This capstone course challenges you to apply everything you've learned in the Global Development Minor to address a real-world development challenge. Building on your foundation from INTA 2050 and other development courses, you will conduct an in-depth investigation of a development problem and propose either a practical intervention (applied project) or present evidence-based research findings (research paper).
The course is organized around a central question: How can we address development challenges ethically and effectively? You will engage with this question by: analyzing stakeholder perspectives, understanding why past interventions have failed, and designing feasible solutions or conducting rigorous research.
By the end of this course, you will have hands-on experience conducting development research, the analytical skills to critically evaluate interventions, and the professional competencies to communicate complex ideas to varied audiences. Most importantly, you will leave with a deeper understanding of what it means to work ethically and effectively in global development.
This course is designed with student success in mind and aims to impart not just subject-specific knowledge about Global Development, but to equip students with transferrable skills in the process.
Years from now, students will be able to
- examine complex development problems from different stakeholder perspectives
- critically assess development programs, policies, or research by evaluating their supporting evidence, underlying assumptions, and ethics
- develop evidence-based interventions OR conduct systematic research that addresses real development challenges while respecting ethical boundaries and stakeholder voices
- approach development work with humility, recognizing that good intentions do not guarantee good outcomes, that you must continually question whose voice matters, and that ethical practice requires ongoing reflection
view feedback as a gift rather than criticism, recognize that good work emerges through iteration, and have the skills to revise your work substantively
Required readings are listed below for each class. Completing assigned readings before the class is essential. In the first few sessions, we will lean heavily on ideas and concepts from the assigned readings to think deeply and practically about development. Ideally, these readings and discussions will inform your project, from the choice of topic to thinking about stakeholders to the path to a solution/answer. Readings will be made available on Canvas.
Your final grade will be based on six parts:
1. Participation & Engagement (15%)
This course requires your active engagement throughout the semester. This includes:
- Class participation (5%): Paying attention to peers' presentations, asking constructive questions, and engaging thoughtfully with course material.
- Peer review quality (10%): Throughout the semester, you will provide feedback on your peers’ early drafts of written assignments. Providing substantive, helpful feedback is vital for everyone’s project development. When providing feedback to peers, you should offer specific, constructive suggestions that help them improve their work. Generic comments like "looks good" or vague criticisms without suggestions do not constitute quality peer review. You will receive structured feedback forms to guide your peer review.
To ensure that everyone receives comparable, high-quality feedback, attendance is essential. You cannot score highly on Participation & Engagement if you do not attend class. You are also depriving your peers of valuable feedback mechanisms that are crucial to the iterative process of project development.
2. Written Assignments (65%)
All written assignments follow a draft-and-revision process. You will submit a first draft for peer review, receive feedback, and then submit a revised final version. Your grade for each written assignment reflects both the quality of your draft (showing serious effort and engagement with the task) and your final revised version (showing integration of feedback and polished work).
Problem Memo (5%)
A short (1 to 2 pages) memo introducing your development problem or research question. What is the problem? Why does it matter? How are you planning to approach this problem (applied project vs. research paper)?
Draft will be peer-reviewed in Week 5, and revised version presented in Week 6.
Stakeholder Report (10%)
A comprehensive stakeholder analysis identifying all relevant actors in your development context. For each stakeholder group, you will analyze: who they are, how they are affected by the challenge, what their priorities and constraints are, and how they would be involved in any proposed solution. This assignment requires you to consider multiple perspectives and understand the context your problem is situated in.
Draft will be peer-reviewed in Week 6; revised version due Week 7.
State of Field Memo (5%)
A 4 to 6 page review of what solutions have been tried or what research exists on your topic. What has worked? What has failed? Where are the gaps?
Draft will be peer-reviewed in Week 7, and revised version presented in Week 8.
Prospectus (15%)
A 6 to 10 page proposal that builds on all your previous work. The prospectus lays out: (1) the problem and stakeholder context, (2) what you've learned about the field, (3) your proposed solution (for applied projects) or research argument (for research papers), (4) your roadmap for completing the final report, and (5) what additional work you plan to do.
Draft will be peer-reviewed in Week 10; revised version presented Week 12.
Final Report (20%)
Your final paper is a complete research paper or applied project report that incorporates all the work you have done throughout the semester. It should clearly state the problem, identify stakeholders, provide background on the setting and state of the field, and present your proposed solution or research findings. The final report should also include policy lessons learned and your reflections on what you've learned over the course of the semester.
First draft will be presented and peer-reviewed Week 14; revised version due after the semester ends (incorporating feedback from poster showcase).
Poster (10%)
A professional poster that visually synthesizes your project for a public audience. You will present this poster at a department showcase where you'll practice giving "the elevator pitch" about your project to professors, peers, and potentially clients or community members.
Draft will peer-reviewed Week 14; final version due Week 15.
3. Presentations
You will give four presentations (5% each) throughout the semester. These presentations represent distinct milestones in your project development and provide opportunities to receive feedback from peers and the instructor.
Problem Presentation (5%, Week 6)
A short presentation (no more than 10 minutes) introducing your problem or research question and explaining why it matters. Use 6 to 8 slides.
State of the Field Presentation (5%, Week 8)
A medium-length presentation (no more than 20 minutes) reviewing what solutions have been tried or what research exists, why previous approaches failed or succeeded, and where you see potential to contribute. Use 12 to 15 slides.
Prospectus Presentation (5%, Week 11)
A medium-length presentation (no more than 20 minutes) of your project plan, including your proposed solution or research argument, the rationale behind it, and your roadmap for completing the final report. Use 12 to 15 slides.
Final Presentation (5%, Week 13)
A short presentation (no more than 15 minutes) focusing on your proposed solution (for applied projects) or research findings (for research papers). Your presentation should explain your recommendations, discuss any changes from your original prospectus plan, and reflect on what you learned and the contribution of your project. Use 8 to 10 slides.
These presentations are not meant to be stressful, but to help you: At each stage, you will benefit from questions and suggestions from your peers. These presentations also help keep you on track throughout the semester, ensuring you have plenty of time for each stage in the process.
Deadlines for Graded Assignments
Unless otherwise specified, all written assignments are due by EOD on Monday. That will allow me (and your peers) enough time to review drafts and give meaningful feedback by Wednesday evening. (You are, of course, free to hand in earlier than that!)
Below is a (preliminary) schedule of major deadlines for graded deliverables.
Philosophy on Drafts and Revision
This course is designed around the principle that good work emerges through iteration. You will receive feedback on drafts from peers and from me, and you will have opportunities to revise before final submission. Your grade reflects both your initial effort and your ability to integrate feedback and improve your work.
The draft-and-revision process means:
- Drafts matter: Submit serious, substantive drafts. A draft should represent your best thinking at that stage, not a rough outline.
- Feedback is a gift: Approach peer feedback with openness and gratitude. Use it to strengthen your work.
- Revision shows learning: Your final grade on each assignment reflects whether you engaged meaningfully with feedback and improved your work.
If you submit a weak draft but an excellent final version, your grade will reflect the overall quality and growth. If you submit a strong draft but don't improve it despite feedback, your grade will reflect the lack of growth.
Final Grade
Your final grade will be assigned as a letter grade according to the following scale:
A 90-100%
B 80-89%
C 70-79%
D 65-69%
F 0-64%
Regular attendance is essential to your success in this course. This isn't an arbitrary attendance-for-attendance's-sake policy. Rather, key learning activities happen in class and cannot be replicated outside of class time. During class time, you will both give and receive feedback on the
- Problem Memo,
- Stakeholder Report,
- State of the Field Memo,
- Prospectus,
- Final Report and
- Poster
In addition, in-class activities will help you think through how to scope a capstone project, how to practice ethical development, and much more.
Accordingly, you cannot score a top grade without regular attendance and engagement.
Students are expected to maintain the highest standards of academic integrity. All work submitted must be original and properly cited. Plagiarism, cheating, or any form of academic dishonesty will result in immediate consequences as outlined in the university's academic integrity policy.