CMSE 495 - SPRING 2026 Data Science Capstone

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The CMSE 495 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.

The capstone course has three major goals:

1. Provide students with a high impact, end-to-end project experience where they can apply classroom experiences and data science skills to solve real-world problems.
2. Provide students with opportunities to learn and practice professional skills (communication, teamwork and leadership) in the context of team-based projects.
3. Provide opportunities for students and faculty in the department to build relationships and network with industry partners, community organizations, and campus colleagues.

Course Structure

The class will meet three times a week during the 15-week semester. Classroom time will be divided across three broad activity categories:

• Project planning, team meetings, and reports
• Professional skills training
• Software development and technical skills training

When possible, the majority of time outside of class will be dedicated to tasks and deliverables that relate directly to the capstone teams’ projects.

Course Links

• Course Syllabus
• Schedule
• Course Teams Channel
• Weekly 3x3 Team Reflections (Due Mondays)
• Instructions for Team Meeting Agenda and Notes
• SCHOLAR Git Repository
• Requesting Funding
• Equipment Checkout Form

Other Recommended Resources

• Dirk’s Git Guide
• MSU FileDepot (Secure File Transfer tool)
• Code Review Instructions and resources
• README Generator Tool
• Tutorials for making Potent Presentations
• Adding your Capstone Experience in your Resume

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