Projects & Assignments Policy

Projects and assignments form the practical backbone of the Meritshot curriculum. They are designed to ensure students develop real-world skills, build a verifiable portfolio, and demonstrate industry readiness to prospective employers. All submissions are subject to evaluation for originality, quality, and timely delivery.

4.1 Mandatory Submission Policy

Students must complete and submit all assigned projects, assignments, and case studies within the deadlines provided at the time of assignment. These tasks are specifically designed to achieve the following outcomes:

• Practical implementation skills — applying theoretical knowledge to real tools, datasets, and problems.
• Industry readiness — building comfort and competence with workflows used in professional environments.
• Portfolio quality — accumulating a body of documented work that demonstrates capability to employers.
• Problem-solving ability — developing the capacity to independently diagnose and resolve complex challenges.

4.2 Project Evaluation Criteria

All projects and assignments will be evaluated by assigned mentors or review panels based on the following criteria:

• Originality — the extent to which the work reflects the student's independent thinking and effort.
• Technical implementation — accuracy of the methods, tools, and code or models used to execute the project.
• Accuracy — correctness of results, calculations, analyses, or outputs as applicable to the domain.
• Presentation quality — clarity, structure, and visual or written communication of findings.
• Documentation — completeness and professionalism of supporting notes, reports, or README files.
• Timely submission — adherence to the published deadline as a standalone evaluation criterion.
• Ethical compliance — projects must not involve unauthorized use of third-party data, breach of personal data of individuals, or simulation of illegal financial or technical activity.

4.3 Late Submission Policy

Submissions received after the published deadline will be treated as late submissions and may attract the following consequences:

• Reduced evaluation scores — a deduction in marks as determined by the assigned mentor or academic team.
• Delayed feedback — late submissions will be reviewed after on-time submissions and feedback may be provided with a delay.
• Disqualification from the project review round — the student may be excluded from live project presentations or panel evaluations for that module.

4.4 Plagiarism Policy

Academic integrity in project and assignment submissions is non-negotiable. The following types of submissions are strictly prohibited:

• Copying content from another student's submission, in whole or in part.
• Reproducing project code, analysis, or written content from publicly available sources without proper attribution.
• Submitting AI-generated content as one's own work without demonstrating genuine understanding of the material.
• Commissioning or purchasing completed assignments or projects from any third-party service or individual.

If plagiarism is detected in any submission, one or more of the following actions will be taken:

• The student will be required to re-submit the assignment or project independently within a revised timeline.
• Marks for the submission may be reduced, withheld, or zeroed at the discretion of the evaluating mentor.
• The project may be rejected outright, with no credit awarded for the submission.
• In cases of repeated or severe plagiarism, placement eligibility may be revoked.

4.5 Capstone Project Policy

The capstone or final project is a mandatory requirement for all program students. The following rules apply:

• Successful completion and formal submission of the capstone project is required for both program certification and placement eligibility.
• Students may be required to present their capstone project before an assigned mentor, trainer, or expert panel in a structured review session.
• The capstone project must be the student's own original work and must meet the technical and quality standards specified at the beginning of the program.
• Any data used in the capstone project must be sourced ethically and legally. Use of personally identifiable information (PII) of real individuals without proper consent is strictly prohibited and may constitute a violation of applicable data protection norms.

4.6 Portfolio & GitHub Policy

Students are strongly encouraged to build and maintain a professional digital presence alongside their academic submissions. The following assets are recommended and may be reviewed during placement preparation:

• Updated resume — maintained to reflect the most current skills, projects, and academic achievements.
• GitHub repositories — containing well-documented code projects developed during the program.
• Project portfolios — curated collections of work samples that demonstrate applied skills across key domains.
• LinkedIn profiles — maintained in alignment with LinkedIn optimization guidance provided during placement preparation activities.
• Public repositories must not include proprietary code, confidential datasets, internal tools, or any content belonging to Meritshot or its clients. Students are solely responsible for ensuring compliance with applicable intellectual property and data privacy laws in their public online presence.