing a course. 10 A crucial aspect of any course design is deciding which topics and skills should be the focus of the course. 11 Further, a well-thought-out capstone course should be comprehensive in nature, allowing for a large range of student abilities. 12 Beachboard and Beard discuss a capstone course in information systems at the undergraduate level as being beneficial to students and requiring faculty who are knowledgeable in the area from both the academic and practitioner perspectives. 13 Murray et al. suggest an assessment-based capstone course that includes the mapping of project deliverables and tying them to specific learning outcomes. 14

Brandon and Pruett discussed the development and implementation of an undergraduate capstone course on IT management from the student perspective. 15 The focus of this course was to create opportunities for undergraduate students to assess business problems; apply IS skills such as systems analysis and design, database management, and other skills; and employ creativity and critical thinking, writing, and presentation skills. The course design included activities such as readings on recent trends in both business and IT development, analysis of business cases, written and verbal reporting, a team project, and a capstone project. The results of this study showed that technically focused students underappreciated or misunderstood the management side of organizations.

Understanding the organizational and management side of a company is important. Master's degree students at the University of South Florida 16 participated in a team-based two-semester capstone course in which students learned to solve problems and integrate learned skills. Similarly, Steiger had students work on a project that integrated different business functions and emphasized a hands-on approach to solve business problems, which offered more learning opportunities than a case-based learning approach. 17 Harper et al. encouraged cooperation between instructors and the use of case studies to help students better understand business functions and problems. 18

Schwartz and Schwartz suggested an alternative approach to capstone courses that involved coordinated lectures by both faculty and IT professionals, whereby faculty served as facilitators of the seminars. 19 The seminars were an opportunity for students to network with professionals and understand how learned material applied in a professional setting. Students connected with IT professionals and recognized the need to master skills such as critical thinking, technical skills, and business skills in order to establish a successful IT career. Structurally, this course addressed five learning objectives that we considered integrating into our own program:

• Participate in discussions with members of the business community in a small-group setting,
• Compare real-world scenarios with prior student learning objectives,
• Compare written reflections from class discussions with students’ own work experiences,
• Write a term paper in which students critique their own work environment based on what they learned from the capstone course, and
• Make recommendations for their own work environment based on the knowledge they received during seminars.

Astani suggested an active learning approach to help students understand IS issues from the chief information officer (CIO) perspective. 20 In this capstone course approach, students tied together IS issues with prevailing attitudes suggested by IS professionals. Current IS issues were identified from IS journals and were rated by interviewing local CIOs. The interviews and ratings of IS issues encouraged students to consider the impact of these issues on their business region.

A capstone course founded by the National Institutes of Health/National Institute of Aging focused on health and sociology issues and emphasized hands-on skills while having students work individually or in teams to finish their projects. 21 In this four-credit-hour capstone course, students learned about racial/ethnic disparities in managing diabetes. The key aspect of this approach was having students perform hands-on work with real-world problems.

A pharmacotherapeutics capstone course was designed to integrate knowledge from previous courses with hands-on pharmacy practice. 22 This course included three lecture hours, one hour of recitation, and a one-hour group project per week. Students worked individually and in teams to develop drug formulary kits, learn medication utilization criteria, and understand medical, legal, and marketing jargon. Topics were related to critical care, long-term care, and hospice care; patient management issues in ambulatory care; and pharmaceutical consultation. An important result was that the course needed to include better assessment of student problem-solving skills in order to help students better apply their pharmaceutical knowledge.

Based upon the experiences and lessons learned from other courses, we determined that our capstone course would mandate on-the-job training in a professional setting. Students would be required to maintain a log of their experiences and make a formal report at the end of their capstone experience. The difference between this capstone course and a work-study or internship experience would be the close coordination and mentoring by the program coordinator. Further, great care would be taken to ensure that students were placed in the right situation to match their learning needs and the needs of the organization to which they were assigned. The next section presents the description of the capstone course as developed for our program.

General Description and Learning Objectives of the Capstone Course

The capstone course in the MHI program is designed to offer students the opportunity to gain real-world experience by working on projects in healthcare delivery organizations. Students are required to work independently on various applied projects to facilitate selection, implementation, and optimal use of information technology in a healthcare delivery setting. Students use their professional and academic knowledge to gain new organizational experiences. 6 Prospective students come from a variety of backgrounds, including nursing, lab work, business analysis, IT security, database administration, and so forth. Students coming from a medical background are given more IT-focused training and those from a business background receive training in medical terminology to allow for cross-pollination of ideas and concepts.

As part of the university accreditation process, active learning occurs throughout the curriculum. Students participate in the active learning component of the capstone course by involving themselves in hands-on projects that demonstrate application of student knowledge and development of skills. Therefore, several course objectives address the active learning component to satisfy accreditation requirements:

• Understand how concepts can be applied in a practical setting.
• Practice facilitation and leadership skills by working directly in a healthcare provider organization or a healthcare business.
• Obtain direct knowledge of the impact of technology on the daily workflow of a healthcare provider organization or healthcare business.

Capstone Course Management

Faculty coordinator.

A faculty coordinator was hired to assist and monitor the health informatics program. The faculty coordinator started the new position in the fall semester of 2009. Students in the MHI program were informed that they needed to take two capstone semesters in their final year of the MHI program. Students are not allowed to self-register for the capstone classes, so in fall 2009, students registered with the advisor for both the Master of Business Informatics and the Master of Health Informatics programs.

The capstone experience was designed to be two semesters long. Students registered for Capstone I for the first semester and Capstone II for the second semester. To provide students with an in-depth learning experience, every attempt was made to have students complete both Capstone I and Capstone II at the same host organization.

Course Requirements and Evaluation

Evaluating students in a capstone course requires a common understanding between faculty (the program coordinator) and the student. The program coordinator, in the faculty role, must clearly state responsibilities and expectations, while students must clearly understand what they can expect from faculty. The program coordinator must facilitate the hands-on experience and contact students on a regular basis to monitor their progress.

Students can expect their grade to be based upon:

• Active participation throughout the course. Students must actively participate in scheduled meetings, contribute to discussions, and participate in learning groups whether formed by other students or the client facility.
• Completion of monthly activity logs or status reports in the format provided (see Appendix 1). Student logs help students stay focused on the course objectives and gather regular information for their final report as the semester progresses.
• Adherence to the requirements outlined in the course syllabus. Students are required to formally acknowledge that they have read the course syllabus and understand their responsibilities (see Appendix 2).
• Completion of a semester activity plan provided and approved by faculty (see Appendix 3).
• Completion of a final experience paper covering their capstone experience.

The student is responsible for creating a schedule of planned activities for the semester, along with goals and objectives, in consultation with and for approval by the program coordinator. Each organization accepting a capstone student must assign the student a mentor who directly supports the student's efforts to achieve the stated objectives. Monthly activity logs and the final paper should reflect this plan. Students submit three monthly logs over the course of the semester reflecting their progress in relation to the activity plan for the month covered. As in any work situation, plans may change based on the needs of the student and the client organization. If the plan changes, it is the student's responsibility to submit a modified plan with an explanation of why the changes occurred within the monthly log.

The final requirement for the capstone course is the experience paper. The experience paper demonstrates how the student has applied the concepts learned throughout the MHI program in the healthcare delivery setting. The log of activities will help students develop this paper.

Student Placement

Each student's placement in a suitable client organization is impacted by a number of student and organizational variables. These variables include the following:

• Student's employment background,
• Extent of student's work experience,
• Student's interests,
• Host organization's current need,
• Host organization's student internship policies, and
• Host organization's administrative policies and procedures.

The capstone experience is different for each student and organization, necessitating that each student be individually placed. The placement system can best be described as matchmaking. The matchmaking process is not perfect but does engage the student, the coordinator, and the host organization in a dialogue that results in a mutual understanding of expectations. The process follows the following steps:

• Each student's class record is reviewed to determine that the student is eligible for the capstone, that the student has taken the required classes, and that the student has reached the final year of the program.
• Each student is interviewed to determine his or her thoughts on and interests for the capstone. A resume is obtained from the student. The student's available days and times are noted.
• The current active list of host organizations is reviewed for possible projects. Contacts at organizations are called to see if there any new areas of need.
• When a good match is found, the proposed capstone experience is discussed with the student and the host organization contact.
• If both the student and the organization contact agree, the student's resume is sent to the host organization contact for review.
• If the host organization contact is interested in the student, an interview is arranged.
• If the student and the host organization agree to the match, the student is placed at that organization. The student's schedule is worked out, and the organization's specific on-boarding process is started.

The program coordinator ensures that the intellectual rigor, scope, and integrity of different projects remain consistent across students by aligning student backgrounds and experience with the willingness of a healthcare organization to accept a student. For example, a student with no healthcare or technology background might be placed in a first-tier support role in a healthcare organization. This allows the student to gain broad practical experience in various departments and face day-to-day issues. A student with deep business and healthcare experience could be placed doing special projects for a hospital CIO. A student with hospital department management experience could be placed within a project to plan and organize the go-live for a hospital-wide integrated information system. Each capstone builds on the student's educational experience and work background to expand the student's practical experience related to health informatics.

Students sometimes complete their capstone projects within their current place of employment. In this case, the capstone project must be in a department other than the student's home department, the project must be outside of the student's normal job duties, and the time spent on the capstone must be outside of the student's regular work hours. For example, an intensive care unit (ICU) nurse in a large hospital might work on a system implementation project within the hospital's information technology department. Similarly, someone with a business background might be assigned to a hospital's workflow planning team to work with doctors and nurses as a new medical healthcare record system is being implemented.

Capstone Syllabus

The capstone syllabus provided to students contains basic guidelines that are consistent with any university syllabus but with some differences. The syllabus is provided electronically. Students are required to sign a form stating that they have read and understand the syllabus (see Appendix 2). This is done to insure that students understand the rules of conduct for the capstone experience. Additionally, the syllabus covers basic business conduct while at a host facility, including appropriate dress and proper use of cell phones or pagers. Because of the unique nature of the healthcare environment, the syllabus also covers two topics specific to healthcare. The first is a reminder of basic disease transmission precautions. For instance, students are reminded to wash their hands frequently. Students are also asked not to go to the capstone site if they are ill or a member of their family is ill. These guidelines became especially important because of the concern over H1N1 (flu) transmission. The second healthcare-specific topic covers patient privacy and security. The syllabus reminds students that any host organization business information is not to be disclosed and that patient information is never to be disclosed in any venue or format. In addition, each student receives basic HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) privacy and security training during the host facility's on-boarding process.

Data Collection and Findings

The capstone program was first offered in the spring 2008 semester. The number of students taking the capstone is approximately four students per course, as shown in Table ​ Table1. 1 . The authors of this study were able to collect data on the student experiences in the last two semesters of the capstone program (fall 2009 and spring 2010). There are no data related to the previous semesters of the capstone program.

Capstone Participation by Semester

In the fall of 2009, nine students were enrolled in the capstone courses, with four in Capstone I and five in Capstone II. Figure ​ Figure1 1 represents the strength of the students’ previous IT experience and healthcare experience in the fall 2009 semester. In the figure, Capstone I students are represented as 1A–1D, and Capstone II students are shown as 2A–2E. In this semester, four of the students were placed at large area medical centers, one student was placed at a medium-sized area hospital, and four other students worked with a small ambulatory provider practice on the definition of requirements and initial vendor screening for an electronic health record (EHR) system.

Student Levels of Healthcare and IT Background in the Fall 2009 Semester

Note : 1A–1D represent Capstone I students, and 2A–2E represent Capstone II students.

In spring 2010, of the eight students enrolled in the capstone courses, two had healthcare experience but no IT experience, one had IT experience but no healthcare experience, and five had neither strong healthcare nor IT experience. One student was placed at a large area medical center, two were placed at midsized area providers, two worked with the Northern Kentucky University College of Health Professions on technology initiatives, and the remaining three worked with a local long-term care facility, the local health department, and a small ambulatory provider.

These groups of students are typical of the students that have enrolled in the program to date. Most of the students have a background in healthcare, a few have backgrounds in technology, and a few have no healthcare or technology background.

Another interesting piece of information is how many students are working on projects with their current employers. As shown in Table ​ Table2, 2 , in fall 2009, three out of nine students (33 percent) worked on the projects with their current employers, versus one out of eight students (13 percent) taking a capstone course in spring 2010. More of the early students had a healthcare background, making it easier to place them in healthcare IT projects. As the program expanded, students went to more entry-level types of work to gain credibility and experience.

Capstone Students Working for Their Current Employers

The variety of capstone projects makes assessment of student progress against the learning objectives challenging. The original learning assessment tool was an experience paper prepared at the end of the capstone course. During the fall 2009 semester, the program coordinator also began collecting monthly project logs from each student so that the student's involvement in the capstone course could be more easily monitored. The monthly log also helped students prepare the experience paper. The suggested log format is found in Appendix 1. In the log and the experience paper, students reflect on applied concepts learned during their MHI courses, what they learned about the host organization culture, how they practiced leadership skills, and what they learned about the impact of technological change within a healthcare organization.

In order to assess what students were doing during their internships, we conducted a text analysis using CATPAC ( http://www.galileoco.comg ) to analyze student log files. Inductive content analysis is based in grounded theory and has been used to understand e-mail discussion groups, Listserv discussions, and other archived textual information. 23 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26

CATPAC is a self-organizing artificial neural network computer program used for analyzing text. CATPAC reads and understands text by learning the interrelationships among words and phrases found in the text being analyzed. Text is not pre-coded, nor is it necessary for the analyst to predetermine any categories in advance. 27 CATPAC allows categories to develop from the data by allowing the text being analyzed to develop into meaningful conceptual groupings. The most important output of the CATPAC program is a matrix containing the mean response computed for every pair of concepts. CATPAC then assigns a neuron to each major word in the text and runs a scanning window. Neurons representing each word are paired with other neurons to create word-by-word paired comparisons, resulting in a dendogram (cluster analysis) that shows the pattern of relationships between key words and further identifies clusters of key symbols (concepts). 28

All student logs were converted to a single text file for analysis based on the sample size. Table ​ Table3 3 is a descending frequency list of the 25 words most commonly used in the monthly student log files. Table ​ Table3 3 suggests that students were focused on the appropriate objectives. The significant words emerging from the data, such as the most frequently used word, learned , all seem to be related to the capstone informatics course. This finding is not entirely surprising, but it is significant that work, hours, week , and capstone do emerge as key words, possibly indicating that the students were trying to take advantage of their internship time. Students were well briefed to put in the hours they needed as part of the course requirement, and the journals suggest that this requirement was being addressed in a substantive way. The analysis also might indicate that the students’ focus was spot-on, at least when they were writing the journals. This further suggests that the journals have value in keeping students on task and that the frequent repetition of course-related key words reflects the goals and objectives of the course. This analysis provides some small degree of confidence that the students focused appropriately on the objectives of the course.

Descending Word Frequency List

Table ​ Table3 3 also shows the words EPIC, Juniper, healthcare, project, technology, information , and system. Currently, many healthcare organizations have projects to upgrade or install systems made by EPIC, a major provider of EHR systems for hospitals. Juniper refers to a company that builds computer networks and would logically fit with EPIC and project if healthcare organizations were implementing EHR systems ( healthcare and EHR also appear on the list). BCP , or business continuity planning, also appears as a key word, suggesting that business and healthcare go together.

Figure ​ Figure2 2 shows the strength of relationships between key words. Figure ​ Figure2 2 is more informative than frequency counts because it shows a matrix of relationships between key words. In this figure, the column height has no significance but only reflects the grouping of words in their relative proximity to each other. The word groupings reflect key ideas emerging from the data.

Strength of Relationships between Key Words

In the top left corner of Figure ​ Figure2, 2 , the words discussed, related, procedures , and process are grouped together. The capstone course allows people trained in IT to move into the healthcare field, where they would have to learn procedures and processes in a new position. At the far right, healthcare, technology, and workflow are grouped together, suggesting, by virtue of EPIC and Juniper also being key words, that processes and procedures were being updated to reflect implementation of EHRs and BCP systems. In the center, we see capstone, project, information, work, hours , and week grouped together, which likely reflects student capstone reporting requirements. Without overanalyzing the data, this figure suggests that capstone students were working on meaningful projects that connected information technology and healthcare.

The text evaluation showed emergence of the same general concepts and ideas across multiple student journals. This suggests some consistency in our program and in the directions and guidance being given. Text analysis is a good tool, but we hesitate to overanalyze the data. The number of students (nine) was small, the journals were kept in different formats, and entries were made at different times. We think we can do a better job in the future by encouraging students to use the log as a learning tool rather than a course requirement.

Lessons Learned from Fall 2009 and Spring 2010

Student experiences and feedback during the fall 2009 semester suggested changes that could be made to the program. The faculty coordinator sought to improve two areas in particular for the spring 2010 capstone: facilitating the placement of students and revising the structure of the capstone classes.

Due to the complexities of student placement, the time between determining the student's particular needs and the start of the student's capstone experience can be several weeks. To facilitate students’ beginning their capstone experience the first week of class, the placement effort now starts 90 days before the student's capstone semester. Students are contacted by e-mail and asked to call the program coordinator if they plan to register for a capstone course in the next semester. The student placement process is started as soon as contact is made. In the future, notifying the departments of capstone enrollment intentions 90 days in advance will be listed in the course catalog as a requirement. In addition, the department is planning to create a capstone committee to augment the program's advisory board, which is made up of local industry leaders whose organizations are the core sources for placement of capstone students. The capstone committee will be made up of local healthcare organization middle management and will provide input on capstone development and placement.

We also found that students completed their course experience paper in a variety of different formats, making a formal analysis difficult. In the future, we would like to standardize the report format to address issues important for improving the course, better ways of supporting our internship industry partners, and ways of streamlining the course from top to bottom. Our program has been growing, but it is a manpower-intensive activity. If we want to grow, we need to be more efficient and effective in utilizing our scarce resources.

Starting with the spring 2010 semester, the faculty coordinator revised the structure of the capstone class. The changes were intended to facilitate the learning assessment of each student. Students are required to complete three assessment activities. These assessments are as follows:

• A semester activity plan is submitted within two weeks of the beginning of the capstone.
• The student submits a monthly log each month (minimum of three) during the semester.
• At the end of the semester, the student submits an experience paper.

More effort is needed to document the student-mentor relationship. Reducing the administrative burden on a hosting organization is a concern, but perhaps students could document the student-mentor relationship within their activity logs.

Student Comments and Future Directions

The evolution of our healthcare informatics program is ongoing. 29 As the program grows and matures, our ability to collect and analyze data will improve as well. We have not yet formally surveyed employers about their capstone experiences. Our initial thought process was to get organized in a way that would allow us to manage growth and build a strong reputation with a small number of employers and students at the outset. Anecdotal evidence suggests that employers are happy with our students and desire more capstone students, while the number of students entering the program is increasing. Clearly, more data will be collected in the future to better understand what skills employers need and use and what political and managerial skills students need; we also need to do a better job of providing feedback to the academic side, where the courses are taught.

The student experience papers provide some insight as to where we might start. In a comment typical of many students, the following paraphrases one international student: “It is worthy to state here that my coursework helped me greatly to understand the needs of my assigned organization and how I could help to provide meaningful solutions to the challenges they face. Courses like Database Management, System Analysis and Design, Technical Foundation in Health Informatics, and IT Project Management were the key to my success. Without these courses, I would have been a stranger to the project. However, courses like Data Mining/Data Warehousing and Data Communication would have helped me greatly. I would have also done a little better if I had had some programming experience or knowledge.” A more experienced traditional student stated: “My coursework and past experience in the industry was used to leverage knowledge in new areas that I had not previously been exposed to in my twenty-year informatics career.” Clearly, we need more specific understanding of which skills and which courses matter the most.

Political skills complement good technical skills. A student with industry experience stated: “Infrastructure was not one of my strengths but through my research, observation and interviewing skills, [I] was able to win over the Director by documenting his ‘pain points’ and bringing a heightened awareness [of] potential risks that had previously been identified but had ‘fallen on deaf ears.’” Not all of the students have this degree of understanding of organizational political processes, so we must consider how to impart this knowledge through training or mentoring.

Additionally, faculty and administration need to understand and appreciate the importance of the capstone coordinator in order to ensure the continued funding of this critical position. A student wrote that “the weekly status updates with the Capstone Project Coordinator help tremendously in problem solving issues/concerns and concepts that needed strengthening and clarification. Thanks [name omitted] for putting up with me each week!”

Expected Benefits

The establishment of a formal program guided by a dedicated program manager sent the right signals to students, faculty, administrators, other colleges and universities, and the regional business community. It said we were serious, committed, and in the game for the long term. Over time, we expect to grow the program, continue to improve the quality of the capstone course, and increase the quality and number of dedicated students.

Students who know that they will need to complete a two-semester capstone course tend to work harder at their core courses. Further, there is competition for positions with the best capstone organizations. We will not send any student just anywhere; the student basically interviews with faculty and the program administrator to get a good slot. Thus, a good reputation, credibility, work ethic, and other intangibles, in addition to grade point average, have an impact on a student's placement. Even students who complete a capstone experience within their current organization must sell their organization on the capstone.

A well-run program can be copied and emulated in other programs and organizations, not just healthcare. We have attempted to use best practices from other programs and the literature, along with innovation and creativity, to create a successful capstone program with limited resources. We have shared our ideas with others around the campus and the region in an effort to market our program as one that, while not necessarily unique, stands out among the competition.

Conclusions

A successful healthcare capstone course builds success on a number of levels. Students build confidence in what they have learned. They interview better and increase their likelihood of being hired. The faculty receives feedback from employers and students that allows incremental improvement of course materials on a regular basis. Employers get to see the students in action in a low-risk arrangement. Further, the word gets out to the community and to other students that students are being hired and are doing well. Successful students bring in more successful students. The program grows, and with growth come more resources. Successful firms hire more of the program's graduates, contributing to the alumni network and increasing the likelihood of receiving additional resources in future years. We see the investment in a capstone course as both a short-term win and a winning investment in the future.

Student: ______________________

Project: ___________________________

Time Period Covered: ___________________

• What progress did you make on your planned capstone activities for this month? What progress did you make on your learning goals and objectives this month? What value did you add to your client organization? Were there other significant accomplishments this period?
• Did you encounter any significant barriers? How did you overcome each?
• What resources did you use (websites, books, articles, magazines, etc.)?
• Did your course work help you with your accomplishments or to overcome any barriers encountered? What would have made your coursework more helpful?
• Did you learn anything about the corporate culture at your site?
• Did you learn anything about providing healthcare or working in the healthcare environment?
• Did you learn anything about the impact of technology on the workflow of providing healthcare or the business of healthcare?
• How many hours per week did you work on your capstone project this period?

Sample Syllabus Acknowledgment

Course Number: xxx

Course Title: MHI Capstone I and MHI Capstone II

Spring 20__

Student Name:_________________________________

Host Facility:_________________________________

Host Supervisor's Name:________________________

I have read and understand the MHI Capstone Project class syllabus posted on Blackboard.

Signature:_________________________________

Date:_____________________________________

Student:____________________________

Project:____________________________

Semester:____________________________

• What are your planned capstone activities by month this semester? This should be a brief, concise statement.
• What are your capstone learning goals and objectives this semester? Your planned capstone activities should support your learning goals and objectives.
• What value will you be providing to your client organization this semester? Your planned capstone activities should support the value you will provide to your client organization.

Contributor Information

Gary Hackbarth, Gary Hackbarth, PhD, is an assistant professor in the College of Informatics at Northern Kentucky University in Highland Heights, KY.

Teuta Cata, Teuta Cata, PhD, is an associate professor in the College of Informatics at Northern Kentucky University in Highland Heights, KY.

Laura Cole, Laura Cole, MBA, PMP, is a project manager for Catholic Health Initiatives in Lexington, KY.

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149 Capstone Project Ideas & Examples – 2024

June 6, 2024

The word “capstone” originally referred to the decorative, final piece of masonry that would be affixed to the top of a new building. But in terms of schooling, what is a capstone project? Academically, “capstone” is a fitting metaphor, as a capstone project serves as a culminating, crowning illustration of your scholarly work. The capstone project synthesizes the learning you have done in various fields, demonstrates your level of expertise in your specific area of study, and often marks the end or milestone moment of a current study path. In short, it’s a big achievement! In this article, we’ve outlined a few tips for cultivating your perfect capstone thesis and have included a list of capstone project ideas to get you started.

General Capstone Writing Tips

As you select a topic for your capstone project, be sure to consider the following criteria:

Personal Interest . A capstone project is meant to be the culmination of or milestone representing your specific path of study; as such, it should be a project that actually interests you! Perhaps you’ve already been working on a passion project or long-term scholarly paper on a topic that excites you. Or maybe you’ve heard about a specific branch of inquiry within your field that you find compelling and want to explore further. Whether you’re new to a specific capstone subject or have been working on it for a while, it’s important to know that your actual interest in a subject can increase your productivity and learning. [i]

Existing Research . For any new piece of scholarship, it’s crucial to thoroughly understand and acknowledge the current knowledge and findings that exist around your thesis. As an advancing practitioner in your field of study or profession, you should already have a sense of what other scholars and experts have said about your capstone project idea, but this is a moment to fully explore: Who are the major players in this professional or scholarly conversation? What are the most important pieces of research that ground this field of study? What recent innovations have been made in this topic?

Stakes . If you’ve ever been involved in a debate or had to write a persuasive speech , you know that an important question to answer is: “So what?” Why is this capstone project idea important? What will be affected if the ideas in your capstone do or do not come to pass? What exactly is at stake here?

Examples Continued

Stakeholders . The stakeholders of a capstone are those who will be affected by the information in your project. Perhaps you’ve already engaged in community service and have seen a gap that can be filled by your particular area of expertise. Maybe you are one of the stakeholders in your research. In every capstone project, your readers should know who will be most important to your work.

Identify a gap or problem . If you’ve done your research properly, then you now know what current holes or gaps exist in your field. Make sure you frame your capstone so that your audience is aware of the work that needs to be done.

Fill the gap . This is your moment to shine! What is your specific hypothesis? What kind of research will you conduct to prove it? Specifically, how is your work contributing to this field of study? To this profession?

Feasibility and Scope . The last question you need to ask yourself is: Can I actually do this project? Do you have the time and resources to complete the work you’re proposing? Is your capstone actually doable? If you find that your project seems too big, don’t despair! Many capstone project ideas can be narrowed down for specificity and feasibility. Take a look at the example below:

Very broad:

“What are some recent developments in women’s health research?”

More specific and feasible:

“What are the most current findings on early diagnostic testing and maternal health outcomes amongst American women?”

Capstone Project Examples

Below, we’ve listed 150 capstone project examples in various fields. Think of all of these focus questions and ideas as jumping-off points. Some are very broad, while others are much more specific. Your capstone project will most likely fall under the “specific” category (see “feasibility and scope” above), but broader topics and focus questions can get you started down the path of your own particular branch of research.

Computer Science Capstone Project Ideas

1) In what ways does social media influence current developments in information systems and marketing?

2) What recent developments have we seen in natural language processing? What innovations do we hope to see?

3) How is cybersecurity an essential consideration in political and public policy?

4) What is the potential for virtual reality within the fields of mental healthcare and / or physical rehabilitation?

5) How can cybersecurity better function in the healthcare industry?

6) What are current and developing applications for machine learning algorithms?

7) How can we develop more secure data encryption?

8) What are the current needs for development in image processing and design?

9) How does artificial intelligence promise to elevate, innovate, revolutionize, or render obsolete various fields and / or methodologies inside and outside of computer science?

10) What current developments exist in the field of neural networks?

11) In what ways can we develop more efficient data encryption algorithms?

12) What specific roles does computer science play in national defense?

13) Exploring automated testing systems.

14) In what ways have smartphone interfaces changed human behavior? Can we predict future changes?

15) What recent innovations have we seen in cloud computing and what changes can we expect to see in this field?

16) How can we improve specific algorithms that conduct market-based analysis?

17) What are the current most important ethical questions surrounding big data and information systems?

18) What are the current expectations around the development and use of cryptocurrency?

19) What specific relationships exist between national policy and internet censorship?

20) Recent innovations and gaps in _________. (Have you already done some research on a very particular topic? This is your moment to delve more deeply into a branch of computer science that specifically interests you !)

Nursing and Medical Capstone Project Ideas

21) What roles might nurses have in administering pain management and anesthesia?

22) In what ways can we address the country’s nursing shortage?

23) In what ways is the field of nursing expected to change in the near future?

24) What innovations can be made in continuing education for nurses?

25) In what ways can nurse practitioners and PAs function more effectively in primary care and specialty settings?

26) Going forward, what roles can nurses play in mobile health and telemedicine?

27) How can clinical settings improve their mental and emotional health outreach for employees?

28) In what ways do nurses and PAs function in specific research roles (e.g. cancer research)?

29) Development of cultural sensitivity training and eliminating health equity disparities in the nursing field.

30) Recent developments in women’s health initiatives and research.

31) In what ways can communication efficacy be addressed in clinical settings?

32) What is the relationship between medical care and specific public policies?

33) Nursing, management, and leadership roles.

34) In what ways can technology improve nursing and healthcare initiatives?

35) Recent innovations and gaps in _________. (Have you already done some research on a very particular topic? This is your moment to delve more deeply into a branch of medicine or scientific inquiry that specifically interests you !)

Humanities and Arts Capstone Project Ideas

36) How does art function in the political and public spheres?

37) What specific developments have we seen in the field of graphic design in the past decade?

38) Analyzing the relationships between marketing, commercial viability and contemporary literature.

39) In what ways do the humanities function in ecocriticism and the Anthropocene?

40) Social media and communication.

41) What are some recent examples of the relationship between popular culture and political propaganda?

42) Current distinctions between pop culture, avant-garde, and highbrow literature and art.

43) What is the role of philosophy in current public debate?

44) In what ways do / have the humanities function(ed) within and / or outside of the public sphere?

45) What is the role of the digital humanities in ancient / early modern / modern history?

46) What recent developments have we seen in the fields of women’s and gender studies?

47) How has a globalized media culture impacted our views on cultural exchange / postcolonialism / hegemonic power structures?

48) In what ways have sustainability initiatives become an essential part of art, theatre, fashion, film, and literary production?

49) Race, class, gender and / or sexuality, and recent developments in the construction of personal identity.

50) How does appropriation function in the realm of cultural production?

51) What is the current role of cinema in public and political culture?

52) Creativity and new genres in the wake of social media, artificial intelligence and monoculture.

53) How can / do museums and public spaces function as sites of cultural production?

54) In what ways has artificial intelligence begun to shape the arts and humanities?

55) Recent innovations and gaps in ____________. (Have you already done some research on a particular topic? This is your moment to delve more deeply into a branch of humanities research that specifically interests you!)

Engineering Capstone Project Ideas

56) What is the role of engineering in specific manufacturing practices?

57) In what ways are environmental and sustainable efforts transforming various industries (transportation, manufacturing, public use, energy, etc.)?

58) How does artificial intelligence promise to function in various engineering fields?

59) What are the functions of drones in supply chains?

60) How does engineering specifically function in the production and management of public health (water purification and distribution, waste management, etc.)?

61) What recent innovations have we seen in the fields of engineering and defense?

62) Assessing the feasibility of solar power, wind power, etc.

63) In what ways can engineering facilitate specific infrastructure innovations in public spaces?

64) What does the privatization of the aerospace industry demonstrate about the relationship between public and commercial scientific research?

65) In what ways does current engineering promise to disrupt fields like the automotive, manufacturing, aerospace, etc. industries?

66) Examining various uses of 3D printing.

67) What are some recent innovations in electric, geothermal and/ or nuclear energy?

68) What is the current relationship between extraction engineering and the public sphere?

69) How does the field of robotics function in medicine and public health?

70) Recent innovations and gaps in _________. (Have you already done some research on a very particular topic? This is your moment to delve more deeply into a branch of engineering or scientific inquiry that specifically interests you !)

Education Capstone Project Ideas

71) How do charter schools currently function in the education system?

72) What current pathways exist for continuing education in the teaching field?

73) What roles does artificial intelligence play in the future of education?

74) Disciplinary practices and education for early childhood, middle school, high school, etc.

75) Addressing income and resource disparities between public school districts.

76) In what ways does gender currently function in STEM education?

77) In what ways can mental health initiatives more thoroughly benefit students, staff, and educators?

78) In what ways is parental involvement a factor in current curriculum models?

79) What are the advantages and disadvantages of various modes of virtual learning, technology in the classroom, asynchronous learning, e-learning, etc.?

80) How can we address the current teacher shortage?

81) What are the current relationships between politics, public policy, school funding and curriculum development?

82) What recent innovations have we seen in outdoor learning, Montessori schooling, forest schools, eco-education, etc.?

82) How can schools facilitate better curricula and funding for special needs programs?

83) What is the current role of the arts in public education? In private education?

84) What is the relationship between public policy and homeschooling?

85) In what ways do race and class currently function in specific conversations around education?

86) What are current concerns and developments in the practices of school safety?

87) What developments are currently underway in curricula involving interdisciplinary and project-based learning?

88) What benefits and drawbacks currently exist in extracurricular programs and initiatives for students of various age groups?

89) Recent innovations and gaps in _________. (Have you already done some research on a very particular topic? This is your moment to delve more deeply into a branch of education or curriculum planning that specifically interests you !)

Biology Capstone Project Ideas

90) What are some recent developments in the ethics of stem cell research and cloning?

91) How has public disease testing changed since the pandemic?

92) What is the role of the biologist in mining, extraction, and geoengineering?

93) What recent innovations have been made in pesticide production, distribution, and wider use?

94) How can biology serve manufacturing industries to prevent contamination and supply chain stalling?

95) How do specific ecosystems currently function in regard to climate change? What changes are predicted to these ecosystems in the next decade and why?

96) In what ways are biologists’ roles evolving in the development of biomechanical medical devices?

97) What roles do biologists play in understandings of human reproduction and DNA?

98) How are pharmaceutical and recreational drugs currently understood and classified?

99) What recent biological innovations have been made in the production of food? What developments do we foresee in this branch of biology?

100) In what ways are biological systems affected by various forms of energy extraction and consumption (electrical power, gas, wind and solar power, etc.)?

101) How does A.I. promise to affect the roles of biologists in various fields?

102) What current biological threats do we face in terms of biological warfare? How are biologists crucial players in national defense?

103) Explore a relationship between the biochemical signatures of the body and mental wellness / illness.

104) In what specific ways is the organic movement both a biological consideration and a marketing strategy?

105) How do biologists play significant roles in the prevention of spreading infectious diseases?

106) What are the relationships between human population growth or decline and natural ecosystems?

107) How is marine life affected by human activity (recent understandings and developments)?

108) How do biologists function in public and political conversations around sustainability?

109) Recent innovations and gaps in _________. (Have you already done some research on a very particular topic? This is your moment to delve more deeply into a branch of biology that specifically interests you !)

Psychology Capstone Project Ideas

110) What recent developments have been made in research around specific social media platforms and mental health?

111) What roles did the pandemic play in social and mental health amongst particular age groups?

112) How are recent developments in digital communication (“ghosting,” “swiping,” “liking”) indicative of disordered psychological behaviors?

113) Considering particular contexts like time and place, explore the relationships between psychological wellness and gender.

114) Investigate stress reduction efficacy amongst particular populations.

115) What is the role of mental health awareness in policies and conversations around public health?

116) What role does psychology play in pain management?

117) In what ways are clinical psychologists and therapists uniquely poised to conduct empirical research?

118) What recent developments exist in research around various types of trauma?

119) What daily interventions need to be explored in the reduction of anxiety and sleep disorders?

120) What is the developing role of telemedicine and online mental healthcare?

121) In what ways are particular prescription drugs more or less effective when paired with traditional types of psychotherapy?

122) In what ways do companies utilize psychology in marketing and branding?

123) What is the role of the child psychologist in public schools?

124) In what ways can HR departments benefit from on-staff mental health workers?

125) Explore distinctions between child psychologists and early childhood educators.

126) What interventions can be made in the realm of public policy to lessen the social stigma of mental health disorders?

127) How can psychology be used to create more efficient workplaces?

128) In what ways can new technology like apps and AI be implemented in the ongoing care of mental health patients?

129) Recent innovations and gaps in _________. (Have you already done some research on a very particular topic? This is your moment to delve more deeply into a branch of psychology that specifically interests you !)

Business and Accounting Capstone Project Ideas

130) What are the current impacts of globalization on business strategy?

131) How can organizations change communication practices?

132) What are the relationships between sales, brand perception, and social justice movements?

133) In what ways are women perceived and compensated in the finance field? How has this developed over the past decade? What developments remain to be seen?

134) What leadership training programs and strategies best serve managers?

135) Exploring sustainable business practices.

136) In what ways can company structure influence business innovation?

137) What are the current trends and best practices for inter-departmental conflict resolution within businesses?

138) Exploring effects of mergers and acquisitions for specific companies.

139) What is the specific role of HR in performance management amongst employees?

140) Recent explorations of forensic accounting in cases of embezzlement.

141) Perform a case study analysis of a particular taxation policy.

142) What are some important features of the ethics of non-profit accounting?

143) In what ways can we measure international accounting standards?

144) Due to the pandemic, how have budgeting and financial planning methods evolved in recent years?

145) What specific impacts can we predict in the accounting field as a result of AI and other advancing technologies?

146) Perform an analysis of marketing strategies that utilize social media.

147) How can companies maximize consumer engagement in saturated markets?

148 Which technologies and designs are most effective in brand management and dispersion?

149) Recent innovations and gaps in _________. (Have you already done some research on a very particular topic? This is your moment to delve more deeply into a branch of business or accounting that specifically interests you !)

Capstone Project Examples – Works Cited

[i] Kahu, Ella., Karen Nelson, Catherine Picton. “Student Interest as a Key Driver of Engagement for First Year Students.” Student Success. Volume 8, Issue 2, pp. 55-66. July 2017.

• College Success
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Jamie Smith

For the past decade, Jamie has taught writing and English literature at several universities, including Boston College, the University of Pittsburgh, and Carnegie Mellon University. She earned a Ph.D. in English from Carnegie Mellon, where she currently teaches courses and conducts research on composition, public writing, and British literature.

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Master of Public Health

A capstone project is a substantive and original body of work that allows students to synthesize and integrate knowledge from their public health and chosen focus area coursework through a written final product and e-portfolio. The capstone represents the culmination of the student’s educational experience in the Vanderbilt MPH Program.

Each student is responsible for identifying  a focus area for their capstone with the assistance and guidance of their capstone advisor.

Area of Focus

At the time they submit their Culminating Experience selection (Year 1, Spring term), each student will identify the area(s) of focus for their Capstone. Examples include :

• Leadership and Management
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• Latino and Latina Studies
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• Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT+) Health
• Other area of focus appropriate to the student’s educational and professional goals and approved by the Capstone adviser

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Timeline for online presentations, December 2-4, 2024 sessions 

Timeline for presentation at alternate venue

Students presenting at an alternate venue must adhere to the schedules above, as per the time of year in which the project is completed. Deadlines for completion of the oral presentation are August online, December online, or the May symposium date, depending on the period in which the student is graduating. 

You should start by identifying a faculty member whose research interests and expertise are in the topic area and/or methodology that you wish to pursue, and is available to advise the project. Your faculty advisor may serve as your capstone advisor, or they may have an initial discussion with you and then refer you to other faculty members. Another helpful strategy is to inquire with several faculty members about any current work of theirs that may lend itself to a potential capstone project. Other resources for identifying a potential capstone advisor are the MPH Program Office, the faculty directory (searchable by keyword) and Collexis.

A capstone project is suitable if it provides students the opportunity to apply the skills and competencies acquired in the MPH program to a problem likely encountered in public health practice and research. The topic and format of the capstone project is flexible and is developed through discussions between the student and capstone advisor. Possible options for format or design include:

Program Plan

The capstone project would involve developing a plan to implement a public health program. It would address critical issues such as management, fiscal, ethical and logistical issues.

Example Projects:

“The Accident and Emergency Department of the Cornwall Regional Hospital’s Training on Health Professionals (Nurses and Doctors) Burnout”

Program Evaluation

The capstone project would involve evaluating/monitoring an existing public health program, such as process evaluation, monitoring of outputs and outcomes, impact assessment and/or cost analysis.

• “ Mentoring nurses to improve quality of delivery care at primary health centers: Evidence from Bihar, India”

Policy Analysis

The capstone project would involve analyzing the public health implications of a current or proposed policy. The work could include perspectives on economics and financing, need and demand, politics/ethics/law, or quality/effectiveness.

Example Project:

• “ An Analysis of a Federal Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Excise Tax ”

Research Proposal

The capstone project would simulate a grant proposal or research plan. The project would include a clear statement of the research question, the specific aims of the proposal, review of literature, study design, methods of analysis, implications and significance of the work. The research question would be one that is encountered in professional work, such as the evaluation of a public health intervention.

“Efficacy and Safety of Empagliflozin on Prevention of Chemotherapy- induced Heart Failure”

Research Report

The capstone project could involve the collection, analysis and/or interpretation of data to address a public health problem. The project could include sections on the research question, study design, data collection procedures, data analysis, interpretation and significance of findings.

Primary Data Analysis:  Work for the MPH capstone can also involve the collection of data. Data collection for capstone is usually in the context of an ongoing study, but it is also possible (although not recommended) for MPH students to initiate an original study under the guidance of a Johns Hopkins faculty member. In the latter case, the student should allow substantial lead time for research planning and IRB approval.

Research Report Example Projects:

• "Air Pollution and Health: Novel Insights on Black Carbon Toxicity and Air Pollution in the Coronavirus”
• “A comparison of total cost estimates between exclusive breastfeeding and use of breast milk substitutes in humanitarian contexts”
• “ Trends in sleep problems and patterns among Japanese adolescents: 2004 to 2017 - ScienceDirect ” 

Research Report - Quantitative Analysis

• “Polypharmacy, Cognitive Impairment, and Frailty in the Women’s Health and Aging Study II (WHASII)”

Research Report - Qualitative Analysis

• “A Qualitative Analysis of Pharmaceutical Manufacturer Funded Patient Access Services for Newly Launched Drugs”

Policy Change/Advocacy

• “Removing the ‘I’ from "Indian": An Implementation Guide to Combat Regionalized Racism and Appropriation”

Training Program

• “ Using Epidemiologic Evidence for Decision-Making: A Training Program for Health Commissioners”

The  Bloomberg School IRB Office  is charged with assuring that human subject research studies conducted in the school comply with internal school policies and external regulations designed to protect human subjects. All students who plan to do human subjects research must have IRB approval before working with human data or samples and/or before contacting human subjects.

"Human subjects research" is broadly defined to include any activity involving living humans that seeks to test a hypothesis or answer a scientific question. This can include both secondary data analysis and research involving direct contact with subjects. The following resources are available to assist students with their IRB questions:

• Navigating the IRB : A Primer for Students and Postdoctoral Fellows . This is your first step in learning more about the IRB process. This IRB Office publication is designed to provide additional information about the IRB process.  
• To determine if your project involves data from human subjects, you should complete the online  IRB Worksheet .  This worksheet will indicate any additional requirements to properly document IRB approval of your project.
• BSPH IRB Determination Request Form ( Primary [New] Data Collection  or  Secondary Data Analysis )
• Copy of the institution IRB approval letter that lists the student as an investigator
• Copy of the IRB-approved research study protocol

Additional assistance is available from Thomas Bradsher at the IRB Office ( [email protected] ). The IRB office is located in room E1100. Please make sure that you've completed the IRB Worksheet before you contact the IRB Office.

If the IRB Office determines that you must submit a PHIRST application, you must do so by the date that your MPH Capstone Information Form is due. The IRB submission deadline for field experiences taking place during the Winter break and requiring IRB approval is November 15th.

Submit the online  Capstone Information Form  two terms prior to completion of the project. You will need to indicate such information as the name of your capstone advisor, a working title and the aims of your project, IRB status if applicable, etc.

Students must register for the two-credit "MPH Capstone" course number in the term in which the project is completed and presented. Full-time students must register for this course in 4th Term. Part-time/online students must register for this course in Term 4 for a May graduation; Summer Term for an August graduation; or Term 2 for a December graduation.

Students who are doing a large amount of preliminary research for a project may want to register for additional "Special Studies/Research" units. You should consult with your capstone advisor prior to registering. When registering, you should select the capstone advisor as the "instructor" and select the number of academic units that you and your capstone advisor have agreed is appropriate for the research.

MPH Capstone Course Numbers

Special Studies/Research Course Numbers

Discuss an overall timeline for completing the various sections of your paper with your capstone advisor in preparation for submitting a first draft for their review. The first draft deadline is about five weeks before the final draft deadline, allowing time for revisions. Communicating with your capstone advisor about your progress, including any issues or concerns, is critical during this phase.

Your capstone advisor will review your final draft for any final edits and recommendations, and you will complete revisions as necessary.

Then submit the final, approved paper to the CoursePlus drop box.  Your capstone advisor will submit an online approval directly to the MPH Program Office. Please note: Students may not participate in the oral presentation unless the final paper is submitted on time.

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More information

After the final paper and capstone advisor's approval are submitted, you will complete the oral component of the capstone project by giving a 10-minute presentation followed by 5 minutes of discussion. This will take place at the May MPH Capstone Symposium, scheduled online presentations or an alternate venue.

• Designing and Writing an Effective Capstone Presentation

The MPH Program Office will submit grades for the MPH Capstone Course as follows:

"Pass" grade for all students that submit an approved capstone paper and complete the oral presentation requirement.

"Incomplete" grade will be posted for those students who do not complete the capstone project in the term for which they are registered.

The MPH Program Office also awards special honors to the best overall capstone projects. Nominations are accepted from capstone advisors and winners are selected by an awards committee based on the written project. The capstone award includes a plaque for excellence in public health professional practice. The student with the single overall best capstone project receives a $500 award.

Examples of MPH Capstone Topics and Papers

Capstone project papers submitted by Bloomberg School students from previous years can be found under Step 1 above to demonstrate the breadth of topics and formats that may be explored.

Capstone Symposia Programs

The following links are copies of the programs from MPH capstone symposia held here at the Bloomberg School in recent years.

• MPH Capstone Symposium Program 2024
• MPH Capstone Symposium Program 2023
• MPH Capstone Symposium Program 2022
• MPH Capstone Symposium Program 2021
• MPH Capstone Symposium Program 2020
• MPH Capstone Symposium Program 2019
• MPH Capstone Symposium Program 2018
• MPH Capstone Symposium Program 2017
• MPH Capstone Symposium Program 2016
• MPH Capstone Symposium Program 2015

MPH Capstone Award Recipients

Please click here to see the MPH Capstone Award Recipients from the past. 

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• About PHIFP
• What Fellows Do
• Promotion & Recruitment Tools
• Request Program Services and Support
• PHIFP trains professionals in public health informatics competencies.
• Fellows are placed in assignments at centers, institutes, and offices (CIOs) across CDC, where they engage in experiential training to enhance the agency's informatics workforce.
• Fellows participate in the Data Science Upskilling (DSU) program, a team- and project-based training opportunity.

Opportunities & Updates

Fellowship application.

The fellowship application period is closed. Check back in August 2024 for the next opportunity.

What Fellows Learn

PHIFP provides fellows with a two-year, competency-based training in public health informatics. Fellows receive experiential training to enhance the informatics workforce at CDC and serve other public health organizations through:

• Solving cutting-edge public health issues using computer science, data science, and information technology.
• A training curriculum that consists of 90% on-the job training and 10% coursework in informatics, data science, and public health.
• Improving the implementation of information systems and conduct informatics evaluation.

Orientation

In preparation for the real-world assignments and activities, fellows are required to attend a two-week orientation that provides background information about CDC, public health, and the role of informatics within the public health system.

Required activities

PHIFP fellows learn through a combination of on-the-job training and coursework. As part of their requirements, PHIFP fellows:

• Work on public health informatics projects within the assigned host site (host site projects).
• Provide short-term technical assistance to federal, international, state, local, and territorial health departments and non-profit agencies through special requests (Info-Aids).
• Design, develop, implement, enhance, or evaluate an information system or artifact in the public health domain (capstone project).

Data science skills

First year PHIFP fellows are automatically enrolled in the Data Science Upskilling (DSU) program and will have access to:

• Massive open online course (MOOC) licenses.
• Covers a variety of topics such as computational literacy, analytics and statistical literacy, machine learning, data visualization, and systems interoperability
• two-hour bi-weekly sessions for building skills in areas such as data visualization frameworks, Git and Github, building an interactive Python dashboard and app, Jupyter Notebooks, as well as R and Rshiny

The DSU program helps fellows develop skills in the following data science literacy domains:

• Computational
• Statistical
• Machine Learning
• Visualization
• Ethical Use of Data

Fellows collaborate in a team environment and are mentored by public health, informatics, and data science subject matter experts (SMEs).

How Fellows Serve

During their assignments in CDC centers, institutes, and offices (CIOs), PHIFP fellows provide robust informatics capacity that also provides solutions for state and local health departments and international public health agencies.

PHIFP fellows routinely perform the following activities:

• Work with teams involved in research and development of public health information systems.
• Conduct informatics evaluations on complex public health information systems.
• Contribute to CDC's emergency response activities.
• Provide technical assistance to state and local health departments and international public health agencies through short-term assignments, or Info-Aids.
• Public Health Infrastructure Center
• Division of Workforce Development

Public Health Informatics Fellowship Program (PHIFP)

The Public Health Informatics Fellowship Program (PHIFP) is a 2-year paid fellowship to apply information science and technology to the practice of public health.

Thesis and Capstone Requirements for Public Health Programs

Most graduate programs in public health include a thesis or capstone project, which students usually undertake after completing other coursework. While completing these projects, students must apply knowledge and skills gained throughout the program. The thesis or capstone tests the student’s ability to make a unique contribution to their field while demonstrating mastery of the subject.

These culminating projects reflect the kind of work students will do during the course of their careers.

These culminating projects reflect the kind of work students will do during the course of their careers. Public health students may complete an academic article or a detailed plan for dealing with the outbreak of a disease. Some projects involve working alongside professionals in the field, while others require significant research in archives and libraries. The completed thesis or capstone project demonstrates the student’s ability to perform duties within the public health field.

What’s the Difference Between a Capstone and a Thesis in Public Health Programs?

A thesis is an academic article that presents an argument or research findings. Common in graduate programs, thesis projects are often by an adviser or other faculty member. Capstone projects take various forms and, although more common in undergraduate studies, may be a requirement of master’s programs. Capstones are often research projects presented in a non-article format and involve hands-on experience.

What Is a Capstone Like in Public Health Programs?

Public health capstone format.

Capstones are typically independent projects, which students undertake toward the end of their program.

Capstones can take a variety of forms, but they generally consist of written and oral portions. The written portion could be a short article or a summary of findings, while the oral portion may involve a presentation at a conference. Capstones are typically independent projects, which students undertake toward the end of their program. A capstone may last one or two terms. Some programs allow students to choose project topics and begin research early.

Choosing Your Public Health Capstone Topic

Typically, students choose a capstone topic relevant to their specializations and career interests, which one or more faculty members must approve. Capstone projects are an opportunity to build connections with public health professionals. Capstone topics often address contemporary problems in the field, and individual programs or faculty may provide a selection of topics from which students must choose. Some programs pair students with faculty advisers.

Completing Your Public Health Capstone

Regardless of the capstone format, a few aspects are generally the same. Students first choose a topic or research question on which to base the project. Learners may conduct research to determine the limits of the project or may simply complete an outline. Before beginning on a capstone project, one or more faculty members must approve the student’s topic; the faculty member may be the student’s adviser or the professor of the capstone course. After receiving approval, the student can begin further research, project development, and execution of the capstone. Methods and resources vary based on the student’s field, subfield, and specialization.

Presenting Your Public Health Capstone

Presentation circumstances vary by program, but students generally present their capstone to a panel of three to five faculty members. These presentations are often open to the public and may include an opportunity for audience members to ask the student questions. Though visual aids such as slideshows and videos are common, the project’s subject and format guides presentation methods.

How Is a Public Health Capstone Graded?

While students may receive a rubric, master’s-level capstone projects rarely receive letter grades. These projects are typically pass or fail, though some students may pass with distinction. While it is possible to fail a capstone, students rarely fail a capstone they have completed and presented; advisers ensure the project is of passing quality.

What Is a Thesis Like in Public Health Programs?

Public health thesis format.

A thesis is an individual project, typically a piece of academic writing based on research, sometimes involving experimentation.

A thesis is an individual project, typically a piece of academic writing based on research, sometimes involving experimentation. A faculty adviser generally oversees the student’s completion of their thesis project. Some programs require students to present their thesis. The amount of time allotted to complete a thesis project varies by program and depends largely on how early the student may submit a topic for approval. Many programs require students to enroll in a thesis course, or courses, which allows the program to award credit for the project and provides a specific time for students to meet with advisers and complete thesis work.

Choosing Your Public Health Thesis Topic

While completing their thesis project, students typically work with a faculty member who approves their topic, suggests sources or methods, and helps guide the student through the research and writing processes. Though some programs specify certain topics or stipulate that students address a current issue, students generally have the final say regarding their thesis topic. The main requirement of thesis topics in public health is that they contribute to the field.

Completing Your Public Health Thesis

The first step to writing a master’s of public health thesis is choosing an approved topic. Students must then research and write about that topic. Students must typically obtain approval early in the process and must usually check in with advisers regularly as they progress. The format of the thesis project varies by field and school. Learners typically submit their thesis to advisers, who suggest changes and additions before the student submits the thesis to the school for digital or physical publication and inclusion in the school’s library or archives.

Presenting Your Public Health Thesis

A thesis presentation often involves questions from a panel of advisers and other faculty. These questions should help clarify and further define aspects of the thesis. While a presentation may include a slideshow or other aids, the focus of the presentation should be on replying to the panel’s concerns, rather than presenting new information. Most thesis presentations are open to the public, and audience members are usually allowed or encouraged to ask questions, though they may not have read the thesis itself. Students typically present after submitting their thesis to advisers but before finalizing the project and submitting it to the school.

How Is a Public Health Thesis Graded?

Most programs grade thesis papers pass or fail. A thesis is the culmination of a student’s education and is designed to be a challenging but ultimately successful process. A good adviser works directly with the student to ensure the final version of the student’s thesis is passing quality.

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