Abstract

Background. Higher education is expected to prepare graduates who can apply disciplinary expertise to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), yet empirical evidence on how the SDGs can be embedded in postgraduate computing programmes in India is limited. Objective. This case study examined the integration of the SDGs into the Semester 2 capstone project module of the Master of Computer Applications () programme at D. Y. Patil Institute of and Management, Akurdi, Pune, Maharashtra. Methods. A mixed-methods design combined a pre-/post-project survey with open-ended responses from 34 students (17 male, 17 female). Students were oriented to the 17 SDGs, selected goal-aligned problems, developed web, mobile or dashboard solutions under faculty guidance, and submitted reports explaining each project’s SDG contribution. Results. SDG 9 (32.4%) and SDG 3 (20.6%) were the most frequently selected goals. Mean scores on all five awareness items rose from 3.18–3.47 before the projects to 4.32–4.47 afterwards on a five-point scale (increases of 0.91–1.29; all reported p < 0.001), with the largest gain in understanding how technology contributes to the SDGs. The seven project-experience items averaged 4.40, and 32 of 34 students (94.1%) wished to undertake SDG-aligned projects again. Thematic analysis identified learning outcomes (technology as a social solution, sustainability awareness, systems thinking, and resource optimisation) and challenges (SDG alignment, data scarcity, resource constraints, understanding user needs). Conclusion. Within the limits of a single-institution, single-group design, SDG-aligned capstones were associated with higher self-reported sustainability awareness and a positive project experience. The study offers a replicable integration model and practical implications for curriculum design.

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