The completion of a capstone project is one of the academic requirements for the Master of Public Administration at the University of Pennsylvania’s Fels Institute of Government. The capstone project presents an opportunity for students to apply their multi-disciplinary learning from the program to a specific public administration challenge or issue. Past students have indicated that their capstone project enabled them to build relationships with diverse stakeholders and improved their skills in policy research, creative thinking, data analysis and interpretation, program evaluation, written and verbal communication, time management, and client management. Students have the option either of proposing their own capstone project or choosing from a list of projects submitted by government agencies and non-profit organizations to Fels Lab.
Explore our recent graduates’ capstone project below.
| Project Name | Project Type | Year | Organization | Download |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A Policy Agenda for Nationwide Children's Hospital's Social Justice Initiative |
Policy analysis
|
2022
|
Nationwide Children's Hospital
|
|
| A Community Recompense Program for Institutional Expansion* |
Program development
|
2022
|
Office of Councilwoman Jamie R. Gauthier
|
|
| Expanded Child Tax Credit Outreach Campaign Evaluation* |
Program evaluation
|
2022
|
City of Philadelphia Office of Community Empowerment and Opportunity
|
|
| Help for the Hurdles Program Evaluation |
Program evaluation
|
2022
|
City of Philadelphia Office of Homeless Services
|
|
| Measuring Effectiveness of Diversity and Inclusion Policies on Campus Racial Climate |
Policy analysis
|
2022
|
The EdTrust
|
|
| Smart Artificial Intelligence Policies |
Policy analysis
|
2022
|
City of Philadelphia Office of Innovation & Technology
|
|
| Pennsylvania Fresh Food Financing Initiative: A Qualitative Analysis of the Grantee Experience* |
Program evaluation
|
2022
|
The Food Trust
|
|
| A Feasibility Study for the Creation of a Garden Commons Network Across Philadelphia* |
Program development
|
2022
|
Pennsylvania Horticulture Society
|
|
| Doorways Prevention Program Training and Evaluation Assessment |
Program evaluation
|
2022
|
Doorways' Prevention Program
|
|
| Crisis Communications Plan |
Marketing and communication plan
|
2022
|
Cleveland Department of Public Health
|
|
| Continuing to Serve: Preparing Veterans to Transition into Service Organizations |
Program evaluation
|
2022
|
U.S. Department of Defense Transition Assistance Program
|
|
| Always Be Disclosing: Should Bank Size Preclude Eligibility for Climate Risk Disclosures? |
Data analysis
|
2022
|
N/A
|
|
| Reuse Rise Rejoice: A Menstrual Health Program Evaluation* |
Program evaluation
|
2022
|
African Education Program
|
|
| Economic Impacts of Refugee Resettlement in the United States and Texas |
Data analysis
|
2022
|
N/A
|
|
| Psychosocial Support Services for Gender-Based Violence in Southwest State Somalia |
Data analysis
|
2022
|
Gender-Based Violence Psychosocial Support Services
|
|
| Strategic Plan for the Botswana - University of Pennsylvania Partnership |
Strategic planning
|
2022
|
Botswana - University of Pennsylvania Partnership
|
|
| A Risk Informed Policy Analysis of Nuclear Power in Electricity Markets |
Policy analysis
|
2022
|
Nuclear Energy Institute
|
|
| Making the Right Choice: A college decision making toolkit for adult learners |
Policy analysis
|
2022
|
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
|
|
| A Strategic Plan for Optimizing New Jersey's State Revolving Fund Application Process |
Strategic planning
|
2022
|
New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
|
|
| Autism and the Courts Initiative* |
Program development
|
2022
|
Supreme Court of Pennsylvania; Pennsylvania Department of Human Services; ASERT Collaborative
|
|
| Reaching Women Veterans: Background Report & Communications Strategy* |
Marketing and communication plan
|
2022
|
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
|
|
| Mission Based Grantmaking: A Path to Success |
Program development
|
2021
|
K10 Kids Foundation
|
|
| An Overview of Best Practices for Affordable Single-Family Housing Development and Finance |
Policy analysis
|
2021
|
Cinnaire
|
|
| The ReStart Program |
Program development
|
2021
|
Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
|
|
| Pennsylvania Radar and the Price of Speed |
Advocacy plan
|
2021
|
N/A
|
|
| Greater Philadelphia Coalition Against Hunger Environmental Scan |
Strategic planning
|
2021
|
The Greater Philadelphia Coalition Against Hunger
|
|
| Personal Protective Equipment Supply & Supply Chain During COVID-19 |
Policy analysis
|
2021
|
Community Network for Epidemic Preparedness and Support
|
|
| Comparative Analysis of Municipal Experiences Owning and Selling Public Goods |
Policy analysis
|
2021
|
Delaware County Council
|
|
| Evaluation Capacity-Building |
Strategic planning
|
2021
|
ImpactEd
|
|
| Process Improvement Within the Chicago Community Trust |
Program evaluation
|
2021
|
Chicago Community Trust
|
|
| Municipal High-Performance and Healthy Buildings Guidelines* |
Program development
|
2021
|
City of Philadelphia Office of Sustainability
|
|
| Young "Invincibles": Understanding Health Insurance Among Pennsylvania's Young Adults* |
Data analysis
|
2021
|
Pennsylvania Health Access Network
|
|
| PHENND Managing Networks* |
Data analysis
|
2021
|
Philadelphia Higher Education Network for Neighborhood Development
|
|
| Representations of China Across the Media Landscape* |
Data analysis
|
2021
|
N/A
|
|
| Realigning As We Build: Data Implementation Plan* |
Data analysis
|
2021
|
Philadelphia Parks & Recreation
|
|
| Measuring Impact in a Complex World: A Social Return on Investment Framework* |
Data analysis
|
2021
|
JEVS Human Services
|
|
| Now do we do it? Philly Style |
Program evaluation
|
2021
|
Students Run Philly Style
|
|
| Riverfront North Partnership Data Implementation Plan |
Program evaluation
|
2020
|
Riverfront North Partnership
|
|
| Juvenile Hall Admission and Impacts to Primary Care: Santa Clara County* |
Data analysis
|
2020
|
Santa Clara Valley Medical Center
|
|
| The Polarization Machine: How Digital Activity Threatens Electoral Legitimacy |
Policy analysis
|
2020
|
N/A
|
|
| A Study on Murals, Artist, and the Guilds Community Impact |
Program evaluation
|
2020
|
Mural Arts Philadelphia
|
|
| Establishment of an Innovation Resource Network for Penn Medical Ethics |
Program development
|
2020
|
University of Pennsylvania Department of Medical Ethics and Health Policy
|
|
| An Analysis of the Free Library of Philadelphia's Digital Resource and Service Provision During COVID-19* |
Data analysis
|
2020
|
Free Library of Philadelphia
|
|
| Evaluating Seattle’s Democracy Voucher Program |
Policy analysis
|
2020
|
City of Philadelphia Board of Ethics
|
|
| A Roadmap for Funding Permanent Supportive Housing |
Program development
|
2020
|
Asociación Puertorriqueños En Marcha
|
|
| Review of Anti-Poverty Efforts by the City of Philadelphia |
Policy analysis
|
2020
|
N/A
|
|
| Hallandale Beach Strategic Policing Initiative Measurement Protocols |
Program evaluation
|
2020
|
Hallandale Beach Police Department
|
|
| Quality Jobs Tax Grant Program Design |
Program development
|
2020
|
City of Philadelphia Department of Commerce
|
|
| Inequities in Disaster Evacuation for Low-Income Families* |
Policy analysis
|
2020
|
N/A
|
|
| Membership Program Survey Evaluation* |
Program evaluation
|
2020
|
Committee of Seventy
|
|
| Membership Program Marketing and Communication Plan* |
Marketing and communication plan
|
2020
|
Committee of Seventy
|
|
| Ending Hunger for Good Workforce Development Plan |
Program development
|
2020
|
Pottsdown Collaborative
|
|
| Equine Assisted Therapy for Veterans* |
Program development
|
2020
|
Valley Forge Military Academy
|
|
| Assessing Philadelphia's Health Regulations to Reduce Commercial Waste* |
Policy analysis
|
2020
|
City of Philadelphia Zero Waste and Litter Cabinet
|
|
| Default Justice: Debt Buyer Lawsuits in Philadelphia Municipal Court* |
Data analysis
|
2020
|
N/A
|
|
| Predictive Analytics for US Armed Forces Veterans Exposed to Toxins |
Advocacy plan
|
2020
|
N/A
|
|
| The Fight for Fair Funding in the State of Pennsylvania’s High-Need School District |
Policy analysis
|
2020
|
Education Law Center in Philadelphia
|
|
| Analyzing Community Violence Reduction Programs in Philadelphia |
Policy analysis
|
2020
|
City of Philadelphia Office of Violence Prevention
|
