Is there a way that I can convert a DAT file to a STATA file? If so, how is that done?
One option would be to import the .dat file into Stata and then export it as a .dta file. Assuming you are working with an IPUMS extract, you can use the provide .do file (Stata Command File) to read in the data and then use the Stata file > save as option.
The simplest option, assuming you are creating an IPUMS extract, you can actually format your extract to be a .dta file. When creating the extract, click change next to the data format option and choose Stata (.dta).