Course syllabus

Data science capstone preparation

Catalog description: Introduction to research skills. Discussion of current research trends, writing literature reviews, etc. Students will be required to present materials reflecting their interests, which will be critically appraised for both content and presentation. Emphasis will be placed on aiding students to acquire a high-level of professionalism. Prerequisite: PSTAT126.

Meetings

Class meetings are held from 3:30pm – 4:45pm Tuesdays and Thursdays in South Hall 1431.

Section meetings are held on Wednesdays:

• 2pm – 2:50pm in HSSB (Humanities and Social Sciences Building) 1228 with Ronaldas;

• 3pm – 3:50pm in HSSB 1231 with Shruthi;

• 4pm – 4:50pm in HSSB 1223 with Shruthi.

Staff

Instructor:

• Dr. Tony Coburn. Instructor for 2026-2027 capstone projects. Email: tony_w_coburn@ucsb.edu

Teaching assistants:

• Ronaldas Lencevicius. Email: ronaldas@ucsb.edu

• Shruthi Ravindra Bharadwaj. Email: sbharadwaj@ucsb.edu

Expectations and assessments

Much of the course is designed around group activity and discussion. Students are therefore expected to:

• prepare for class meetings in advance by completing any assigned reading or activity;

• attend and actively participate in class meetings and section meetings;

• provide meaningful, timely, and concrete contributions to group activities.

Students having any difficulty in meeting these expectations should raise the issue(s) promptly with the instructor.

Qualitative feedback is emphasized over numerical scores. Students are assessed on:

• attendance, preparation, and participation;

• quality of submitted work;

• individual contributions to group assignments;

• oral interview.

Policies

Progression. Progression to the next courses in the sequence (PSTAT 197BC) is not guaranteed. Whether or not you receive an add code for the next course (PSTAT 197B) primarily depends on your performance in PSTAT 197A (measured in terms of attendance, participation, and quality of work). We recommend keeping this in mind, as enrollment in PSTAT 197BC is necessary to participate in the capstone.

Attendance. Regular attendance is expected. Attendance will be taken by your instructor once per class, at any time during the course period. Each student can miss two classes without notice; any further absences may impact course grades. Students are responsible for all material discussed in their absence and should review posted session notes and consult a classmate.

Deadlines. Students are expected to meet assignment deadlines in a timely manner. All deadlines have a 24-hour grace period. Late or amended work may not be accepted.

Email. Course staff will make their best effort to reply to email within 48 weekday hours. However, due to high volume, staff cannot guarantee that all messages will receive replies.

Illness. Students who are ill are required to stay home. Students ill with COVID-19 must comply with university policy regarding reporting and quarantine. Accommodations will be made to ensure that students absent due to illness do not fall behind.

Accommodations. Reasonable accommodations will be made for any student with a qualifying disability. Such requests should be made through the Disabled Students Program (DSP). More information, instructions on how to access accommodations, and information on related resources can be found on the DSP website. Note: In this class, there are no timed assessments.

Letter grades. Letter grades are assigned based only on the assessments identified above and according to university guidelines, with the relative weighting of assessments determined at the discretion of the instructor. While grade calculations will not be disclosed, students are entitled to an explanation of the criteria used to determine their grades if desired. Grades will not be changed except in the case of clerical errors. If students feel their grade has been unfairly assigned, they are entitled to contest it following UCSB procedure for contesting grades.

Conduct. All course participants are expected to maintain respectful and honorable conduct consistent with UCSB ethical standards. Students uncomfortable with the behavior of another course participant for any reason should notify the instructor, course staff, or, if the complaint relates to course staff conduct, an administrative or departmental officer. Evidence of academic dishonesty will be reported to the Office of Student Conduct (OSC); evidence of problematic behavior will be addressed on a case-by-case basis in accord with university policies.