Students
MMBA8250 – Capstone Project: Creating Solutions to Complex Challenges
2025 – Term 3, Online-scheduled-weekday
General Information
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| Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Jaco Lok
|
|---|---|
| Credit points |
Credit points
10
|
| Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
Admission to MBA and (MMBA8020 and MMBA8035 and MMBA8055 and (MMBA8006 or MMBA8075)) and 80cp at 8000 level
|
| Corequisites |
Corequisites
|
| Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
|
| Unit description |
Unit description
The Capstone Project is designed to challenge and develop your skills and practice in communication, teamwork, decision-making, problem identification and solving, and leadership. These skills are developed and integrated through industry and business-applied project work. You will receive mentoring from faculty staff as you identify and build innovative and viable business proposals and solutions to real-world problems. The integrated nature of this unit will test and develop your management and leadership skills and your ability to synthesise the knowledge and skills you have gained from the business disciplines addressed in the MBA. |
Important Academic Dates
Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
- ULO1: Synthesise and apply the knowledge and skills from a range of disciplines addressed in the MBA to industry and business.
- ULO2: Apply professional communication, interpersonal, and leadership skills to collaborate effectively with others in developing and presenting solutions to complex business issues.
- ULO3: Research and critically analyse complex industry and business issues to develop a business proposal and recommendations for an innovative and viable business solution.
- ULO4: Effectively integrate the body of knowledge and skill sets that underpin professional practice.
General Assessment Information
Late Assessment Submission Penalty (written assessments) : Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, a 5% penalty (of the total possible mark) will be applied each day a written assessment is not submitted, up until the 7th day (including weekends). After the 7th day, a grade of ‘0’ will be awarded even if the assessment is submitted. Submission time for all written assessments is set at 11.55pm. A 1-hour grace period is provided to students who experience a technical concern. For any late submissions of time-sensitive tasks, such as scheduled tests/exams, performance assessments/presentations, and/or scheduled practical assessments/labs, students need to apply for Special Consideration.
Assessment Tasks
| Name | Weighting | Hurdle | Due |
|---|---|---|---|
| Professional Practice: Strategic Business Planning | 20% | No | 09/09/2025 |
| Skills Development: Integrative Strategy Analysis | 30% | No | 29/07/2025 |
| Professional Practice: Pitching Strategic Recommendations | 50% | No | Week 9 |
Professional Practice: Strategic Business Planning
Assessment Type 1: Report
Indicative Time on Task 2: 15 hours
Due: 09/09/2025
Weighting: 20%
The purpose of this assessment is for you to work with peers to demonstrate your understanding and application of relevant concepts and frameworks to develop innovative solutions to address strategic challenges and opportunities for an organization as well as to generate an implementation plan for your proposed solutions.
You will develop a professionally written report that 1) identifies and justifies the most critical strategic challenges and/or opportunities of the live case study organisation, (2) proposes concrete, actionable recommendations to address them and (3) provides an implementation plan for these recommendations.
Skills in focus are:
- Discipline knowledge
- Critical thinking
- Problem solving
- Communication
- Collaboration
- Work readiness
Deliverable: Written submission [max. 2,000 words; 10% marked individually; 10% group]
This is an individual and group assessment.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Synthesise and apply the knowledge and skills from a range of disciplines addressed in the MBA to industry and business.
- Apply professional communication, interpersonal, and leadership skills to collaborate effectively with others in developing and presenting solutions to complex business issues.
- Research and critically analyse complex industry and business issues to develop a business proposal and recommendations for an innovative and viable business solution.
- Effectively integrate the body of knowledge and skill sets that underpin professional practice.
Skills Development: Integrative Strategy Analysis
Assessment Type 1: Report
Indicative Time on Task 2: 25 hours
Due: 29/07/2025
Weighting: 30%
The purpose of this assessment is for you to demonstrate your understanding of relevant concepts and frameworks to diagnose the coherence of an organization’s strategy and your ability to generate a problem statement to identify the most critical strategic challenges facing the live case study organisation.
You will conduct a strategy diagnosis of the live case study organization to identify the most critical strategic challenges facing an organization based on the application of relevant materials from MBA units you have completed in an integrative way.
Skills in focus:
- Discipline knowledge
- Critical thinking
- Problem solving
- Work readiness
Deliverable: Written submission [max. 2,000 words]
This is an individual assessment.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Synthesise and apply the knowledge and skills from a range of disciplines addressed in the MBA to industry and business.
- Apply professional communication, interpersonal, and leadership skills to collaborate effectively with others in developing and presenting solutions to complex business issues.
- Research and critically analyse complex industry and business issues to develop a business proposal and recommendations for an innovative and viable business solution.
- Effectively integrate the body of knowledge and skill sets that underpin professional practice.
Professional Practice: Pitching Strategic Recommendations
Assessment Type 1: Presentation
Indicative Time on Task 2: 30 hours
Due: Week 9
Weighting: 50%
The purpose of this assessment is for you to work with peers to demonstrate your ability to apply various techniques to generate innovative ideas and solutions to address strategic challenges and opportunities for an organization. The assessment will also require you to assess ideas and identify the most promising solutions worth pursuing and effectively pitch innovative solutions and new business opportunities to a stakeholder audience.
You will develop concrete, actionable recommendations for addressing the live case study organisation’s most critical strategic challenges, present and discuss these to a stakeholder audience in class.
Skills in focus:
- Critical thinking
- Problem solving
- Communication
- Collaboration
- Work readiness
Deliverable: Group presentation [max. 15 minutes; 30% marked individually and 20% group]
This is an individual and group assessment.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Synthesise and apply the knowledge and skills from a range of disciplines addressed in the MBA to industry and business.
- Apply professional communication, interpersonal, and leadership skills to collaborate effectively with others in developing and presenting solutions to complex business issues.
- Research and critically analyse complex industry and business issues to develop a business proposal and recommendations for an innovative and viable business solution.
- Effectively integrate the body of knowledge and skill sets that underpin professional practice.
1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:
- the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
- the Writing Centre for academic skills support.
2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation
Delivery and Resources
This unit will be delivered online via Zoom. Please refer to Ilearn for learning resources.
Policies and Procedures
Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:
- Academic Appeals Policy
- Academic Integrity Policy
- Academic Progression Policy
- Assessment Policy
- Fitness to Practice Procedure
- Assessment Procedure
- Complaints Resolution Procedure for Students and Members of the Public
- Special Consideration Policy
Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.
To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.
Student Code of Conduct
Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct
Results
Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit connect.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au
Academic Integrity
At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.
Student Support
Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/
Academic Success
Academic Success provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.
- Workshops
- Chat with a WriteWISE peer writing leader
- Access StudyWISE
- Upload an assignment to Studiosity
- Complete the Academic Integrity Module
The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources.
Student Services and Support
Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:
- IT Support
- Accessibility and disability support with study
- Mental health support
- Safety support to respond to bullying, harassment, sexual harassment and sexual assault
- Social support including information about finances, tenancy and legal issues
- Student Advocacy provides independent advice on MQ policies, procedures, and processes
Student Enquiries
Got a question? Ask us via the Service Connect Portal, or contact Service Connect.
IT Help
For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/.
When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.
Unit information based on version 2025.06 of the Handbook