Welcome to George Mason University’s Information Sciences and Technology Capstone Program.
The IT Capstone Program connects students with local communities to solve real-world business problems through innovative technology solutions. Working in small teams, students apply their knowledge to hands-on projects that enhance leadership, collaboration, and problem-solving skills. The course fosters a growth mindset and prepares students for professional demands. Each semester concludes with a presentation to a panel of industry professionals, offering a chance to showcase academic and communication skills.
The capstone course sequence provide a high-impact, culminating element of an undergraduate education, helping students develop a more comprehensive and integrative understanding of Information Technology and utilize critical thinking.
Senior IT students must complete a Capstone project to apply their skills and knowledge to projects in their desired fields.
Sponsor an IT Capstone Project
Our senior design projects are supported through sponsorships from businesses in the community. They provide students with resources and advice on how to develop their projects. Sponsors play an important role in the Capstone Program as they are the stakeholders of student teams, thus being integral to course success.
Role and Responsibilities
Sponsors give students specific real-world business requirements that need information technology solutions. Satisfying these requirements are the making of a capstone-worthy project.
Student teams work closely with sponsors to plan all the project elements, such as the current business processes, and to research the viability of future state solutions to real-world problems. Communication, teamwork, professionalism, and ethics are the staple qualities that create strong relationships between the sponsor and the student.
Benefits
Organizations that sponsor a project receive technical assistance from George Mason University. Student teams engage sponsors on matters related to improving and enhancing business processes with the use of information technology. The project is carried out by a team of five to seven students over approximately 35 weeks, during which they are expected to contribute significant time and effort each week.
George Mason University prides itself on allowing students to grow academically, professionally, and personally. Through the Capstone Program, students have exercised creativity in solving real-world problems that resulted in inspirational journeys that are worth telling.
Project FixIT
Project FixIT modernized the sponsor's operations by implementing cloud-based tools and digital solutions that transformed core business processes.
The team introduced systems to streamline job scheduling, logistics tracking, asset management, and inventory invoicing. They also replaced manual entity storage with a secure digital database and launched a custom-built, SEO-ready website to improve the company’s online presence. Together, these changes enhanced workflow efficiency, customer relationship management, and overall business growth potential.
Technical Intelligence Solutions (TIS)
The student team provided a Small Disadvantaged Business with asset management, training management, and Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) compliance.
Robust tracking systems that favor cloud-based Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solutions were successfully integrated. Key improvements included role-based access controls, centralized documentation, real-time tracking, and automation of task workflows, resulting in greater efficiency, reduced costs, and enhanced audit readiness.