This course pulls many of the diverse capabilities developed throughout the other courses in the data science degree or statistics emphasis together to give students a complete skill set in and a better understanding of data and analytics consulting.
Upon completion of this course, you will be able to work in a team to solve data-driven projects which use client specific data.
We expect that you have a background in statistical modelling or machine learning and previous experience with data analysis through visualization or experimentation.
We will meet for team meetings three hours a week.
The time we meet together should be considered a team meeting as if we were working at a company. You are expected to come prepared and contribute to the team meeting. If this expectation is not met in the real world, you are pushed off of projects. In this class, it will affect your performance, your team performance, and our perception of your work.
Each team meeting that you miss without a great excuse will cost your total hours worked 4 hours
Grading is a nasty side effect of mass learning and academia. We are in a class at a university and will have to manage this side effect. However, we don’t have to let it control our learning, thinking, or this class.
You will be responsible for delivering the following. All of these items should be submitted electronically.
Each team will be responsible for presenting their project at one of the following
I have found that skill is gained by putting in time. To improve at our stage in life, we need to learn to read well. Solving hard problems takes time and focus. You will need to put in an average of 9 hours a week into this class (including class time) to obtain an A.
Over the first two weeks, your team will settle into a client-driven project. By the end of week 3, you will need to keep track of your tasks to meet your group’s deliverables. Your ability to scope tasks and finish tasks on time will be crucial in your demonstration of competency in this class.
Note that class time counts in the total hours. Missing class without a great excuse will subtract from your total hours by 4 hours. You can’t work in a team without participating heavily with the team.
Your team must complete the deliverables of your project. The deliverables should be reasonably clear by week 5 of the semester. Your team and I will agree on what assignments. A team that does not meet their final deliverables can have their grades earned from hours reduced by 1-3 steps. That is, an A could be changed to B (three steps).
At the end of the semester during your exit interview I will ask the following two questions;
It is expected that your contribution to the project made a difference. If it becomes clear that your signature is not left on the project during your exit interview, then your hours earned grade above may be reduced by 1-3 steps.
After reviewing the material above, please make a list of learning goals you have based on this class. I would enjoy talking with you about those goals in the first few weeks of the semester. I look forward to working with you this semester.
Our class will uphold the following as well.