The Data Science program offers a special Winter/Spring Capstone as a safety net specifically for students who are unable to take the regular Fall/Winter Capstone and whose graduation timeline is affected. The Winter/Spring Capstone is a two-quarter sequence (like the regular capstone). The next Winter/Spring Capstone runs during Winter/Spring 2027.
Due to limited capacity, only certain students are eligible for this option. Please read the information below carefully to determine if you qualify and how to sign up. Contact the advisors through the Virtual Advising Center (VAC) if you have any questions.
Who is eligible?
Only certain students are eligible to take the Winter/Spring Capstone. To be eligible, you must meet all of the following criteria:
- You are unable to take the “regular” Capstone in Fall 2026/Winter 2027 due to missing prerequisites or other extenuating circumstances, such as severe illness that necessitates a leave of absence.
- You will satisfy all of the Capstone prerequisites by the end of Fall 2026.
- You first enrolled at UCSD either:
- as a transfer student in Fall 2025 or earlier, OR
- as a first-year student in Fall 2023 or earlier.
- You notify us of your intent to enroll by filling out the following form by Monday, June 1, 2026: https://forms.gle/EPpuBwRwWyD6Cfet5
These criteria are in place to ensure that students who need the Winter/Spring Capstone in order to graduate on time have the opportunity to do so. Unfortunately, we do not have the capacity to offer the Winter/Spring Capstone to students who are trying to graduate early (See the “FAQ” below for more details).
We guarantee that all students who meet the above criteria will be able to enroll in the Winter/Spring Capstone. However, students who do not notify us by filling out the form by the deadline might be denied enrollment if the course reaches capacity.
How do I sign up?
Because eligibility is limited, you cannot enroll in the Winter/Spring Capstone like a regular course. Instead, you must fill out the following form by Monday, June 1, 2026:
https://forms.gle/EPpuBwRwWyD6Cfet5
The advisors will review your submission to confirm your eligibility and will follow up with you through the Virtual Advising Center (VAC) with next steps.
FAQ
Why isn't the Winter/Spring Capstone open to all students?
While we wish we could offer the Winter/Spring Capstone to all interested students, we unfortunately do not have the capacity to do so at this time. The regular Capstone already requires a very large amount of resources to run, and we are only able to offer the Winter/Spring Capstone by keeping enrollment small and limiting eligibility to those students who must take it in order to graduate on time.
I am attempting to graduate early. Can I take the Winter/Spring Capstone?
Unfortunately no, for the same reasons as stated above. If you are trying to graduate in three years, you can take the regular Fall/Winter Capstone in your third year if you have completed all prerequisites by the end of your second year. However, if you do not meet all of the prerequisites by that time, you will need to wait until your fourth year to take the regular Capstone.
I did not fill out the form by the deadline. Can I still enroll?
Maybe, but it is not guaranteed.
It is critical that we know how many students will be taking the Winter/Spring Capstone well in advance so that we can hire an adequate number of mentors. Because we are bound by external hiring deadlines and cannot add instructors on short notice, the class size cannot be increased after a certain date. Therefore, if you miss the deadline to sign up, you will not be able to enroll if the course is at capacity. Nevertheless, if you are in this situation, you should contact Student Affairs through the Virtual Advising Center so that you are added to the waitlist.
On the other hand, if you are in fact eligible and submit the form by the deadline, you are guaranteed a position in the Winter/Spring capstone.
How is the Winter/Spring Capstone different from the regular Capstone?
The Winter/Spring Capstone differs from the regular Fall/Winter Capstone in several key ways:
- Fewer domains: There are far fewer domains to choose from in the Winter/Spring capstone (in fact, there may only be one domain offered).
- Higher student-to-mentor ratio: In the regular Capstone, there is typically one mentor for every 5-10 students; in the Winter/Spring Capstone, there may be one mentor for every 20-25 students.
- No showcase: There is no showcase event for the Winter/Spring Capstone.
While the Winter/Spring Capstone achieves the same learning objectives as the regular Capstone, you may feel that the experience is not as rich due to the above differences. For this reason, some students who are eligible for the special Capstone nevertheless elect to wait until the following Fall/Winter to take the regular Capstone instead.
I have an internship / study abroad experience that prevents me from taking the regular capstone in Fall. Am I eligible?
Yes, as long as you notify the program by filling out the form linked above by the deadline (and are otherwise eligible). If you do not fill out the form by the date, you will not be considered eligible for the Winter/Spring capstone.
Internships and study abroad programs are valuable learning opportunities, but they are, ultimately, elective. If you opt to do an internship or to study abroad, you should carefully weigh the impact it may have on your graduation timeline.
Additional Questions
If you have additional questions related to the Special Capstone that are not answered on this page, please submit these through the Virtual Advising Center.
