School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences
Master of Science in Social Data Analytics and Research
36 semester credit hours minimum
Faculty
Professors: Kurt J. Beron, Patrick T. Brandt, Harold D. Clarke, Euel W. Elliott, Daniel A. Griffith, Donald A. Hicks, Dong Li, Robert C. Lowry, Alex R. Piquero, Fang Qiu, Donggyu Sul
Associate Professors: Bobby C. Alexander, Simon M. Fass, Seth Giertz, Dohyeong Kim, Tomislav Kovandzic, Meghna Sabharwal, Michael Tiefelsdorf
Clinical Associate Professor: Karl K. Ho
Assistant Professors: Rodney Andrews, Vito D'Orazio, Evgenia Gorina, Asli Leblebicioglu
Clinical Assistant Professor: Timothy M. Bray
Mission
The mission of the Master of Science (MS) in Social Data Analytics and Research is to equip individuals with rigorous multi-disciplinary proficiency in methods of social data production, collection and investigation for which there is strong and increasing career demand by the public, nonprofit, and private sectors, and by doctoral programs and other advanced research organizations.
The MS in Social Data Analytics and Research endows students with a clear understanding of the contributions that rigor makes to creation, assembly, interpretation and analysis of social science data. It encourages reflection on core methods, theories and philosophical dimensions of social science practice. It fosters appreciation of the importance of applied social science in helping to shape public policy and action through participation in formation of new policies and programs or evaluation of strategies and interventions underway.
The MS in Social Data Analytics and Research orients itself to students wanting to apply social science concepts, principles, and methods to a broad range of questions in research-related and other professional engagements in government, nonprofit, and private sector settings that rely on social data for answers.
Objectives
Graduates of the program will:
- Rigorously apply methods of social science research design and evaluation, including quantitative (e.g., experimental, quasi-experimental, and naturalistic) and qualitative approaches in varied public, non-profit, and private sector settings;
- Skillfully employ quantitative and qualitative analysis methods for social science data used in research by different types of public, non-profit, and private sector organizations, and as appropriate understand and analyze large data sets;
- Harness acquired skills and capabilities in practice to sustain public, nonprofit, and private sector organizations as they address pressing societal issues on both local and global scales;
- Interpret core theories and philosophical dimensions of social science practice, and promote ethical use of social science methodology;
- Justify the importance of applied social science in helping to shape public policy and action;
- Successfully build career paths in fields applying social data analytics and research.
Facilities
Students have full access to four state-of-the-art computer laboratories housed in the School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences. Open for extended hours including evenings and weekends, each laboratory is equipped with full multimedia systems and contains 24 to 30 computers. All computers are network linked and hold full suites of leading survey, qualitative, spatial and statistical analysis software, including Qualtrics, NVivo, ArcGis, ENVI, EViews, R, STATA, and SAS. The University's computer labs also provide desktop computers and UNIX workstations for student use throughout the campus. These include computing facilities in the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science and in the NASA Center for Excellence in Remote Sensing in the Department of Geosciences. Key data sources and reference materials are readily available online through the University library and the School's memberships in various professional organizations.
Admissions Requirement
The University's general admission requirements are discussed on the Graduate Admission page.
The MS in Social Data Analytics and Research invites applications from students with a baccalaureate degree from an accredited higher education institution. Every application receives an all-inclusive review. In general, entering students should have earned a minimum 3.0 undergraduate Grade Point Average (GPA) on a 4.0-point scale, a verbal score of 150 and a quantitative score of 150 on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). In addition to standardized test scores, which are only one of several factors taken into account in determining admission, students should submit all transcripts, three letters of recommendation, and a one-page essay outlining the applicant's background, education, and professional objectives.
Prerequisites
There are no specific prerequisites for admission to the MS in Social Data Analytics and Research. Several required courses, however, demand satisfactory prior completion of undergraduate college algebra and/or calculus.
Grading Policy
In order to qualify for graduation, students must maintain a minimum 3.0 grade point average in their degree program's core courses plus an aggregate grade point average of 3.0 for all graduate courses taken in the student's degree program at UT Dallas.
Degree Requirements
The University's general degree requirements are discussed on the Graduate Policies and Procedures page.
Students seeking the MS in Social Data Analytics and Research must complete at least 36 semester credit hours of graduate coursework in the program and maintain at least a 3.0 (B) grade point average in order to graduate.
The program has three components: Required Core Courses (15 semester credit hours), Prescribed Analytical Electives (12 semester credit hours) and Prescribed Disciplinary Electives (9 semester credit hours), as follows:
I. Required Core Courses: 15 semester credit hours
EPPS 6302 Methods of Data Collection and Production
EPPS 6311 Research Practice in the Social Sciences
PPPE 6310 Research Design I
EPPS 6313 Introduction to Quantitative Methods1
or EPPS 7313 Descriptive and Inferential Statistics2
or EPPS 7316 Regression and Multivariate Analysis2
In special circumstances, students may substitute alternative equivalent courses in the core with prior approval of the Program Director or the Associate Dean for Graduate Programs.
II. Prescribed Analytical Electives: 12 semester credit hours
Students complete twelve semester credit hours in ONE of the following analytical modules (Data Collection, Production and Management; Quantitative Methods; Qualitative Methods; Design and Evaluation; and Spatial Analytics. The Program Director or the Associate Dean for Graduate Programs must approve course selection within each module.
Module 1: Data Collection, Production and Management
EPPS 6323 Knowledge Mining
EPPS 6324 Data Management for Social Science Research
EPPS 6354 Information Management
EPPS 7386 Survey Research
GISC 5322 GPS (Global Positioning System) Satellite Surveying Techniques
GISC 5324 3D Data Capture and Ground LiDAR
GISC 6325 Remote Sensing Fundamentals
GISC 6381 Geographic Information Systems Fundamentals
GISC 6384 Advanced Geographic Information Systems
GISC 7365 Advanced Remote Sensing
PSCI 6364 Public Opinion and Survey Research
Module 2: Quantitative Methods
ECON 6305 Mathematical Economics
ECON 6306 Applied Econometrics
ECON 6309 Econometrics I
ECON 7309 Econometrics II
ECON 7315 Econometrics III
EPPS 7318 Structural Equation and Multilevel (Hierarchical) Modeling
EPPS 7344 Categorical and Limited Dependent Variables
EPPS 7370 Time Series Analysis I
EPPS 7371 Time Series Analysis II
EPPS 7390 Bayesian Analysis for Social and Behavioral Analysis
Module 3: Qualitative Methods
CRIM 7342 Qualitative Criminology
EPPS 6346 Qualitative Research Methods
EPPS 6355 Qualitative Data Analysis
EPPS 6356 Data Visualization
Module 4: Design and Evaluation
CRIM 6301 Research Design I
EPPS 6352 Evaluation Research Methods in the Social Sciences
EPPS 7304 Cost-Benefit Analysis
GISC 7387 GIS Research Design
PA 6315 Evaluating Program and Organizational Performance
PA 7330 Research Design in Public Affairs
PPPE 6342 Research Design II
Module 5: Spatial Analytics
GISC 6301 GIS Data Analysis Fundamentals
GISC 6311 Statistics for Geospatial Science
GISC 6317 GIS Programming Fundamentals
GISC 6381 Geographic Information Systems Fundamentals
GISC 6384 Advanced Geographic Information Systems
GISC 7310 Advanced GIS Data Analysis
GISC 7360 GIS Pattern Analysis
GISC 7361 Spatial Statistics
III. Prescribed Disciplinary Electives: 9 semester credit hours
Students complete nine semester credit hours in ONE of the following disciplinary domains (Criminology, Geospatial Information Sciences, Economics, Political Science, Public/Nonprofit Management, Public Policy/Political Economy, or Sociology) with courses prescribed by the respective EPPS Programs. The Program Director or the Associate Dean for Graduate Programs must approve course selection.
Criminology:
CRIM 6303 Etiology of Crime and Criminality
CRIM 6311 Crime and Justice Policy
CRIM 6314 Policing
CRIM 6315 Violent Crime
Geospatial Information Sciences:
CRIM 6332/GISC 6331 GIS Applications in Criminology
GISC 6325 Remote Sensing Fundamentals
GISC 6382 Applied Geographic Information Systems
GISC 6385 GIS Theories, Models and Issues
GISC 7364 Demographic and Epidemiological Analysis and Modeling
GISC 7366 Applied Remote Sensing
Economics:
ECON 5321 Microeconomic Theory for Applications
ECON 5322 Macroeconomic Theory for Applications
ECON 5326 Managerial Economics
ECON 5397 Special Topics in Economics
ECON 6320 Game Theory for the Social Sciences
ECON 6344 Transfer Pricing
Political Science:
PSCI 6311 Proseminar in Law and Courts
PSCI 6319 Proseminar in International Relations
PSCI 6321 Proseminar in Comparative Politics
PSCI 6347 Proseminar in Political Institutions and American Politics
Public/Nonprofit Management:
PA 6311 Public Management
PA 6313 Public Policymaking and Institutions
PA 6320 Organizational Theory
PA 6321 Government Financial Management and Budgeting
PA 6345 Human Resource Management
PA 6382 Nonprofit Management
Public Policy/Political Economy:
PPPE 6301 Political-Economic Theories
PPPE 6329 Ethics, Culture and Public Policy
PPPE 6340 Domestic Social Policy
PPPE 6352 World Political Economy
PPPE 6354 Theories and Issues of Development
Sociology:
SOC 6312 Social-Economic Theories
SOC 6344 Gender and Policy
SOC 6347 Religion in Public Life
SOC 6348 Immigration Policy
SOC 6350 Social Stratification
SOC 6355 Race and Ethnic Relations
1. Prerequisite is College Algebra.
2. Prerequisite is Calculus.