Carnegie Mellon Sports Analytics Camp (CMSACamp)
CMSACamp provides participants with hands-on experience working with real data, on real problems, in a stimulating, collaborative, and supportive environment
The Carnegie Mellon Sports Analytics Camp (CMSACamp) is an in-person two-month summer undergraduate research experience hosted by the Department of Statistics & Data Science at Carnegie Mellon University. Participants in the program receive housing and a $4000 stipend with an immersive experience featuring:
- daily lectures covering foundational to advanced topics across statistics, data science, and machine learning,
- engagement with guest speakers that include sports analytics professionals and academic researchers,
- development of multiple research projects including a capstone project with an external partner (e.g., Pittsburgh Pirates), culminating in an invited talk at the annual Carnegie Mellon Sports Analytics Conference,
- professional skills training covering resume building, interview preparation, and presentations, and
- access to information sessions on graduate school opportunities in the Department of Statistics & Data Science at Carnegie Mellon University and beyond.
CMU's Stat & DS is very active in sports analytics at both the undergraduate and graduate level and collaborates with professional and academic analysts across several sports. This year, the program will be directed by Ron Yurko.
Learn about all Carnegie Mellon Sports Analytics initiatives
The program will concentrate on statistics and data science methodology with applications in sports. Students do NOT need to have extensive knowledge about sports to participate. Students will have opportunities to learn from guest experts in the field and gain first hand experience in modern sports analytics.
Support
Participants will receive a stipend of $4000. This is provided to cover all living expenses during the program. It is our expectation that students are participating full-time in the program and are not taking on additional summer responsibilities (classes, employment) that would hinder their participation.
Housing Support: Students will be provided with free housing through CMU.
Eligibility
The program is open to any undergraduates who are based at U.S. institutions, entering their junior or senior year in Fall 2024.
There are no specific course pre-requisites; we require some initial exposure to linear regression and prefer having some calculus and/or probability. Experience in sports analytics is not required. We only require an interest in learning about modern statistical and data science approaches in data-rich fields of application.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does this camp take place?
While the exact days will change from year to year, the camp is typically in the last week of June. That is subject to change, so make sure to check this page when the application opens up in January for the following summer.
What are the prerequisites for the program?
There are no specific courses required, but it is anticipated participants will have taken at least one Statistics course and have had some exposure to linear regression. We are mainly looking for students who are interested in learning more about Statistics, and in participating in research.
Is the program only open to students majoring in Statistics?
No! We welcome applications from students from all areas of study. One of our objectives is to encourage students with curiousity of data analysis, even if they lack a strong background in that area.
Can I receive academic credit for the program?
You should discuss this with your home institution. We certainly believe that the content of the program is deserving of academic credit; you will be learning about statistical methods and computing, among other things. We are happy to help with any paperwork, etc. needed to facilitate students receiving credit.
Can I apply if I am going to graduate in Spring 2024?
Unfortunately, no. The program is only open to students enrolled during the time of the program.
Can I apply if I am a currently a freshman?
We will consider your application, but keep in mind that preference will be given to juniors and sophomores. Of course, we encourage you to reapply next year!
Can I apply to work on a particular project, or with a particular professor?
No. You should not enter into the program with a specific expectation as to what the project topic or whom the advisor will be. The benefit of the program is the general exposure to collaborative Statistics research. We work to create three or four interesting projects around the program's theme, and allow students to express a preference when they arrive, after they hear details of the projects.
Corporate Testimonials
"Carnegie Mellon's Summer REU in Sports Analytics is an outstanding program not only for students, but for professional sports organizations and employers as well. From the student perspective, it's incredible how much ground CMSACamp covers in just one summer, and how deep the instructors go on each topic. I have witnessed students who came in with little to no prior experience in data science give rigorous research presentations on complex, cutting-edge topics in sports analytics at the end of the two-month program. From the team perspective, I have been a client for CMSACamp consulting projects for six years now. Every year, I push the limits in terms of the level of difficulty of the projects I propose. And every year, the students exceed my expectations and blow me away with what they are able to accomplish. The CSMACamp student researchers that I have worked with have gone on to jobs in professional sports (including being hired by my organization), top Ph.D. programs, and other impressive industry careers."
- Sam Ventura, Vice President of Hockey Strategy and Research for the Buffalo Sabres
Student Testimonials
"Participating in the sports analytics program was an incredibly enriching experience for me. The program offered the unique opportunity to attend fantastic data science lectures and collaborate on a project with an MLB team, allowing me to gain valuable practical skills and demonstrate my skills to potential employers. However, what stood out the most was the opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals, which greatly expanded my network and opened doors to further opportunities."
– Ethan Park, Quantitative Analysis Associate with the New York Yankees
"Coming from a school with a small statistics department, CMSAcamp was my first experience working with data outside of a biological setting. One of the things I appreciated most about CMSAcamp was how hands-on it was; each day, I got to work with data—both during program-wide lectures and in small group research meetings with faculty, current statistics Ph.D. students, and fellow program participants. My experience at CMSAcamp substantially boosted my confidence in conducting statistics research and applying concepts from the classroom to real-world data. Ultimately, witnessing the variety of applied and interdisciplinary statistics research going on at CMU during CMSAcamp also solidified my decision to pursue my Ph.D. in Statistics and Data Science at CMU.
– Sara Colando, Ph.D. Student in Statistics & Data Science, Carnegie Mellon University