Capstone vs Dissertation: Which Is Better for Your Career?

Suppose you’re choosing the best doctoral program before applying or nearing the end of your program. Should you choose the one with a capstone project or a dissertation?

There’s a long-standing heated debate on the merits of a capstone vs a dissertation. Some claim they’re the same thing. Others see a continental divide. A few have never heard of a capstone before or thought it synonymous with a dissertation or thesis. When it all gets too much and you get overwhelmed by the semantics to the point of giving up on a PhD altogether, stop and take a breath. Skim through this post while you’re at it, and we’ll lay out the differences, the pros and cons of a capstone and a dissertation to help you make the right choice for your future career.

Sidenote: Dissertation and thesis aren’t the same either, but we’ll tackle that in another post.

Similarities Between Dissertation and Capstone

At first glance, a dissertation and a capstone project seem the same. Both are gigantic independent research projects that are a mandatory requirement for completing advanced programs. Both take a few months, if not years, to complete, and require your full focus and dedication. And when they are complete, they become the crown jewels of your academic career.

They also require similar skills and capabilities, such as independent research, critical and analytical thinking, academic writing, and more. So, it’s no wonder many students turn to a dissertation or capstone project writing service for help when the project turns out to be bigger and more complex than expected.

What is the Difference Between a Capstone Project and a Dissertation?

So why do colleges and universities have both? It’s because they have even more differences, as you’ll see in the table below.

Quick disclaimer: Capstones are typical for undergrad and Master’s programs, or even MOOCs, but some universities (like Capella University or the University of Michigan-Flint) offer doctoral capstones. So, to make our comparison more objective, we’ll explore the differences between PhD-level capstones and dissertations.

Parameters	Capstone project	Dissertation
Scientific contribution	Expands and applies existing knowledge	Develops new knowledge
Research focus	Solves a practical problem for a specific organization, community, or environment	Solves a research problem in a broad field of study
Deliverable	Product, portfolio, or paper	Dissertation manuscript
Structure example	Clinical research paper, educational program curriculum, change management plan	5-chapter manuscript, including: problem statement, literature review methodology data analysis and results conclusions and recommendations
Publication prospects	Suitable for industry journals, but may not be enough for academic publications	Suitable for top peer-reviewed journals
Career prospects	Positions in the applied research field	Teaching and research positions in academia

As you see, a capstone and a dissertation share only surface-level resemblance. They have different goals, require you to use different skill sets, and even the outline and format of the final paper aren’t anything alike. Most importantly, the two projects open different paths for your future career. That’s why you need to have clear goals before taking on either a capstone or a dissertation.

If you want to learn more about the dissertation or capstone project meaning, explore our blog posts exploring their features in more detail.

Dissertation Benefits and Drawbacks

If a side-by-side comparison didn’t help you resolve the issue of dissertation vs capstone, let’s go over the pros and cons of either choice. Here are a few notable benefits of completing a doctoral dissertation:

• A dissertation looks great on a resume. It is a recognized academic achievement, and it will open more doors for you, especially if you plan to stay in academia or theoretical research circles.
• Your dissertation gets published. You can either publish the whole manuscript or turn it into a paper and publish it in a Q1 or Q2 peer-reviewed journal.
• Working on a dissertation instills invaluable research skills. You can put them to good use after completing the program and receiving your degree.
• You can continue researching the issue. A dissertation typically leaves room for further research, which you can continue in a postdoc program or further studies.

On the other hand, dissertations have their fair share of drawbacks, including:

• A dissertation is typically longer and takes more time. It usually takes a few years to complete research and write a doctoral dissertation. It’s a huge time commitment, and you need to produce 100 to 300 pages of original writing.
• Some studies have no practical application. Since dissertations often tackle large-scale issues and develop new knowledge, they can be purely theoretical. But it’s only a drawback if you’re looking for some hands-on experience or real-life applications.
• Getting to the final draft can be painful. Considering the scope of dissertation-level research, it takes multiple revisions and rewrites to satisfy your academic advisor. Worst of all, if some of your hypotheses don’t pan out, you will need to rework the whole idea and start from scratch.

Ultimately, a dissertation is the best choice if you plan a career in academia, especially in a theoretical field.

Capstone Project Benefits and Drawbacks

What if you aren’t too impressed with the dissertation prospects? Here’s how a capstone is better:

• You must solve a real problem to write a capstone. So, it’s better suited for people who want to see instant impact in the real world.
• Capstone is a perfect networking opportunity. It’s typically designed to resolve an issue in a specific organization or community. You’ll have to cooperate closely with others, leading to useful new acquaintances.
• You can secure your future job while working on a capstone. You can think of it like an internship. Solving real issues for your future employer beats anything else you can put on a resume, including a PhD.

But capstone projects aren’t perfect, either. Here are a few downsides you should be aware of:

• Capstones are much smaller-scale. Although the actual capstone manuscript can be longer than a dissertation because of all the appendices, the problem scope is relatively small. It’s like feeding one family in comparison to solving world hunger. It’s no less meaningful, but may not be as rewarding for ambitious students.
• The project is less about research and more about implementation. It’s only a downside if you’re focused on advancing scientific progress. Still, if your primary goal is to hone your research skills, a capstone might not be the best choice.
• Communication and cooperation issues. You might have a perfect capstone project outline and action plan in mind, but you’ll still depend on others to implement it. If your host organization doesn’t share your enthusiasm, you might run into roadblocks, intentional or not. In the worst-case scenario, cooperation challenges can cause you to miss your capstone deadlines.

A capstone project is best-suited for students eager to drive rapid and positive change and solve real-world issues as a way to pave a path to future career success.

Conclusion

As you see, a dissertation and a capstone are quite different. They focus on theoretical advances and practical implementation, respectively, and offer different career prospects after successful completion. Making the right decision can secure your future for decades to come. So, consider the benefits and drawbacks of both carefully, think about your plans, and talk to your professors or academic advisor to discuss your options.