Capstone Instructions
The capstone experience is a semester-long internship OR research apprenticeship integrating curricular activities based on each student’s unique interests. The capstone is completed in the undergraduate’s senior year, and should be based on principles of use-inspired, transformative research that bridges the student’s curriculum with the lived experiences of LGBT people.
The certificate requires 15 credit hours; a minimum of 12 must be upper-division, and 3 credits for the capstone experience. The two required courses include Introduction to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Studies and the capstone experience. The capstone experience will be supervised by a faculty member approved by the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Studies Committee.
The primary goal of an internship OR research apprenticeship capstone with an ASU faculty member is to provide students the opportunity to integrate theory with experience, scholarship with change, and critical research with outcomes.
Students who choose the internship capstone will work with LGBT community organizations, e.g. Drag Story Hour Arizona, Planned Parenthood, GLAAD, GLSEN, community newspapers, while others may work on lesbian, gay, and transgender issues in the context of governmental, business, nonprofit, or other community service agencies.
Students who choose the research apprenticeship capstone will work alongside an ASU faculty member who is engaged in original research, creative activity, and participates in the scholarly process. The faculty member should meet with the student throughout the semester to guide the research process and/or paper including the proposal, annotated bibliography, literature review, methods, and conclusion.
Information on available courses
Prerequisites to Begin Your Capstone Experience
- Complete nine credit hours of LGBT certificate courses.
- Complete Introduction to LGBT Studies course.
- Meet with your academic advisor to assure the LGBT certificate appears on your MyASU, or submit the request to add the certificate through MyASU.
Steps to Completing Your Capstone Experience
Semester prior to capstone experience:
- Determine the internship OR research apprenticeship you wish to complete.
- Identify an ASU faculty member who will provide capstone experience supervision. Students should consider faculty members of previous classes within the certificate program, their major, or other classes in which LGBT issues were a primary focus.
- Email faculty lead Dr. Mellissa Linton (mlinton3@asu.edu) for a list of potential ASU faculty member advisors.
- Questions to consider when determining appropriate faculty member:
- With which of your ASU instructors have you made a personal connection through current or previous classes in your major, or through general education classes?
- With whom have you connected at an intellectual level?
- Who have been your favorite teachers so far at ASU?
- Thinking of faculty members whose courses you have taken, which professor would you want to be able to write a letter of recommendation for you for graduate school, professional school, or employment?
- Ensure you are properly enrolled in the correct class at the start of your capstone semester for proper credit hours. Contact SSTAdvising@asu.edu with any questions or concerns.
- Meet with your faculty member to develop a proposal for your capstone experience.
- Information to Include in Capstone Proposal
- Name of Student
- ASU ID
- Name of Faculty Supervisor
- Academic Department of Faculty Supervisor
- Type of Project: Internship OR Research Apprenticeship
- Working Title of Project
- Description of Project (50 words)
- Desired Outcomes of Project (25 words)
- Semester or session capstone will be completed
- Note: Capstone must be submitted and approved prior to the first day of classes of the session the capstone is being completed.
- Information to Include in Capstone Proposal
- Please email your capstone proposal to the faculty lead Dr. Mellissa Linton mlinton3@asu.edu. You will receive direct feedback from the LGBT Certificate committee regarding the acceptance of your proposal, and/or if additional information is required.
- During the capstone semester, the LGBT Studies certificate faculty lead, Dr. Mellissa Linton will contact you regarding making a brief, public presentation on your capstone experience in your senior year. Details regarding this presentation will be provided at that time.
Internship Opportunities
Please contact the School of Social Transformation's Internship Coordinator, Taris Watson, for more information: sstadvising@asu.edu.
ASU Courses
- Obtain the official course description from the ASU Catalog.
- Obtain the course syllabus.
- Submit these documents to an LGBT Certificate advisor.
- The advisor will submit these documents to the faculty committee which will make a final decision on the acceptability of the course meeting an LGBT Certificate course requirement.
- Once approved, the advisor will make appropriate changes in DARS so that the approved course shows up in the LGBT Certificate DARS audit.
Non-ASU Courses
- Obtain the official course description from the appropriate institution catalog.
- Obtain the course syllabus.
- Obtain an unofficial copy of your previous institution transcripts indicating the successful completion (grade of “C” or better) for this course. If ASU already has these transcripts, the student may run a current DARS report indicating the course being accepted to ASU.
- Submit these documents to an LGBT Certificate advisor.
- The advisor will submit these documents to the faculty committee which will make a final decision on the acceptability of the course meeting an LGBT Certificate course requirement.
- Once approved, the advisor will make appropriate changes in DARS so that the approved course shows up in the LGBT Certificate DARS audit.
Frequently Asked Questions
The LGBT Certificate Program is an interdisciplinary certificate (similar to a minor) that examines the experiences, history, culture and contemporary issues related to LGBTQ communities.The capstone experience is a semester-long internship OR research apprenticeship integrating curricular activities based on each student’s unique interests.
The certificate requires 15 credit hours; a minimum of 12 must be upper-division. The two required courses include Introduction to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Studies and the capstone experience. The remaining nine hours are electives. For information on courses, click here.
No. You can follow simple steps to have that course count towards the LGBT Certificate. Contact SST advising at SSTAdvising@asu.edu for further information.
In simple terms, this is your opportunity to pick an LGBTQ topic you’re passionate about and incorporate both the practical and theoretical aspects of it into a semester-long project.The capstone experience should be an internship OR research apprenticeship that integrates curricular activities with each student’s unique interests. The capstone experience should be based on principles of use-inspired, transformative research or creative activity that bridges the student’s curriculum with lived experiences of LGBT communities. Ideally, the capstone experience integrates theory with experience, scholarship with change and/or research with outcomes.
Think about the professors you’ve had for previous classes or have worked with in some capacity or would like the opportunity to work with. Your faculty advisor should be someone who you respect and admire. Then ask them if they’d be interested in working with you on your LGBT Certificate Capstone Experience. Some tips to keep in mind about working with your faculty advisor:
- Have a draft proposal of your capstone experience ready prior to asking your selected faculty to be your advisor.
- Your faculty advisor is here to help and assist you throughout your capstone experience. Be sure to utilize their knowledge and experience. Keep them informed and updated on how your capstone is progressing throughout the semester.
- This is your opportunity to work closely with an ASU faculty member. Hold yourself accountable for making it an experience you’ll learn and grow from while building a relationship with someone you admire.
The LGBT Certificate offers students the opportunity to study LGBTQ issues and work closely with faculty and academic departments. It provides a unique perspective of LGBT studies, communities and theory. A student challenges themselves both in the classroom fulfilling academic credit requirements but also turning theory into practice through their capstone experience. In many fields such as Women and Gender Studies, Law, Criminology, Sociology, and is a compelling addition to a resume and point of interest during interviews.