e-Capstone Pilot - live this Winter Term

New year, new term and new opportunities for Computer Science students at the University of Waterloo! This winter term brings upper year and graduate students in the Cheriton School of Computer Science the opportunity to explore the application and commercial potential of their academic projects or other passion projects they might be currently pursuing. They can do that by participating in the e-Capstone initiative which will guide them through the process of evaluating important problems, critically assessing the feasibility of an idea, testing assumptions with potential users, building a proof-of-concept and ultimately pitching their solution to a general audience.

Times have changed. It used to be that if you worked diligently and completed your tasks on time, with minimal supervision, you’d be considered a high performer. While that’s still true, self-starters - people who are willing to take risks and come up with creative solutions - are the ones who will thrive in our current reality. 

The e-Capstone is an opportunity for CS students to take initiative and develop critical entrepreneurial skills by solving a real-world problem they are passionate about.  Working in a team, students will have the opportunity to synthesize, integrate and apply their theoretical knowledge and practical experience towards solving an important problem that keeps them up at night. 

Why get involved?

• Become a more entrepreneurial computer scientist
• Get advice from and exchange ideas with industry professionals and entrepreneurs
• Expand your network by getting to know peers from across the David R. Cheriton School of Computer Science
• Develop strong communications skills by learning how to pitch a technical idea to a broad audience
• Discover the process of transforming a technical concept intoa relevant product or service within an existing organization or by launching a company of your own
• Learn about software management and project management as you develop and launch your own product
• Enjoy a potential career transformation by accelerating and validating a startup idea
• Win funding to support your initiative
• Receive a CS e-Capstone certificate of completion.

Having an entrepreneurial mindset and drive will become the norm instead of a novelty. This is true not only in high-tech companies, but across the workforce. Entrepreneurism will be expected and encouraged, and with programs like the e-Capstone, the Cheriton School of Computer Science seeks to set its students up for success in anything they choose to do post graduation.