CMSE 495 logo
CMSE495 Data Science Capstone

Syllabus

CMSE 495- Data Science Capstone

Course Description

The data science capstone course is intended to provide students with an opportunity to put together what they have learned across multiple courses to develop a final project that demonstrates their ability to work in a team on real-world problems.

By the end of this course, students will be able to:

  1. Design and implement an end-to-end data science project.
  2. Collaborate effectively within a team using professional communication, coordination, and shared responsibility.
  3. Navigate real-world project uncertainty by working with stakeholders to define problems, refine goals, and adapt to changing requirements.

Course Format and Activities

The course meets three times a week during the 15-week semester (MWF 12:30-1:40 PM in EGR 1145).

Each week follows a consistent structure:

Milestones for the semester are shared in Week 1, with one milestone due each Sunday (no extensions).

Students are assigned to teams of 4-5 early in the semester and work on a semester-long project with a community partner.

Students should expect to spend approximately 10-15 hours per week outside of class on project-related tasks.

Professionalism

Professionalism is a significant component of this course because success in real projects depends on more than technical work.

In this course, professionalism is closely tied to engagement. Students are expected to actively engage with their project, their teammates, their community partner, and the broader course community.

Professionalism may be demonstrated through communication, preparation, documentation, technical contributions, initiative, reliability, problem solving, and support of others. Evidence may come from attendance, participation, check-ins, reflections, repository activity, issue reporting, communication, and other forms of engagement throughout the semester.

Professionalism is evaluated holistically based on patterns of engagement observed throughout the semester rather than any single activity. Students who consistently contribute to the success of their project and the people around them will generally demonstrate stronger professionalism than students who remain passive observers.

Professionalism should not be confused with extroversion. Different students contribute in different ways, and professionalism may be demonstrated through leadership, communication, technical work, documentation, planning, mentoring, or other meaningful contributions.

Professionalism is a skill that can be developed through practice and feedback. The purpose of this component is not to judge personality, but to encourage habits of engagement, communication, initiative, reliability, and follow-through that contribute to success in project-based environments.

Team Meetings

Teams are expected to organize and participate in regular meetings throughout the semester, both within their team and with their community partners.

While some class time is reserved for team work, teams are responsible for coordinating additional meetings outside of class as needed.

Use Meeting Agenda and Notes for required structure and documentation expectations.

Peer Evaluations (Typically Due on Mondays)

Student grades are partially influenced by how effectively they contribute to their team. Because teamwork is a central component of this course, peer evaluations will be used to help assess individual contributions and overall team dynamics.

Peer evaluations are intended to:

Evaluations will be conducted periodically throughout the semester.

Note: Peer evaluations will be administered using CATME. We may also experiment with Qualtrics or other survey tools.

Weekly Check-Ins (3x3 Reflections)

Each week, students complete an individual 3x3 reflection and share it with their team before Monday class.

Teams then synthesize individual reflections into one team-level 3x3 sent to instructors.

Use Weekly-3x3 for full format and submission expectations.

Group Professional Development Activities (Typically on Wednesdays)

Students participate in professional skills training focused on communication, teamwork, and leadership through the CyberAmbassador program.

These sessions are interactive and, whenever possible, connected directly to capstone project work.

Completion of all CyberAmbassador modules can earn a Professional Skills Certificate.

See Wednesday_CyberAmbassadors for expectations and links.

SCHOLAR Tutorials (Typically on Fridays)

On Fridays, teams build and review tutorials for SCHOLAR (Student-Crafted Hub for Open Learning and Academic Resources).

These activities emphasize technical learning, collaboration, and communicating technical ideas clearly.

See Fridays_SCHOLARS for full details.

Requesting Funding

Limited funds may be available to support project needs (for example, software licenses or project-related materials).

Teams should discuss needs with instructors before requesting funds.

See Requesting-Funding for process and required email format.

Assessment and Grading Information

There are a variety of course activities, with percentages of total grade listed. More detailed descriptions of each activity can be found elsewhere in the syllabus.

Activity Grade Percentage
Individual Course Contributions 20
Individual Reflections 20
Team Logistics 10
SCHOLAR Tutorial 10
Weekly Project Milestones 20
Final Project 20
Total 100%

Grading Scale

The following is an estimated scale used for grading. There are multiple opportunities for students to receive grade-related input from other students; notably regarding group participation and/or presentations. This data is only advisory to the instructions, who still maintains full responsibility for assigning the grade.

Scale
4.0 > 90%
3.5 > 85%
3.0 > 80%
2.5 > 75%
2.0 > 70%
1.5 > 65%
0.0 < 60%

Logistical Information

Course Website

Information for this course is being managed via the course website:

https://cmse.msu.edu/cmse495

Accompanying course information, including the official course calendar, can be found at this website. The course also may use a Desire2Learn page for assignment grading and organization, which can be found at http://d2l.msu.edu

Course Meeting Time and Location

Classes will meet weekly on Monday, Wednesday and Friday 12:30-1:40pm in Engineering Building Room 1145.

If, during the semester there is a need, we have set aside the following zoom room for this course. Teams must notify the instructor before class if one of their members needs to connect to class remotely (ex. due to illness or travel).

Zoom Link

Required Materials for Class

The “in-class” programming assignments are a critical part of the learning process in this course. To that end, you will need to ensure that you have the following:

Reading Materials

All required readings will be provided as Open Educational Resource (OER) via link on the course website.

Instructors Contact Information and Office Hours

Lead Instructor:

Dr. Justin Gambrell (he/him)
Department of Computational Mathematics, Science and Engineering (CMSE)
Email: gambre11@msu.edu
Office: EB 1501
Virtual Office: Justin’s Zoom Office
Passcode: 037636
Office Hours: 2:00-3:00 pm and 4:00-5:00 on Fridays. On zoom, but can be in person if requested. Office hours can be by appointment as well. Just email and ask.

Co-Instructor:

Dr. Dirk Colbry (he/him/his)
Institute for Cyber Enabled Research (ICER) and Department of Computational Mathematics, Science and Engineering (CMSE)
Email: colbrydi@msu.edu
Web: http://www.dirk.colbry.com
Office: EB 1516
Virtual Office: Dirk’s Zoom Office
Office Hours: I have an hour after class blocked off for Mondays and Wednesdays (we can meet inside or next to our classroom) and Tuesdays 10:30-11:30pm In my office (EB 1516) of via zoom (if you remind me).

Teaching Assistant:

Mohammad (Moe) Rajaian Hoonejani
Email: rajaianm@msu.edu
Office: N/A
Virtual Office: Moe’s Zoom Office
Office Hours: Thursday from 8:30 to 9:30 AM

Course Policies and Expectations

Data Policy, Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDA) and Intellectual Property (IP) agreements

All student’s in the course are expected to follow Michigan State University Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) which can be found at the following website:

In addition to the above, many of the community partners will require students to sign an Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) and in some rare cases will be asked to sign an Intellectual Property (IP) agreement. Your instructor will work with you so that you understand your rights and you will not be required to sign either document. If students are unwilling or unable to sign these document they will be assigned to an alternative project.

Class Attendance

This class is heavily based on material presented and worked on during class, and it is critical that you attend and participate fully every week! Therefore, class attendance is required.

Arriving late or leaving early without prior arrangement with the instructor of your session may be counted as an unexcused absence. Note that if you have a legitimate reason to miss class (such as job, graduate school, or medical school interviews) you must arrange this ahead of time to be excused from class. Three or more unexcused absences will result in the reduction of your grade by one step (e.g., from 4.0 to 3.5), with additional absences reducing your grade further at the discretion of the course instructor. If you are unable to attend class or complete assignments due to illness or self-isolation (as per the CDC recommended guidelines), your instructor will work to provide the necessary accommodations to ensure that your performance in class is not significantly impacted.

Assignment Submissions

Follow the directions on the assignment submissions. Please do not make your instructors guess where things are. If it takes work to track something down then points will be taken off projects. If it is obvious to you then it may not be obvious to the instructors. Remember professionalism is a key learning goal in this course.

Email

At times, we will send out important course information via email.  This email is sent to your MSU email address (the one that ends in “@msu.edu”).  You are responsible for all information sent to your university email and for checking this account daily.

Microsoft Teams

In addition to email, students will be expected to check the course Teams Channel. Students are responsible for all information sent to Teams. It is highly recommended that students download the app and turn on alerts.

Inclusive Classroom Behavior

Respectful and responsible behavior is expected at all times, which includes not interrupting other students, refraining from non-course-related use of electronic devices or additional software during class sessions, and not using offensive or demeaning language in our discussions. Flagrant or repeated violations of this expectation may result in ejection from the classroom, grade-related penalties, and/or involvement of the university Ombudsperson. In particular, behaviors that could be considered discriminatory or harassing, or unwanted sexual attention, will not be tolerated and will be immediately reported to the appropriate MSU office (which may include the MSU Police Department).

In addition, MSU welcomes a full spectrum of experiences, viewpoints, and intellectual approaches because they enrich the conversation, even as they challenge us to think differently and grow. However, we believe that expressions and actions that demean individuals or groups comprise the environment for intellectual growth and undermine the social fabric on which the community is based. These demeaning behaviors are not welcome in this classroom.

Accommodations for Students with Disabilities

Michigan State University is committed to providing equal opportunity for participation in all programs, services and activities. Requests for accommodations by persons with disabilities may be made by contacting the Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities at 517-884-RCPD or on the web at http://rcpd.msu.edu. Once your eligibility for an accommodation has been determined, you will be issued a Accommodation Letter (formally known as a Verified Individual Services Accommodation or “VISA” form). Please present this letter to the instructor at the start of the term and/or two weeks prior to the accommodation date (test, project, etc.). Requests received after this date may not be honored.

Academic Honesty

Intellectual integrity is the foundation of the scientific enterprise.  In all instances, you must do your own work and give proper credit to all sources that you use in your papers and oral presentations – any instance of submitting another person’s work, ideas, or wording as your own counts as plagiarism.  This includes failing to cite any direct quotations in your essays, research paper, class debate, or written presentation.  The CMSE course adheres to the policies of academic honesty as specified in the General Student Regulations 1.0, Protection of Scholarship and Grades, and in the all-University statement on Integrity of Scholarship and Grades, which are included in Spartan Life: Student Handbook and Resource Guide.  Students who plagiarize will receive a 0.0 in the course.  In addition, University policy requires that any cheating offense, regardless of the magnitude of the infraction or punishment decided upon by the professor, be reported immediately to the dean of the student’s college.

It is important to note that plagiarism in the context of this course includes, but is not limited to, directly copying another student’s solutions to assignments; copying materials from online sources, textbooks, or other reference materials without citing those references in your source code or documentation, or having somebody else do your in-class work or homework on your behalf.  Any work that is done in collaboration with other students should state this explicitly, and have their names as well as yours listed clearly.

More broadly, we ask that students adhere to the Spartan Code of Honor academic pledge, as written by the Associated Students of Michigan State University (ASMSU):

“As a Spartan, I will strive to uphold values of the highest ethical standard. I will practice honesty in my work, foster honesty in my peers, and take pride in knowing that honor is worth more than grades. I will carry these values beyond my time as a student at Michigan State University, continuing the endeavor to build personal integrity in all that I do.”

Limits to Confidentiality

Personal assignments and peer review information materials submitted for this class are generally considered confidential pursuant to the University’s student record policies.

However, for many assignments this course is partnering with partners outside of MSU and students should be aware that instructors will not be able to maintain confidentiality with respect to project deliverables and anything that may come up which conflicts with their responsibility to report certain issues to protect the health and safety of MSU community members and others.

As the instructors, we must report the following information to other University offices (including the Department of Police and Public Safety) if you share it with us: suspected child abuse/neglect, even if this maltreatment happened when you were a child, allegations of sexual assault or sexual harassment when they involve MSU students, faculty, or staff, and credible threats of harm to oneself or to others. These reports may trigger contact from a campus official who will want to talk with you about the incident that you have shared. In almost all cases, it will be your decision whether you wish to speak with that individual. If you would like to talk about these events in a more confidential setting you are encouraged to make an appointment with the MSU Counseling Center.

Changes to Syllabus

The syllabus may also be adjusted if needed. These types of changes will be announced during class, by email and/or in the course website.

Commercialized Lecture Notes

All lectures, videos and notes provided in this course are copyrighted by the university. Recording of lectures and/or commercialization of other university-provided course materials is not permitted in this course.

Disruptive Behavior

Article 2.III.B.4 of the Student Rights and Responsibilities (SRR) for students at Michigan State University states:

“The student’s behavior in the classroom shall be conducive to the teaching and learning process for all concerned.” Article 2.III.B.10 of the SRR states that “The student and the faculty share the responsibility for maintaining professional relationships based on mutual trust and civility.”

General Student Regulation 5.02 states:

“No student shall . . . interfere with the functions and services of the University (for example, but not limited to, classes . . .) such that the function or service is obstructed or disrupted. Students whose conduct adversely affects the learning environment in this classroom may be subject to disciplinary action through the Student Judicial Affairs office.”

Grief Absence Policy

Michigan State University is committed to ensuring that the bereavement process of a student who loses a family member during a semester does not put the student at an academic disadvantage in their classes. If you require a grief absence, you should complete the “Grief Absence Request” web form no later than one week after knowledge of the circumstance. I will work with you to make appropriate accommodations so that you are not penalized due to a verified grief absence.

Student Illness

If a student is exposed to someone who is ill, they will stay home, contact a health care provider and follow all public health recommendations. There are multiple policies available to complete course work. Please talk to your instructors and review the university policies.

Instructor Illness

In the event that the instructor gets ill, the course will continue. Backup instructors have been identified and will step in.

Written by Dr. Dirk Colbry, Michigan State University Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.