This paper reports on an exploratory study of capstone courses taught in a university business school. A capstone course is the culmination of a student’s studies, designed to integrate previously acquired knowledge and skills and to prepare students for employment. Capstone courses have diverse aims, preparing students for professional employment, cementing generic skills such as collaboration and teamwork, and developing professional identities amongst students. The capstone course project involved auditing capstone courses and interviewing course convenors, using a number of themes drawn from the literature. While several themes emerged in this study, this paper addresses only one of the issues: the challenge of improving student engagement. While capstone courses potentially should deeply engage students, and many students were engaged, a number of course convenors reported the reverse. The findings demonstrate the importance of promoting active participation in classes by encouraging ‘communities of practice’ that deliver ‘student focused’ teaching.

Keywords: student engagement, capstone courses