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IS41160

Academic Year 2026/2027

Capstone Project (30 Credits) (IS41160)

Subject:
Information Studies
College:
Social Sciences & Law
School:
Information & Comms Studies
Level:
4 (Masters)
Credits:
30
Module Coordinator:
Dr Claire McGuinness
Trimester:
Summer
Mode of Delivery:
On Campus
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

This module is worth 30 credits and is required for the MLIS degree programme. The purpose of the Capstone Project is to help students develop and hone the research, writing, and reflective skills that are critical to most, if not all, careers in the 21st Century, to encourage a practical and strategic approach to professional development and career planning, and to provide an opportunity for each student to take ownership of their emerging professional identity. Students will deepen their understanding of the library and information discipline and profession, through working with academic staff to select and complete a substantial written project that aligns with their professional goals and interests. Students will choose one project from a list of three options, each of which is designed to support the development of specific professional and academic competencies: a Professional Issues Paper, a Service Proposal for a Library or Information Organisation, or a Grant Proposal. They will also contribute to their own professional development through preparing a professional development portfolio, which includes a plan outlining their career goals and the future activities they plan to undertake to advance their chosen pathway, a professional CV, and sample job application letter, in addition to carefully chosen samples of work in selected modules.

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

On successful completion of IS41160 Capstone Project, students will be able to:

1. Present a professional profile through gathering evidence of reflection, learning, research, career planning and professional engagement with the LIS field.

2. Demonstrate excellent research, critical analysis, writing and planning skills through completing a substantial project connected to the discipline and practice of LIS.

3. Critically reflect on their own emerging role as an information professional in the context of the key trends and issues that are shaping the profession.

4. Prepare a high-quality Professional Development Portfolio (PDP) that includes a Professional Development Plan—with a statement of career goals and planned future activities and training—a Curriculum Vitae or résumé, a sample job application for a current or recent role, and work samples from other MLIS modules, to support readiness for post-graduation opportunities.

5. Reflect on their engagement with learning on the MLIS programme, and critically evaluate how programme content and learning activities have contributed to their understanding of their emerging role in the profession;

6. Showcase and illustrate their intellectual engagement with academic content, and the knowledge, skills and professional competencies gained during the year.

Indicative Module Content:

Professional identity development
Career planning
Secondary research
Literature reviewing
Reflective learning


UNESCO highlights a set of key competencies that support individuals in their development and support society in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UCD has adapted these competencies and is combining them with others to form a general framework of learning competencies. This module will help you develop the competencies below to the levels specified. 
Learning Competency Additional Information Level

Collaboration

 The ability to learn from others; to understand and respect the needs, perspectives and actions of others (empathy); to understand, relate to and be sensitive to others (empathic leadership); to deal with conflicts in a group; and to facilitate collaborative and participatory problem solving. Not addressed

Critical Thinking

 The ability to question norms, practices and opinions; to reflect on one’s own values, perceptions and actions. Proficient

Systems Thinking

 The ability to recognize and understand relationships; to analyse complex systems; to think of how systems are embedded within different domains and different scales; and to deal with uncertainty. Not addressed

Strategic

 The ability to collectively develop and implement innovative actions that further sustainability at the local level and further afield. Not addressed

Integrated Problem Solving

 The overarching ability to apply different problem-solving frameworks to complex sustainability problems and develop viable, inclusive and equitable solution options that promote sustainable development, integrating the competencies in this list. Not addressed

Self-awareness

 The ability to reflect on one’s own role in the local community and (global) society; to continually evaluate and further motivate one’s actions; and to deal with one’s feelings and desires. Proficient

Normative

 The ability to understand and reflect on the norms and values that underlie one’s actions; and to negotiate values, principles, goals, and targets, in a context of conflicts of interest and trade-offs, uncertain knowledge and contradictions. Proficient

Anticipatory

 The ability to understand and evaluate multiple scenarios for the future – possible, probable and desirable; to create one’s own visions for the future; to apply the precautionary principle; to assess the consequences of actions; and to deal with risks and changes. Proficient

Digital Literacy and Judgement

 The ability to access, evaluate, create and communicate information in digital environments; to engage critically, ethically and responsibly with digital technologies and digital information; to understand their opportunities, limitations, risks and impact on individual’s digital identities; and to exercise informed judgement in digital participation and decision-making. Proficient

AI Literacy & Agency

 The ability to understand, critically evaluate and responsibly engage with artificial intelligence; to recognise how AI systems are shaped by human values; to assess their ethical, social and environmental implications; and to exercise human judgement, agency and accountability in AI-related contexts. Not addressed

Wellbeing

 Wellbeing is having the resources and skills to meet life's challenges, including attributes such as personal development skills, resilience, stress management, strengths, lifestyle skills, nutrition, physical activity, sleep, alcohol/substance use, academic skills, time management, goal setting, interpersonal skills, group work, communication. Proficient

The United Nations identified seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as core to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and UCD contributes in general to SDG 4 Quality Education. Further SDGs explored within this module if relevant are listed below. A scale of 1 - 5 indicates the extent to which the SDG is covered.


 

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Seminar (or Webinar)

2
Autonomous Student Learning

623
Total

625

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
Two class meetings; one in September 2026 and one in March 2027.
Course materials are available via Brightspace.
Independent work - literature searching, career planning, professional identity development, critical writing and analysis, reflection.
Academic supervision from faculty member.

Generative AI in IS41160
In line with the UCD policy on Academic Integrity, some limited use of GenAI tools, such as ChatGPT and Google Gemini, is permitted for this module. Students are required to consult the guidelines on Brightspace, under "Information on Academic Integrity and Misconduct" to familiarise themselves with the restrictions around the use of GenAI tools in the module. Any use of GenAI to complete coursework in IS41160 must be explained and justified by the student in the assignment.

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 

Assessment Strategy
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade Component repeat (in-module) Offered
Assignment(Including Essay): Students choose one individual project from a list of three options, each of which is designed to support the development of specific professional and academic competencies. Week 12 Standard conversion grade scale 40% No
80
 No
Portfolio: Professional Development Portfolio Week 12 Standard conversion grade scale 40% No
20
 No

As part of UCD's student support, under the Additional Consideration policy, extensions may be available for the following assessments in the module: Assignment (including essay/poster), Portfolio, Reflective Assignment, Report(s), and Individual Project.


Carry forward of passed components
Yes
 

Resit In Terminal Exam
Autumn No
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, on an activity or draft prior to summative assessment
• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Students may receive informal written feedback from their academic supervisor on ONE full draft of their individual assignment. For submitted components, students will receive an individual feedback form, consisting of an assessment rubric with graded individual components, additional qualitative comments, and a final overall grade. Grades and feedback forms will be made available via Brightspace.

Name Role
Mx Faye Carrie Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Assoc Professor Amber Cushing Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Dr Robert Ferguson Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Dr Courtney Ford Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Dr Stefanie Havelka Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Dr Anthony Kelly Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Mr Conor Keogh Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Professor Aphra Kerr Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Professor Lai Ma Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Dr Sun Park Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Professor Kalpana Shankar Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Dr Madeleine Steeds Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Dr James Steinhoff Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Dr Judith Wusteman Lecturer / Co-Lecturer

Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
Summer Seminar Offering 51 Week(s) - 26 Thurs 10:00 - 10:50
Summer Seminar Offering 51 Week(s) - 4 Thurs 10:00 - 10:50
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