The CS & Math Clinic Program is jointly administered by the Computer Science and Math Departments. Students work with external sponsors on challenging, open-ended problems. Its goals for students are:

• Collaborating and communicating effectively with teammates, sponsors, advisors, and other audiences;

• Taking professional ownership of meaningful contributions to a real-world, year-long project;

• Exercising sound judgment to manage priorities, scope, and limited time while producing high-quality results.

This handbook explains how Clinic works and describes general requirements for the 2026-27 academic year. Further week-to-week instructions will be provided by email as the course progresses.

See the site menus for important information, including Key Dates and Useful Forms.

The HMC Clinic Program, founded in 1963 by Professors Jack Alford and Mack Gilkeson, connects sponsors with student teams to solve real-world problems. As Alford said, “engineering was like dancing; you don’t learn it in a darkened lecture hall… you learn it by getting out on the dance floor and having your toes stepped on.” Each year-long, graded project is sponsored by an organization from industry, research, nonprofits, or public service, often addressing challenges with no known solution. Students gain technical, managerial, and communication skills while working as full participants—not spectators—in a professional team environment, where leadership and “listenership” are essential.