Student Perspectives on the Business Capstone Experience: Listening to a Missing Voice in Course and Program Assessment

Abstract

While much has been written about assessment and the business capstone experience, assessment from the perspective of the important student stakeholder group has been largely ignored. This study looks at student perceptions of learning and the capstone course experience. Presenting data from a longitudinal study in the capstone course for an AACSB accredited College of Business, the study explores information gathered from 1274 students over a seven-year span. Among the results of this study, findings indicate students perceive core business courses in a standalone manner rather than learning that will be integrated in a capstone course. Particularly disturbing was the lack of perceived relevance for accounting, economics, finance, and statistics subjects as well as the perceived lack of need to revisit those core subjects in the capstone course. Interesting results are presented across majors and implications for future research are offered.