Course Description:
The capstone project is the culminating experience of the D.Sc. in Integrative Healthcare degree for both areas of concentration. The capstone project challenges doctoral students to apply the knowledge and skills acquired throughout the program to their professional careers. Students are encouraged to select a research topic of interest that will result in professional growth and career advancement. An applied research project is conducted and presented in the form of a doctoral dissertation. A formal presentation of the project and acceptance by the University are required.
Capstone Project learning outcomes are:
- Present a preliminary proposal on a topic of interest in integrative healthcare.
- Conduct an exhaustive search and write a related literature review.
- Synthesize and organize a variety of scholarly resources.
- Conduct an applied research study and data collection.
- Interpret data, summarize and discuss findings in light of the literature, and draw conclusions.
- Defend the final research report to the Doctoral Committee.
- Gain approval by the Dean of Graduate Studies and Institutional Review Board.
Further Explanation
The applied research project is conducted during the 12-credit capstone course, HEA 850, with is divided into 3 sections. Under the guidance of a chair and doctoral committee, the student develops the 3-chapter research proposal in Section A and submits it to the Institutional Review Board for approval before collecting data and presenting the findings (Chapter 4) in Section B. In Section C, the student completes Chapter 5 (Discussion) and the remaining pages before presenting it to a scholarly audience.
During the admissions interview, students will have the opportunity to discuss areas of interest for their study and ask any specific questions about the research project and capstone course.