Developing a senior project management capstone course for information systems and technology majors

Abstract

Businesses value soft skills, such as leadership, problem-solving, teamwork and communication, in Information Systems/Information Technology (IS/IT) professionals. A capstone course is one method of providing a safe environment for students to develop both their hard and soft skills while gaining practical experience working on real-world problems. This paper documents the establishment of a project management capstone course for Information Systems and Technology (IST) students in their senior year of college. It reflects on how the integration of real-world projects allows students to apply their knowledge of systems analysis and design, requirements gathering and project management, while at the same time developing critical soft skills in an active learning environment. It discusses partnering with industry to provide students with an experiential learning culture with the goal of producing well-rounded industry professionals.