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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

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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University of Washington

Health Systems and Population Health

School of public health.

• Thesis or Capstone: HSPop MPH
• Academic Experience
• Academic Programs
• 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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Capstone Program at a Glance

The Capstone Field Experience (EPH 680) and the Capstone Project (EPH 682) are both vital components of the MPH program and together form the Capstone Program. The Capstone Field Experience is designed to provide students with experience in health-related settings (local, national, and international) to work on projects of mutual interest to both the organization and the student. The Capstone Project is intended to build upon this fieldwork and provide the student with an opportunity to apply public health academic theory and acquired skills to community health problems. Students are encouraged to build their Capstone Program in such a way that supports their academic and professional interests as they advance in their careers as public health professionals.

Thesis Program at a Glance

The MSPH Thesis project requires an individual investigation of a current public health problem and allows the student to demonstrate competency in the development and implementation of a research question. Students will work closely with a faculty advisor and the thesis committee during their investigation. Formal MSPH thesis project oral defense is required. The MSPH thesis process, format and deadlines follows the Electronic Thesis and Dissertation (ETD) requirements of the Graduate School.

Contact us for more information or to schedule an appointment:

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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
• Public Health Informatics
• Implementation Science
• Global Health
• Health Policy
• Biomedical Ethics
• Latino and Latina Studies
• Latin American Studies
• 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

2024 Capstone Topics

2023 Capstone Topics

2022 Capstone Topics

2021 Capstone Topics

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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 .

Colorado School of Public Health at Colorado State University

Colorado state university.

For MPH students, the culminating academic experience is a capstone project that benefits the community or a particular target population. Our MPH students do not complete a thesis.  Capstone projects contribute meaningfully to the current body of knowledge in the field and may include, but are not limited to, creating a program plan or evaluation, summarizing data findings, developing policy recommendations, designing an online tool, teaching health education classes, and many other possibilities.

As with the practicum, capstone projects can be completed anywhere in the world and students work with assigned faculty advisors to plan out an appropriate capstone project. See the button below for a listing of potential host sites.

The goal of the capstone project for the MPH student is to connect all aspects of the curriculum, including seminars, lectures, course work, projects, and practical experiences. Students establish an understanding and appreciation for how their concentration enhances public health practice opportunities in Colorado, the nation, and the world.

Capstone Video Series

• #1 What is the MPH capstone?
• #2 What are the capstone prerequisites and requirements?
• #3 How to prepare for your capstone and find a host site
• #4 How to develop and receive approval for your capstone proposal
• #5 How to successfully complete your capstone project
• #6 How to prepare your capstone poster
• #7 How to prepare your capstone presentation
• #8 How to write your capstone paper

The capstone project, with final products of a paper and professional oral and poster presentation, relates to the student’s academic goals and professional interests, and demonstrates their ability to work independently at the master’s level.  At the end of each semester, the students who have completed their capstone project give an oral and poster presentation at our Public Health Forum.

Capstone advisors

While completing the capstone project through CSU, students enroll in a two-credit capstone course and are assigned a faculty advisor for ongoing support and guidance throughout the process. Capstone advisors are:

Kendra Bigsby

Dr. Tracy Nelson

Dr. Molly Gutilla

Dr. Olivia Arnold

Dr. Umit Shrestha

Home > Public Health > IPH_CAPSTONE

Public Health Capstone Projects

Capstone projects from 2017 2017.

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

A Systematic Review on the Association Between Hormonal Contraception and Antiretroviral Therapy in HIV-Positive Women , Evan Graham

Incorporating Health Activities into the Friends of the Park Agenda: A Health Program Plan Framework , Hayley Hamilton

Analysis of the Quality, Integration, and Cost-effectiveness of Primary Care, Electronic Health Records, and End of Life Care: Lessons from the American Healthcare System to Inform National Health Insurance in the Bahamas , Brittney Jones

Geographic Information Systems Analysis of Walkability Data for the Atlanta Beltline Communities , Michale Kanchik

The Legacy for Children™ Program-- A Capstone on Fidelity Monitoring and Certification , Camille Kramer

Effectiveness of Pharmacist Delivered Medication Reconciliation Interventions on Hospital Readmission Rates: A Literature Review , Charles S. Lee

Factors Leading to Occupational Injuries and Illnesses among Hispanic Construction Workers in The United States: A Systematic Review , Luis Felipe Leon Cubides

Analysis of Anti-Retroviral Procurement for HIV-Affected Countries from Fiscal Years 2012 to 2014 , Dejene' Marshall

From Coverage to Care Implementation Plan , Michelle Mavreles

Bicycling for Transportation at Georgia State University: Findings and Recommendations for the Georgia State University Bike Plan , Sarah Braunstein McCartha

Categorizing Vending Machine Snacks at GSU for Metabolic Syndrome Dietary Recommendations , Allie Micheli

Lessons Learned and Recommendations for Conducting Research on the Effects of a Child Neglect Prevention-Focused Parent-Child Interaction Module (SafeCare PCI) on Home Language Environment and Toddler Expressive Language , Ambra Noble

Methodology to Cultivating Hand Hygiene Compliance in Healthcare Facilities , Ugo Okeke

A Review of the Relationship between Screen Time and Low Levels of Physical Activity with Obesity and Sedentary Behaviors in Children and Adolescents , Christal S. Oliver

Framework Analysis: Potential Repatriation and Mental Health System Recovery in the MENA , Yasmin Othman

A Program Evaluation of a Peri-Urban, Multi-Location Care Coordination Program in Georgia and Comparative Analysis of Other United States Care Coordination Programs for Uninsured, High-Risk Patients to Develop Promising Practice Recommendations , Amanda Parker

Effects of Exposure to E-cigarette Advertising on Adolescents: A Systematic Review , Paayal Patel

An Evaluation of Asthma Surveillance Packaging and Dissemination Efforts in Georgia , Lauren Potts

A Historical and Political Review of the Response to the 2015-2016 Zika Outbreak in Puerto Rico , Laura Riquelme

Evaluating the Role of Health Literacy in Communities: A Review of Community Health Needs Assessments of Georgia Hospitals , Brittany Robinson

A Qualitative Review of Healthcare Provider Interventions on Osteoporosis-Related Care and the Improvement on Patient Outcomes , Cayla Roby

A Grant Proposal to Fund Prevention Education for Teen Pregnancy, HIV, and Other Sexually Transmitted Infections in Targeted High Schools in Gwinnett County, Georgia , Connie Lynn Russell

Assessment of Current Lead Fact Sheets for Development of a Revised Lead Fact Sheet , Michael Sparks

A Comparison Analysis Between the State of Georgia and Israel: Heath Outcome Disparities of Low Birth Weight Infants , Dionne Spears

Encouraging Recruitment of Under-Represented Groups in Clinical Studies: A Sponsor's Perspective , Stephanie Stennett

Bankhead versus Buckhead: Analyzing the Environmental Justice Issues in Atlanta , Kristen G. Vales

Capstone Projects from 2016 2016

Assessment of Disparities in Health Care Access and Health Outcome among Racial and Ethnic Minorities , Nadia S. Al-Amin

Research Proposal for Developing Best Practices for Promoting Timely Follow Up Care for Patients in Non-rural Settings Discharged from Inpatient Psychiatric Care with Comorbid Chemical Dependency , Ryan Brody

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Prevention of Hospital-Acquired Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus in U.S. Pediatric Inpatients: A Systematic Review , Rachel See

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An Evaluation of the Costs and Health Benefits Associated with an Overseas Voluntary HIV Screening Program for Refugees Undergoing Ressettlement to the United States , Michelle Canady

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Turn Down For What? The Run Down Before it Goes Down: A Comprehensive Sexual Health Education Program , Tunicia Walker

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Safe Kids Fulton County: A Program Evaluation , Jamie Zimmerman

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MPH Capstone experiences: promising practices and lessons learned

Associated data.

The data analyzed in this study is subject to the following licenses/restrictions: The data were collected for internal program evaluation. We did not request permission at the time of data collection to disseminate these raw data. Requests to access these datasets should be directed to ude.cnu@deirfdnal .

To ensure workforce readiness, graduate-level public health training programs must prepare students to collaborate with communities on improving public health practice and tools. The Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) requires Master of Public Health (MPH) students to complete an Integrative Learning Experience (ILE) at the end of their program of study that yields a high-quality written product demonstrating synthesis of competencies. CEPH suggests written products ideally be “developed and delivered in a manner that is useful to external stakeholders, such as non-profit or governmental organizations.” However, there are limited examples of the ILE pedagogies and practices most likely to yield mutual benefit for students and community partners. To address this gap, we describe a community-led, year-long, group-based ILE for MPH students, called Capstone. This service-learning course aims to (1) increase capacity of students and partner organizations to address public health issues and promote health equity; (2) create new or improved public health resources, programs, services, and policies that promote health equity; (3) enhance student preparedness and marketability for careers in public health; and (4) strengthen campus-community partnerships. Since 2009, 127 Capstone teams affiliated with the Department of Health Behavior at the Gillings School of Global Public Health at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have worked with seventy-nine partner organizations to provide over 103,000 h of in-kind service and produce 635 unique products or “deliverables.” This paper describes key promising practices of Capstone, specifically its staffing model; approach to project recruitment, selection, and matching; course format; and assignments. Using course evaluation data, we summarize student and community partner outcomes. Next, we share lessons learned from 13 years of program implementation and future directions for continuing to maximize student and community partner benefits. Finally, we provide recommendations for other programs interested in replicating the Capstone model.

Introduction

Responding to public health crises like the COVID-19 pandemic requires a public health workforce skilled in community partnership ( 1 , 2 ). Schools and programs of public health are thus charged with designing community-engaged learning experiences while also satisfying accreditation criteria ( 3 ). The accrediting body for schools and programs of public health, the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH), requires Master of Public Health (MPH) students to complete an Integrative Learning Experience (ILE), which represents a culminating experience near the end of their program of study. The ILE must yield a high-quality written product (e.g., “program evaluation report, training manual, policy statement, take-home comprehensive essay exam, legislative testimony with accompanying supporting research, etc.”) that demonstrates synthesis of a set of competencies ( 2 ). Such products may be generated from practice-based projects, essay-based comprehensive exams, capstone programs, or integrative seminars ( 2 ). CEPH guidelines suggest ILE written products ideally be “developed and delivered in a manner that is useful to external stakeholders, such as non-profit or governmental organizations” ( 2 ).

Within this paper, we describe promising practices employed within a community-led, group-based, year-long, critical service-learning course, called Capstone, for MPH students within the Department of Health Behavior at the Gillings School of Global Public Health (Gillings) at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-CH) ( 4 ). We explain the specifics of Capstone's staffing model; project recruitment, selection, and matching processes; course format; and assignments, all of which are designed to promote mutual benefit for students and community partners. Using internal and school-level course evaluations, we present findings on student and community partner outcomes. Next, we reflect on lessons learned from 13 years of implementation experience and suggest future directions for Capstone programming. Finally, we share recommendations for other programs interested in replicating Capstone. We hope the information presented in this paper will benefit other programs interested in ILEs that have mutual benefit for students and community partners.

Pedagogical framework

By design, Capstone is a critical service-learning course. Service-learning pedagogies and practices vary widely. Essential elements of service-learning include community-engaged activities tied to learning goals and ongoing reflection ( 5 – 7 ). The literature documents wide-ranging benefits students gain from service-learning programs such as improved critical thinking skills as well as stronger leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills ( 5 , 8 ). Participation in service-learning courses promotes program satisfaction ( 9 ), academic achievement ( 5 , 8 – 10 ), and job marketability ( 9 , 11 ) among students. Finally, service-learning experiences enhance students' civic engagement ( 2 , 4 , 7 ), cultural awareness, and practice of cultural humility ( 8 , 12 ).

Despite these benefits, service-learning implementation challenges are well documented. Service-learning courses require significant resources to cover program expenses and staffing dedicated to developing and maintaining community partner relationships ( 7 , 12 – 15 ). In addition, the academic calendar may not align with community partners' timelines ( 5 , 14 , 16 ). Students and community partners have additional responsibilities and competing priorities outside coursework, thus creating variable levels of engagement across program participants ( 13 – 15 , 17 , 18 ). In cases where students have nascent project management skills and limited professional experience ( 9 , 10 , 13 ), it can be difficult to achieve mutual benefits among students and community partners.

A prominent debate within the field is the degree to which service-learning projects perpetuate the status quo or facilitate social change. Specifically, researchers question which elements of service-learning best create the conditions for student learning and positive community transformation ( 5 , 19 – 21 ). To provide a framework for this debate, Mitchell ( 5 ) differentiates between “traditional service-learning” and “critical service-learning.” Traditional service-learning is often critiqued for prioritizing student learning needs over benefits to the community ( 5 , 21 ). In contrast, critical service-learning is explicitly committed to social justice ( 5 ). Key elements of a critical service-learning approach include: (1) redistributing power among members of the partnership; (2) building authentic relationships (i.e., those characterized by connection, mutual benefits, prolonged engagement, trust, and solidarity); and (3) working from a social change perspective ( 5 ).

Most service-learning program descriptions within public health training do not reference either a traditional or critical service-learning framework ( 8 , 9 , 11 , 13 , 14 , 22 , 23 ). Several published programs align with a traditional service-learning model, due to the exclusive focus on student benefits and the absence of an explicit commitment to power sharing, authentic partnerships, or social change. For example, Schober et al. ( 24 ) underscore service-learning as an effective means to train a younger workforce to address complex public health issues. Gupta et al. ( 8 ) describe the importance of self-reflection activities for personal growth and skill development, structured within a service-learning program for undergraduate students enrolled in a community nutrition course. While these courses contain many of the best practices in service-learning, including reflection, they discuss student outcomes without promoting or evaluating social change ( 6 ).

The literature also cites programs and courses that include elements of critical service-learning but do not use critical service-learning terminology. For example, a service-learning program at the University of Connecticut outlines how students contribute to structural changes and social progress through policy development and implementation as part of their applied practice experience, which culminates with a presentation to the state legislature ( 23 ). Additionally, Sabo et al. ( 12 ) describe a service-learning course at the University of Arizona oriented toward social justice, as the course is “modeled on the reduction of health disparities through exploration, reflection, and action on the social determinants of health” through strong community-academic partnerships across urban, rural, and indigenous settings. These examples highlight commitment to social progress, community impact, and equitable collaboration without overtly applying the language of critical service-learning.

A small number of service-learning practitioners define their programs explicitly as critical-service learning. Mackenzie et al. ( 13 ) document the benefits of a critical service-learning experience for undergraduate public health students, endorsing it as a “feasible, sustainable” high-impact practice. In their model, students partner with community organizations to address social determinants of health; analyze and challenge power dynamics and systems of oppression; and gain skills. As evidence of power sharing and social change, the authors document that communities have continued their partnerships with the university due to the expansive reach and impact of their collaborations. Authentic relationships were also developed as students gained a stronger sense of commitment to communities. Derreth and Wear ( 25 ) describe the transition to an online critical service-learning course as universities grappled with changing instructional formats with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. In this course, public health students collaborated with Baltimore residents to create evaluation tools while participating in reflective activities. As evidence of critical service-learning, they documented students' changed perspectives, ongoing commitment to collaborate with residents after the course, and development of strong connections with faculty. These courses show the possibilities of critical service-learning ILEs. Detailed descriptions of program structures are needed for interested faculty to replicate best practices. To assist others with adopting or adapting elements of critical service-learning ILEs, this paper provides specifics about Capstone programming.

Learning environment

Program overview.

Community-Led Capstone Project: Part I and II (Capstone) is a graduate-level course situated within UNC-CH's Gillings' Department of Health Behavior (Department). The Department developed Capstone in response to faculty concerns about the variable investment in and quality of master's papers ( 26 ), coupled with a desire to design a practice-based culminating experience driven by community partners' needs, interests, and concerns. Capstone satisfies CEPH ILE requirements and serves as the substitute for UNC-CH's master's thesis requirement for students in the Health Behavior (HB) and Health Equity, Social Justice, and Human Rights (EQUITY) MPH concentrations. The overwhelming majority of students in these two concentrations are full-time residential students pursuing an MPH within a two-year time frame, though there are a few students who are enrolled in a dual degree program to earn their MPH alongside a Master of Social Work (MSW) or Master of City and Regional Planning (MCRP) within 3 years.

During this year-long course, which occurs during the second year of the MPH program, students synthesize and apply their MPH training to community-designed public health projects. Supplementary material A , B include a list of HB and EQUITY required courses and their sequencing. The specific competencies applied and assessed during Capstone are listed in Supplementary material C . Each team of four to five Capstone students works with a partner organization and its constituents to produce a set of four to six deliverables (i.e., tangible products). Deliverables are based on the partner organization's self-identified needs. This community-led approach prioritizes partners' interests and gives students an opportunity to do applied public health work on a range of topics with a variety of organization types. Figure 1 details the tasks and timelines entailed in this programming. Table 1 presents information from selected projects that showcase the range of partner organizations, activities, and deliverables present in Capstone. Capstone's specific objectives are to (1) increase capacity among students and partner organizations to address public health issues and promote health equity; (2) create new or improved public health resources, programs, services, and policies that advance health equity; (3) enhance student preparedness and marketability for public health careers; and (4) strengthen campus-community partnerships.

Gantt chart illustrating major Capstone activities and timeline.

Sample projects.

Personnel and resources

Capstone involves numerous constituents and requires dedicated resources. Each partner organization is represented by one or two preceptors (i.e., main points of contact from the partner organization) who provide a vision for, direct, and supervise the project work. Preceptors spend 2–4 h per week meeting with students, providing guidance on the work, and reviewing deliverables. Student teams are responsible for managing Capstone relationships, processes, and tasks and producing deliverables that enhance their skillsets while meeting their partner organization's needs. They are expected to spend 6–9 h per week, outside of class time, on Capstone. One faculty adviser per project provides technical expertise and ensures that each team's project deliverables meet UNC-CH's master's thesis substitute and CEPH ILE requirements. Faculty advisers spend 30 min to an hour a week providing feedback and guidance on the project work. Advising a Capstone team every other year is a service expectation for Department faculty. The teaching team, which is comprised of course instructor(s) and teaching assistants (TAs), recruits the partner organizations and oversees and supports the Capstone experience. Each instructor manages ten to eleven teams (typically between forty and fifty students) and receives coverage equal to twenty percent full-time equivalent per semester. TAs, who are HB or EQUITY MPH alumni and/or HB doctoral students, each work with five to six teams and are expected to work 18 h a week on Capstone. TAs provide feedback on draft deliverables, direct students to resources, and help problem solve. Departmental administrative staff provide additional support to coordinate expenses associated with the program such as project-related travel, equipment, services (e.g., transcription, interpretation, translation), books, software, incentives, postage, and other costs. Capstone students pay a one-time $600 field fee to cover a portion of the expenses associated with Capstone. This fee was approved by the University and is paid when a student enrolls in the first semester of the course.

Project recruitment, selection, and matching

Recruitment.

The process of setting up Capstone projects takes 9 months of advance planning (see Figure 1 ). The Capstone teaching team solicits project proposals in December for the upcoming academic year. They send email solicitations with Capstone overview information ( Supplementary material D ) and the project proposal form ( Supplementary material E ) to current and former Capstone partner organizations, hosts of other experiential education experiences, and department listservs. The Capstone teaching team encourages recipients to share the solicitation information with their networks. Prospective partners' first step is to have an informational interview with a Capstone instructor to discuss their project ideas and to receive coaching on elements of successful proposals. These interviews are also an opportunity for the teaching team to assess an organization's capacity to support a student team and gain insights on the prospective preceptors' communication, work, and leadership styles. The teaching team invites prospective partners to submit draft proposals for their review prior to the proposal deadline. Prospective partners submit their finalized project proposals and a letter of support from their leadership to the teaching team by email in early February.

The teaching team typically receives twenty project proposals. To determine which projects will be presented to incoming Capstone students, a committee consisting of the teaching team and student representatives from the current Capstone class reviews and scores proposals based on the criteria listed in Table 2 . Reviewers score each criterion on a scale of one through five with one being the lowest score and five being the highest score. The fifteen community partners with the highest scoring proposals are invited to share their ideas with students via a recorded seven-minute project overview presentation.

Project selection criteria.

Incoming Capstone students have 1 week in March to review the proposal materials and rank their top five project preferences. Based on student rankings, the teaching team assembles project teams using the following guiding principles: (1) give as many students as possible their top-ranked project; (2) promote diversity of concentrations and experience levels within student teams; and (3) ensure the number of students per team is appropriate for the proposed scope of work. Once the student teams are assembled, the teaching team matches faculty advisers to projects based on faculty's interests and expertise. The teaching team announces final team composition in early April. The course instructor(s) facilitates an initial meeting with each student team, their preceptor(s), and their faculty adviser in May to build community, clarify expectations, and orient the student team to their project work and partner organization. Project work formally begins in August of the following academic year.

Course format

Capstone spans the fall and spring semesters (fifteen weeks per term) and is three credits per term. To help students, preceptors, and faculty advisers become familiar with expectations for Capstone, the teaching team reserves the first 4 weeks of the fall semester for onboarding. As part of the onboarding process, each team cocreates a team charter ( Supplementary material F ) to promote authentic relationships between students and their community partners and to clarify expectations for working together. They also produce a workplan ( Supplementary material G ), which elaborates on the partner's project proposal, to outline the team's scope of work. After the onboarding weeks, the teaching team meets with each student team during class three times per semester to receive project updates and provide support. The teaching team facilitates two whole-class reflection sessions per semester to help students make meaning of their experiences. All other Capstone class sessions are protected time for student teams to meet and work on their projects.

Course assignments

Capstone assignments are designed to ensure a mutually beneficial experience for students and community partners. They are also intended to facilitate critical reflection, yield high-quality written products, assess synthesis of selected competencies, and evaluate how students steward the relationships, processes, and tasks associated with their projects. To share power and collect their unique perspectives, preceptors and faculty advisers participate in the grading process. Tables 3 , ​ ,4 4 summarize course assignments, their descriptions, whether they are completed and assessed at the individual or group level, and the party responsible for assessing the assignment.

Capstone assignments for the fall semester.

TT, Teaching Team; P, Preceptor; FA, Faculty Adviser.

Capstone assignments for the spring semester.

Program evaluation

This study was exempted by UNC Chapel Hill's Institutional Review Board (IRB 21-0510) as it fell under the exemption category of “educational setting,” which includes research on instructional approaches and their effectiveness. To abstract and analyze data on the number of students who have completed Capstone, hours they dedicated to Capstone activities, and deliverables they produced, two authors referenced course records starting in 2009. The teaching team collects students' and preceptors' perspectives on Capstone through mid- and end-of-semester evaluations using Qualtrics. Gillings administers end-of-semester course evaluations that provide additional insights into student outcomes.

Core aspects of Capstone (e.g., program aims and our staffing model) have remained constant over the past 13 years. However, a variety of lessons learned and external conditions have led to program changes. Use of class time and project recruitment, selection, and matching processes have evolved to further promote health equity and maximize mutual student and community partner benefit. The EQUITY concentration joined Capstone in 2020, which led to changes in team composition. Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic necessitated a transition from in-person to a remote course format in academic years 2020 and 2021, introducing the opportunity to work with organizations across the nation.

To present qualitative findings that reflect our most current programming, two authors analyzed data from academic years 2020 and 2021. Ninety-eight students and twenty-two preceptors participated in Capstone during that time. The teaching team received a 100 percent response rate to their mid and end-of semester evaluations completed by students and preceptors and a seventy-two percent response rate to the Gillings-administered student course evaluations during academic years 2020 and 2021.

To identify key outcomes for students and preceptors, two authors completed a thematic analysis of evaluation responses ( 27 , 28 ). For students, they analyzed eighty-eight qualitative responses to the Gillings' course evaluation question, “What will you take away from this course?” Next, the two authors familiarized themselves with the data and inductively created a thematic codebook. To ensure consistent code use, they simultaneously coded approximately twenty-five percent of transcripts, coded remaining transcripts separately, and flagged any transcripts that required further review. To identify key preceptor outcomes, the two authors analyzed the twenty-two responses to the spring end-of-semester evaluation question, “Please describe how, if at all, your organization benefited from hosting a Capstone team.” They reviewed the responses to inductively create a codebook and then worked together to apply codes to all quotations to identify thematic groups.

Student outcomes

Since its inception in 2009, 574 students across 127 teams have completed the Capstone program, provided over 103,000 h of in-kind service, and produced more than 635 deliverables with our partner organizations. Between 2020–2022, ninety-eight students completed the current version of Capstone, provided 35,280 h of in-kind service, and produced eighty deliverables. Through our thematic analysis of course evaluation data, we identified two overarching themes for student outcomes: skill development and satisfaction.

Skill development, students' greatest takeaway from Capstone, was reflected in fifty-three percent ( n = 47) of students' qualitative evaluation responses. Students directly named interpersonal skills (e.g., communication, teamwork, collaboration, conflict management, facilitation, community engagement, coalition building) the most. They also commented on acquisition of technical skills (e.g., project management; content development; and data collection, analysis, and reporting). In most cases, students named a mix of skills in their responses. For example, one student said they will take away:

Skills developed on the project, including survey design and implementation as well as strategies for engaging with community advisory board authentically and successfully. Shared skills among team will stick with me as well – project management, inter–team communication, strategies for setting clear expectations and holding each other accountable.

Skill development helps achieve Capstone's course aims of increasing students' capacity to address public health issues and promote health equity while enhancing their preparedness and marketability for public health careers.

Twenty-four students commented on their satisfaction with the experience when sharing key takeaways. Seven students expressed dissatisfaction, primarily with course assignments, while seventeen others remarked on their satisfaction with the experience, particularly the applied format of the course. For example, one student shared,

This Capstone project really was special. Having a community partner that demonstrated how helpful these projects would be and work with us to shape the deliverables was such a unique process. I wish we had more community–focused classes like this one.

In alignment with Capstone's objective of strengthened campus-community partnerships and CEPH ILE goals, these Capstone partnerships afford students the opportunity to see the impacts of their learning and create meaningful work that benefits external constituents.

Community partner outcomes

Over the past 13 years, we have partnered with seventy-nine organizations representing a variety of sectors including healthcare, social services, education, and government. Twenty-five (31.6%) of our partner organizations have hosted multiple Capstone teams. Based on the twenty-two preceptor responses analyzed for this paper, two authors identified four major themes within community partner benefits: deliverable utility, enhanced capacity, broad impacts, and more inclusive processes. Sixteen (72.7%) preceptors said that they benefited from the deliverables (e.g., toolkit, communication tool, datasets, evaluation plan, report, oral history products, protocols, presentation, report, curriculum, manuscript, engagement plan) produced by their team. These findings reflect Capstone's course aim of creating new or improved public health resources, programs, services, and policies.

Fifty-seven percent ( n = 12) of preceptors noted that project outcomes would not have been possible without the support of a Capstone team. The resources teams developed increased partner organizations' capacity to further their work. For example, a preceptor shared:

The Capstone team provided us with SO many hours of highly skilled person power that we would not otherwise have had. We now have a draft of a thorough and high quality [toolkit], which I don't think could have been created without their labor, given the resource constraints of [our organization]. This toolkit will serve as a tool to start conversations with many […] stakeholders in the future. I think it will also serve as a model for other states.

Not only can students' in-kind service and the work they produce help increase the capacity of our partner organizations, but also the Capstone project work can have long-term and far-reaching impacts for public health practice at large. Indeed, preceptors ( n = 8) reported impacts that extend beyond the partner organization. For example, another preceptor noted,

[Our organization] will use the presentation and report that the Capstone team produced for the next decade. Not only will [our organization] benefit from advancing our strategic priorities and deepening our partnerships, but we believe this report will be used by other agencies across the county to advance behavioral health priorities in need of support.

This is an example of how Capstone can yield new and improved public health resources, programs, services, and policies that have lasting impacts beyond those directly benefiting our partner organizations.

A final theme that emerged was organizations' increased ability to implement more inclusive processes. Four preceptors commented on expanded commitment to equity initiatives as illustrated by the following quote:

The work the team did for [our organization] is work that we've talked about doing for several years - but we never had the time. The protocols are important for injured children, so we're grateful for the team's work. We also have never addressed social equity as a group. Working with this team has prompted us to take a look at our practices. The evaluation plan the students developed will provide a mechanism for us to assess and trend our implementation of the protocols and our efforts to reduce inequities in trauma care.

This example demonstrates how Capstone's commitment to working from a social change orientation can impact our partner organizations' cultures. Overall, these findings illustrate the myriad community partner benefits present within Capstone.

These results show that Capstone mutually benefits community partners and students. Overall, students gained skills in collaborating with communities and contributed to collective capacity to improve public health practice and tools for promoting health equity. Our finding that skill development was a key student outcome aligns with Mackenzie et al.'s ( 13 ) and Gupta et al.'s ( 8 ) evaluations of similar service-learning courses. Among skills developed, both studies cited teamwork and professional development skills as key components ( 8 , 13 ). Mackenzie et al. ( 13 ), Derreth and Wear ( 25 ), and Sabo et al. ( 12 ) also report additional student outcomes that were not explicitly measured in our evaluation, including a deeper commitment to work with local communities, a deeper commitment to engaged scholarship, and stronger relationships with faculty.

In our evaluation, community partners benefitted through useful deliverables, enhanced capacity to do more public health work, impacts beyond the scope of the project, and more inclusive and equitable processes. Like our study, Gregorio et al. ( 23 ) found that their students' work products were very useful. Moreover, the Mackenzie et al. ( 13 ) study cited that students were able to offer additional capacity to organizations by “extending the[ir] reach,” which reinforced our main findings of enhanced capacity and impacts beyond the scope of the project. While not all service-learning course evaluation studies included data from community partners, our results aligned with those that did.

Lessons learned

After 13 years, we have identified several lessons learned about implementing a critical service-learning ILE. First, despite proactive planning efforts, the teaching team has learned to expect challenges related to project scope and relationships. The solicitation and refinement of projects and partnerships starts 9 months before the beginning of Capstone. Through extended individualized support and engagement, the teaching team hopes to build trust with community partners and collaborate in shaping and strengthening their project proposals. While there are benefits of this level of engagement, no amount of planning completely insulates projects from the unforeseen challenges of community-engaged work. For example, the COVID-19 pandemic impacted how Capstone could engage with community partners, their priorities, and their staffing. In particular, preceptor turnover creates numerous challenges for team morale and project ownership, satisfaction, and impact.

Second, Capstone course assignments are designed to maximize positive experiences for students and community partners and to uphold the principles of critical service-learning, but students are often frustrated with them. The teaching team refers to the workplan and team charter as the “guardrails” of the Capstone. They exist to clarify expectations, promote power sharing and authentic relationships, and reinforce Capstone's commitment to social change. The teaching team has observed that teams who invest deeply in these documents are the least likely to encounter significant interpersonal and logistical setbacks during the experience. Despite the teaching team's messaging about the importance of these structures for mutually beneficial experiences, students routinely assert that the start of Capstone contains too much “administrative” work. While the teaching team continues to respect and incorporate students' critical feedback, they have learned to expect a certain amount of student dissatisfaction at the start of the experience.

Third, the Department has learned that having the appropriate amount of staffing and material resources to support projects is essential to ensuring positive impacts. Limiting partners to only those with material resources is one way that funding models both within public health and the non-profit sector often exclude organizations with more explicit social change agendas. Therefore, to maximize student learning and community partner benefit while minimizing community partner burden, Capstone has a high university-staff-to-project ratio and covers project expenses. To fund Capstone, the Department uses a combination of state resources and field fees. There is an enduring tension, especially because resources are scarce, to scale back spending on courses like Capstone. For experiences like these to sustain and grow, additional resources, not fewer, are needed.

Finally, programs like Capstone must adapt to shifting social, political, economic, and educational landscapes to ensure sustained positive impacts. For example, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the teaching team limited the eligible pool of Capstone community partners to those within a forty-mile radius of UNC-CH. The pandemic resulted in the teaching team broadening community partner eligibility criteria and now Capstone works with community partners across the nation. Capstone's expanded reach is aligned with the new vision for Public Health 3.0 where public health professionals are expected to “engage multiple sectors and community partners to generate collective impact” while improving social determinants of health ( 29 ).

Future directions for Capstone

Public Health 3.0 ( 29 ) looks to promote health, equity, and resilience. With more community partners working on projects that explicitly tackle upstream factors like education, housing, and poverty in addition to health, Gillings will need to update its MPH training program to ensure that students enter their ILEs with the skills needed to meet these challenges. Below we describe ongoing quality improvement efforts internal to the Capstone program to strengthen outcomes for students and partner organizations.

The teaching team hopes to continue to enhance student preparedness and marketability for careers in public health. Much like other experiential learning models that report benefits to career readiness, professional leadership, and confidence ( 15 , 18 ), students report a host of positive outcomes from their Capstone experience that imply preparedness and marketability. Students note the breadth and depth of technical and interpersonal skills gained, as has been reported elsewhere ( 13 , 30 ). These reports of enhanced preparedness align well with findings that among undergraduate seniors seeking employment immediately after graduation, students whose course history included service-learning and capstone courses experienced greater odds of starting a new job compared with those who did not engage those high-impact practices ( 31 ). In recent years, the teaching team has offered skill-building workshops, as replicated in other programs ( 3 ), to coach students on how to present their Capstone work on résumés and how to talk about their projects during interviews using sample scripts. To simulate job applications and increase engagement with partner organizations, the teaching team will consider inviting preceptors to review and provide feedback on students' résumés and project description scripts.

The teaching team also aims to further strengthen community partnerships. One way to maximize Capstone's benefit for community partners is to adapt recruitment strategies so that the teaching team reaches more organizations for whom the Capstone experience would be most impactful. This may mean further refining the application process to lessen the time burden on potential partners and disseminating the call for Capstone projects through different channels. To enhance the experience of selected community partners, the teaching team plans to implement more preceptor-specific programming such as check-in meetings and skill-building workshops to build community and encourage collaboration among community partners.

Finally, there is a clear need for a comprehensive Capstone evaluation. The teaching team has yet to administer surveys, interviews, or focus groups that explicitly evaluate course aims and the elements of critical service learning. Furthermore, our understanding of the long-term impacts of Capstone is currently limited to anecdotal information from exchanges with former students and preceptors. By conducting a strategic evaluation, including modifications to existing course feedback opportunities and an additional alumni survey moving forward, we can better assess how Capstone is achieving course aims, operationalizing the elements of critical-service learning, and having long-term impacts.

Recommendations for program replication

Capstone's model can be adopted or adapted by individual faculty or by schools of public health. We welcome faculty members or program and school leaders to contact us to further discuss what this might look like. In general, though, we recommend that the following core components remain consistent:

• Program staff invest effort to ensure community partners understand the overarching goals of the experience, general timelines, logistics, and roles and responsibilities of all involved parties prior to submitting a project proposal.
• Community partners are selected using clearly defined criteria, including equity.
• Community partners lead the development of, and direct, students' scope of work and have flexibility in determining deliverables.
• The experience spans two semesters (vs. something shorter like one semester or a summer).
• Students have ample time during their assigned class time to make progress on their projects.
• Course assignments (e.g., workplan, team charter, weekly updates) provide “guardrails” for the project experience to help ensure mutual benefit.
• There are robust staffing supports in place to recruit and maintain community partnerships, minimize community partners' burdens, and maximize student learning. Such supports are especially important when students have nascent project management skills and limited professional experience ( 10 , 13 ).

As shown in Figure 1 , program staff work on Capstone activities year-round and recruit new community partners while managing a current cohort of preceptors. Clear job descriptions with timelines will be helpful in negotiations and will assist with sustainability as different faculty and staff cycle through leading this kind of experience.

Our description and analyses have many strengths. First, the detailed and transparent information contained in this paper will allow interested faculty to replicate and benefit from best practices found in Capstone. We openly share our course materials in the Supplementary material section and invite others to adopt or adapt these resources for their own use. Second, our results illustrate the benefits of Capstone and highlight mechanisms for ILEs to be transformative for students and community partners alike. Lastly, all authors on this paper have been members of the Capstone teaching team, students enrolled in the course, or both. This uniquely qualifies us to write this paper and share lessons learned with others in the field to advance public health training and practice.

Limitations

As noted above, our evaluation of Capstone has some limitations. First, we designed our evaluation and analyzed data retrospectively. Therefore, evaluation tools were not explicitly aligned to our four program objectives or the elements of critical service-learning. Second, we narrowed in on qualitative data from the past 2 years instead of the past 13 years because of changes implemented in 2020. To present reflections and feedback on the current version of Capstone, we had limited data to analyze.

By applying elements of critical service-learning to an ILE, Capstone is uniquely positioned to contribute to the development of public health leaders and positive community change. Community partners' project visions undergird the project selection and the course structure, which emphasizes authentic relationships, mutually beneficial processes, and practical synthesis of applied public health competencies. Through 13 years of experience, we have developed an ILE that is nimble enough to benefit community partners and rigorous enough to satisfy accreditation requirements. Capstone is a promising culminating experience practice for training skilled, collaborative public health practitioners and effecting community-driven public health change.

Data availability statement

Author contributions.

ML developed the course and its content along with peer colleagues, wrote the abstract along with the learning environment, program evaluation, and results sections. ML and LS conducted the thematic data analysis. MC and LS completed a literature review, drafted the introduction and pedagogical framework section, and provided continual editing. EC wrote the discussion section and provided overall guidance for manuscript preparation. DE provided guidance, structural editing, and formatting. BP provided line edits. All authors contributed to the conception of the paper, manuscript revision, read, and approved the submitted version.

Acknowledgments

We are grateful to the 579 students and seventy-nine community partners we have learned from and with over the past 13 years. Many thanks to the editors and reviewers of this article for their comprehensive and helpful feedback including Laura Linnan, Beth Moracco, Kelsey Accordino, and Naya Villarreal. This paper is dedicated to the memory of Jo Anne Earp.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Publisher's note

All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article, or claim that may be made by its manufacturer, is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

Supplementary material

The Supplementary Material for this article can be found online at: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1129330/full#supplementary-material

Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

Capstone Projects

The final project is a key element of the Master of Health and the Public Interest program, as it provides valuable work experience and opportunities for jobs after graduation. Students typically conduct the capstone research project (3 credits) over the summer . Either participating faculty or students, following faculty approval, can arrange the capstone project . Students have th e option of working on a research study or health services project with a Georgetown or outside mentor, or working with an advocacy group, NGO, state or federal agency, international health organization, social science project, or epidemiological research program.

• Developing practical skills: Students may accomplish this project through immersive involvement with a research team; an internship with a government agency or a non-governmental organization, or through a closely monitored independent investigative project.
• Integrating knowledge gained in the program into a workplace environment.
• Honing writing and communication skills: Students will be required to write a final report of their experiences and will be provided an opportunity to present their experiences to the program.

Capstone or Internship Final Project

There are no comprehensive exams, and students are expected to successfully complete the capstone or internship requirement. To successfully meet the requirement, students must:

• File proposals for either a capstone or Internship project with the Program Directors prior to the start of the project. These proposals must outline plans for their research or fieldwork, complete with deadlines and expectations for the final written product to be submitted to the program. The mentors, placement site, and the directors’ approval of the proposals are required to move forward with the project.
• Produce a written report of no less than 20 pages, describing their research project or their fieldwork
• Write weekly blog posts on their experiences. This requirement fosters both cooperation and community among students who may be in far-flung places and positions. Faculty also monitor and comment on blog posts, and are available to consult with students to ensure the correct application of skills from coursework.
• Regularly check in with project advisors. Students are required to check-in during and end of the semester to ensure they are meeting project requirements and also resolving any challenges that arise.

The primary mentor evaluates capstone projects through an assessment. This assessment is based on progress reports and a final report. For students working primarily with a non-Georgetown mentor, there is an assessment by the assigned Georgetown mentor. and at the end of the capstone, both the external faculty and the student evaluate the experience. The faculty committee gives the final grade for the capstone, taking the paper or report and the external advisor’s evaluation form into consideration. A faculty committee evaluates external capstone proposals, mentors, and sites. Criteria for external mentors include research experience and experience mentoring students.

Past Projects

• Graduate Research Internship at Georgetown Center for Children and Families by Eni Akinniyi
• Communicating Healthcare Issues at McCabe Message Partners by Chania Chambers
• COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Methods Can Support or Undermine Official Health Commiunication in Racial and Ethnic Minority Communities by Brian Keyser
• Development of generic drugs based on the reform of China’s DRG healthcare system by Yibo Liu
• Puerto Rico Public Health Trust Internship by Ana López
• Graduate Research Internship with Georgetown University McCourt School of Public Policy’s Center for Children and Families by Ella Mathews
• “Dashing into the Opioid Crisis” Continued: Building a Mock Data Dashboard in ArcGIS to Address Washington, D.C’s Opioid Data Problem by Matt Reasor
• Internship at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) by Sophia Rhoades
• T1International by Emmabella Rudd
• On Writing Pride & Prejudice: Healing Division in the Modern Family by Matt R. Salmon, DO
• Are Biologic Drugs the Future for Atopic Dermatitis? Should They Be? by Bronwyn Walsh
• Abortion and Birth Control Support (ABCS) Website: Resources for Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare by Krysta Aulak
• Breathing for Mental Health: Manual and Curriculum Development for an Oxygen Advantage® Training Program by Tiger Bye
• ¡Es Fácil! Development of a Visual Guide for Genetic Testing in a Population of Latina Women in the DMV by Anthony Chicaiza
• Legislative Associate Internship at Simon & Co. by Tierney Collins
• Falling Short: Cost-Effective Pricing and Disease Severity by Annie Dayton
• American Dental Education Association Policy Research Internship by Brianna Dean
• How Sports Connect to Health by Mary Pagano
• Abortion Resource Center: Crisis Pregnancy Centers by Jennifer Phunmongkol
• Bloomberg Opioid Prevention Initiative by Jewyl Raikes
• Public Relations Internship: McCabe Message Partners by Claire Sabin
• Office of National Drug Control Policy Internship by Kathleen Semansky
• Black Nurses Rock Internship by Maya Walker
• Stress, healthy eating habits, and healthy homes for the D.C. Latino Community by Alejandra Monroy
• Telehealth Implementation Project by Divya Vemulapalli
• To Womb It May Concern: Exploring Community Perspectives on a Birth Equity Hospital Designation by Esther Ebuehi
• Impact of COVID-19 on Food Insecurity by Felicia Reid
• Casa Alitas Public Health Internship by Jennifer Argueta-Contreras
• The Association Between Subjective Age and Depression Among MACS MSM Participants by Kelvin Blade
• #ChineseVirus: Examining COVID-19-Related Racial Discrimination on Twitter by Zoe Lee-Chiong
• Pimavanserin and Parkinson’s Disease Psychosis:An Example of Condition Branding for Drug Marketing by Daisy Daeschler
• Oasis Community Partners by Katharine Gray
• Access to Medicines Internship at Public Citizen by Nitika Gupta
• Libya OH-RRT Project by Caroline Jackman
• National Cancer Institute, Office of Cancer Complementary and Alternative Medicine by Sophia King
• The Community Action Cycle (CAC) Streamlining Practical Review by Susan Skinner
• Health Policy Research at the GU Center of Health Insurance Reforms by Mari Tikoyan
• “Cross-Sector Collaboration to Combat Urban Slums in Accra, Ghana” by  Oluwaseun Ajimoko
• “Netflix &…Cure Hepatitis C: Examining a Subscription Model of Drug Pricing” by  Elyse D.H. Barnard
• “Collaboration and Inclusion as Keys to Health Policy Reform” by  Lois Dankwa
• “Adherence to Clinical Follow-Up Recommendations Amongst HCV-Infected Patients and Impact on Associated Risk Behaviors” by  Allison Dormanesh
• “Center for Medicare and Medicaid in Baltimore, MD” by  Zehra Hussain 
• “LGBT Policy Intern for the Center for American Progress” by  Sarah Kellman 
• “My Journey Through DC and School-Based Health Centers” by  Esthanette Reid
• “NIH/NCI Office of Cancer Complementary and Alternative Medicine” by  Megan Sansevere
• “ All Means All: Understanding Medicare For All and Racial Justice” by  Grace Youn

Community-engaged scholarship: It’s what we do. It’s who we are.  The master’s capstone is a year-long critical (i.e., explicitly focused on social justice) service-learning course that gives our students an opportunity to apply the knowledge and skills gained in the first year of the program by working in teams partnered with community-based organizations to address real-world public health problems.

• Increases our students’ and partner organizations’ capacity to address social determinants of health and advance health equity.
• Creates new and/or improved public health policies, programs, services, and resources.
• Enhances student preparedness and marketability for public health careers.
• Strengthens campus/community partnerships.

We focus equally on the service and the learning aspects of the experience. Class sessions are an opportunity for students to prepare for, reflect on, share and receive feedback about their capstone experiences.

How to Apply for a Team

• Review the Capstone Overview document (PDF) in full.
• Contact [email protected] to schedule a meeting with a member of the Capstone teaching team to discuss your project ideas and receive tips on the Capstone project proposal process. Meetings with the teaching team should take place by January 31, 2024 .
• Fill out this form (docx) . Please save your completed proposal as a Microsoft Word document using the following naming convention: Organization Name_Capstone Proposal 2024-2025 .
• Collect a letter of support from your organization’s leadership. The letter of support should explain how the Capstone project goal will enhance your organization’s mission; demonstrate commitment to the resources and support (including staff time) needed to carry out the project work; and outline a contingency plan if the preceptor is no longer able to carry out the roles and responsibilities of that position.
• Email your completed proposal form and a letter of support to [email protected] by using “Organization Name_Capstone Proposal 2024-2025” as the subject heading 11:59 p.m. on February 5, 2024 .

Questions? Contact [email protected] .

The Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases at the UNC School of Medicine in Chapel Hill is a research engine for global health innovation and pan-university collaboration, transforming health in North Carolina and around the world through research, training and service.

The UNC Injury Prevention Research Center (IPRC) develops, tests, and implements prevention solutions that reduce the impact of injury and violence in North Carolina and worldwide.

Launched in August 2011, CounterTobacco.Org is the first comprehensive resource for local, state, and federal organizations working to counteract commercial tobacco product sales and marketing at the point of sale (POS).

The UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center is a cancer research and treatment center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Serving patients at the N.C. Basnight Cancer Hospital, UNC Lineberger is the only public comprehensive cancer center in the state of North Carolina.

The Carolina Center for Healthy Work Design and Worker Well-being is one of 10 Centers of Excellence for Total Worker Health® funded by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).

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A Paradise In The Caucasus: 10 Fun Things To Do In Sochi, Russia

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The land of the Tsars has a city that is sheltered by the beauty of the Caucasus Mountains and the breeze of the Black Sea. As the home of the 2014 Winter Olympics, Sochi was prepared to welcome athletes and crowds of the Games. Today, it has adapted that infrastructure to reinvent itself as a luxury destination for travelers who enjoy the snow.

However, this city was originally the summer destination for Russian emperors and had earned a reputation as an exclusive beach resort. All these elements are brought together to simply put Sochi as what is it: the perfect destination for travelers who want a city with its own history and traditions, one of a kind natural area and accommodation and cuisine that fits their needs, all year round.

Take a look at the 10 things that you can do for a fantastic stay in Sochi and get ready to feel that you are part of the Russian elite.

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3. Dendrarium Botanical Gardens (Sochi Arboretum)

A trip around the forests of the world in one place. What once was a private garden is now a 12 hectare (30 acre) park with more than 1,800 exotic and rare plants. The Dendrarium Botanical Gardens, also known as the Sochi Arboretum, is considered one of the most diverse botanical gardens in the country, with species from all around the globe organized into sections that represent different continents.

With beautiful fountains and sculptures, it is a great way to take some fresh air and get amazing views of the sea and the Caucasus Mountains. You can access the top garden’s hill by cable car or walking.

Dendrarium Botanical Gardens (Sochi Arboretum) Address : Kurortny Avenue 74, Sochi, 354002 Website : Dendrarium Botanical Gardens (Sochi Arboretum) (in Russian)

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4. stalin's dacha.

Editor's Note: There's no photo available at the time of writing

Located 30 minutes from Sochi’s center, Stalin’s Dacha was the summer residence built in 1937 for the leader of the Soviet Union. Visitors get the chance to explore this house in the woods and get deep into the mind of Stalin. Details like the lack of carpets so that the he could hear footsteps if someone was trying to approach him, an exterior painted in green to camouflage against attacks and an indoor swimming pool help learn about his character. The tours are made in Russian, so it is advisable to check in advance if the guides who speak English are present.

Stalin's Dacha Address : Kurortny prospekt 120/1, Khostinsky District, Sochi, Russia Website : Stalin’s Dacha

5. Krasnaya Polyana Mountain Cluster

Before the 2014 Winter Olympic Games, Sochi was mostly known as a summer holiday destination. However, today it also welcomes travelers in the winter season who enjoy what is often referred to as the ‘Russian Switzerland’, one of the most popular and beautiful mountain clusters in the country: Krasnaya Polyana.

The modern and brand new facilities built for the games include stylish resorts, great ski and snowboard slopes suitable for all levels, hiking trails, great restaurants and traditional Russian saunas. This complex is reachable by the railroad line built to connect the resort to the airport and by bus as well. It is a fantastic place to practice winter sports, but also to enjoy the mountain and the incredible views.

Krasnaya Polyana Mountain Cluster Address : Krasnodar Krai, Sochi, Russia Website : Krasnaya Polyana Mountain Cluster

7. Dagomys Tea Plantation

If you want to taste something unique, you can visit the Dagomys Tea Plantation. Sochi is famous for being the only place that produces tea in Russia and, thanks to particular weather conditions, they have the northernmost plantations in the world. You can participate in a guided tour that explains the history of tea in the region inside an izba, a traditional log house. In there, you will also enjoy a traditional 19th-century style Russian tea party while listing to a folklore group.

If you want to take some of those flavors home with you, you can purchase the local black and green varieties, renowned for their delicate flavors, at the plantation shop. Operation hours vary during the year and the facilities are closed Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday in winter.

Dagomys Tea Plantation Address : Krasnodar, Sochi, pos. Uch-Dere Street. Zaporizhia, 302, Sochi, Russia Website : Dagomys Tea Plantation (in Russian)

8. Olimpiyskiy Park

Built for the Winter Olympics of 2014, Olimpiyskiy Park is right on the shore of the Black Sea in Adler, south of Sochi. It houses amenities used for the Games and has been adapted for the general public with services like food and ice cream stalls. Among the facilities that you can see inside the complex it is the Fisht Olympic Stadium, which has a 40,000-capacity and served as a venue for the opening and closing ceremonies of the games; it was reopened as a football stadium in 2016.

You can rent a bike at the front gate to explore it or hire a rickshaw tour to explore it, since it is very big. One of the most popular attractions at the park is The Waters of the Olympic Park fountain, which showcases a show with water, lights and music every day at 7 pm.

Olimpiyskiy Park Address : Olimpiyskiy prospekt, Adler, Russia Website : Olimpiyskiy Park (in Russian)

10. Riviera Park

Designed as a resting area for the Tsar’s in 1898, Riviera Park is now the most popular alternative for locals and tourists for a day out. It has beautiful landscaped trees and flower gardens that join sculptures to provide a great scenery for walking and relaxing. Also, the park features an amusement area with carnival rides and games for fun, an arts and crafts market to purchase souvenirs and lovely cafes with delicious products, among other facilities. One of the visitor’s favorite are the tennis courts of Y. Kafelnikov Tennis School, where it is rumored that champion Maria Sharapova started playing.

Riviera Park Address : 1 Yegorova ul., Sochi, Krasnodarskiy, Russia Website : Riviera Park (in Russian)

The best of both worlds

Whether you visit Sochi because you want to relax and enjoy the fantastic beaches of the Black Sea or you want to go to the exclusive resorts of the Caucasus Mountains, you can be sure that you will have a great journey. See you there!

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When she is not backpacking round the globe, Emilia Lugo works as a Digital Content Specialist in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She considers herself a museum geek and loves destinations that can take... Read more

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7 Best Day Trips From Tbilisi, Georgia - Updated 2024