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Webpage for the University of Chicago Data Science Clinic

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Welcome to the Clinic!

This repository contains information and documentation regarding the Data Science Clinic at the University of Chicago.

Table of Contents

About

The Clinic is an experiential project-based course where students work in teams as data scientists with real-world clients under the supervision of instructors. Students will be tasked with producing key deliverables such as data analysis, open source software, as well as final client presentations and reports.

The Clinic partners with public interest organizations, industry, and research labs to leverage data science research and technology to address pressing social, environmental, industrial, and academic challenges. The Clinic also provides students with exposure to real-world projects and problems that transcend the conventional classroom experience including: (1) working with imperfect datasets, applying models and algorithms to real-world data, and navigating security and privacy issues, (2) communicating results to a diverse set of stakeholders (e.g., industry, public interest, government agencies), and translating information into actionable insights, policy briefs and software prototypes.

The Data Science Clinic is cross-listed in the catalog under the following codes: DATA 27100/27200, CAPP 30300, PPHA 30581, MACS 30300, MPCS 57300.

Find out more about the Data Science Clinic at the Data Science Institute’s website or the course catalog.

Prospective Students

Application Information

In order to enroll in the class, students must first submit an application and be matched with a project. The application requires a resume or CV, history of related courses, and self-assessment of technical skills. Students are asked to rank their preferences for project placement.

The application for Autumn 2025 will open on September 4, 2025 at 3pm and will be available here. The application deadline is September 11, 2025 at 5pm.

Autumn 2025 Information Session

There will be an information session for prospective students on September 4, 2025 at 3pm. Register for the information session here.

Current Students

Important information for current students can be found here.

TA and Mentor Information

Information and best practices for mentors and TAs can be found here.

Previous Projects

We keep information on all of our previous projects here.

FAQ

In this section you can find a list of frequently asked questions about the clinic.

I am doing an internship/research experience/project in data science, can I waive out of the clinic?

Unfortunately these classes are required for the major and there is no method of substituting them. Internships, Research experiences and projects come in all shapes and sizes and it isn’t possible to guarantee any specific learning outcome, supervision or experience with them.

As a Data Science Major, can I take the clinic over two non-consecutive quarters?

It is strongly recommended to take the clinic in consecutive quarters. If you take it over non-consecutive quarters you will likely end up on two different projects which will significantly diminish the experience. At the individual level the most important learning experience occurs after you have internalized the domain and background of the project which frequently occurs in the second quarter.

What are the prerequisites?

See the official course catalog here.

Prerequisites:

What if I miss the application deadline?

Apply next quarter. The Clinic runs during autumn, winter, and spring quarters.

What if I can’t attend the information session?

The information session will be recorded. Find recordings of past sessions here.

Does the Clinic qualify as an elective for my program?

Please consult with your academic advisor.

Can I take Clinic twice in one quarter?

No. Students may only work on one project per quarter.

Should I pre-register for the course?

No. Register for the course only when you’ve been matched with a project.

How do I register once I’ve been admitted?

Undergraduates should add the class via my.uchicago.edu. Graduate students need to contact their advisors to be added to the course manually.

What if I’m missing a prerequisite?

For undergraduate students it is strongly recommended that students complete all prerequisites before enrolling in Clinic, but exceptions are considered on a case-by-case basis. Priority in project placement is given to students that have completed all prerequisites. If you are an undergraduate data science major taking the clinic in your senior year and are still taking some of the prereqs during the year you will be admitted, but you may not receive your preferred project.

For graduate students applying to the data science clinic we do our best to evaluate each application to ensure that the applicant has sufficient experience to be successful in the curriculum. This evaluation occurs during the application process and the strongest indicator of application success is completion of multiple computer science courses. For graduate students, our minimum requirements are two quarters of Python based computer science classwork or equivalent work experience.

Who can I contact about the Data Science Clinic?

Inquiries can be sent to Nick Ross, Director of the Data Science Clinic.

What if I have time conflicts with the scheduled time?

During the first week of clinic students are expected to meet at the time specified in the schedule, commonly TuTh 5-6:20, for orientation and introduction activities. At this time each project will identify meeting times specific to their project (two TA sessions and one mentor sessions). These meeting times are dependent on the TA, Mentor(s) and students schedule. These meeting times will be used for the rest of the quarter.

During the sixth week of the quarter there are a set of mid-quarter presentations. These presentations are not required for all team members – though failing to support your team is a bad signal. The mid-quarter presentations are in-person and in the room scheduled for the class.

Since outside the times listed above we do not meet during the scheduled time it is not uncommon for students to enroll in a class with overlap. If you have a course which has some overlap or conflict with the scheduled time you may need to fill out a “Simultaneous Enrollment” form with your advisor.

From the clinic’s perspective this is not a significant issue. Please inform the clinic administration (Director and Asst. Director) if you are doing this so that we can keep track, but otherwise proceed with sending submitting a simultaneous enrollment petition.

Is the Data Science Clinic a two quarter class?

Undergraduate Data Science majors are required to take two quarters of the Data Science Clinic to fulfill their graduation requirements.

For students who are not Data Science majors, we strongly encourage planning to take the clinic for two quarters or more. Most of our projects have a steep learning curve before a student can contribute; participating for only a single quarter significantly limits the learning experience.

When will I be notified of my placement?

Nearly all notification of placements occurs during the week after the applications are due. However the process takes some time and is usually not fully complete until the week before the quarter starts.

Will I be notified if I am not placed?

Yes. Once placements are settled, all students not placed will be sent an notification via email.

I am a Master’s student and I was not selected, can I get a specific reason for why?

The Data Science Clinic at the University of Chicago is committed to providing as many students as possible with meaningful, hands-on experience in real-world data science projects. Due to high demand, we carefully consider each application but cannot guarantee placement for all applicants.