Social Data Science Major (INFO)
Program Directors: Brian Kim, PhD and Katie Shilton, PhD
Creating information products that capture aspects of human behavior requires an increasingly complex set of skills and knowledge. This program combines the expertise of faculty members from the College of Information Studies (iSchool) and the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences (BSOS) to prepare students to effectively, ethically and efficiently create high quality information products, such as datasets, visualizations, and models, about human activity and behavior. This critical suite of knowledge and skills is essential in many domains, including government, healthcare, sustainability, economics, entertainment, human rights, equity, and others. Students take a set of core courses housed primarily in the iSchool and BSOS’s Joint Program in Survey Methodology (JPSM). They then select a track discipline, in which they train in relevant theory and methods, from among the following options: African-American Studies, Anthropology, Economics, Government and Politics/International Relations, Geography/Geospatial Information Science, Psychology, or Sociology.
Restriction: Students may not enroll in a double-major or double-degree with the Social Data Science major and the BSOS major of their track because of the significant overlap in coursework.
Program Learning Outcomes
- Design, execute, document, and disseminate research that applies tools and methods from data science to address a social science research question
- Develop expertise in specific contemporary social science theories and data science approaches to tackling research questions related to these theories
- Apply findings from social data science research to analyze the policy and design of socio-technical systems
- Identify and analyze social, legal, and ethical and equity issues in social data science work and in the profession
Major course requirements consist of core courses and track area courses in one of the following tracks: African American Studies, Anthropology, Economics, Geographical Sciences, Government & Politics, Psychology, and Sociology. Students will not be permitted to add a double-major or a double-degree with Social Data Science and the BSOS major associated with their track area. Both core courses and track courses include benchmark courses. Failure of a student to complete both sets of benchmark courses within the timeline indicated may result in probation and/or dismissal from the major. Benchmark I courses must be completed with a C- or higher within the first two semesters of the program. Benchmark II courses must be completed within the first three semesters of the program.
Social Data Sciences Requirements
Course | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
Benchmark I Core Courses: | ||
INST126 | Introduction to Programming for Information Science | 3 |
or GEOG276 | Principles of Python Programming and Geocomputing | |
STAT100 | Elementary Statistics and Probability | 3 |
Math Course (Based on Track Requirement): | 3 | |
For African-American Studies, Anthropology, Government & Politics, and Sociology Tracks: | ||
Precalculus | ||
For Economics, Geographical Sciences, and Psychology Tracks: | ||
Elementary Calculus I | ||
Additional Core Courses: | ||
BSOS233 | Data Science for the Social Sciences | 3 |
Choose One: | 3 | |
Object-Oriented Programming for Information Science | ||
Python Programming for the Social Sciences | ||
Programming for Geospatial Analysis | ||
INST327 | Database Design and Modeling | 3 |
INST366 | Privacy, Security and Ethics for Big Data | 3 |
INST414 | Data Science Techniques | 3 |
INST447 | Data Sources and Manipulation | 3 |
INST462 | Introduction to Data Visualization | 3 |
SURV400 | Fundamentals of Survey and Data Science | 3 |
SURV430 | Fundamentals of Questionnaire Design | 3 |
Capstone | ||
INST492 | (Integrated Capstone for Social Data Science) | 3 |
Track Area Courses (see below for specific requirements) | 12-20 | |
Total Credits | 51-59 |
African American Studies Track
Course | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
Benchmark II Track Courses: | ||
AASP101 | Public Policy and the Black Community | 3 |
AASP210 | Intro to Research Design and Analysis in African American Studies | 3 |
Track I Requirement: | ||
AASP395 | Fundamentals of Quantitative Research in Socio-Cultural Perspective | 3 |
Track II Requirement: | ||
Nine credits from the following list: | 9 | |
Applied Policy Analysis and the Black Community | ||
African Slave Trade | ||
Black Women in United States History | ||
The Civil Rights Movement | ||
Directed Readings in African American Studies | ||
Classic Readings in African American Studies | ||
Black Resistance Movements | ||
Science, Technology, and the Black Community | ||
Blacks and the Law | ||
Advanced Topics in Public Policy and the Black Community | ||
Total Credits | 18 |
Anthropology Track
Students in the Anthropology track choose one of three tracks: Health, Heritage, or Environment.
Course | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
Anthropology-Health Track | ||
Benchmark II Anthropology-Health Track Courses: | ||
ANTH210 | Introduction to Medical Anthropology and Global Health | 3 |
INST314 | Statistics for Information Science | 3 |
Anthropology-Health Track I Requirement: | ||
ANTH310 | Method & Theory in Medical Anthropology and Global Health | 3 |
Anthropology-Health Track II Requirement: | ||
Nine credits from the following list: | 9 | |
Global Migration and Health | ||
Hypermarginality and Urban Health | ||
Health Disparities in the United States | ||
Advanced Studies in Global Health | ||
Anthropology of Global Violence | ||
Anthropology-Heritage Track | ||
Benchmark II Anthropology-Heritage Track Courses: | ||
ANTH240 | Introduction to Archaeology | 3 |
INST314 | Statistics for Information Science | 3 |
Anthropology-Heritage Track I Requirement: | ||
ANTH340 | Method and Theory in Archaeology | 3 |
Anthropology-Heritage Track II Requirement: | ||
Nine credits from the following list: | 9 | |
Introduction to Zooarchaeology | ||
Theory and Practice of Historical Archaeology | ||
Archaeology of Diaspora | ||
Material Culture Studies in Archaeology | ||
Special Topics in Archaeology | ||
Environmental Archaeology | ||
Anthropology of Cultural Heritage | ||
Field Methods in Archaeology | ||
Anthropology-Environment Track | ||
Bookmark II Anthropology-Environment Track Courses: | ||
ANTH222 | Introduction to Ecological and Evolutionary Anthropology | 4 |
INST314 | Statistics for Information Science | 3 |
Anthropology-Environment Track I Requirement: | ||
ANTH322 | Method and Theory in Ecological Anthropology | 3 |
Anthropology-Environment Track II Requirement: | ||
Nine credits from the following list: | 9 | |
Theory and Practice of Environmental Anthropology | ||
Political Ecology | ||
Conservation and Indigenous People in South America | ||
Amazon Through Film | ||
Researching Environment and Culture |
Economics Track
Course | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
Benchmark II Track Courses: | ||
ECON200 | Principles of Microeconomics | 3 |
ECON201 | Principles of Macroeconomics | 3 |
ECON230 | Applied Economic Statistics | 3 |
Track I Requirement: | ||
ECON305 | Intermediate Macroeconomic Theory and Policy | 3 |
or ECON306 | Intermediate Microeconomic Theory & Policy | |
Track II Requirement: 1 | ||
Six credits from the following list: | 6 | |
Intermediate Macroeconomic Theory and Policy | ||
or ECON306 | Intermediate Microeconomic Theory & Policy | |
American Economic History Before the Civil War | ||
American Economic History After the Civil War | ||
Economic Development of Underdeveloped Areas | ||
Global Economic Policies | ||
Money and Banking | ||
International Economics | ||
Total Credits | 18 |
- 1
The course taken for the Track I requirement may not also be used for the Track II requirement. No double-count for these two categories.
Geographical Sciences Track
Course | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
Benchmark II Track Courses: | ||
GEOG202 | Introduction to Human Geography | 3 |
GEOG306 | Introduction to Quantitative Methods for the Geographical Environmental Sciences | 3 |
Track I Requirement: | ||
GEOG373 | Geographic Information Systems | 3 |
Track II Requirement: | ||
9 credits from the following list (six must be at the 400-level): | 9 | |
As the World Turns: Society and Sustainability in a Time of Great Change | ||
Introduction to Human Dimensions of Global Change | ||
Economic Geography | ||
The Social Geography of Metropolitan Areas in Global Perspective | ||
Population Geography | ||
Land Use, Climate Change, and Sustainability | ||
Conceptualizing and Modeling Human-Environmental Interactions | ||
Changing Geographies of China | ||
Changing Geographies of Sub-Saharan Africa | ||
Spatial Econometrics | ||
Algorithms for Geospatial Computing | ||
Geographic Information Systems and Spatial Analysis | ||
Computer Cartography | ||
Mobile GIS Development | ||
Total Credits | 18 |
Government and Politics Track
Course | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
Benchmark II Track Courses: | ||
GVPT170 | American Government | 3 |
GVPT200 | International Political Relations | 3 |
GVPT201 | Scope and Methods for Political Science Research | 3 |
Track I Requirement: | ||
GVPT320 | Advanced Empirical Research | 3 |
Track II Requirement: | ||
Any six credits of GVPT coursework at the 300- or 400- levels | 6 | |
Total Credits | 18 |
Psychology Track
Course | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
Benchmark II Track Courses: | ||
PSYC100 | Introduction to Psychology | 3 |
PSYC200 | Statistical Methods in Psychology | 3 |
Track I Requirement: | ||
PSYC300 | Research Methods in Psychology Laboratory | 4 |
Track II Requirement: | ||
Nine credits from the following list: | 9 | |
Child Psychopathology | ||
Psychology of Human Sexuality | ||
Psychology of Interpersonal Relationships | ||
Psychology of Women | ||
Introduction to Memory and Cognition | ||
Health Psychology | ||
Adult Psychopathology | ||
Multicultural Psychology in the U.S. | ||
Developmental Psychology | ||
Psychology of Adolescence | ||
Survey of Industrial and Organizational Psychology | ||
Introduction to Negotiation | ||
Development of Attachment in Infancy and Childhood: Theory, Research, Methods, and Clinical Implications | ||
Data Science for Psychology and Neuroscience Majors | ||
Experimental Psychology: Social Psychology Laboratory | ||
Communication and Persuasion | ||
Psychology and Law | ||
Counseling Psychology: Theories, Research, and Practice | ||
Temperament, Personality, and Psychopathology | ||
Introduction to Clinical Psychology: From Science to Practice | ||
The Assessment and Treatment of Addictive Behaviors | ||
Experimental Psychology: Cognitive Processes and Legal Applications | ||
Applying Psychology to the Workplace: Industrial Organizational Psychology Laboratory | ||
Research Methods in Developmental Psychology Laboratory | ||
Psychological Foundations of Personnel Selection and Training | ||
Total Credits | 19 |
Sociology Track
Course | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
Benchmark II Track Courses: | ||
SOCY100 | Introduction to Sociology | 3 |
SOCY201 | Introductory Statistics for Sociology | 4 |
Track I Requirement: | ||
SOCY202 | Introduction to Research Methods in Sociology | 4 |
Track II Requirement: | ||
Nine credits from the following list: | 9 | |
The Sociology of Gender | ||
Sociology of Health and Illness | ||
Intermediate Statistics for Sociologists | ||
Scarcity and Modern Society | ||
SOCY406 | ||
Explaining Social Change: Historical and Comparative Methods | ||
Social Demography | ||
Demographic Techniques | ||
Family Demography | ||
Sociology of Aging | ||
Environmental Sociology | ||
Qualitative Research Methods in Sociology | ||
SOCY430 | ||
Principles of Organizations | ||
Social Movements | ||
Social Stratification and Inequality | ||
The Black Middle Class | ||
SOCY444 | ||
Sex and Love in Modern Society | ||
Sociology of Law | ||
Military Sociology | ||
The Sociology of War | ||
Sociology of Education | ||
Researching the Middle East | ||
Experimental Research Practicum | ||
Experimental Research Design | ||
Total Credits | 20 |