Academic Capstone Experience

Welcome to the Academic Capstone Experience (ACE)

The ACE is a major component of the Master’s degree programs, typically completed the semester before you graduate. This can be completed during spring, summer or fall. It provides an opportunity to get practical experience, apply a skill set to a real world situation or conduct sustainability research beyond your coursework.

All Patel College students are required to complete an ACE in the US and/or abroad prior to graduation. The programs have two (2) capstone courses to choose from:

1. IDS 6946 – Sustainability Internship, or
2. IDS 6935 – Research Project 

Please be aware that the ACE is a 3-6 credits course, please refer to your degree requirements

Students are responsible for paying any additional costs that their internship or research project may entail.
If you choose to do an internship with a global partner or a third-party partner, please note that the partner's program fees are separate from USF tuition.

For funding assistance, you can apply for scholarships, fellowships or contact USF Financial Aid.