Finding the best business capstone project ideas can be a challenge. Students who are in search of business administration topics for a capstone often face problems related to the lack of unexplored content. Given the number of Ph.D. candidates, it is not surprising that students find it hard to come up with something that has not been researched before.
In this article, we’ll provide five business capstone project examples in more detail. Each topic can be customized in dozens of ways according to your own experience and areas of specialization. We’ll also cover the ins-and-outs of capstone papers and how you can successfully demonstrate your skills and knowledge to make your paper a success.
What Is a Capstone Project?
For most students, a capstone project is the last step in completing an MBA program. This is where you take everything you have learned during your coursework and put it into a practice by doing a thorough written analysis on a business administrative topic or question. The focus and format may vary, but your capstone project is vital to your degree and will possibly be the most intensive feature of your educational journey.
What Is the Difference Between a Capstone and a Thesis?
While thesis and capstone projects share many similarities, they are not the same thing and most programs distinguish between these two undertakings. A thesis is more focused on research and theory, while a capstone answers strategic, real-world business questions.
Capstone
During your MBA program, it is likely you have taken part in some internship or practicum components that offered hands-on experience in a real business environment. The capstone is designed to build on this real-world experience by encouraging you to come up with practical and creative solutions to actual problems experienced in the world of business.
The purpose of the project is so you can demonstrate all you have learned by bringing it all together in a comprehensive written format.
Thesis
Your thesis is a bit different in that a takes the form of an extensive research paper based on theory and research. It is more academic in nature and can last the entire final year of your program.
The goal of your thesis is to contribute new knowledge to the vast amounts of business research already in place.
| CAPSTONE | THESIS | |
| When do you do it? | Final year of your program | Final year of your program, possibly beginning earlier |
| How long will it take? | One semester to a year | Typically a full year |
| How many pages? | Approximately 15 to 20 | Approximately 40 to 80 or more |
| What is the purpose? | To solve a real-world business challenge | To contribute new knowledge to the field of business |
| What type of student is it for? | Those with business and professional goals | Those with academic goals |
| What is the format? | A project or paper | An extensive research paper |
| What are the research requirements? | Moderate | Extensive |
What Are the Different Steps Of a Capstone?
The capstone takes place in your business administration program’s final year and can typically take anywhere between four weeks to a whole semester. Usually, there will be some type of instruction, such as a course or meeting with an advisor. Plus, in many cases, you will be working hands-on to execute a project regarding the topic you select.
Capstone projects vary depending on the school and the program, but in general, the following stages are usually included:
- Selecting a topic
- Researching the topic
- Executing the project
- Writing about the project
- Presenting the project
How Important Is the Capstone Project?
It’s worth noting that the capstone project is vitally important. Beyond the final presentation, it’s entirely possible that your project could carry over to things like investment opportunities, successful startups, or offers of employment.
How Is a Capstone Graded?
The evaluation methods used to grade business administration capstone projects vary among different schools and programs. In some cases, students will get a rubric, so they know what to expect. The rubric typically includes instructions to include specific functional aspects and content from management literature. The grade may also be based on grammar and formatting guidelines. If you have any questions, you should feel free to contact your advisor. Don’t be afraid to clarify any aspects of the instructions you do not understand.
See also: How Do I Find the Best Online MBA for Me?
What if I Fail My Capstone?
Failing your capstone project means you would no longer be eligible for your degree. However, at most schools, It’s extremely rare for a student to fail their capstone. Typically, an advisor would work with you so you can revise the project. Ultimately, not trying hard enough would obviously result in a need to repeat the course.
Even if the project fails from a business standpoint, you will probably still be able to analyze what went wrong and explain how it could be remedied going forward.
What Qualities Make For a Good Capstone Project Idea?
Before you start looking at project topics for business administration, it can help to understand what qualities are needed for a good MBA capstone idea. Otherwise, you run the risk of selecting something dull or overdone. Great business management research topics should be:
- Unique: Let’s face it. Some topics are way overdone. If you select something that has already been explored too much, you are simply copying solutions that others have defined previously. If you can’t find a unique topic, at least look at it from a novel angle.
- Engaging: Choose a topic that is captivating and stimulating not only for yourself but for other business professionals. The problem needs to be authentic, and the solution should create a tangible and palpable benefit in your field.
- Challenging: The overall goal of your capstone is to demonstrate the skills and knowledge you have learned through your business administration program. Therefore, the project should be ambitious enough to display your understanding of everything you have assimilated through your instruction.
- Focused: You should hone in on a narrowly defined topic rather than something too broad. If you go with a topic that is too general, you may not end up with a capstone that is specific or captivating enough to convey your knowledge.
- Realistic: The time and resources you have to complete your capstone project will be limited. Be sure to select a topic that will realistically be achievable with what you have to work with.
Writing Tips for Capstone Projects
Here are a few simple writing tips that can help you as you begin your capstone project
Research Topics in Business Administration
Start researching as soon as possible by gathering as much information as you can. Choose updated information and make sure your sources are credible.
See also: 50+ Free/Freemium Online and Mobile Research Tools: Collaboration, Brainstorming, Notetaking, Annotation, File Storage
Get Approval
Once you have selected your management capstone project idea, make sure you get your professor to approve it.
Set Milestones
Write out a step-by-step plan for completing your capstone project, complete with deadlines and milestones to keep yourself on track. This will help you avoid rushing at the last minute.
Complete the First Draft
Give yourself plenty of time to complete the first draft and outline your topic. Enlist the help of a proofreader or a fellow student to look for errors.
Stay Stress-Free
While your business management capstone project is indeed the culmination of all the efforts you have put into your program, it should also be personally satisfying to you. Breathe and let yourself be present so you can enjoy the process.
In summary, here are a few dos and don’ts when it comes to working on your capstone project:
| Dos | Don’ts |
| Start early and give yourself plenty of time to gather information | Wait until the last minute to get started |
| Stick with an outline and present your ideas logically | Choose overdone topics |
| Present your paper as professionally as possible | Forget to edit and proofread your writing |
In this next section, we present five topic ideas for your final capstone. Each of these topics can act as a starting point to begin your project. Thanks to the versatility of the choices, it is safe to say that most, if not all, prospective entrepreneurs will find something that sparks their curiosity. You will also notice that each of the administration capstone topics below can be further broken down into dozens of sub-questions worthy of extensive research.
- Globalization in Business
- Importance of Cultural Awareness
- Growing Role of Technology
- Why Countless Start-Ups Fail in the United States
- Salary Negotiation With Entry Level Roles
Globalization in Business
The term globalization entered the business sphere a few decades ago and has not stopped growing ever since. The recent trade war between the United States and China, which employed countless tariffs, is a perfect testament to this. Even with over 7,200 miles between these two regions, both countries found a way to impact each others’ markets. Thus, globalization has undoubtedly reached a point where consumer goods and services are facing very lenient laws of cross-border operations. A capstone topic in this area would be a great starting point because students can subsequently modify it however they please to avoid plagiarizing.
Importance of Cultural Awareness
According to Forbes, corporate culture is one of the key influencers of employees’ performance levels, motivation, and workplace atmosphere. Unfortunately, a lot of large organizations lack the necessary cultural awareness. Some historical examples include conglomerates such as Best Buy, eBay, and even Google. Trying to expand to areas where their services are not commonly used cost all of those brands millions of dollars. Thus, choosing to research such patterns and finding an innovative question to answer here can be another excellent business administration capstone topic.
Growing Role of Technology
Other than globalization, the implementation of technology is probably the only other trend that has such an aggressive track record. Just consider, for example, how Amazon was able to enter the market dominated by eBay and completely overtake it relatively quickly. While they have been in business since the 90s, it took just a few years for them to become the industry leader based on their inventions of Prime services such as the next-day delivery. Therefore, focusing the capstone topic around technology in business would be a great chance to explore patterns such as the one mentioned above.
Why Countless Start-Ups Fail in the United States
According to the U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy, approximately one-third of all companies make it to the 10-year mark of existence. The list of reasons that cause this is extremely long and includes everything from an apparent lack of planning to overly zealous expansions. Students who may want to have their own business one day should certainly look into this area. Doing so can help them learn the ins and outs of starting a new venture and some of the most common mistakes that should be avoided.
Salary Negotiation With Entry Level Roles
Finally, one of the most under-explored topics for all college majors goes back to salary negotiations for recent graduates. Since business administration students can effectively tie their capstone course to this topic, they have a perfect chance to explore it thoroughly. Some great points to analyze would include proper ways to approach professional negotiations, why many individuals do not negotiate at all, and what leverage newly graduated folks have. Besides securing a solid topic, choosing salary negotiation will be perfect for anyone interested in maximizing their earnings early on.
Final Thoughts—Presenting Your Project
In most instances, your capstone will conclude with some sort of presentation. This may be done with a group of peers, faculty members, or both. The purpose of the presentation is so you can showcase your hard work. Your audience will also raise questions and offer some suggestions or critique your work.
Often, the presentations themselves will be open to the public, and if students have been performing work within a specific organization, shareholders from that organization might attend. Most students don’t just read verbatim. Most use visual tools like PowerPoint to supplement their findings.
If you are nervous about your presentation, be sure to give yourself plenty of time to practice and perfect everything so you can feel confident when the big day arrives.
Lastly, be proud of all you have accomplished and bask in the knowledge of a job well done. Hopefully, it will be the first of many successful business presentations and a fantastic finish to your business administration program.
Related Resource:
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