Take your learning from the classroom and work experiences and apply it to a real-world challenge through a capstone project with support from an industry or community partner. Work with student teammates, and strengthen your problem-solving, teamwork and communication skills through practical experience. Push your boundaries, earn course credit (and potentially satisfy a degree requirement) and build meaningful connections with peers, faculty and industry or community partners.
Ways to engage with capstone projects:
1. Traditional (home) capstone course
You’re automatically enrolled in the course.
- Work with peers from your chosen discipline.
- Work on an original project idea or with a relevant industry partner.
2. Interdisciplinary capstone (i-Capstone) course
You opt into the course as an alternative means of completing your capstone degree requirement or complete it as an elective.
- Work with students from other faculties in interdisciplinary teams.
- Work on an original project idea or with a relevant industry partner.
What can students expect?
- You can expect to dedicate about 10 hours per week to your capstone project from kickoff until your final presentation. Capstone projects last either four or eight months depending on your program of study and degree requirements.
- Hands-on experience applying classroom knowledge to real-world challenges, opportunities to strengthen collaboration and communication skills and a chance to make a meaningful impact while building valuable professional connections.
How to start
Students can take part in capstone projects in three ways:
- Express interest in a project supported by an external partner and complete it within your home capstone course.
- Sign up for the i-Capstone course to work on an interdisciplinary project with peers from across campus.
- Work on an original project idea.
What can partners expect?
- Time commitment is flexible depending on your needs and the project requirements, but you'll need to meet regularly with student teams and support the completion of key milestones, such as midterm check-ins and final presentations and reports.
- Fresh insights and energy from Waterloo students, support on priority projects and the opportunity to demonstrate leadership in education and community innovation.
How to begin
We invite community and industry partners to submit project proposals for consideration. Approved projects will be matched with student teams to develop innovative, practical solutions.
Students imagine new possibilities, challenge old assumptions and turn bold ideas into
real-world impact.
Have questions about i-Capstone?
Contact Jamieson Cox 🚀
Jamieson Cox helps guide students and partners through the i-Capstone journey. Reach out for support with projects, onboarding or general program questions.
Email: j4cox@uwaterloo.ca