By: Kendall Upton
Professional insights: Dr. Heather Alonge
For many graduate degrees, the capstone is the defining project that concludes the program. Healthcare administration programs are no different, and it’s through a capstone that students weave together the strands of knowledge they’ve acquired in their studies to attempt to solve a real-world healthcare problem.
With so much emphasis placed on the capstone, what can students do to maximize their potential for a successful final project? Though they’ll receive a lot of guidance about how to complete their capstone throughout the program, it’s worthwhile taking some time to understand just what a capstone is so that they can pick a great topic.
What is a healthcare administration capstone?
In many Master of Health Administration (MHA) and similar programs, a capstone is the final project students must complete to culminate their studies.
Master’s programs of any kind typically require students to complete either a capstone, thesis and/or practicum in order to graduate. Whereas a thesis is a research paper and a practicum is a hands-on working experience similar to an internship, a capstone isn’t quite as easy to define.
“In an MHA program, capstone projects are critical for providing hands-on experience to students by addressing real-world healthcare administration issues,” said Dr. Heather Alonge, a faculty member for Walden University’s MHA program. “Students often work closely with a preceptor from a healthcare organization where they will pick a relevant project topic that aligns with their career goals or educational objectives. Working with their preceptor, students then develop a detailed project plan, including goals, objectives and a timeline. Students complete activities like conducting literature reviews, collecting and analyzing data and meeting regularly with their preceptor and faculty advisor for feedback. The final deliverables often include a comprehensive project report, a presentation and an executive portfolio documenting the project process.”
Capstone projects are critical for providing hands-on experience to students by addressing real-world healthcare administration issues…
MHA programs that require a capstone have a dedicated capstone class built into the curriculum, giving them time to work on their project under the guidance of an instructor. However, most of the actual work completed for a capstone takes place outside of this regularly scheduled course.
The length of these projects can vary, but most take several months to a year (or longer) to complete.
What should I make my capstone about?
Students in master’s programs aren’t just expected to come up with a dynamite capstone idea all by themselves. The capstone class allows students to ideate project possibilities with the help of an instructor or adviser. These classes often take place at the beginning of the final year of the program, but this can vary.
Some programs may take a slightly different approach by assigning students to projects submitted by local healthcare organizations, where the students are then asked to come up with solutions to the problem(s) they present. The capstone process really just depends on each individual program.
“Selecting a capstone project topic is a major decision for a student. The first piece of advice is to reflect on the courses and topics that have excited you the most, as you want your capstone project to be something you are very interested in knowing more about,” Alonge said.
Here are some general projects ideas you might consider as a healthcare administration student:
For some students, it may be helpful to think of a specific topic you are interested in and build a capstone project around that. Some relevant topics in the healthcare world right now could include:
“Additionally, consider your long-term career goals and select a project that aligns with the type of work you want to do after graduation, knowing that you can highlight your capstone experience on your resume. Most importantly, ensure your project is manageable within the given timeframe and resources, considering the availability of data and tools,” Alonge said. “Ask your faculty to review past capstone projects for ideas and to understand the expected level of detail and involvement. Lastly, choose a project that can make a difference in the industry and to the organization in which you will complete the capstone.”
Real-world examples
Here are just a few examples of real capstone projects completed by students in the University of Washington’s 2024 MHA class:
- Close-loop referral system implementation for Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) positive screens
- Develop a statewide peer support resource to strengthen physician wellness and restore joy in practice
- Evaluate and recommend internal vendor contracting process, both operations and financial
- Exploration of disparities and inequities faced by complex discharge clients
- Define the business case for an enterprise-wide environmental sustainability program
Where to find more inspiration
If you’re still struggling to figure out what to make your capstone about, there are a few other places you may try looking for inspiration.
First, go your school’s MHA program page (or the website for other MHA programs). They may have a list of capstone projects completed by previous cohorts. These can help serve as inspiration to see what others have done before you.
You could also consider checking out industry organizations such as the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) or the American Association of Healthcare Administrative Management (AAHAM) as they often have blogs or other publications about current topics in the field of healthcare administration. By learning about some of the contemporary challenges and pressure points within the industry, it may help you come up with a capstone idea.
Tips to ace your capstone project
If you’re embarking soon on a capstone project for your master’s degree in healthcare administration or it’s already underway, consider some of these tips to help you make a knock-out final product.
Tip #1: Pick a topic or question you’re truly interested in.
Genuine curiosity about the topic at hand should be the driving force behind your project. If the topic really doesn’t pique your interest, it’s going to be a challenge finding the motivation to work on it and you’re more likely to wind up with a lackluster capstone.
Tip #2: Consider your long term career goals.
The work you complete in a capstone project can be an excellent springboard into your postgraduate career. You can put that valuable hands-on experience on a resume and leverage it to get the kind of job you want. When picking a capstone topic, consider what kind of healthcare administration career you want to have after graduation and select a topic that aligns with those goals.
Tip #3: Make sure your questions are well-defined and have tangible results.
Capstone projects are generally supposed to answer a question (or questions), but the overall project is going to suffer if the questions are too abstract and don’t have measurable results. However, you may not have to worry about this too much if your program assigns you or gives you the option to choose from a predetermined list of healthcare organizations and the problem(s) they want the student to solve. In these cases, the questions at hand are essentially chosen for you.
Tip #4: Get started as early as possible.
Capstone projects simply take a lot of time. The planning stages alone can take a few months, let alone the time it takes to actually do the project and create a presentation to share your findings. Getting started as early as possible ensures that you have enough time to complete every stage of the project. Consider thinking about capstone ideas before your first capstone class so that you can hit the ground running.
Tip #5: Spread out your work in manageable chunks.
Since capstone projects take a lot of work to complete, it’s best to spread it out as much as possible so that you aren’t forced to cram months of work into a few weeks or less. Plus, breaking up the work into smaller chunks gives you time to step away from the project, think of new ideas or improvements and then return to the work with a fresh perspective. To do this, consider setting aside a certain amount of time each week to work on your capstone and craft a timeline (if one isn’t already provided to you) that lays out benchmarks for when certain pieces of the project must be finished to ensure you stay on track.
Parting words
The capstone project is arguably the most important part of a healthcare administration master’s degree, which can naturally be intimidating for some. Remember though that students receive a lot of support from their instructors and other faculty for their final project, especially throughout the process of picking a topic and question. Selecting something that genuinely excites you and crafting a well-defined question are the first crucial steps to success in the homestretch of your healthcare administration program.
