Capstone I, Capstone II and Capstone III are a series of courses that, under the supervision of the course director, the student applies self-directed learning strategies to produce a literature-based thesis. The thesis topic is chosen by the student in consultation with the course director, but the topic is limited to the molecular and cellular aspects of a disease that directly relates to the content of one of their biomedical science courses. In Capstone I a topic will be selected, and the strategy for a literature review of the topic will be developed. In Capstone II, based on a complete review of the literature, the student will develop a comprehensive outline of the thesis, including major sections and subsections, and begin writing. In Capstone III, the student will complete the thesis document, and prepare and deliver a presentation giving an overview of the thesis to a committee composed of three biomedical faculty members.