Senior Capstone Course The culmination of the major and minor is the Senior Capstone, which consists of an internship, research project, independent study or thesis. Internships have included work with a variety of public agencies, private companies, and nonprofit organizations. Research and independent study projects have included work on such topics as public lands issues, global climate change impacts, international environmental agreements, solid waste issues, deforestation, interstate water use agreements, corporate ethics, wetland loss, and alternative transportation.