Capstone Economics and Policies for a Circular Economy

What you will learn

• Circular Economy: An Interdisciplinary Approach
• Economics and Policies in a Biobased Economy
• From Fossil Resources to Biomass: a Chemistry Perspective
• Find and interpret academic literature
• Develop a methodology by taking into account all disciplines discussed in this MicroMasters Program
• Apply the methodology to analyze the economic viability of a business project in a circular economy considering its technological, economic, and policy aspects

Program Overview

Please note: The capstone project is only accessible for ID-verified MicroMasters Program learners who successfully obtained verified certificate in all MicroMasters Program courses.

In the first three courses of the MicroMasters Program, you will learn about all the different steps in a biobased process and the economics and policy aspects you should consider before choosing a certain process. In this capstone project, you will combine the knowledge of the technological section with the economics and policies sections to develop a sustainable biobased practice. The focus is on linking the various aspects into an integral research, based on literature research and applied to a practical case.

The final product in this capstone project is a written report. From an economic perspective, you will write an advice for an audience of your choice, for example the executive board of a company, an investor or a governmental agency. You are free to choose the subjects you want to address in this advice. This means you get the opportunity to work on a case of your choice and receive feedback from experts in the field.

In order to find the information and publications you need, you will get tips and advice on how to do proper literature research. Along the way, you will get feedback on your proposal, draft and final report. The final report should reflect the academic research capabilities on a master’s level, i.e. defining a research proposal, proper literature research, methodology, data, results and conclusions and discussion.

You can only start the capstone project after completing all other courses in the MicroMasters Program Economics and Policies for a Circular Economy, with a verified certificate for every course:

Circular Economy: An Interdisciplinary Approach

Economics and Policies in a Biobased Economy

From Fossil Resources to Biomass: a Chemistry Perspective