Also called a capstone experience, culminating project, or senior exhibition, among many other terms, a capstone project is a multifaceted assignment that serves as a culminating academic and intellectual experience for students, typically during their final year of high school or middle school, or at the end of an academic program or learning-pathway experience. While similar in some ways to a college thesis, capstone projects may take a wide variety of forms, but most are long-term investigative projects that culminate in a final product, presentation, or performance. For example, students may be asked to select a topic, profession, or social problem that interests them, conduct research on the subject, maintain a portfolio of findings or results, create a final product demonstrating their learning acquisition or conclusions (a paper, short film, or multimedia presentation, for example), and give an oral presentation on the project to a panel of teachers, experts, and community members who collectively evaluate its quality.

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Capstone projects are generally designed to encourage students to think critically, solve challenging problems, and develop skills such as oral communication, public speaking, research skills, media literacy, teamwork, planning, self-sufficiency, or goal setting—i.e., skills that will help prepare them for college, modern careers, and adult life. In most cases, the projects are also interdisciplinary, in the sense that they require students to apply skills or investigate issues across many different subject areas or domains of knowledge. Capstone projects also tend to encourage students to connect their projects to community issues or problems, and to integrate outside-of-school learning experiences, including activities such as interviews, scientific observations, or internships.

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https://www.edglossary.org/capstone-project/

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PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The AP Capstone program was developed following feedback form higher education organizations requesting that high school students develop stronger backgrounds in independent research, collaborative teamwork, and 21st century knowledge and skills now essential for success on college campuses and in today’s global marketplace.  Earning the AP Capstone credential will give you a new way to stand out in your college applications, and you’ll move on to college with a stronger foundation in independent research, presentation, collaborate teamwork, and the knowledge and skills essential for success in college and beyond.

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HOW AP CAPSTONE™ WORKS
Students typically take AP Seminar in the 10th or 11th grade, followed by AP research. Students who earn scores of 3 or higher in AP Seminar and AP Research and on four additional AP exams of their choosing will receive the AP Capstone Diploma™. This signifies their outstanding academic achievement and attainment of college-level academic and research skills. Alternatively, students who earn scores of 3 or higher in AP Seminar and AP Research will receive the AP Seminar and AP Research certificate™ signifying their attainment of college-level academic and research skills.