Search Courses
You may search for a Senior Capstone course by selecting a THEME or TERM from the menu at the left. You may also search by entering a part of the title or the instructors name in the box below. For concise listings of all 2019-2020 Capstone offerings, review our Capstone Capsule. If you need assistance, contact the Capstone Office/University Studies at 503.725.5890.
Please refer to the PSU Class Schedule regarding the days, hours, and meeting location. For information about when the new class schedule is available or when you can register for the new term, follow this link: When to Register.
NOTE: Due to the intensive nature of Capstones, students must receive permission from the course instructor prior to the first day of class if they are going to miss the first class session. For on-line Capstones, students must demonstrate active participation during the first week of the term. All Capstone courses factor in student attendance and participation into the final grade which is deeply impacted by missing the first week of the term.
NOTE: "Sustainability" tagged courses will NOT automatically count toward the Sustainability Minor. Students must seek approval from Joseph Maser, Ph.D. in the Environmental Science & Management department to count any Capstone toward that specific minor.
SEARCH BY Title or Instructor: Enter a single word from the title of a Capstone, "gardens", "justice", "literacy", etc., the Course Registration Number (CRN), or a professor's first or last name in the box below.
Instructor Name: M. Khalil Zonoozy
CRN: 64074, 14120
A comprehensive and engaging examination of contemporary multicultural and cross-cultural imperatives, this capstone explores the barriers to justice for ethnic and racial minorities. Special attention will be given to the U.S. institutional structure and the justice system. Utilizing a progressive and proactive approach, students will acquire a deeper understanding, awareness and appreciation of the root causes of the existing disparities. Their learning outcome will be enhanced through...
Fall 2019Fall 2020Spring 2020Winter 2020
Community Health Criminal & Juvenile Justice
Instructor Name: Nariyo Kono
CRN: 14097
Grant Writing for Indigenous Sustainability In the online Capstone course Indigenous Grant Writing, students work collaboratively in teams to research and write grants, and to understand the issues of Indigenous communities. Students gain an understanding of collaborative work and the importance of equal participation from every team member. Students examine the role of non-profit organizations in addressing social, ethical, and political issues. They also consider the role of funding and...
Fall 2019Fall 2020Winter 2020
Sustainability Grantwriting Global Perspectives Online or Hybrid Courses Hybrid or Fully online
Instructor Name: Heather Petzold
CRN: 81167, 14127
Being an Effective Change Agent in Portland This course is for students interested in being effective change agents for the public good. Each student (individually or with others) will take the initiative before the Capstone begins to arrange a project with a community organization. This project may be an existing relationship or one sought for the purpose of this class. A minimum of three working hours per week with the organization is required. During the course, students will be supported ...
Fall 2019Fall 2020Spring 2020Summer 2019Summer 2020Winter 2020
Community Health Education-Youth Research
Instructor Name: Molly Gray
CRN: 81155, 14111
It is estimated that 1 in 10 individuals identify as a sexual minority. Often an already challenging stage in identity development, gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender & questioning (LGBTQ) youth face a set of issues unique to their daily lives. We examine the paths sexual and gender minority youth navigate in society, exploring such questions as: What challenges do LGBTQ youth encounter? How do they cope, survive, find understanding & celebrate themselves amidst homophobia and...
Fall 2019Fall 2020Spring 2020Summer 2019Summer 2020Winter 2020
Research Education-Youth
Instructor Name: Anmarie Trimble
CRN: 81174, 81379, 14114
This class is an opportunity to explore hands-on the complexity surrounding education, equity, and empowerment, with a specific focus on collaborative peer mentoring, which often includes academic tutoring. Our community partner is the Native American Youth and Family Center (NAYA). At NAYA, students will have the opportunity to interact with bright youth from diverse cultures and work with them on improving their academics and future prospects. Capstones will collaborate with their Capstone...
Fall 2019Fall 2020Spring 2020Summer 2019Summer 2020Winter 2020
Education Education-Youth social work tutoring Mentoring social justice native american indigenous family NAYA trauma-informed
Instructor Name: Sally Eck
CRN: 81152, 81157, 14122
Women’s Oral Narratives In this course, we will be working with our community partner, the local non-profit organization; the IPRC, Independent Publishing Resource Center. Our project is to coordinate a series of *rap sessions* with local teen girls about current issues in their lives. We will use these group conversations to encourage the girls to become a part of our ZINE project - where they will write, edit, and publish a grassroots, mini-magazine with our class. In preparation for this...
Fall 2019Fall 2020Spring 2020Summer 2019Summer 2020Winter 2020
Education-Youth
Instructor Name: Catherine Howells
CRN: 81159, 14131
Portland's Water: History and Challenges. This course is designed to give students an opportunity to learn about tap water and create community outreach products for the Portland Water Bureau. Our community partner for this class is the Portland Water Bureau. This class will focus on the Bull Run watershed (the source of Portland's drinking water) and the work of the Portland Water Bureau -- how they deliver our water to our taps. We will learn about the history of the water system, the...
Fall 2019Fall 2020Spring 2020Summer 2019Summer 2020Winter 2020
Sustainability Research Community Health Business-Engineering-Technology
Instructor Name: Patrice Morris Ball
CRN: 64040, 14092
Design and Edit Organ Donation Outreach Materials
Students will work with the nonprofit agency Donate Life Northwest (DLNW) while learning about their mission to save/enhance lives through the promotion of organ, eye, and tissue donation. Students will design/edit promotional documents (digital, video, electronic or for print), while integrating knowledge from their own field of study, familiarity with today's popular culture, and the community partner’s mission to increase registration of...
Fall 2019Fall 2020Spring 2020Winter 2020
Research Global Perspectives Community Health Hybrid or Fully online Education-Youth Online or Hybrid Courses
Instructor Name: Anna Alsufieva
CRN: 64022, 14106
Effecting Change: Russian International Capstone requires a 3 term committment (2 credits fall, 2 credits winter and 2 credits spring term). This Capstone is restricted to RUSSIAN FLAGSHIP PROGRAM. Only students who are enrolled in PSU Russian Flagship program can take this course; and the course is conducted totally in Russian.
Intercultural competence is an important skill that one needs to acquire to be a successful and contributing member of modern global society. This course is the...
Fall 2019Fall 2020Spring 2020Winter 2020
Global Perspectives International Capstones Hybrid or Fully online Online or Hybrid Courses
Instructor Name: Suzanne Savaria
CRN: 14190, 44172, 14133
The arts play a critical role in stimulating creativity and in developing vital communities. They have a crucial impact on our economy and are an important catalyst for learning, discovery and achievement in our county.
In this course we will examine what it means to advocate for the arts and define our roles as advocates. We will explore the world of arts advocacy and arts education and gain a deeper understanding of how to better sustain a healthy arts community. We’ll take part in...
Fall 2019Fall 2020Winter 2020
Education-Youth Business-Engineering-Technology Arts
Instructor Name: Kristin Teigen
CRN: 81162, 14130
This Capstone partners with the Urban League and the Community Alliance of Tenants (CAT) to confront housing disparities and strengthen the voice and influence of communities of color in Multnomah County, Oregon. Students will learn the history of communities of color in Portland while engaging in programs with the Urban League and CAT to expand renter’s assistance programs and support those who have been newly housed.
Fall 2019Fall 2020Spring 2020Summer 2019Summer 2020Winter 2020
Anti-Racism Grantwriting Education Activism Leadership
Instructor Name: Zapoura Newton-Calvert
CRN: 81144, 14642
The “achievement gap” has been at the forefront of discussions about the U.S. education system since the implementation of NCLB in 2001. The public has been tuned into this so-called “achievement gap” alongside high dropout rates, lack of access to equitable early childhood education, public disinvestment in the education system, disparities in access to higher education, and more. According to the Children’s Defense Fund’s State of America’s Children Report, the gaps (more accurately and...
Fall 2019Fall 2020Spring 2020Summer 2019Summer 2020Winter 2020
Education social justice Education-Youth
Instructor Name: Lisa Jo Frech
CRN: 81135, 14094
Environmentalism is a philosophy and social movement (come call it a revolution) involving both protection and improvement of the health of our natural environment. Environmentalism is an attempt to achieve sustainability so that both humans and the Earth thrive without compromising future generations. The movement in this country is credited as starting with Rachel Carson and her extremely popular book Silent Spring published in 1962, when it fact it was spawned in 1945 with the return of...
Fall 2019Fall 2020Spring 2020Summer 2019Summer 2020Winter 2020
Grantwriting Ecology Online or Hybrid Courses Sustainability Ecology or Sustainability Advocacy Hybrid or Fully online
Instructor Name: Glorie Gary
CRN: 64037, 14099
This fully online course is for students who are interested in creating and facilitating a community event. This Capstone partners with Multnomah County Developmental Disabilities and Portland Parks & Recreation Adaptive Inclusion Program. Each term, students will plan and facilitate a community event that has already been arranged with the community partner prior to the start of each term. You can expect the event to be during the last 2 weeks of the term (event date and time will be...
Fall 2019Fall 2020Spring 2020Winter 2020
Events Planning Event Social Services developmental disabilities multnomah county community community outreach Event Management Hybrid or Fully online Online or Hybrid Courses
Instructor Name: Joseph Wightman
CRN: 81158, 14117
Leadership Through Mentoring in K-8 Schools - The mentoring of young people takes many forms. Some young people are fortunate to grow up with a caring parent, relative or adult ally who serves as a mentor to them. Other young people do not enjoy the benefits of a strong mentor in their lives. Research shows that mentoring results in a myriad benefits for both the mentor and the mentee. For all involved, these include the development of leadership skills, increased interpersonal communication...
Fall 2019Fall 2020Spring 2020Summer 2019Summer 2020Winter 2020
Education-Youth Education Leadership social justice Mentoring
Instructor Name: Laura Mulas
CRN: 81138, 14091
Global citizenship is of utmost importance as our societies are increasingly becoming more connected through media and technology. There is a growing disparity in the American school system that allows only the privileged students to participate in meaningful and engaging cultural learning. Schools that receive funding and support are able to facilitate cultural exchanges in person for students and faculty, while the majority of students in the public system receive little financial support and...
Fall 2019Fall 2020Spring 2020Summer 2019Summer 2020Winter 2020
Education - Youth Hybrid or Fully online Online or Hybrid Courses
Instructor Name: Andrew Haley, Andy Reed
CRN: 64065, 14118
Note: Summer term taught by Andrew Reed, areed@pdx.edu. Fall Term taught by Andrew Haley, andrewhaley@pdx.edu)
According to Communities of Color in Multnomah County: An Unsettling Profile, “In total, people of color in 2008 (by traditional Census Bureau counts) comprise 26.3% of the population of the county. When we add the Slavic community to these data, […] the size of the community totals over 200,000 residents." A large number of these residents are immigrants and refugees. The...
Fall 2019Fall 2020Spring 2020Winter 2020
Immigration Refugees
Instructor Name: Deborah Rutt
CRN: 81154, 14087
Drawing on poetry, political theory, sociological texts, film, and personal narratives, this course offers an introduction to prison and its critiques, as well as the power of education to transform individuals and societies. This hybrid course meets once a week at Coffee Creek Correctional Facility (CCCF); Capstone students will study together with women enrolled in higher education at the women’s prison, about 20 minutes south of PSU in Wilsonville. Successful background clearances are...
Fall 2019Fall 2020Spring 2020Summer 2020Winter 2020
Criminal & Juvenile Justice
Instructor Name: Julie Boyles
CRN: 81140, 14913
Food insecurity is a challenge for students, children, parents, migrants, long-term citizens, old, young, and all other label you might apply to someone. In this online course students have the opportunity to do their "25 hours of service" in a food-scarcity-related organization in their own community. The service component of the course offers an important connection and correlation between the course materials and the validated and verified aspects of food insecurity. Students often reflect...
Fall 2019Fall 2020Summer 2020Winter 2020
food; food insecurity; hunger; sustainability
Instructor Name: Jenna Padbury
CRN: 44943, 14109
Meditation and mindful awareness encompass a philosophy of living with a quiet mind, open heart, and in service to others; they are our primary practices in this capstone. We will explore mindful awareness and meditation as foundations for personal, community, and global health and well being. Our meditative practices, ancient Eastern philosophy, racial equity, and social responsibility will inform how we engage in service learning. By serving with non-profit community partners we will...
Fall 2020Winter 2020
Community Health Homelessness trauma-informed social justice trauma-healing social justice contemplative practices interpersonal neurobiology