DATS Practicum & Thesis

Everything you need to know about pursuing independent research through DATS 5990 (Practicum) or DATS 9990 (Thesis) in Penn's Data Science MSE program.

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DATS 5990-001

Practicum

An independent study where you lead one or more parts of a research project. Your contribution is similar to that of a co-author on a publication — you lead a distinct piece of the work within a larger collaborative effort.

Credits: 1 CU (2 CU possible with approval)
Advisor: Any Penn faculty member
Report: 5–10 pages
Presentation: Poster session
Industry projects: Self-arranged ones allowed, with an academic product

DATS 5990-002

Industry Capstone

A sponsor-proposed project supervised by a project advisor at the company, with DATS teaching staff overseeing. Admission is by application and interview.

Credits: 1 CU per semester (max 2 total)
Supervision: Project advisor at the sponsor; DATS staff oversee
Admission: Application + interviews (GPA ≥ 3.6)
Report: Sponsor deliverables + final presentation
New: Launched Fall 2026

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DATS 9990

Thesis

A deeper research endeavor where you lead all aspects of a project — problem formulation, materials, methods, results, and interpretation — with the goal of answering a research question that could result in a peer-reviewed publication.

Credits: 2 CU (1 CU per semester, two semesters)
Advisor: Any Penn faculty member
Report: Full thesis (SEAS format)
Presentation: Progress update (semester 1), 5-minute talk (semester 2)
Reader: Additional Penn faculty reader required

DATS 5990 and DATS 9990 both count as technical and depth area electives toward the ten required credits for the MSE degree.

Find What You Need

Before

Planning & Enrolling

During

Doing the Work

After

Finishing & Beyond

Current Semester: Fall 2026

Milestone	Date
Submit project/thesis form & advisor agreement	By September 8, 2026 September 8 is the add/drop deadline — the absolute last day. Aim to submit at the start of the semester.
Mid-semester check-in with advisor	By October 15, 2026 Brief PowerPoint, progress demo, or report outline.
Final check-in with advisor & Projects Director	Before November 24, 2026 Project report due (thesis students in their final semester: a full draft).
Thesis submission deadline	December 10, 2026 Submit completed/signed thesis electronically to grad-affairs@seas.upenn.edu.
DATS Presentation Day	December TBD, 2026 Thesis talks 10:30–11:30 AM, Lunch, Practicum posters 12–1:30 PM. First-semester thesis students present an intermediate update.

Current Semester: Spring 2027

Milestone	Date
Submit project/thesis form & advisor agreement	By February 2, 2027 February 2 is the last day to add a course and to drop one for a full refund — the absolute last day. Aim to submit at the start of the semester.
Mid-semester check-in with advisor	By March 1, 2027 Brief PowerPoint, progress demo, or report outline. March 1 is the last day to drop a course.
Final check-in with advisor & Projects Director	Before April 5, 2027 Project report due (thesis students in their final semester: a full draft). April 5 is the last day to withdraw from a course.
Thesis submission deadline	May TBD, 2027 Submit completed/signed thesis electronically to grad-affairs@seas.upenn.edu.
DATS Presentation Day	May TBD, 2027 Thesis talks and practicum poster session. First-semester thesis students present an intermediate update.

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Contact

Sharath Chandra Guntuku

DATS Projects Director

sharathg@seas.upenn.edu
Faculty Website →

Staci Kaplan

Program Manager

stacilk@seas.upenn.edu