5 Topics for Master’s in Project Management Capstone Project

Updated April 24, 2021

5 Final Project Ideas for a Master's in Project Management

Game Board Development
Community Garden Planning
Test Preparation Website
Free Clinic Process Evaluation
Project Management in Political Campaigns

Most colleges and universities require their students to complete a comprehensive project before graduation, and students generally begin brainstorming possible capstone topics for their Master's in Project Management at the beginning of their second year. This project often takes two semesters to complete and demonstrates a student's mastery of a particular subject matter, like project management. The end product consists of a research paper, as well as a presentation illustrating how the concepts they learned can be applied to the real world. Some examples for a graduate-level project management capstone include the following.

1. Board Game Development

Many careers in project management involve creating a new product or product line for a company, so studying this process provides a student with relevant experience during a job search. For this project, the student would need to first identify the different team members necessary including a game engineer to plan the concept and rules, a designer, someone to determine necessary materials and how to actually manufacture the product, and a marketing team. It is also necessary to have enough people test the game to ensure that the product would be successful on the market.

2. Community Garden Planning

There are many complex parts involved in planning a community garden from determining an appropriate location and calculating overhead costs to the business-oriented aspects like determining how much to charge and writing rules governing the space. Students would also need experts in agriculture and land management as well as a lawyer to handle contracts and ensure necessary regulations are being followed. On top of that, the student needs a team responsible for recruiting and retaining gardeners. This project demonstrates a desire to improve one's community.

3. Test Preparation Website

This idea for Master's in Project Management students is another product development-based project except that it is more of a service instead of physical item. Students would gain experience working with creative and design team members, as well as technical web developers, and would learn how to create a workable plan on both levels. Plus, this project also involves dealing with administrative tasks like securing a web host and domain name. For students interested in the IT industry, this venture would be relevant in job interviews after graduation.

4. Free Clinic Process Evaluation

While not everyone has a free clinic near them, this suggestion for a master's level final project can also work with other nonprofit volunteer-led organizations. This project demonstrates a student's ability to objectively evaluate current processes and form a team with the appropriate experts to design a more efficient system and implement changes to procedures. For students looking to work as an independent consultant or in healthcare, this project will provide the real-life experience needed.

5. Project Management in Political Campaigns

According to the Project Management Institute, this is a new industry that is increasingly seeking out project managers. Students interested in this final project could study local or national elections and primaries. While there have always been campaign managers, using project management principles in this field is a newer idea.

Most graduate programs require a final project that enables a student to demonstrate their understanding of the field and get some hands-on experience. In choosing a topic for a Master's in Project Management capstone project, most students pick something that is relevant to their future career goals.