A recent survey conducted by Analytics India Magazine suggested that 92 percent of respondents believed that capstone projects played a very important role while choosing an upskilling course in analytics or data science. Most candidates gave a great deal of importance to courses which included capstone projects in their overall curriculum. Interestingly, respondents gave more preference to capstone projects over jobs, as only 57 percent respondents asserted that internship or placement opportunities are crucial in an upskilling programme.
But why are capstone projects so important? In this article, we will discuss the attributes that make for a good capstone project.
Why Is It Important
As the name suggests, capstone projects are at the apex of an analytics training that is drafted to give an experience of practical applications of coursework to students. It is crucial for improving the overall student experience as it helps them enter the workforce with a practical knowledge of the tools and techniques learned during the course. Capstone projects are a key determinant for companies to pick the candidates who are well-suited for analytics roles at their organizations.
Designed by industry experts in most institutes, capstone projects include a host of assignments and uses cases specific to industries. The candidates are then asked to solve them based on the theoretical knowledge they have acquired during the course. This might include the use of programming knowledge, analytical solving, tools, and others. They are drafted in a way that it gives students an opportunity to strengthen their academic knowledge while encouraging critical thinking and communication skills.
What Should A Good Capstone Project Have?
While the format of the capstone course varies significantly for different analytics programmes, the underlying purpose is the same — to give practical exposure. Most of the capstone projects are modeled on the basis of requirements by the data-driven companies. A good capstone project should be able to enhance teamwork and communication skills, ignite reasoning skills, providing a platform, develop research-related skills, keep updated with the latest developments in respected technologies to a candidate.
Enhance Teamwork And Communication
As a fresher or an ongoing graduate one is not exposed much to team projects and the importance of team communication. Capstone projects give exposure to these areas which are very crucial in one’s career. Team communication helps in understanding and accelerating productivity among team members. Productive communication also builds trust among team members and creates a reliable working environment.
Develop Abilities To Approach A Problem
The capstone projects will make a candidate to understand the right problem, understanding the fundamentals of the problem, articulation of the problem and focusing on the root cause, building simple solutions with effective outcomes. A capstone project allows to get through the root of the problem and helping candidates develop a knack for understanding and approaching the problem. The module also trains candidates to develop solutions in the more simple and effective way, thus inculcating a practice to approach problems.
The Art Of Asking Questions
Asking good questions is a crucial responsibility which helps people to understand the problems so that they can find the solutions. Capstone projects help aspirants envision the goals — short and long-term goals, the risks involved. It also helps in speculating deliverables for the project and set a priority for solving problems.
Practical Use Of Skills And Tools
Analytics is a field where major technical skills require training and experience to master. Most of the organizations in this field are looking for people who can jump right in on the first day of the work and start implementing their knowledge for the benefit of the company. These technical skills are difficult to understand and implement as they need a lot of guidance. Capstone projects help the aspirants to gain experience and understand their implementation.
Outlook
Capstone courses are definitely looked upon as a must to have in a CV while applying for practical based analytics and data science job roles and needs to be a part of every analytics programme and college curriculum. All the major training institutes such as Jigsaw Academy, Manipal, AnalytixLabs, Insofe and Great Learning, among others, have capstone projects ranging from a duration of one month to six months.
