THE CAPSTONE EXPERIENCE 

The capstone experience is a College requirement that serves to culminate the undergraduate education for McDaniel students in their respective disciplines.  In the Department of Physics, the capstone experience takes the form of a directed student research project where the student and faculty have significant interaction.  Through the capstone project, students are expected to demonstrate critical thinking abilities, draw from knowledge gained in courses taken, formulate and synthesize new ideas, apply familiar or new experimental and/or theoretical techniques to their project, and show good scientific writing and oral communication skills. 

All physics majors are required to participate in a capstone project during their senior year, under the guidance of a faculty member in the Department of Physics.  Students can carry out and complete their project either during the fall or the spring semester of their senior year.  In either case, students must notify their advisor while registering for fall classes during the spring semester of their junior year when they wish to pursue their capstone project. 

Students will conclude the projects by providing written reports to their project advisor and presenting their findings to departmental faculty and fellow students.  Students must also enroll in Physics Seminar PHY 4491 in the fall semester or PHY 4492 in the spring semester.

Students should use the following guidelines to organize their capstone project.

Week 11 (Spring Semester, Junior Year).  Students should contact a faculty member of the Department and discuss possible capstone projects, which are of interest to the student and/or to the faculty. 

Week 2 (Fall or Spring Semester, Senior Year).  Submit a detailed written proposal to the project advisor, outlining the project including but not limited to title, project goals, experimental and/or theoretical methods, references, and a timeline for completion. 

Week 8.  Provide a brief project update in writing to the project advisor outlining what has been done and what issues still need to be addressed. 

Week 11.  Complete the project so that last minute details can be addressed and clarified. 

Week 12.  Submit the first draft of the report. 

Week 13.  Submit the second draft of the report. 

Week 14.  Submit the final written report to project advisor. 

Week 15.  Give a 10-15 minute presentation on capstone project followed by a brief question and answer session.

In some cases, students who have participated in summer research projects in other institutions can get credit either full or partial credit for their work towards their capstone project.  The Department will consider student requests for substituting their summer experiences for capstone projects on a case-by-case basis.  In all cases, students must give a presentation of their project and provide a written report in a scientific format.  For presentation and report details, contact the physics faculty.

PHYSICS HONORS

Receiving departmental honors in physics will be a permanent part of the student#s record and will be recognized during graduation.  The hallmark of a physics honors project is the continuous close collaboration students have with faculty, above and beyond normal coursework experience.  The honors project will allow students to delve into new areas of physics research.  The Department of Physics strongly encourages physics seniors to pursue graduating with departmental honors provided they meet the following academic criteria. 

1. Students must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.40 in all physics courses by the end of their junior year.
2. Students cannot have received a grade lower than a C in any physics course.

In order to graduate with departmental honors, students must successfully

1. Perform collaborative work with a faculty member on a research project for a two-semester period.
2. Write a research paper and give a presentation of their work to an open meeting of the departmental faculty, students, and friends.

3. Maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.40 in physics courses by the end of their senior year.
4. Be recommended for honors by the Department.

Students who qualify for and wish to pursue departmental honors must conform to the following guidelines.

1. You must contact a faculty member to formulate a collaborative research project by the end of the advising week during the spring semester of your junior year.
2. You must formally notify the Department Chair of your intent on pursuing departmental honors by the end of the third week of classes during the fall semester.  The notification should include the title, goals, and timeline of the project, and the name of the faculty member with whom you will be working. 
3. You must hold frequent meetings with the project advisor and observe deadlines and/or requirements set by the advisor. 
4. You must write an honors thesis that should clearly include a table of contents, introduction, theory and/or experimental setup, literature search, analysis of data, discussion of results, conclusions, and possible recommendations for future work.  The thesis must have proper citation according to scientific standards and must be written in your own words.  Please consult your project advisor on the format and style of the thesis.
5. You must turn in your thesis by week 14 of the spring semester.
6. You must present your work in an open departmental meeting of faculty, students, and friends.  The presentation should be about 25 minutes and will be followed by a 5-minute question and answer session. 

It is very important that students who qualify for and wish to pursue departmental honors take seriously the above guidelines for completing an honors project.  Failure to comply with any of these requirements may result in your not receiving departmental honors. 

In some cases, students who have participated in summer research projects in other institutions can get either full or partial credit for their work towards their honors project.  The Department will consider student requests for substituting their summer experiences for honors projects on a case-by-case basis.  A thesis and presentation is still required for departmental honors.

You can register for up to 3 credit hours of independent study.  Keep in mind that at most 51 credit hours within a major can count towards graduation.

Physics Honors Combined with Capstone Experience

Students graduating with departmental honors also fulfill their capstone experience provided they enroll in Physics Senior Seminar PHY 4491 in the fall semester or PHY 4492 in the spring semester.

Student Induction to the Physics Honors Society (SPS)

The national Physics Honor Society (SPS) is a prestigious organization whose members have made and continue to make significant contributions to physics.  The SPS chapter at McDaniel College was established on May 4^th, 1995.  Students wishing to be inducted to the SPS must meet the following criteria. 

1. Students must have a minimum weighted GPA of 3.5.  The weighted GPA is computed with a one-third contribution from the cumulative GPA and a two-third contribution from the physics GPA.
2. Students must have completed at least three physics courses at McDaniel College with a minimum grade of B in each course.