Applied Doctoral Capstone

The applied doctoral capstone is the culminating scholarly experience of the Doctor of Social Innovation (DSI) program, bringing together advanced leadership, innovation and applied inquiry and evaluation. Working closely with faculty mentors and key stakeholders, students identify a significant organizational or societal challenge, build on evidence and interdisciplinary knowledge, and apply human-centered design and systems thinking to develop and advance an innovative solution. Students test and evaluate their innovation, using findings and stakeholder input to refine the solution and strengthen its potential for meaningful, measurable impact. 

The capstone also emphasizes the leadership required to move innovation into action. Students develop strategies to build support, navigate organizational and systems dynamics, and lead the adoption and implementation of their solution within an organization, community or other setting. The result is a rigorous, implementation-ready project that demonstrates the student's ability to both create innovation and lead the change necessary to bring it to life.