Independent Research Project as Capstone
Students in the Data Science B.S. and the Data Science & Social Systems B.A. can apply to fulfill the major's capstone requirement through conducting an independent data science research project under the supervision of a professor. The research project must be pre-approved by the program, substantially use techniques from upper-division Data Science coursework, and be completed during senior year. In the end, the student will create a final report and poster to showcase their work.
Steps & Timeline:
- By the final study list deadline of autumn quarter during your senior year, join the Canvas page for Independent Research Projects.
- During autumn quarter of senior year, find a professor who agrees to supervise your research project. This may be a professor who has supervised you in the past or a new professor.
- By the last day of classes of autumn quarter, complete the Proposal to Use Independent Research for Data Science Capstone form, have it approved by your research advisor, and submit it to the Canvas page for Independent Research Projects. Obtain approval from the program director.
- Enroll in an independent study course (e.g. DATASCI 199, CS 199, SOC 191, etc.) for a letter grade with the supervising professor in every quarter until you finish conducting the research and creating your report/poster.
- Create your final report and poster. Submit them along with the Final Report & Poster Approval Form.
- Present at the Data Science Capstone Showcase in May/June.
Units: 1-5 units, depending on scope of project and how established prior work is
A Note about the WIM Requirement:
Students who use an independent research project to fulfill the capstone requirement will need to take DATASCI 120 (Data Narratives) to fulfill the WIM requirement. DATASCI 120 complements an independent research project, and it can be taken before or concurrently with working on the project.