In this course, students complete their data analysis and write, as well as revise as necessary, a scholarly article or white paper to be submitted first to the Spalding University Ed. D. Capstone Project Committee and then to a peer-reviewed scholarly journal in the field of leadership or in another discipline. During the face-to-face component of the class, students present the capstone leadership project in final written form and defend their research, analysis, and recommendation in an oral presentation accompanied by digital media. During the defense, students provide answers to the research questions posed in the study, link the findings to relevant research, discuss implications of the findings, indicate strengths and limitations of the study, and make recommendations for future research. In addition, prior to the face-to-face instructional component of this course, students write and deliver—in conjunction with conducting an oral presentation for the organization on which the students’ capstone project and executive summary are based—an executive summary of their research findings.

Upon Completion of This Course, Students Will Be Able to:
• Produce a scholarly, peer-reviewed journal article that describes and discusses the student’s capstone study and findings OR an internal white paper with a timeline/ description for dissemination to be submitted to the organization with which the student has worked.
• Orally and with digital media, conduct a 30-minute presentation of the research and results (the Capstone Defense Presentation) relative to the student’s project.
• Provide a summary of how the student obtained the information regarding the theme/focus.
• Demonstrate appropriate use of statistical and qualitative language when discussing measurements.
• Explain how the data were analyzed.
• Summarize and represent the data that have been collected according to Spalding University guidelines.
• Offer conclusions and summaries regarding the findings according to Spalding University guidelines.