Romancing the Capstone: The Jewel of Public Value

Abstract

The Arizona State University (ASU) capstone course focuses on the creation of public value. This capstone course is based on the assumption that students enhance their competency for public service leadership if they learn to create public value through the triangulation of purpose, knowledge, and skills. Faculty and students engage in experientially based cooperative and collaborative learning situations, case analyses, exercises, and research projects to tie MPA experience together. This paper presents and assesses the goals and achievements of the capstone course. Building on the concepts of reflective practice, experiential learning, and professional development, we discuss the following topics: Why ASU moved to the capstone course; the experience of other top-ranked MPA programs; the theoretical foundations of the capstone experience; how the ASU course works; an interim assessment of the outcomes of the course; and lessons and suggestions. We find that this rite-of-passage experience does alter student vision, competence, and commitment.