Composition Forum 17 - Fall 2007 - The Case of the Capstone Course - Reflection and the Commonalities between English and University Studies (BUS) Students

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by awa

A teaching-focused reflection explores how a capstone experience for University Studies (BUS) students at North Dakota State University parallels first-year English composition. It examines why employability after graduation can be difficult when no specific major appears on diplomas, then details how BUS students design curricula with advisors and committees. The discussion argues that required public personal reflection supports diversity, lifelong learning, and meaningful, student-specific capstone outcomes.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages4

Reading Time10 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

BUS degree structure and student placement

Capstone experience as a culmination

Reflection as the shared element

Composition Forum 17 , Fall 2007 The Case of the Capstone Course: Reflection and the Commonalities between English and University Studies ( BUS) Students Melissa Vosen North Dakota State University Introduction Students majoring in university studies are not unlike students majoring in English—both groups of students are graduating with a degree that is often hard to sell. We, by nature, try to recruit our first year composition students—to join us in reading great books as well as writing the next great American novel. We tell our students they will be qualified to do anything; after all , a degree in English makes them communication experts with similar arguments being made for those obtaining a degree in university studies . Terms such as “well rounded” and “jack of all trades”are often used. However, despite communication skills , whether they range from adequate to excellent , it can still be difficult to find a job because unlike the engineer or the architect , there is no one tangible skill students in English, or university studies for that matter, can say they have acquired upon graduation. I have experienced this first hand as both a student and a teacher as well as witnessed it as an academic advisor to more than 200 undecided students a semester. North Dakota State University (NDSU) in Fargo, North Dakota, typically awards 20 30 bachelor of university studies (BUS) degrees a year. A BUS degree is a degree in which students , along with their advisor, design the required curriculum and create a plan of study. Plans are ultimately designed by each student , but they must be approved by a committee before the student is allowed to graduate. The only stipulation is that students are required to complete their general education requirements as outlined by the university as well as complete a certain number of upper division courses . For example, a student interested in attending medical school might pursue a BUS degree so he or she could take a mix of biology courses as well as psychology and human development courses—rather than just major in biology , pre med option. The BUS option allows students to take the classes they want to take, and it is also very flexible for those who work fulltime or have a family. Many of the BUS students take mostly correspondence courses . Upon graduation, students are awarded a BUS degree, but no major, minor, or area of concentration is listed on their actual diplomas or transcripts . For one semester, typically their last semester, it is my job to teach these students pursuing a BUS degree. In the paragraphs that follow, I will first explain what the capstone course for university studies entails at NDSU and its similarities to our first year composition courses . I will then demonstrate the importance of both of these courses; specifically , I will demonstrate the importance of the use of Kathleen Blake Yancey ’s reflection in presentation, concluding that courses in which students are required to reflect personally in a public sphere promote both diversity and lifelong learning. As well as the above mentioned UNIV 489, “Capstone Experience: Beyond the BUS Degree,” I also teach first year writing courses at NDSU. The similarities between my English courses and my university studies course are quite amazing. In both courses , my students do a lot of writing and reflecting. While NDSU is known for producing engineers , architects , and even pharmacists , regardless of what students major in, they are required to complete a capstone course. For the university studies students , this means they will have to take my course and endure one last semester of required compositions and reflections . I have the daunting task of teaching the capstone course for those students who, throughout their many years of higher learning, could not find a degree offered at NDSU that interested them or met their career goals . It goes without saying that each of my capstone students are uniq

FAQs

What challenge motivates the capstone course for BUS students?

BUS students graduate without a listed major or concentration, making job positioning difficult despite strong communication skills.

How is the BUS degree curriculum designed and approved?

Students design required coursework with their advisor and submit a plan of study for committee approval before graduation.

Why does the author identify reflection as the common element in diverse capstone experiences?

Because capstone goals vary widely across students, reflection becomes the shared requirement that helps them integrate learning across years of study.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by awa