Pragmatic Framework for Graduate-level Sustainability Capstone Projects

The Sustainability Management graduate program objective is to train future leaders of corporations, government agencies, non-profits etc., who will strive to demonstrate a balance among the three elements of sustainability, namely, Environment, Economics and Equity/Social Justice (generally referred to as 3 Es). Implementation of sustainability projects bring in elements of technical and management aspects. Sustainability Management capstone projects bring to fruition all the knowledge and skills from the coursework to solving a real-world problem. The project is key to students’ academic success, develop future leaders’ planning and implementation skills. Students in this program come from a variety of educational background – science, engineering, management, economics, liberal arts, etc. The methodology framework for the capstone projects is not the only key to the success of their projects but should be broad applicable to solve real-world sustainability problems. This paper will demonstrate a pragmatic capstone framework and specific tools for the program that focuses on both technical and management aspects of sustainability. The capstone framework, assessment and feedback aspects will be discussed. It includes graduate research attributes such as sustainability modelling, project implementation, quantifications and process flows. In addition, management attributes with tools such as sustainable SWOT, risk analyses, Best Management Practices, etc., are also part of the methodology. The ultimate goal of the capstone project is to help demonstrate the viability of the three sustainability principles (3 Es) and to quantify the results. Projects are executed in teams and majority of the projects are industry-sponsored projects. This paper will present the capstone project framework, duration and phases with examples of successfully completed capstone projects along with assessment and evaluation processes of the capstone course. Students’ feedback will also be discussed along with further potential enhancements and the framework’s potential for other programs. Tags: capstone project, sustainability, framework, methodology, leaders, management, engineering, economics, environment, equity, social impacts