Thesis/Capstone I Workshop

The thesis/capstone requirement is the culmination of the two-year course of study and should demonstrate a synthetic understanding of the professional skills and substantive knowledge bases, which form the content of the curriculum of the Urban Planning Program. In the fall semester of the second year, each student will write a thesis or capstone proposal. The research design specified by the proposal will be implemented in the spring semester.

The thesis/capstone is an essential part of the urban planning curriculum. It is an individual investigation of the student’s own choice that is supervised closely by a faculty member of the Urban Planning Program. Theses are intended to demonstrate the student’s ability to structure an argument about an issue or problem significant or clearly relevant to planning practice, planning thought, and/or the planning profession. Structuring an effective argument is the process of organizing and making a compelling and logical case for an idea, theory, testable hypothesis, policy position, or empirical finding. In research, this involves gathering and analyzing evidence in a systematic way.

Capstones, on the other hand, require students to apply knowledge and skills gained from the curriculum to address important planning issues. It provides an opportunity to demonstrate understanding of the dynamics of the issues, constraints, and potential solutions). It should focus on an applied, real-world project for an actual client; the only exception is a project conducted under close faculty supervision in a research setting.

The topic of a thesis or capstone can come from a wide variety of subject areas. It can be in functional areas of planning, focus on a particular geographic area, or address a particular aspect of planning thought or method.

The research design of a thesis can be a case study, a comparative analysis, a mathematical model, a program evaluation, or a statistical assessment. The student should work closely with his or her advisor, to choose the most appropriate design for their particular topic. In general, a thesis consisting of only a review of existing literature in a certain topical area is unacceptable. Conversely, doing extensive original research is well beyond the acceptable thesis standards at the Master’s degree level.

Students deciding to complete a capstone may choose to address a specific challenge faced by a planning organization or community, and are particularly encouraged to consult with their advisor about projects that may involve non-traditional forms of delivery (e.g. app, video ethnography). Below are examples, though not an exclusive list by any means, of professional capstone projects:

§ The (re-)design of an urban neighborhood, including detailed design drawings,
§ A plan for a transit corridor or hub,
§ A client report commissioned by an advocacy organization or government agency,
§ A public health analysis drawing upon data collected on a community,
§ A Geographic Information System (GIS) analytical model, or. § An app developed to respond to client need.

For topics of theses and capstones in the past 15 years, please go to the theses/capstones section of our website.