Data science capstone at UCSB
Collaborative research experiences for undergraduates in interdisciplinary data science, computational science, and statistics
- Applications for the 2025-2026 capstone class are closed. Add codes will be distributed to admitted students on September 9th, 2025.
- Interest form for project sponsorship proposals now available; read more on our info for sponsors page
- 2024-2025 capstone posters are now available on the projects page
Welcome to the homepage for UC Santa Barbara’s data science capstone.
The capstone aims to provide students with hands-on research training and career development opportunities related to data science. It is equally suitable for students interested in entering the job market as it is for those considering graduate school – we partner with both industry and academic project advisors to offer research experiences spanning a breadth of application domains!
For participating students, the capstone is a year-long course sequence comprising two distinct portions: a preparatory course in data science topics and collaborative research skills (PSTAT197A/CMPSC190DD, offered Fall term) and two experiential learning courses in which students work in teams on interdisciplinary projects sponsored by an external partner and advised by a technical specialist (PSTAT197B-C/CMPSC190DE-DF, offered Winter and Spring terms). The course sequence culminates with a public showcase of student work.
For participating project advisors, the program offers opportunities to engage in mentorship, advance research agendas, and establish collaborative partnerships.