FNR4950L - Planning for Capstone

Planning for your Senior Capstone Experience 

The goal of this experience is for you to integrate all you've learned into something that moves you towards your career goals.  Please work with your Faculty Mentor (in cooperation with your Academic Advisor) to decide which of these best fits your needs.

Juniors:

All NRC students must complete a Capstone Experience, registering for FNR4950L while completing…

• • • an independent study with a UF Faculty member which suits your area of emphasis, or
    • an internship not within UF which supports your career goals
    • Review the How-To Guides to see the difference between the two, as well as the FNR4950L Capstone in NR syllabus to review the requirements Download FNR4950L Capstone in NR syllabus to review the requirements. 
    • It is IMPORTANT to note that to meet the Capstone requirements, students arranging a work experience (internship) will usually have to plan and carry out a research or monitoring project or other activities in addition to normal work requirements. 

Review the NRC Capstone Approval Process below for these options and then update your Curriculum Plan on the Academic Hub.   

• When you are creating your Curriculum Plan, you'll likely not know which Capstone you'll complete or when, so just input C8 FNR4950L during the semester you intend to complete it during your last year at UF. The semester BEFORE THAT TERM, plan and secure the best fit for you, and submit your proposal for Capstone Approval.

• Capstone Expectations: Students will complete a project/experience that showcases an application of skills learned in courses from the NRC Core Categories (below) to address a novel applied problem in an integrated manner.
  • Professional Seminar - professional networking, guidance on career options and success
  • Ecology - interaction among organism, and between organisms and the environment in natural systems
  • Quantitative Analysis and Assessment - making sound decisions based on gathered data, through improved critical
    thinking and basic mathematics and statistical skills to interpret data, draw conclusions, and solve problems within
    the natural resource context
  • Natural History - use of skills associated with identification and study of specimens
  • Human Dimensions - public engagement, communication, social levels of decision making in natural resources
  • Policy and Economics - ethics, markets, social choices, theories, and policies of managing resources
  • Field Applications - practical applications towards desired outcomes, professional application of skills
  • Spatial Analysis - spatial data software, architecture, interpretation, and/or presentation

• Capstone Experience Requirements: Students will...
• • Demonstrate capacity to identify and define a natural resource-related problem or issue
  • Summarize existing literature/state of our knowledge
  • Create a timeline and approach to solving the problem
  • Collect relevant data or design a program to support developing a solution
  • Analyze and summarize the data, or assess the program
  • Discuss your analysis of and recommendations for tradeoffs associated with various solutions or programs
  • Present results using an appropriate communication medium (Deliverable outlined in Assignment 1 and finalized in Assignment 2)

Seniors: 

Are you completing an Internship or Independent Study?

• Either way, read the FNR4950L Capstone in NR syllabus to review the requirements Download FNR4950L Capstone in NR syllabus to review the requirements. 
• You must complete the Capstone Approval Request (Qualtrics: https://ufl.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_dgR3EACjaH79w8e Links to an external site. ), and it must be fully processed/approved, before you'll be registered in FNR4950L.