Information Management Systems Capstone

Prof Zoya Kinstler"I always enjoy meeting students in person when we gather for our weekend session on campus. Three things happen during this special weekend: 1) a significant amount of new course material gets learned and discussed; 2) students start to collaborate on team projects where they bring their own academic knowledge, unique talents, and industry experiences; and 3) the social bonding occurs that is so crucial for the college experience: people find new friends and, of course, buy Harvard shirts at the Coop. Just to illustrate the professional make-up of our class: there’re two Chief Information Officers of large companies, three Technology Directors, a tech startup founder, an enterprise architect with 40 years of experience, and a European college professor."

— Zoya Kinstler, instructor.

Overview

For the Information Management System capstone you work with an international team of professionals to select an enterprise-scale business problem and develop a digital technology solution.  You work in a team to research current trends, identify a problem, plan a solution, and present a proposal to an assembled faculty panel.

The project requirements differ slightly between the two IMS capstone courses currently offered. ISMT E-599 focuses on the Digital Enterprise, while ISMT E-599a concentrates on Information Management. Both are taught in a similar format but explore different subject matters. For more course specific information, see ISMT E-599 or ISMT E-599a.

Course Sequencing

You ordinarily take the capstone as your final, one and only remaning degree requirement. At a minimum, you need to have completed at least 36 credits, including all the core degree requirements, to be eligible for capstone. The capstone is offered online with a mandatory weekend on campus during the fall and spring term. In summer, the capstone is offered as an on-campus course during the intensive, seven-week session.

Faculty

Zoya Kinstler, PhD (ISMT 599)

Richard E. Joltes, ALM, Senior Content Analytics Architect, US Department of Transportation (ISMT 599a)

Information Management Systems faculty at Harvard Extension School