ITS Capstone Units

Integrating academic learning with its practical application in the workplace to solve real-world problems

ITS Capstone is the final unit for UC IT students. Small teams spend a full semester delivering a real project for a partner organisation or UC academic supervisor. It’s where students apply their technical skills, professional judgement and communication in a setting that looks and feels like real work.

Capstone is built around an embedded partner model. Our partners shape the project brief, provide context and constraints, and engage with teams across the semester. Every team is supported by a dual-mentor model – an external supervisor and an academic mentor – our UC mentors support both students and the organisation to ensure the project is rigorous, practical and grounded in good project management practice.

Since 2019, more than 2,500 students have delivered over 500 projects across government agencies, global firms, start-ups and not-for-profits. Many partners return over time - Capstone is a low-risk way to explore ideas, test feasibility and meet future employees.

Recognition and outcomes

The program’s approach has been recognised internationally through the 2025 Global Triple E Awards (). Capstone students have also progressed into external innovation pathways, including being selected as finalists in InnovationACT Entrepreneurship Competition for Students and winning the in the Student and Education category. Students are also regularly invited by sponsors to present end-of-semester outcomes to wider government and business audiences, including through organisations such as the Pearcey Foundation and SAS.

Find out more about the Capstone Units

If you’re considering sponsoring a project, the Sponsor a Project page explains how it works and what’s involved. For a quick discussion, contact Convenors.its-capstone@canberra.edu.au.

Undergraduate units

Information & Communication Technology Project
Engineering Project (Part A)
Engineering Project (Part B)

Postgraduate units

Technology Capstone Research Project
Technology Project
Engineering Project

Here is a list of some of our industry partners students have worked with so far -

ACT Government	Ability News	Diversity Arrays
DELV Pty Ltd	Fair Canberra Inc.	Hope Holistic Care
Hyper Scalers	Miller Health Pty Ltd	Recovery VR
Solution Technology	Women in ICT	Department of Health
Albatross	Digital Transformation Agency	Aegis9
PwC	Accenture	Deloitte
National Archives of Australia	Catholic Education	Goterra

Sponsor a Project

Sponsoring an ITS Capstone project is a practical, low-risk way to progress a real problem while supporting student learning. UC works with a wide range of sponsoring organisations, from government agencies and established IT companies like SAS and Deloitte, to small businesses such as Team Plus and social enterprises such as Her Kitchen Table.

Priority themes

Project themes include (but are not limited to) health, environment, cyber security, R&D and AI. These align strongly with what employers are seeking, with ACS reporting continuing to highlight demand pressures and skills gaps particularly in cyber security and AI.

What sponsoring involves

Sponsoring is designed to be light-touch:

Around 1 hour upfront to co-design a one-page project brief
Up to ~6 hours total engagement across the semester (check-ins and feedback)
Attendance at end-of-semester presentations or Expo where possible

Typical deliverables

Deliverables vary by project, but might include:

A working prototype or proof of concept
A dashboard or analytics report with decision-ready insights
Requirements and solution design documentation
Evaluation results (eg model performance, usability findings, feasibility testing)
An implementation or next-steps plan, plus a final handover pack

What sponsors get

A student team focused on your problem for a full semester at no cost
Structured delivery with academic supervision and clear milestones
Documentation and handover you can build on
A closer view of emerging talent and recruitment opportunities
A pathway to test ideas that matter to your organisation

Some example projects

SmartGate (environment, AI)
Co-designed with OpenSI using open-source technology. Low-cost sensors and AI distinguish between species - allowing endangered native wildlife to pass while blocking predators such as foxes and feral cats. The work has received national recognition for innovation.

Her Kitchen Table (community, digital systems)
A Capstone team supported a social enterprise helping culturally diverse women start food businesses. Students built a digital system to manage orders and inventory, freeing entrepreneurs to focus on cooking, customers and growth.

Team Plus (R&D, product development)
Over multiple semesters, Capstone teams have delivered new functionality for motorsport electronics products, with work progressing into production releases. This repeat engagement model suits organisations seeking continuity and iterative improvement.

Get involved

Complete the Sponsor Expression of Interest form to start the conversation.
If you’d like to discuss suitability first, email Convenors.its-capstone@canberra.edu.au.

You can also read more about the program in ACEEU’s recently published

The ITS Capstone–Expo

The ITS Capstone Expo is held at the end of each semester and showcases what student teams have delivered. Projects are presented through posters and short presentations, with top projects invited to present their outcomes to a government and business audiences.

Expo gives sponsors, students and academic mentors time to chat in a less formal setting. Converstions at Expo have also directly led to employment opportunities for students.

Expo details are shared closer to the end of each semester. If you’d like to attend or sponsor a future project, contact Convenors.its-capstone@canberra.edu.au.