Carnegie Mellon University

Sponsor a Capstone

What is a Stat & DS capstone?

Capstone projects are designed to provide innovative and creative ways to address real-world problems and challenges posed by your organization, allowing Stat & DS students to apply their knowledge and skills in practical, impactful projects. These projects are available at the undergraduate and graduate level. 

  • Each project is supervised by a Stat & DS faculty member.
  • Projects are supported by a team of 2 to 4 students.
  • They can take place in either the Fall (September-December) or Spring (January-May) semester.
  • Companies will be given regular progress reports to track the project's development and ensure milestones are being met.

How a Capstone Enhances Your Organization

Strategic Insights

Gain cutting-edge analysis and tailored solutions to enhance your company’s operations and strategic initiatives.

Expert Collaborations

Partner with a team of CMU faculty and students who bring innovative thinking and deep technical expertise.

Cost-Effective Solutions

Obtain valuable insights and recommendations at a fraction of typical costs.

Broadened Impact

Strengthen your company’s ability to provide comprehensive solutions across diverse sectors.

How to Get Started

If you’re interested in any of these opportunities, please connect with our Associate Director of Corporate Partners, Jessie Albright via email or at (724) 825-2852.

Fall Capstone

Capstone Duration: Late August to mid-December

Checkpoints Prior to the Start of the Capstone:

  • February/March: Connect with Jessie Albright to discuss possible business questions for your company

  • April/May: Project scoping meeting

  • July: Project agreement completed

Spring Capstone

Capstone Duration: Mid-January to mid-May

Checkpoints Prior to the Start of the Capstone:

  • March/April: Connect with Jessie Albright to discuss possible business questions for your company

  • June/July: Project scoping meeting

  • September/October: Project agreement completed

Student Testimonials

Devin Basley"My professional capstone project was the most valuable part of the program as I was able to gain experience in a data scientist role in a controlled environment. The projects I worked on during this program allowed me to showcase my skills and build upon my data science project portfolio."

– Devin Basley, M.S. in Applied Data Science at Carnegie Mellon University

Eileen Xiao"The capstone course is a unique opportunity to work closely with peers, a faculty advisor, and a client with real world data to solve real world problems.I gained an appreciation for practical skills such as communicating statistical results to non-experts and correctly applying statistical methods in specific and nuanced situations that you don't practice in typical courses. The feedback and guidance I received throughout the project were instrumental to me in solidifying my foundational understanding of statistics built from the rest of the undergraduate curriculum."

– Eileen XiaoM.S. Student in Machine Learning at Carnegie Mellon University