While poking around on UW-Madison’s site, I found a great article on the various Capstone opportunities available at UW-Madison. The Computer Science Capstone is mentioned, as well as several other capstones throughout the university.
Why I’m a Fan of the Capstone
OK, I’m definitely biased because I teach the Comp Sci Capstone, but I also feel that these courses are some of the most valuable that our students can take. Why?
First, students work in teams on a project, just like they would at companies after they graduate. You might be surprised to hear that working in teams on a professional project is a skill that students need to practice and master, just like any other skill. Students aren’t born knowing how to divide work and run a great meeting. (Some professionals still don’t know how to do this.) They learn that through experience. The sooner they get that experience, the better they’ll be as teammates.
Secondly, students work on a project for a company or non-profit partner. These are important, real-world projects usually using new technologies. Often, they are projects the company wants to work on, but can’t get onto their roadmap. They use the Capstone to do important work and explore new ideas. Students get experience working with new technologies and understanding exactly how corporate project processes work.
Thirdly, companies get to learn A LOT about the students they work with. Many of them treat the Capstone like an extended internship. Companies can get to the know the students and ultimately hire them for internships or even full-time once they graduate. That’s a big win-win for everyone involved.
Finally, students get mentorship from their company partners. Students meet and work with some of the most brilliant people in the engineering world. They not only get to work on really interesting projects, they get to work with really interesting people. People who help shape their lives and paths forward.
How to Get Involved
I just published the slides I shared about getting involved in the Capstone a couple of weeks ago. You can also read more about the Capstone here. In my class, we talk a lot about agile software development. I walk them through key agile frameworks like Design Thinking, Scrum, and Kanban. We walk through most of the topics I cover in my book Agile Discovery & Delivery, which gives them a big leg up once they graduate. Check out the book and its pre-order page now if you’re interested in learning more!
If you’re looking to get involved in any of the school’s Capstones you can reach out to me and I’ll get you connected.
