STAT40800 Data Programming with Python Assignment Brief 2026 | UCD Ireland

STAT40800 Assignment Brief

How-To Guide

The assessment represents 100% of the overall course grade. You may use some of the code from your pre-assessment exercises within your project.

Instructions

The assessment should be completed at the conclusion of the course, once all sessions have been finished. The assessment exact due date is listed under the submission point, in the final section of the course page

The goal of the project is to demonstrate how you are thinking about putting course concepts, models, tools and practices in your own context to demonstrate the course learning outcomes:

• Demonstrate an understanding of and create reusable code using functions and call existing or custom packages and modules, functions, and methods in their own programming environment.
• Demonstrate an understanding of developing Boolean-logic for decision making in Python and filtering information using looping and conditions.
• Demonstrate clear understanding of how to use different data structures to store and manipulate information for various datasets.
• Demonstrate a clear understanding of how to use Object Oriented Programming to write reusable, efficient and clean code.
• Customize and handle various error messages and exceptions in Python.

Optionally include some custom data and import it using File I/O. Please note for the purposes of generating custom data to show application of your knowledge of the components of this course. A Generative AI like Chat GPT may be used solely to generate the data itself.

The Python project (the .ipynb file) and any custom Python modules used in the project (the .py files) should be compressed into a single ZIP file (maximum size 100 MB) and submitted. In addition, a written report must be submitted separately as a Word document of approximately 700 words (a 10% tolerance above or below the stated word count is admissible). Referencing does not count towards the assessment length limit. Both files should be uploaded through the same submission link as separate submissions.

The report should include the following: 

Abstract:  a short overview of the entire project and features

Introduction: Explain why you chose this project use case

Implementation Process: Describe your entire process in detail for each point in the project. Include some code snippets

References: include references if any

To demonstrate your understanding, the Python code project you submit should do the following to pass:

• Functions
• With and without arguments, with and without return, storing return values after calling the function
• Loops and conditionals
• while and for loops used appropriately
• if, if else and if elif present and used appropriately
• Data structures
• Any 3 of list, tuple, set, dict present and used appropriately
• Methods of data structures used
• Slicing used appropriately for a result that would otherwise have required looping
• Classes & Exceptions
• Minimum 1 classes defined
• Objects created from classes defined
• Objects method invoked
• try and except used at least once
• Handling exceptions at least once
• User programming features covered in the course, including **, //, operators, variables, comparisons, logics, strings, doc-strings, multi-line strings/comments, type casting, concatenating, tuples, functions, positional parameter matching, default arguments

To achieve a merit grade, your code should be a cohesive project with a clear goal and purpose, and documented accordingly.

Remember to add comments describing what your code does. Undocumented (lack of comments) code will fail.

How You Will Be Assessed

The following rubric describes how the essay will be assessed:

Additional Guidance

Any quotes from external sources should be properly referenced. Choose a referencing style and use it consistently. Poor referencing may affect your grade, and lack of referencing makes the integrity of your entire assessment questionable. The

Harvard referencing system (https://libguides.ucd.ie/harvardstyle) is recommended but an alternative system of referencing may be chosen if desired.