Doctoral capstone

The doctoral capstone experience

The doctoral capstone is the final stage in your journey to earning your doctoral degree. You will be immersed in a 14-week experience at a community site of your choosing. The purpose is to develop in-depth knowledge related to occupational practice and prepare you for your career. During the 14-week period, you will collaborate with a community partner to create a meaningful evidence-based project.

The two key factors of the capstone are the experience you gain at the community site and the project which you develop with the community partner. 

Elements of the capstone

Year 2 | Semester 1

• be introduced to the capstone process and you will explore populations and needs of the community
• identify your interests, values, and identity in order to begin the site matching process

Year 2 | Semester 2

• be matched to a site and mentor
• prepare and analyze a needs assessment in collaboration with the site, leading to your capstone purpose and development of an evidence-based capstone project

Year 3 | Semester 1

• create an implementation plan, measurement plan, and finalize goals and objectives
• finalize the literature review to support the capstone

Year 3 | Semester 2

• be on-site for 14 weeks gaining and synthesizing in-depth knowledge in your focus area
• complete, analyze, and disseminate your capstone project

We have many community partners to make sure you find a fit for your area of focus and interest. Here are some of our community partners for our doctoral capstone experience.

• IU Health-Pediatrics, Inpatient Acute Care, Outpatient
• Hope Academy - A charter school providing education and support for teens recovering from addiction
• Flanner House- Services to support, advocate, and empower individuals, children, families, and older adults in the local community
• Special Olympics – Wellness and Health for Athletes with Special Needs
• Rehabilitation Hospital of Indiana - Inpatient and Outpatient Rehab Services
• GiGi’s Playhouse – Services for people with Down Syndrome
• FranciscanPACE – Program for All-inclusive Care of the Elderly
• First Steps – Early intervention for ages 0-3
• Eskenazi Health – Primary Care, Mental Health, Outpatient, Inpatient Acute Care