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About the Capstone Practicum

Over the course of one semester, a team of students, from disciplines as diverse as marketing, computer science, graphic design, communication, technical writing, management, and more, work with the client charge to develop a “live” solution to the client’s problem. This course is coached by ETBD faculty, but led by students using Agile project management methodologies. A condition of working with the course is that the solution actually is going to be used. Past projects have included:

  • Touch screen kiosks for Target stores
  • Online training for HP
  • Handheld application for Cintas
  • Online training and certification for P&G
  • Online dashboard for Convergys
  • Web presence and e-commerce for Taft Museum of Art
  • Strategic Business Recommendations for Bank of America
  • Re-branding and New Web Presence for Petters Group Worldwide
  • Usability and Redesign for uBid
  • Visual Search Engine for P&G
  • Interactive Donor Prospect Tool for Miami University
  • Phone and web-based apps for Coca-Cola
  • ELearning solutions for Pearson
  • Startup concepts developed in collaboration with Cincinnati’s award-winning startup accelerator The Brandery and Cincinnati’s Cintrifuse
  • Designing a design-thinking collaboration space for The US State Department
  • Tools to help stop the spread of Ebola developed for Johns Hopkins in collaboration with the World Health Organization
female student presenting in front of whiteboard

The Capstone Experience

The capstone has worked with clients and audiences in Europe, Asia, and Latin America. In fact, this course is offered every summer in an international setting, most recently Shanghai and Dublin. A recent client wrote “This class has met and exceeded all my expectations for ‘redefining’ our corporate image. I would put the work your class produced for us up against any agency and know you would equal and probably surpass many.” References from all the above projects can be provided on request. They will echo this sentiment.

Students who have taken this course, almost always reference it as the highlight of their undergraduate experience. Where else are they going to be challenged by real deadlines, changing scope, and impossible goals? This class helps the students take everything they have learned in the abstract (and typically on their own) and apply it as part of a team.

Students competitively apply to get into this class and the project teams are kept relatively small.

Clients

Clients: To speak with us about being a client for an upcoming semester, please contact Prof. Glenn Platt, Director of ETBD at glenn.platt@miamioh.edu.

Contact Us

Department of Emerging Technology in Business and Design
209 Laws Hall
Oxford, OH 45056