Senior Capstone Advisors

When should you pick your capstone advisor?

You must select your capstone supervisor before submitting the capstone form in early fall. However, you should pick a capstone supervisor as early as possible to ensure that you get the best advisor for your project, and you start getting good advice and guidance right away.

Who should you pick as your capstone advisor?

The department requires that the capstone supervisor be a full-time faculty member in the department. When considering the faculty in the department, look for (1) someone you can work well with, and (2) someone with expertise in your project area.

(1) The capstone project is a one-on-one collaboration between you and a faculty member. Pick someone you know and like. Also consider your personalities: do you prefer to go off and do your own thing, or do you want someone to crack the whip and ensure you make progress?

(2) You will receive better assistance from a faculty member who is expert in your topic area. Consider the professor who teaches the related course or courses, or who does research in your general area.

If no one faculty member fits both the criteria above, you will have to judge which of the two is more important to you.

Projects that count as both Math and CS capstones must have two separate supervisors: one from Math and one from CS.

What about the second reader?

The department requires you to select a second reader when you submit the capstone form in November. The second reader is normally a faculty member in the department, though you may ask permission of the department chair to have an external second reader. This may be particularly appropriate for cross-disciplinary projects.