BY itself, capstone means “culminating,” “a crowning achievement,” designed to bring “reflection and focus” on what a person learned in an undertaking. Commonly used nowadays, a capstone refers to a culminating requirement that integrates significant knowledge and skills in the major field learned by a student pursuing a degree. Dissertations, theses, research/project papers – all these serve as forms of capstones for doctoral, masters, graduate certificates and baccalaureate degrees. Once a student satisfies all course requirements of the degree pursued, the student takes the comprehensive examination or its equivalent. Upon passing the comprehensives, the student officially becomes a candidate for the degree pursued and begins to work on the required capstone. Whatever form it is, a capstone has to undertake careful editing for grammar, usage, mechanics, and spelling besides consistency, following the standard terminology of the discipline of which the capstone is a requirement.

Let’s begin with what a dissertation is. A dissertation is much like a thesis; hence the chapters are similar (introduction, review of related literature, methods, findings and interpretation, conclusion/s and recommendation/s). Like the thesis, it is a critical and scholarly investigation of a phenomenon or phenomena. Compared to a thesis, the dissertation has a more comprehensive coverage and is with much more depth by examining relationships among related factors (variables). It is expected that its developed theory or its application can apply to a wider context than can, a thesis. If it is the capstone for a doctor in philosophy, it usually deals with theory development. If it is for a practitioner’s doctorate, it usually is testing the application of a theory or theories under specified contexts. Based on the findings, its final chapter is usually an evidence-based intervention anchored on its findings.

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