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The Master's Final Project consists of the individual execution of a project on data science, in which the competencies acquired during the Master's Degree are demonstrated. The Master's Final Project should consist of a written dissertation completed by the Master's Degree candidate. The Master's Final Project document must have a clear structure and properly describe, justify and present the work completed. The Master's Final Project supervisor shall guide the student to ensure that the work contains appropriate contents and the correct format.

Master's Final Project assignment

The Master’s Final Project assignment process is as follows:

  1. Students must contact a member of the Master's in Data Science (MUDS) academic staff to supervise their Master's Final Project.

  2. As an alternative, a list of proposals put forward by the Master's academic staff will be forwarded to students. Students must contact the Master's coordination with their preferred options (up to a maximum of 5), ranked by order of preference.

  3. If none of the offers appeal to students, or they are not assigned any of their chosen options (more than one student may select the same proposal), they must put forward a proposal related to a Master's in Data Science subject,  specifying up to three academic staff members capable of supervising the project.

The research groups related to each of the Departments involved in the Master's in Data Science are the following:

You can find more information on research at ETS de Ingenieros Informáticos (ETSII) here.

Co-supervision of an MFP is allowed, provided that a justified request is made of the Master's in Data Science Academic Board (CAMDS) and that one of the supervisors is a member of the Master’s academic staff.

Administrative process 

Students may enroll in the Master's Final Project (MFP) during the regular or extended enrollment periods, and the project may be defended throughout the academic year, with the condition that the student has passed all courses.

Considering the uniqueness of the MFP, in the event that the student was unable to complete it in one academic year, the price to be paid the following academic year is 25% of the price of the first registration of the Decree of Public Prices, which entitles the student to a single examination session, notwithstanding the rest of the rights acquired when enrolling in said subject.

Note: Students who are not enrolled in any Master’s in Data Science course loose their official status as students of the UPM and are not eligible for official or unofficial grants, mobility assistance, etc.

The members of the evaluation panel (and the student) will establish the date and time of the MFP defense, and need not notify the ETSI-INF secretariat.

The student must upload the MFP in electronic format (PDF file) to the Moodle platform, under the subject Master Final Project, and also send it to the members of the evaluation panel, 7 calendar days prior to defense.

The student must deliver authorization for publication in the archivo digital UPM or, alternatively, the confidentiality request form, to the evaluation panel at the beginning of the MFP defense ceremony.

The Secretary of the evaluation panel is responsible for booking the hemicycle for the MFP defense ceremony. The evaluation panel must complete and deliver the MFP defense minutes to the MUDS secretariat (Ms. Victoria Centeno), along with the competence tables and the authorization for publication in the archivo digital UPM or, alternatively, the confidentiality request form.

Evaluation panel

A committee shall be established for each MFP defense. The supervisor of the MFP will take part in the committee and will elect the two remaining members, who must be:

  • one must be a MUDS professor (academic staff) of the MFP subject.

  • the other must be a MUDS professor (academic staff) of the MFP subject or some other related subject.

If there are two supervisors, only one of them may form part of the committee.  The Chairman, Member and Secretary of the committee shall be appointed based on the rank and seniority of the members selected for it. The supervisor shall propose the committee to the MUDS coordinator, who must meet the conditions above and grant approval.

MFP presentation

Both Spanish and English are allowed as languages for writing the MFP report, as well as to defend it before the panel.

The student must defend the MFP with an oral presentation for a minimum of 20 minutes and a maximum of 40 minutes, followed by a round of questions from the panel members for a maximum of 20 minutes.

The evaluation panel shall consider the following criteria regarding the MFP:

  • Students must be familiar with data science techniques and methods to tackle and solve scientific and technological problems.

  • Students must apply existing data science techniques to solve a problem.

  • Students must invent an innovative technique or method in the field of data science research.

  • Students must invent and disseminate developed techniques or methods that have been adopted by society or the business world, leading to innovative informatics processes and solutions, or publish MFP results in a peer-reviewed national or international journal (accepted papers are also admissible).

Master's Final Projects with honors

The following criteria shall be considered: The student must create and disseminate developed techniques or methods that have been incorporated into the social and business world, creating processes and innovative solutions, or publish the MFP results (or be accepted for publication) in a peer-reviewed (national or international) journal or congress.

A commission including 3 members of the MUDS teaching staff shall be assigned to grant the MFP with honors. Supervisors of candidate MFPs may not be selected as members of this committee.

The commission will consider the MFPs defended throughout the corresponding academic course that were proposed by the respective evaluation panel as a possible MFP with honors (and rated as Outstanding (10)). If the commission finally awards the student, then the grade will be updated at the Secretariat.

An MFP with honors will be awarded at a meeting held in September. MFPs defended by students who complete the Master's Degree in one single academic year have priority over those defended in any subsequent call. If the number of proposals for MFPs with honors is greater than the number to be awarded, depending on the number of enrolled students (in accordance with the Royal Decree 1125/2003), the following recommendations will be taken into account:

  • The involvement of students in research structures (research groups, research projects or other) while conducting the MFP.

  • The average grade obtained by the student in the MUDS courses.

  • The number of MUDS courses the student has graduated from with honors.

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