MSCS Capstone Experience

Like all Macalester majors, MSCS majors complete a senior “Capstone Experience.” Each student develops a substantial project in a capstone course and presents it at our annual MSCS Capstone Days. Every spring, we devote two days to a department-wide mini-conference: classes are canceled, seniors share their work, and students, faculty, staff, and guests attend talks across all MSCS disciplines. It’s a highlight of our year and a celebration of our students’ achievements.

To fulfill the capstone requirement needed for an MSCS major:

1. MSCS majors must complete at least one capstone course before the beginning of their Spring semester senior year. For MATH, STAT, and COMP, any 400-level course in their discipline qualifies. For Data Science majors, this must be COMP/STAT 456. All capstone courses require students to complete a project that constitutes the content of the capstone experience.
2. MSCS majors must successfully complete the MSCS capstone seminar in the late Fall and early Spring of their senior year. In this seminar, seniors work with a faculty coach to prepare a talk for a general audience on the project already completed in their capstone course. The seminar walks students through a process to create a compelling narrative and presentation about their project. To successfully complete the capstone seminar, students must attend all sessions and complete the required forms. For more details, refer to the MSCS capstone rubric.
3. MSCS majors must deliver an effective capstone presentation during capstone days. The talk must be 15-20 minutes in length, and have effective structure, content, delivery, and visuals. For more details, refer to the MSCS capstone rubric.