Overview 

Senior Students in both the BSE and ESRM majors either can or must involve themselves in the Senior Capstone Program.  For some students, doing a Capstone is a required part of their degree.  For all others, doing a Capstone is optional. Doing a Capstone is a way for SEFS students to showcase the culmination of their knowledge through a deep exploration into one complex topic.  Faculty advisors oversee the Capstone projects or research, and at the end students report their results in a public presentation. 

BSE Majors and Senior Capstones 

All Bioresource Science and Engineering students are required to complete a 2-quarter Senior Capstone course sequence Winter and Spring quarters of Senior year.   

BSE 480 Bioresource Design I (4) SSc/NSc
Design and production of biomass derived products meeting given specifications and financial constraints, integrating coursework knowledge to solve complex, open-ended design problems. Specific considerations in design include: economic, marketability, environmental, sustainability, ethical, health and safety, social, and political. Prerequisite: minimum grade of 2.0 in BSE 406; 2.0 in BSE 420; 2.0 in BSE 430. Offered: W. 

BSE 481 Bioresource Design II (5) SSc/NSc
Comprehensive design of pulp and paper processes, including: economic feasibility studies; process equipment design, optimization, and control; and overall process integration and layout. Safety and ethics in the design process. Prerequisite: BSE 480. Offered: Sp. 

Capstone projects are industry-based, and will vary by year, and will be brought to the first course by Professor Rick Gustafson, the Capstone course instructor.  Students will report their results out to the public at the end of the second quarter. 

ESRM Majors and Senior Capstones

NOTICE (July 2025): ESRM Major Senior Capstones are changing.  Students doing Capstones in 2025-2026 will have the following options.  Final updates to this section will be ongoing.

The following ESRM majors are required to do 10 credit Senior Capstones over 2-3 quarters, depending on the option selected:

• All Department Honors students
• All Wildlife Conservation Option students
• All Restoration Ecology and Environmental Horticulture Option students (who do not select the course substitution option available for 2025-2026)

For everyone else, completing a Senior Capstone is optional; General Option students can count the Capstone course credits towards their 300-400 level elective requirement. And for all students, all 10 credits of Capstone courses are offered as W credits.

ESRM Capstone Course Options 

All ESRM students have the option of doing one of the following 2 Capstone options: 

• Senior Thesis:  ESRM 494, ESRM 496 
• NEW for Winter and Spring 2026: A new 10 credit Capstone course series, taught over two quarters, will debut Winter and Spring 2026.  This class is expected to feature more of a classroom format, with students also working on their own research project.  The course series will be taught by new faculty member Benjamin Dittbrenner. Additional and confirmed details will be posted here once available.

Everyone except Department Honors students can also choose the third option: 

• Senior Project:  ESRM 494, ESRM 495 

Capstone Course Sequence Details

Read here for details about each Capstone option, including how to register. 

New Capstone Course Series debuting Winter and Spring 2026

Once more is known about the new course series, registration details will be included here.

What is the ESRM Capstone Process?

1. Decide on which capstone option is of greatest interest to you. Read above descriptions for guidance.
2. Register for the appropriate course sequence.
3. Do the Capstone.
   1. Supplementary funds may be available for those doing research. See the SEFS Student Research Support Funds page.
4. Present your final product.