For Students
Welcome to the CS Capstone Handbook! This handbook is a work in progress covering the contents of the CS 461, 462, and 463 classes at Oregon State University.
We cover:
- your learning objectives,
- project selection,
- team formation,
- project management,
- various project-related activities,
- intellectual property,
- project evaluation,
- and many other items.
Use the sidebar to navigate the handbook.
What Are My Capstone Course Options?
We have different Capstone options:
- Computer Science (CS)
- CS 46X (461/462/463) On Campus 9 Months (this handbook)
- CS 46X (461/462/463) Online 9 Months
- CS 467 Online 3 Months
- Cybersecurity Practicums and Capstone Project
- Vertically Integrated Projects
- Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE)
- ECE 44X (441/442/443) On Campus 9 Months
- Multidisciplinary
- ENGR 41X (415/416) On Campus 6 Months
You can check some of the previous projects (and filter by course). Cybersecurity is not covered in the project listing page.
What Kinds of Projects Are Available?
We have a have four possible project categories:
- Free and Open Source Software (FOSS): contribute meaningful patches to an existing FOSS project
- Consultancy: develop a software solution for a client (company, faculty, etc.) that will be deployed to production
- New Product or Game: create a product or game and gather actual users (entrepreneurial spirit required)
- Research: work on a research hypothesis with the goal of publishing a paper
We reach out to external parties to find enough consultancy and research projects for the next academic year.
If you have your own project idea (can be of any categories but you need a project partner or mentor), you can submit the project for review before end of August. If accepted, you’ll be able to work on that project with some of your peers.
Please note that each category will be graded differently, and some projects require more effort than others.
When Can I Choose a Project and Whom Will I Paired With?
The list of approved projects will be published in September, right before the start of Fall term. You’ll be able to submit your preferences at the start of the term and we will pair you up with like minded peers.
If you submitted a project and it was approved, you will be assigned to it automatically. It might not even show up in our project list if you already have a team.
What Kind of Class is This?
Compared to previous classes, the Capstone series is a medium-term team project. You will have to plan and execute work over the course of 9 months (starting in Fall term and ending in Spring term).
You cannot approach this class as a regular, assignment-based, class. If you tackle assignments last minute, you will fail this class.
You haven’t done much in terms of longer team projects, up to now. The Capstone series aims to address this shortcoming and give you the necessary skills to plan and strive under uncertainty. Depending on the project category, your success will depend solely on your capacity to adapt and deliver.
What is IP/NDA?
IP stands for Intellectual Property. By default, you (not the school nor your project partner) have the rights to the work you produce during Capstone. Some projects might require you to hand-over the IP to your project partner or their company.
NDA stands for Non-Disclosure Agreement. It means that some or all of the work you’ll be doing or information you will get access to cannot be shared outside of the boundaries set by the agreement. Some project partners or companies might require you to sign an NDA if you are working on proprietary or closed-source code.
Projects have to specify if they require IP agreements or NDAs.
Instructors cannot sign an IP agreement or NDA. If your project is under NDA, we’ll make the necessary adjustments for its evaluation (i.e., your project partner will evaluate most of your work).
What About Licensing?
Licensing broadly refers to what people can do with your code or work.
It’s a good idea to discuss with your team and project partner the type of license you want for your open-source project if you are not under specific IP or NDA requirements.
Check choose a license for more information. You could come up with your own licensing terms.
If you want to keep your project closed-source (because you want to commercialize it for example), discuss that as well.
Can I do my Capstone Project on The Same Subject as my Honors Thesis Project?
Probably not. Reach out to instructors if you think there could be a match.
In my Own Best Interest, Should I Keep my Million-Dollar Idea Under my Hat?
If you have a great idea, patent it. A great idea is not worth much if you cannot execute it. We can help you execute it or find the resources to do so.