phd quantitative social science

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Quantitative Social Science

Program in quantitative social science.

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QSS open house: Liberal arts in 2024

On Thursday, September 12, 2024, the Program in Quantitative Social Science (QSS) held its annual Open House.  This event introduces QSS to incoming Dartmouth students, and it was standing room only in Haldeman Center 41. Professor Michael Herron, Chair of QSS, along with other faculty and members of the QSS Steering Committee, were present at the Open House to address students' questions about the program’s major and minor and how the program offers a contemporary version of a traditional liberal arts education. To schedule a meeting and learn more about QSS, please reach out to  Andrew Coombs , Program Administrator, or Professor Herron .

QSS 82 one quarter research projects, Spring 2024

On Wednesday, May 29, students majoring and minoring in Quantitative Social Science (QSS) showcased their research at a poster session, presenting the results of one-quarter projects completed in QSS 82. This course, led by Senior Lecturer Robert Cooper in Spring 2024, culminated in the presentation of seven diverse posters.

Click here for additional details.

The QSS Class of 2024!

QSS Honors Thesis presentations, Spring 2024

In May, 11 students presented their Quantitative Social Science theses for QSS 81. Each QSS thesis is guided by a primary faculty advisor, and in addition a second reader is assigned to evaluate each thesis. Professor Michael Herron, who is the Chair of QSS, worked with the QSS thesis students over the course of the 2023-24 academic year.

MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference

Six students attended the 2024 MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference in Boston.

The Program in Quantitative Social Science (QSS) brings together Dartmouth faculty and students who are interested in applying statistical, computational, and mathematical tools to social science questions. QSS offers undergraduates a major and minor, both of which combine mathematical training with one or more of the social sciences.

Announcements

Professor yusaku horiuchi joins west house as faculty fellow, qss is hiring, election administration harms and ballot design, qss pizza night, meet our faculty.

Andrew A. Samwick

• Sandra L. and Arthur L. Irving '72a P'10 Professor of Economics

Yusaku Horiuchi

• Professor of Government
• Mitsui Professor of Japanese Studies

Jason Houle

• Professor of Sociology
• Chair, Department of Sociology

Kimberly B. Rogers

• Associate Professor of Sociology
• Quantitative Social Science Program Affiliate

Quick Links

Recent news, professor jason barabas leads dartmouth students in pioneering polling initiative with the dartmouth poll.

Professor Jason Barabas '93, is spearheading The Dartmouth Poll.

On Thursday, September 12, 2024, the Program in QSS held its annual Open House. 

QSS Presentations at APSA 2024

The 120th Annual Meeting & Exhibition of the American Political Science Association took place from September 5-8, 2024, in Philadelphia, PA.

Introducing Jack Andolina, a new addition to Dartmouth's Program in Quantitative Social Science

The Program in QSS is excited to welcome Jack Andolina, an accomplished researcher with a passion for computational social science, to our academic community.

Ph.D. Program

Grad student, Tamkinat Rauf, with Sociologist, William Julius Wilson, at a CASBS event. Image credit: Jerry Wang, courtesy of CASBS at Stanford

The Ph.D. program is defined by a commitment to highly analytical sociology

The program trains graduate students to use a range of methods – quantitative and qualitative – and data – survey, administrative, experimental, interview, direct observation, and more – to answer pressing empirical questions and to advance important theoretical and policy debates.

The Ph.D. curriculum and degree requirements provide students with the methodological skills, substantive knowledge, and mentorship to make important and impactful contributions to sociological knowledge. The program guides Ph.D. students to work on ambitious, independent research projects about which students are passionate. Graduates finish the program well-positioned to be leaders in the field of sociology.

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Department of statistics and applied probability - uc santa barbara, quantitative methods in the social sciences, qmss overview.

The department participates in the Quantitative Methods in the Social Sciences (QMSS) interdisciplinary PhD emphasis. The QMSS emphasis offers students an opportunity to apply cutting-edge statistical techniques to research in social science research including anthropology, communications, education, geography, political science, psychology, or sociology. The QMSS curriculum is designed to provide students with a broad interdisciplinary perspective on the use of quantitative methods in the social sciences.

We encourage any students interested in interdisciplinary quantitative research in the social sciences to consider an emphassis in QMSS.

QMSS Resources

QMSS Curriculum

QMSS Requirements (.pdf)

Directions on how to join QMSS

QMSS Website

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Advanced Quantitative Methods in Social Sciences PhD

Most students complete this programme in 4 years full-time.

Utilise expertise in quantitative methods from a range of disciplines to a higher level than is usually offered.

You'll benefit from insights from a number of disciplines and research groups, including social and policy sciences, economics, psychology and health.

Department of Education

• Programme structure

Most students complete this programme in 4 years. You cannot take less than 2 years to finish your research and the maximum time you are allowed is normally 4 years.

This programme is only available through the Southwest Doctoral Training Partnership. Applications open from October each year and close around January. More information is available to Study as a South West Doctoral Training Partnership (SWDTP) student at Bath .

If you are interested in a PhD on this topic but not through the DTP, then please apply for a PhD in any Humanities and Social Sciences Department .

Occasionally we make changes to our programmes in response to, for example, feedback from students, developments in research and the field of studies, and the requirements of accrediting bodies. You will be advised of any significant changes to the advertised programme, in accordance with our Terms and Conditions.

Your academic progress and general welfare will be monitored by your supervisor.

Academic milestones

• Registration
• Candidature
• Confirmation
• Give notice of intention to submit a thesis / portfolio
• Submission for examination
• Examination (Viva Voce)
• Examiners report
• Final submission of thesis / portfolio
• Programme content
• Doctoral skills online
• Doctoral skills workshop
• Research project
• Supervisory team

Research content

This pathway is for social scientists who wish to learn advanced quantitative methods and apply them appropriately to answer particular substantive questions from their discipline. It's also well-suited to statistically trained researchers whose interests are more methodological.

You'll be part of a group of social scientists interested in interdisciplinary research involving the application of quantitative methods from one discipline (for example economics) to problems in another (for example politics).

Projects may involve applying statistical methods used in other disciplines to social science problems, or developing novel statistical methods for analysing social-science data.

This programme includes a significant piece of research aimed at enabling you to contribute to the academic community through a large written thesis (typically up to 90,000 words).

For interdisciplinary pathways the Lead Supervisor will be from the applicant’s home institution and the second supervisor must be from a different discipline (a different sub-discipline is not sufficient; however, the second could still be from the same institution but a different discipline). The Lead and Second Supervisors must be employed at one of the SWDTP’s partner institutions – Bath, Bristol, Exeter, Plymouth or UWE Bristol.

Professional Development

Professional development is a crucial element of doctoral study, not only in supporting your research but also as part of your longer term career development. Our DoctoralSkills workshops and courses will help you build your skills and help you succeed in your doctorate.

Read more about professional development support

Assessment methods

• Dissertation
• End point assessment

Assessment description

If you wish to study for both the MRes and the PhD (the 1 + 3) you should apply for the PhD but indicate on the Application Form, that you also wish to study for the MRes.

Progression from the MRes to the PhD stage is dependent on achievement of a current average grade Masters (at the point of application) normally of at least Merit (60%) grade. Successful applicants must ultimately achieve both an overall average of at least 60% across the taught units/modules, and at least 60% for the dissertation component as a condition of their funding.

Most research students who ‘do a PhD’ register in the first instance as probationer for the programme of PhD. Confirmation of PhD registration is subject to your passing an assessment process, which normally involves submission of written work and an oral examination.

Candidates are expected to carry out supervised research at the leading edge of their chosen subject, which must then be written up as a substantial thesis.

The final stage of the PhD programme is the oral or viva voce examination, in which students are required to defend the thesis to a Board of Examiners.

• Entry requirements

Academic requirements

• At least a 2:1 degree in a social science subject (or)
• An equivalent degree in another subject, together with substantial relevant work experience

Underlying these conditions is a belief that students must bring a minimum combination of theoretical knowledge and practical experience to the programme. Marginal cases are often dealt with at interview, and it is not uncommon for relatively inexperienced students to be asked to defer entry.

English Language requirements

You will normally need one of the following:

• IELTS: 7.0 overall with no less than 6.5 in all components
• The Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE Academic): 69 with no less than 62 in any element
• TOEFL IBT: 100 overall with a minimum 24 in all 4 components

You will need to get your English language qualification within 24 months prior to starting your course.

If you need to improve your English language skills before starting your studies, you may be able to take a pre-sessional course to reach the required level.

Two references are required. At least one of these should be an academic reference from the most recent place of study.

• Fees and funding

Fees and funding information for Advanced Quantitative Methods in Social Sciences PhD

Your tuition fees and how you pay them will depend on whether you are a Home or Overseas student.

Learn how we decide fee status

Tuition fees are liable to increase annually for all University of Bath students. If you aren't paying your fees in British pounds, you should also budget for possible fluctuations in your own currency.

Find out more about student fees

Funding options

This programme is only available through the Southwest Doctoral Training Partnership. Information on the funding is available at Study as a South West Doctoral Training Partnership (SWDTP) student at Bath .

This is an Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) recognised programme, suitable for ESRC-funded 1+3 awards or subsequent +3 applications (MRes and PhD).

ESRC-funded students are able to claim (during their studies) for three additional allowances:

• Overseas Fieldwork Allowance
• Difficult Language Training
• Overseas Institutional Visits

For more information on these allowances please see the ESRC Postgraduate Funding Guide . Please note that if you anticipate such activities you should outline the details in your application.

Find funding for doctoral research

Payment options

You can pay your tuition fees by Direct Debit, debit card, credit card or bank transfer.

• Application information
• Programme title Advanced Quantitative Methods in Social Sciences PhD
• Final award PhD
• Mode of study Full-time
• Course code RHSP-AFM02
• Department Department of Education as part of the ESRC South West Doctoral Training Partnership (SWDTP) in economic and social science
• Location University of Bath Claverton Down, Bath BA2 7AY
• Regulator The Office for Students (OfS)

Applicant profile

Your proposal should address a problem or question with strong links to the themes of this interdisciplinary pathway.

Prior to applying, please contact and gain agreement to supervise you from an academic staff member (who will become your lead supervisor), as well as your additional supervisor(s), as their agreement to supervise is critical for acceptance into the PhD program. Your lead supervisor may be able to advise on the most suitable additional supervisor(s). Gaining feedback on your proposal from your potential supervisors prior to submission is strongly encouraged.

The proposal itself should include;

• a brief review of relevant background literature (to contextualise the issue)
• a core research question or theme
• an outline of the possible methods that could be used to address this question.
• how your research will draw on interdisciplinary perspectives

Progression from the MRes to the PhD stage is dependent on achieving an acceptable level of achievement (typically an overall average of 60% on at least the taught component of the MRes).

See our guide about how to apply for doctoral study .

Immigration requirements

If you are an international student, you can find out more about the visa requirements for studying in the UK .

For additional support please contact the Student Immigration Service for matters related to student visas and immigration.

• Programme enquiries

Doctoral Admissions Team

• Apply for this programme
• Related programmes
• Advanced Quantitative Methods in Social Sciences PhD part-time

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• PhD Quantitative and Computational Social Science

Prospective PhD Students

• PhD Politics & International Relations
• PhD Global Human Development
• UCD Iseult Honohan Doctoral Scholarship
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PhD Quantitative and Computational Social Science

Duration: 3-4 Years Full Time Entry to the programme is in September only. 

Programme Overview

We offer a PhD programme in Quantitative and Computational Social Science (QCSS). The structured PhD programme includes (2) extensive training in cutting-edge research methods, (2) regular contact with a Research Studies Panel composed of academic staff with expertise related to the student’s interests, and (3) the writing of a doctoral thesis based on original research. 

This programme is built around quantitative and computational social science methods and tools applied to substantive and methodological research questions in the social sciences. The programme brings together the perspectives and research methods of various disciplines such as Economics, Politics, Sociology and Statistics. The QCSS programme provides students with rigorous training in quantitative research and methods, including quantitative text analysis, machine learning, computer vision techniques, agent-based modelling, network analysis, and causal inference. Students will apply these methods in their PhD thesis to answer substantive research questions in Social Sciences. 

Successful candidates are invited to join the Connected_Politics Lab , an interdisciplinary hub for researchers using computational methods to study politics and society, the UCD Geary Institute for Public Policy , and/or the (opens in a new window) UCD Behavioural Science and Policy group, a centre for research and collaboration on integrating behaviourally-informed ideas into public policy. 

Students with a quantitative background in any area can undertake the programme. They will undertake various quantitative social science modules offered by the UCD School of Politics and International Relations, the School of Sociology, and the School of Economics. They may also choose modules that are relevant to their own research interest in other UCD Schools. 

The PhD QCSS programme is a thematic, structured programme. Doctoral studies at UCD comprise two stages:

• Stage 1 is a period when you define your research plan, develop your research skills and initiate original research work for your doctorate.
• Stage 2 is primarily dedicated to continuing your original doctoral research but may also include some advanced education and training. 

Some general information on UCD Structured PhDs is available here .

In general, SPIRe only accepts full-time students. We can, however, accept part-time students under the following conditions:

Entry Requirements

For the structured PhD programme in Quantitative and Computational Social Science, applications are welcomed from applicants with a Master’s degree in data science, computer science, quantitative political science, economics, statistics, and other social science subjects. Applicants to our research degree programmes must have completed and earned a minimum of a 2.1 grade (GPA: 3.6) in a taught Masters (MA, MSc, MLitt, etc.) programme.

General Information for Incoming Students

A Welcome Note from the Dean of Graduate Studies, with information on registration, fees, support services and orientation, can be found  here.

When Can I Apply?

There are three application deadlines for the Quantitative and Computational Social Science programme:

• Applicants to the  Iseult Honohan Doctoral Scholarship : Deadline for 2025 TBC
• IRC Government of Ireland Doctoral Scholarship 2026 applicants: Deadline TBC
• All other funded applicants: a rolling deadline between 1st October 2024 and 31st July 2025 (for non-EU applicants the deadline is 30th June 2025 )  

Note: The Quantitative and Computational Social Science PhD programme only accepts students who have a Honohan Doctoral scholarship, an IRC scholarship or alternative external funding, to include a full fee remission and appropriate living expenses. Self-funded applicants are not eligible.

Programme Structure

As set out by the requirements of UCD Graduate Studies, QCSS students are required to complete a minimum of 35 credits of course works in Stage 1, followed by a programme of original research leading to the award of Doctoral degree by research. More information can be found here .

Note: the modules listed here are for 2024-25. These may change for 2025-26.

All students must take the following module:

• POL50220 Social Science Methodology (Core)

All students take at least one of the following three modules:

• SOC40640 Social Simulation: Methods and Models
• POL42050 Quantitative Text Analysis
• ECON50580 PhD Econometrics 

In addition, all students take at least three modules, totalling to at least 15 credits. Students with a technical background (computer science, engineering, statistics) take these modules from relevant offerings in the social sciences, while students with a social science background (incl. business and law) take these modules from relevant offerings in computer science, mathematics, and/or statistics. 

• ACM40290 Numerical Algorithms
• COMP40610 Information Visualisation
• COMP40730 High Performance Computing
• COMP41680 Data Science in Python
• COMP47470 Big Data Programming
• COMP47670 Data Science in Python
• ECON42720 Causal Inference and Policy Evaluation
• IS41510 Social Networks Online and Off
• PLAN40220 Geographical Information Systems
• POL42340 Programming for Soc Scientists
• POL42530 Politics of International Trade and Investment
• POL42540 Applied Data Wrangling and Visualisation
• POL42550 Feminist Theory
• POL42560 AI and Large Language Models
• SOC30380 Social Dynamics and Networks
• SOC41070 SocThinking in the Digital Age
• SOC41130 AI and Society
• STAT30270 Statistical Machine Learning
• STAT40150 Multivariate Analysis
• STAT40400 Monte Carlo Inference
• STAT40680 Stochastic Models

  The range of modules is subject to change.

The students may register for other modules depending on their research theme with permission from their Supervisor and the Module Coordinator.

The College of Social Sciences and Law schools also make a range of modules available to graduate research students outside their school each year. For a sample of such modules, click here .

A formal Stage Transfer Assessment (STA) takes place in order to progress from Stage 1 to Stage 2 of the PhD. The STA should be completed within 5 trimesters for a full-time student or 7 for a part-time student. Students must submit a body of written work to a review panel, who will conduct an interview on the work submitted, and must also complete a Research and Professional Development Planning (RPDP). For more information on the RPDP click here.  

The PhD may take the form of a traditional thesis, or a collection of papers (including published papers or papers submitted or prepared for submission) describing a coherent programme of research that has been published or prepared for publication in peer-reviewed journals of international standing, accompanied by a critical and theoretical overview of the work presented in the papers.

UCD/TCD Collaboration

SPIRe collaborates with the Department of Political Science in Trinity College Dublin (TCD). We currently share modules on quantitative and qualitative research methods. In addition, TCD operates a Coding Camp for incoming students, as a preparatory course for Quants I. Students enrolling on the QCSS programme are welcome to attend this camp. It usually takes place prior to the start of term. Ask the PhD Administrator for more information.

Application Procedure

Applications will be considered when the documentation below, including references, has been emailed to  (opens in a new window) [email protected]

• Application Form (fillable word doc) ' page"> Application Form (fillable word doc)
• IRC Application Form (Not yet available)
• Cover letter , stating reasons for interest in QCSS programme.  
• Research proposal (1,500-2,000 words maximum) which should include:
• a statement of the research question;
• a brief literature review that points to research gaps the PhD project could address;
• an outline of theoretical approaches considered;
• a brief discussion of the proposed methodology.
• Copies of ALL  Academic Transcripts (Undergraduate and Postgraduate)
• CV or Resume (2 pages maximum)
• Evidence of English language competence , where non-native English speaking applicants have NOT obtained previous university degrees from a university in an English-speaking country. Click on the link for further details on UCD English Language Requirements ' page"> English Language Requirements . The language proficiency certificate should be no more than 2 years old.
• Two academic references: These should be sent directly by the referees to [email protected] with the applicant's name in the Subject field. Actual letters (on headed institutional paper) preferred. If sent by email, they must be from an institutional email address. The QCSS programme reserves the right to verify all references. Sending only the contact details of referees is not sufficient.  
• If you have had contact with a potential supervisor prior to application, please indicate this clearly in the application form and in the cover letter, including detail on the extent of engagement

This documentation should be emailed to Ms Dara Gannon (PhD Administrator) at  (opens in a new window) [email protected] 

The submission of original academic transcripts and other documentation will be required as a condition of the final award of a place on the programme.

How does the application process work?

• Once all documents, including references, have been received, the application will undergo an initial evaluation by the review committee to assess that it satisfies the minimum requirements in terms of academic achievement and language skills 
• Once it has been confirmed that the applicant is, in principle, eligible to join the QCSS PhD programme, the application gets circulated among the relevant academic staff to determine if a potential supervisor is available and interested in taking on the applicant. 
• If someone is potentially interested in supervising / co-supervising, a Zoom/Skype call is usually arranged between the potential supervisor(s) and the applicant so that further questions on the project can be asked. The Programme Director will often sit in on the call to ask general questions and/or provide more information on the programme. 
• Following the call, if the potential supervisor(s) is willing to take on the applicant as a student, the registration process is initiated by the programme’s PhD administrator.
• If an application is not deemed suitable, a letter will be sent to the applicant informing them of the decision. The programme does not provide individual feedback.

Please note that the application review process does not take place until after the the relevant application deadline. For Honohan Scholarship applicants the application deadline is TBC and for 2026 IRC candidates the deadline is TBC. There is a rolling deadline for other, externally-funded students.

Honohan Scholarship Applicants The Honohan Doctoral Scholarship covers a full EU/non-EU fee remission, plus an annual stipend of €25,000. The deadline for applications is TBC.  

IRC Applicants The  (opens in a new window) Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarship Programme , funded by the Irish Research Council (IRC) covers EU fees plus a stipend. The 2026 call will open in September 2025. The application process is highly competitive so collaboration with a local supervisor to develop the application is recommended. See this page for more information. If the IRC fee/stipend allowance does not match that of the school's Honohan scholarship, the school will provide a 'top up' payment.

Please note:   If you wish to work with a SPIRe supervisor and use that supervisor's name on your IRC application, you must go through the school application process first , even if the SPIRe academic has indicated his/her willingness to work with you. 

Note: The QCSS PhD programme only accepts students who have a Honohan Doctoral scholarship, an IRC doctoral scholarship or alternative external funding to include a full fee remission and appropriate living expenses. Self-funded applicants are not eligible. 

The FT fee for 2025-26 is €7,130

The PT fee for 2025-26 is €4,710

EU Graduate Research Fees for the Academic Year 2025-26 

Non-EU Fees

The FT fee for 2025-26 is €13,730

The PT fee for 2024-25 is €9,200

Non-EU Graduate Research Fees for the Academic Year 2025-26

Further information relating to fees      

Fees published are inclusive of a Student Centre Levy (€254) which must be paid by all students. Note: The Honohan or IRC scholarships do not cover the Student Levy.

Helpful Links

• Information on estimated living costs in Ireland can be found on the UCD Global website ' page"> UCD Global website
• Specific information for international students can be found at UCD Global ' page"> UCD Global

Scholarships and Funding

Spire scholarships.

SPIRe operates an Iseult Honohan Doctoral Scholarship , which provides a fee remission of the scheduled EU or non-EU fee plus a tax-free annual stipend of €25k.  The 2025 application round is not yet open.

Click here for more details

IRC Scholarships

The (opens in a new window) Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarship Programme , funded by the Irish Research Council (IRC) covers EU fees plus a stipend. The current round is closed. The application process is highly competitive so collaboration with a local supervisor to develop the application is recommended.

If the IRC fee/stipend allowance does not match that of the school's Honohan scholarship, the school will provide a 'top up' payment.

• (opens in a new window) Employment Based Postgraduate Programme
• (opens in a new window) Enterprise Partnership Scheme

Please note: If you wish to work with a SPIRe supervisor and use that supervisor's name on your IRC application, you must go through the school application process first, even if the SPIRe academic has indicated his/her willingness to work with you. The SPIRe application deadline for the 2026 IRC round is TBC.

Other Scholarships

Universities of Ireland offers a  (opens in a new window) North/South Postgraduate Scholarship  to encourage graduate study across the border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Other UCD scholarships   

International Students

• Specific information for international students planning to attend UCD can be found at UCD Global ' page"> UCD Global
• Supports for students and general information about the campus and the student experience can be found here ' page"> here
• Further information on estimated living costs and grants can be found here ' page"> here . Please visit the Irish Dept of Justice website ' page" target="_blank" rel="noopener" tabindex="0"> (opens in a new window) Irish Dept of Justice website for information on obtaining a visa
• Further visa information can be found on the (opens in a new window) Citizen's Information website
• And information regarding working in Ireland can be accessed here ' page"> here

SPIRe Seminars and Events

Throughout your time in SPIRe, you will have access to a variety of university and school events, workshops and seminars to choose from. Some of the school offerings are below:

The SPIRe Seminar Series offers a variety of seminars from both school faculty and external speakers.

The SPIRe Early Career Researcher Forum provides guidance to early-career researchers and facilitates informal discussions between SPIRe faculty and PhD students.  

The Connected_Politics Laboratory has a series of events and seminars throughout the year.

As does the Dublin Political Theory Workshop

Information on university workshops can be found here

UCD Career Support

Career support.

Current and recently graduated, UCD Graduate Researchers (PhDs and Research Masters students), can book a  60 minute  appointment with a dedicated Career & Skills Consultant to discuss:

• Individual Career Planning
• Academic and non-Academic Career Options 
• Job Applications
• Interviews and Presentations

More detail can be found  here

UCD School of Politics & International Relations Room G301 Newman Building University College Dublin Belfield Dublin 4 Ireland

PhD Administrator Ms Dara Gannon (School Manager) Email:  (opens in a new window) [email protected]

Programme Director (opens in a new window) Dr Joshua Alley ' page" target="_blank" rel="noopener" tabindex="0"> (opens in a new window) Email:  (opens in a new window) [email protected]

UCD School of Politics and International Relations (SPIRe)

• Equity & Inclusion

Quantitative Social Science

From the lists shown below, students will select one course from the lower-division, and two courses from the upper-division. The lower division course is a required element of the Domain Emphasis.

Prerequisites shown within square brackets.

Lower Division (select one)

• ECON 1 or 2. Introduction to Economics (4 units)
• SOCIOL 1. Introduction to Sociology (4 units)
• SOCIOL 3AC. Principles of Sociology: American Cultures (4 units)
• SOCIOL 5. Evaluation of Evidence (4 units)
• POL SCI 3. Introduction to Empirical Analysis and Quantitative Methods (4 units)
• POL SCI 88. The Scientific Study of Politics (2 units)

Upper Division (select two)

• DEMOG 110. Introduction to Population Analysis (3 units)
• DEMOG/SOCIOL C126. Sex, Death, and Data (4 units) [Prerequisites: SOCIOL 1 or 3]
• DEMOG/ECON C175. Economic Demography (4 units) [Prerequisites: ECON 1]
• DEMOG 180. Social Networks (4 units)
• ECON C110 / POLI SCI C135/POLI SCI W135. Game Theory in the Social Sciences (4 units)
• ENVECON/IAS C118. Introductory Applied Econometrics (4 units)
• MEDIAST 130. Research Methods in Media Studies (4 units) [Prerequisites: MEDIAST 10] no longer offered
• POLSCI 132B. Machine Learning for Social Scientists (4 units) [Prerequisites: POLSCI 3, DATA C8]
• POLSCI 133. Selected Topics in Quantitative Methods (4 units)
• SOCIOL 106. Quantitative Sociological Methods (4 units) [Prerequisites: SOCIOL 5]

Unit values and prerequisites are subject to change. Please refer to guide.berkeley.edu for the most up-to-date course information.

Prior to Quantitative Social Science, Dr. Torelli taught econometrics at Harvard (where he was a National Science Foundation Graduate Fellow) , worked at the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), and was an economic consultant in Los Angeles, Washington DC, and New York City.  He holds MA and PhD degrees in economics from Harvard and a BA in economics and pure mathematics from UC Berkeley, where he graduated as the top student in the economics department.  Today Dr. Torelli continues to serve the economics profession by acting as a referee for academic journals, and locally, he enjoys teaching economics and statistics as well as volunteering at law school mock trials.  His recent book International Economics: Understanding the Forces of Globalization for Managers is featured by Harvard Business Publishing as part of their online digital catalogue.

PhD Programs with Quantitative Concentrations

Public policy.

• Social Sciences

Public Health Sciences

Comparative human development, political science.

The University has PhD degree programs in various departments and schools that provide a concentration on quantitative methods. New doctoral applicants who are interested in developing specialty in quantitative methods, depending on their disciplinary interests, may look into one of these degree programs.

Doctoral Programs in Quantitative Methods

Business administration.

Econometrics and Statistics , one of the eight dissertation areas in the Booth School PhD program, is concerned with the combination of economic, mathematical, and computer techniques in the analysis of economic and business problems such as forecasting, demand and cost analyses, model-building, and testing empirical implications of theories. Study in this area integrates a comprehensive program of course work with extensive research. The program is designed for students who wish to do research in statistical methods that are motivated by business applications. Students are able to design an individual program of study by combining courses in specific areas of business, such as economics, finance, accounting, marketing, or international business with advanced courses in statistical methods.  Empirical work has always been an important part of the research effort at Chicago Booth in all fields of study. Econometrics and statistics courses are thus useful choices in satisfying the basic discipline or coordinated sequence.

Quantitative Methods  are a key component of the Core curriculum. Specialized Fields in Quantitative Methods include:

• Quantitative Study of Inequality
• Applied econometrics

          Tools of Policy Analysis provides in-depth and technical expertise that can be applied to a broad range of subject          areas.The following are included among the five specialties: Program evaluation, statistics, and survey methods. 

Methods in Human Development Research . Research on human development over the life span and across social and cultural contexts thrives on multiple theoretical perspectives. This research requires creation and improvement of a wide range of research methods appropriately selected for and tailored to specific human development problems. Faculty in the department employ research methods that span the full range from primarily qualitative to primarily quantitative and to strategic mix of both. Across all the substantive domains in Comparative Human Development, theoretical understanding is greatly advanced by methodology; therefore the Department pays serious attention to research design, data collection, analytic strategies, and presentation, evaluation, and interpretations of evidence. The Department has contributed some of the most influential work on psychological scaling on the basis of the item response theory (IRT), multivariate statistical methods, analysis of qualitative data, modeling of human growth, and methods for cross-cultural analysis. Current research interests include (a) assessment of individual growth and change in important domains of development that are often intertwined, (b) examination and measurement of the structure, process, and quality of individual and group experiences in institutionalized settings such as families, schools, clinics, and neighborhoods, and (c) evaluation of the impact of societal changes or interventions on human development via changes in individual and group experiences, with particular interest in the heterogeneity of growth, process, and impact across demographic sub-populations and across social cultural contexts.

Concentration in Biostatistics ,The PhD program in the Department of Public Health Sciences is supported by a core methodological curriculum in population-based research on human health. Students completing a concentration in biostatistics will be prepared to develop state-of-the-art quantitative reasoning and techniques of statistical science, mathematics, and computing, and to apply these to current and future research problems in biomedical science and population health. In addition, these students will complete a minor program of study in a substantive area of application. As such they will be particularly well prepared to engage in collaborative population-based health research. 

Methodology  is one of the five fields in the department. Many students choose the department’s introductory sequence in quantitative methods, followed by more advanced seminars in data analysis and model building. Students with more advanced methodological skills can take further coursework in the department or related courses in economics, public policy or statistics.

Special Fields in Methodology . The Department of Sociology at the University of Chicago has a rich group of faculty members who provide graduate training and conduct research in methods and models for sociological research. These methods can be divided roughly into four categories: Field and ethnographic methods; statistical methods; survey and related methods; and mathematical modeling methods. PhD. students are required to demonstrate competence in two special fields. The Special Field Requirement is generally met during the third and fourth years of graduate study. Students must pass the Preliminary Examination at the PhD. level before meeting the Special Field Requirement. This requirement may be met in three ways: by examination, with a review essay, or through a specified sequence of methods courses. Five types of special fields in methodology are recognized: (1) social statistics, (2) survey research methods, (3) qualitative methods (4) methodology for social organization research, and (5) mathematical sociology.

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Justin de Benedictis-Kessner

Justin de Benedictis-Kessner is a political scientist and an Assistant Professor of Public Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School. He researches American politics, with a focus on political behavior, public policy, local politics... Read more about Justin de Benedictis-Kessner

Melissa Dell

Melissa Dell is a professor in the Economics Department and a faculty research fellow at the National Bureau of Economic Research. Her research focuses on long-run economic development, primarily in Latin America and Asia. She has examined the impacts of weather... Read more about Melissa Dell

Francesca Dominici

Dr. Dominici received her B.S. in Statistics from University La Sapienza in Rome, Italy and her Ph.D. in Statistics from the University of Padua in Italy... Read more about Francesca Dominici

Cynthia Dwork

Cynthia Dwork uses theoretical computer science to place societal problems on a firm mathematical foundation. She was awarded the Edsger W. Dijkstra Prize in 2007 in recognition of some of her earliest work establishing the pillars on which every fault tolerant system has been built for a generation (Dwork, Lynch, and Stockmeyer, 1984)... Read more about Cynthia Dwork

Jared Ellias

Jared studies corporate law, corporate financial distress and bankruptcy law using quantitative methods and text analysis.

Mark Esposito

Mark Esposito is professor of economics and public policy with appointments at Hult International Business School, where he directs the Futures Impact Lab as well as Harvard University, since 2011.

At Harvard, he serves as social scientist with affiliations at Harvard Kennedy School’s Center for International Development; Harvard University’s Institute for Quantitative Social Science (IQSS) and the Davis Center for Eurasian Studies. He is a faculty associate of the Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society... Read more about Mark Esposito

Maha R. Farhat

My current area of interest lies at the intersection of epidemiology, bioinformatics, computational and evolutionary biology as applied to microbial genome science and more specifically to understanding the biology of drug resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis... Read more about Maha R. Farhat

Claudine Gay

A professor of Government and of African and African-American Studies at Harvard University since 2006, Gay is a leading scholar of political behavior,...

Jacob Gersen

Professor Jacob E. Gersen is Professor of Law at Harvard Law School, Affiliate Professor in the Department of Government, and the Founder and Director of the Food Law Lab at the Petrie-Flom Center at Harvard Law School. The Food Law Lab supports academic research on the legal treatment of food in society. He is also the co-editor of Food Law & Policy... Read more about Jacob Gersen

Daniel Gilbert

Daniel Gilbert is the Edgar Pierce Professor of Psychology at Harvard University. He has won numerous awards for his research and teaching, including the American Psychological Association’s Distinguished Scientific Award for an Early Career Contribution to Psychology... Read more about Daniel Gilbert

Edward Glaeser

Alyssa A. Goodman

Alyssa Goodman is the  Robert Wheeler Willson Professor of Applied Astronomy at Harvard University, Co-Director for Science, Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, and a Research Associate of the Smithsonian Institution. Goodman's research and teaching interests span astronomy, data visualization, and online systems for research and education... Read more about Alyssa A. Goodman

Chase H. Harrison

Chase Harrison is Associate Director of the Harvard Program on Survey Research and Preceptor in Survey Methods in the Department of Government. Chase has been teaching survey methods at Harvard since 2006... Read more about Chase H. Harrison

Nima Hejazi

Dr. Hejazi's current research interests combine causal inference and machine learning, driven by the aim of developing tailored, assumption-lean statistical procedures for efficient and robust inference about scientifically informative parameters. He is motivated by methodological issues arising in robust non- and semi-parametric inference... Read more about Nima Hejazi

Elhanan Helpman

Elhanan Helpman is the Galen L. Stone Professor of International Trade at Harvard University and a Fellow of the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research...

Michael Hiscox

Andrew Ho is Charles William Eliot Professor of Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. He is a psychometrician interested in the properties and consequences of test-based educational accountability metrics. His research has addressed measures of proficiency, growth, value added, achievement gains... Read more about Andrew Ho

Jennifer Hochschild

Alisha Holland

Alisha Holland studies the comparative political economy of development with a focus on urban politics, social policy, and Latin America. Before joining the Harvard faculty, she was an Assistant Professor in the Politics Department at Princeton... Read more about Alisha Holland

Bruce Huang

Dr. Bruce Huang is currently the director of master's degree program in information technology, overseeing five Master of Liberal Arts (ALM) in Extension Studies degree programs, including computer science, cybersecurity, data science, digital media design, and systems engineering... Read more about Bruce Huang

Reshmaan N Hussam

Kosuke Imai

Kosuke Imai is Professor of Government and of Statistics at Harvard University. Imai's research area is political methodology and more generally applied...

Torben Iversen

Torben Iversen is Harold Hitchings Burbank Professor of Political Economy in the Government Department at Harvard University. His research and teaching interests include comparative political economy, electoral politics, and applied formal theory. He is the author or co-author of  Big Data and the Welfare State: How the Information Revolution Threatens Social Solidarity... Read more about Torben Iversen

Connor Jerzak

Zhichao Jiang

Zhichao is a professor in the School of Mathematics at Sun Yat-sen University. His main interests are causal inference methodologies and contaminated data...

Jocelyn Kelly

Dr. Jocelyn Kelly is the Director for Harvard Humanitarian Initiative’s (HHI) Gender, Rights and Resilience (GR2) program, where she implements projects to examine issues relating to gender, peace, and security in conflict-affected and climate-fragile environments. Her work focuses on understanding and preventing gender-based violence and human trafficking in complex crises, with an emphasis... Read more about Jocelyn Kelly

Joshua D. Kertzer

Joshua D. Kertzer is Professor of Government at Harvard University. His research specializes in the intersection of international security, political psychology, foreign policy, and public opinion. He is the author of  Resolve in International Politics  (Princeton University Press, 2016), along with articles appearing in a variety of academic journals, including... Read more about Joshua D. Kertzer

Arthur Kleinman

Arthur Kleinman is a world-renowned psychiatrist and anthropologist who has taught for over 40 years in the Department of Global Health and Social Medicine at Harvard Medical School and in the FAS Department of Anthropology... Read more about Arthur Kleinman

Clem Aeppli

Clem Aeppli studies transformations of the modern workplace—outsourcing and contracting, decentralization, de-unionization—and how these structure...

Hongmin Ahn

Hongmin is a student at Harvard Divinity School. Before coming to IQSS, he was a student librarian at the HDS library. His former work combined with...

Adil is a PhD student in Public Policy (Economics Track) and is interested in Development Economics and Political Economy. Much of his work focuses on...

Ahmet Akbiyik

Ahmet is a PhD student in Political Economy and Government at Harvard Kennedy School. His research interests are political economy, migration, social...

Layane Alhorr

Layane is a PhD candidate at the Harvard Kennedy School specializing in development economics. She uses natural and field experiments to study digitization's impact on people and businesses in developing countries... Read more about Layane Alhorr

Lily An is a PhD student in Education Policy and Program Evaluation at Harvard University and a PIER Fellow at the Center for Education Policy Research. Her research interests are in educational measurement, causal inference methods, and school accountability policies. Prior to her doctoral studies, Lily was a research analyst at Brown University... Read more about Lily An

Keziah Anderson

Keziah Anderson is a PhD student in History with a Secondary Field in African and African American Studies. Her research is at the nexus of disability,...

Abhishek Arora

Abhishek is a PhD student in Economics at Harvard interested in Political Economy...

Victoria S Asbury

Victoria S. Asbury is a PhD Candidate in Sociology at Harvard University studying political behavior and attitudes. She draws upon computational text...

Elena Ayala-Hurtado

Natalie Ayers

Natalie Ayers is a PhD student in the Department of Government studying Methodology and International Relations. Her research interests include developing and applying computational methods, including geospatial analytics, machine learning, and... Read more about Natalie Ayers

Anthony Bald

Anthony is a PhD candidate in Public Policy. His research interests are in the fields of public economics and labor economics. His work in public economics focuses on the economics of child welfare and impact of foster care... Read more about Anthony Bald

María Ballesteros

Maria Ballesteros is a PhD Student in Government at Harvard University using quantitative methods to study the role of gender in political violence. Originally from Mexico City, María graduated with honors from ITAM with a B.A. in Political Science. Prior to coming to Harvard... Read more about María Ballesteros

Sachet Bangia

Sachet is interested in development and labor economics. 

Omar Barbiero

Omar Barbiero is a Ph.D. candidate in Economics at Harvard University. He uses both empirical and theoretical methods to study the economic effects of...

David A Beavers

David is a PhD candidate in Government at Harvard University. His research interests center on how public perceptions of the media -- including the...

Avishay Ben Sasson-Gordis

Avishay studies political theory and international relations with a focus on democratic civil-military relations. He is currently conducting research on...

Shweta Bhogale

Shweta's research interests are at the intersection of development economics, political economy, and environmental resources. She currently works on research about geographical and administrative determinants of... Read more about Shweta Bhogale

Jimmy Biblarz

Sima Biondi

Jeremy Bowles

Max Kuhelj Bugaric

Max Kuhelj Bugaric is a PhD student in the Department of Government at Harvard University, where he studies international relations and political...

Jessie Bullock

Jessie is a PhD student in the Department of Government. She studies Comparative Politics and Political EcoNomy, with substantive interests in urban development, large-scale corruption, organized crime, and bureaucracy. Thus far, she has concentrated her research... Read more about Jessie Bullock

Gwen Calais-Haase

Gwen Calais-Haase is a PhD Candidate with an academic focus on American Politics, Congress, Legislative Procedure, and Representation.

António Câmara

António Câmara is a PhD student in the Department of Government. His research is at the intersection of politics and computing. Methodologically, he is interested in using and creating machine learning, natural language processing, and game theoretic models to study political behavior and public opinion... Read more about António Câmara

Romaine Campbell

Riley Carney

Caitlin Carroll

Shelby Carvalho

Shelby is an advanced doctoral candidate, Presidential Merit Fellow, and Fulbright recipient in Government. Her work focuses broadly on the political economy of education and employment and on migration and forced displacement in low- and middle-income countries with a regional focus on sub-Saharan Africa. Outside of Harvard... Read more about Shelby Carvalho

Victor Yang

Seo-Hyun Yoo

Seo-Hyun is interested in the intersection of health and environmental change, particularly regarding marine ecosystems. Associated with IQSS, she is working on a project examining changes in nutrition... Read more about Seo-Hyun Yoo

Jesse Zhang

Michael Zhao

Michael Zhao is a junior from California living in Quincy House and concentrating in Statistics and Computer Science with a secondary in...

Robert Gahl

Robert Gahl is the Vice Director of the Markets, Culture, and Ethics (MCE) Research Centre and of the Program of Church Management at the Pontifical...

Jana Gallus

Intellectual history of pre-modern China and database of digital humanity (CBDB)

Robert Gaudin, MD

Doctor Gaudin graduated from Medical School, Hamburg, Germany and defended his doctoral thesis in 2014. From January 2015 until June 2016...

Kirk Goldsberry

Between UCSB, Michigan State, Harvard, and UT-Austin, I’ve been teaching at universities for over a decade. My courses aim to enable students to harness the power of graphic communication by understanding fundamental concepts as well as learning contemporary design techniques. I am currently teaching Sports Analytics... Read more about Kirk Goldsberry

Richard S. Grossman

Richard S. Grossman is Professor of Economics at Wesleyan University in Middletown, CT and a Visiting Scholar at The Institute. He teaches classes in...

Brian Guay is a postdoctoral researcher at MIT in the Department of Political Science & Sloan School of Management. Brian’s research is at the intersection of political behavior and methodology, with a specific focus on misinformation and polarization... Read more about Brian Guay

Yajie Hao's research interests include Ming Dynasty letters and literati.

Clemens Havas

Clemens Havas is a PhD candidate at University of Salzburg’s Department of Geoinformatics – Z_GIS with a background in computer science. He specializes in...

Xi He is currently a PhD candidate at the School of Philosophy at Beijing Normal University, where her research interest is the history of Chinese...

Zhaoquan He

Jonas Heite

Alina Herderich

Alina Herderich is a predoctoral researcher at the Digital Emotions Lab led by Amit Goldenberg at HBS. Her home university is the Graz University of...

Maria Soledad Hershey

Daria Barry postdoctoral fellow at the Human Flourishing Program at Harvard University. She is interested in understanding and optimizing societal well-being and health through lifestyle habits rooted in societal and individual principles... Read more about Maria Soledad Hershey

Benjamin Mako Hill

Florian Hillen

Christina Hinton

Dr. Christina Hinton leads the Human Flourishing Program’s work in education and...

Melody Huang

Melody is a Wojcicki Troper Harvard Data Science Institute Postdoctoral Fellow. Her research focuses on developing methods for credible causal inference...

Deborah Hurley

Ania Jaroszewicz

Ania Jaroszewicz is a behavioral scientist conducting research at the intersection of economics and psychology. Broadly, her work examines questions related to poverty and inequality, with her current research focusing on how people decide to ask others for help... Read more about Ania Jaroszewicz

Shao-Yu Jheng

Shao-Yu Jheng's research topics include (i) (rapid) industrialization and premature deindustrialization, (ii) state capacity and industrial policy, (iii) institutions, (iv) USA's aid policy, covering the fields across political economy, economic history, development economics, and industrial organization... Read more about Shao-Yu Jheng

Drew Johnston

Murat Kantarcioglu

Alejandro Kantor

Georgia Kernell

Junghwan Kim

Junghwan Kim is a postdoctoral fellow at CGA. He received his Ph.D. in Geography (2021) from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). He also holds a B.S. in Urban Planning and Engineering (Summa Cum Laude) from Yonsei University (2016) in South Korea and a Master of Urban Planning (MUP) from the UIUC (2018)... Read more about Junghwan Kim

Jan Kinne is a postdoc in the research area "Economics of Innovation and Business Dynamics" at the Center for European Economic Research (ZEW Mannheim). He studied geoinformatics at the University of Heidelberg and received his PhD from the University of Salzburg on the topic of "web-based innovation indicators for microgeographic analyses"... Read more about Jan Kinne

Patrick Lam

David Lazer

Most of Lazer's work is based on the idea that how people and organizations are connected together is critical to understanding the functioning, success...

Angela Lee completed a PhD in sociology at Harvard University in 2021. She is currently a Research Scientist at Facebook. Her dissertation research examined wealth inequality by gender in the United States. She looked at trends in the gender wealth gap over the past three decades, changes in the gender wealth gap over the life course... Read more about Angela Lee

Stephen Kraffmiller

Chetan Krishna

Chetan Krishna is a research associate focusing on the processes of science and technology commercialization and the adoption of AI/ML/NLP in businesses... Read more about Chetan Krishna

Emily Lawrence

Emily majored in Electronic Media, Arts and Communications at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and worked at BU for six years before joining IQSS in 2016...

Keri Lemasters

Benjamin Lewis

Dwayne Liburd

Emma Loayza

Emma joined IQSS in May of 2024. Prior to that, she worked as an Office Manager in both the Library Student Employment Program and the...

Ally Madden

Maria Martins

Vinay Mehra

Vinay Mehra is an Executive Fellow at Harvard Business School and an Affiliate of the Institute for Quantitative Social Science (IQSS). He is passionate about curating academic literature to make new knowledge accessible to a broader audience, highlighting the crucial role of social science and data in shaping our understanding of the world.... Read more about Vinay Mehra

Hirotaka Miura

Hirotaka Miura is a Research Associate at Harvard Business School with a primary focus on supporting research conducted by Professor Chiara Farronato... Read more about Hirotaka Miura

Bailey Moore

Bailey Moore joined IQSS in 2024 as an IT Client Services Support Specialist. She went to school for Computer Networking at Lamar Institute of Technology...

Brooke Moore

Jacqueline Ng Lane

Jacqueline Ng Lane's research examines how diverse teams in science, medicine, and knowledge-work can make use of their resources and informational advantages to achieve innovation breakthroughs... Read more about Jacqueline Ng Lane

Rebecca Nichols

Bonnie O'Brien

Michael O'Brien

Michael joined the IQSS in May 2024 as an Academic Affairs & HR Coordinator. Before this appointment, he was the interim Office...

Jin H. Paik serves as the lab’s general manager. He works to develop the lab's strategic vision, as well as to direct project and research activities... Read more about Jin Paik

Dr. Pop currently serves as  Director in the Laboratory for Innovation Science at Harvard (LISH) l at the D^3 Institute within Harvard Business...

Mike Reekie

Douglas Richardson

As the Executive Director of the American Association of Geographers (AAG) from 2003-2019, Douglas Richardson led a highly successful renewal of the organization. He greatly expanded its membership and international footprint, developed dynamic and wide-ranging new... Read more about Douglas Richardson

Liz Salazar

Evan Sarmiento

Dominic Skinnion

Dom is a Quantitative Social Science Researcher at IQSS and is interested in political science methodology, survey research, and American politics. Prior...

Gabrielle Stone

Soner Taskaya

Anna Taylor

Juan Pablo Tosca

Juan Pablo Tosca is a talented software developer who joined IQSS in 2023 as a Senior Software Developer on the Dataverse project....

Samantha Carr

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Jan 2020 - May 2023

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Quantitative Social Science Methods, I: Government 2001, and E-200

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Quantitative Methods and Social Analysis (QMSA) is a one-year program with 9 graduate-level courses over three academic quarters, culminating in an article-length MA thesis. Students in QMSA receive rigorous training in statistical theory and gain critical exposure to the latest quantitative techniques to solve real-world problems. More information about the MAPSS-QMSA concentration can be found here  on the Committee on Quantitative Methods in Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences website.

The QMSA Concentration requires students to complete courses in statistical theory and advanced quantitative methods, from an approved list. In addition, students select three graduate electives in their social science field, participate in the biweekly QMEHSS Quantitative Methods Workshop, and write an MA thesis with a member of the QMSA-affiliated faculty. Questions about the MAPSS-QMSA concentration should be directed to:

Yanyan Sheng, Senior Instructional Professor Committee on Quantitative Methods 1155 E. 60th Street Chicago, IL 60637 Email:  [email protected]   Phone: 773-702-0543

Applicants who declare an interest in QMSA must have a minimum quantitative GRE score in the 75th percentile. Applicants must list up to five prior courses in the social sciences, and up to five prior courses in mathematics, statistics, or quantitative methods. They should have prior exposure to calculus and linear algebra. They must furnish a statement of purpose indicating a domain of substantive interest in the social or behavioral sciences, outlining their intended research, and naming two QMSA-affiliated faculty members with whom they wish to work.

Students admitted to other MAPSS concentrations may petition to change their track to QMSA after accepting their offer. Those students must have a minimum quantitative GRE score in the 75th percentile OR qualified transcripts that show successful performance in calculus, linear algebra, and post-introductory statistics courses. Information on the petition process will be sent to all students in early May.

International students on F-1 or J-1 student visas who complete the Master of Arts Program in the Social Sciences (MAPSS) with this concentration may be eligible for employment benefits associated with their respective visa type. The MAPSS-QMSA Concentration is listed as a STEM designated degree by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for the purposes of the STEM OPT extension allowing eligible students to apply. However, approval for STEM OPT is at the discretion of U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services. To learn more visit our Office of International Affairs website .

QMSA students are required to attend an intensive math camp in September – MACS 33000: Computational Math and Statistics – for a review of linear algebra, differential/integral calculus, probability, and statistical theory that constitute the mathematical foundations of quantitative research methods. QMSA students must take a math/statistics placement exam before or during the orientation week.

The result of this exam and a student’s prior coursework will jointly determine the sequence of courses that the student will take to meet the curricular requirement in statistical theory.

A sequence of two courses in statistical theory is required for all students in the QMSA concentration. To fulfill this requirement, each QMSA student is advised by the Senior Instructional Professor to choose one of the following three series according to his or her preparation and placement exam result.

Beginning Series: Students who have not taken probability and statistics in their prior coursework, or who need to develop a better command of the mathematical foundations of statistical theory, will take SOSC 36006 (Foundations for Statistical Theory) in the Fall Quarter and STAT 24400 (Statistical Theory and Methods I) in the Winter Quarter.

Intermediate Series: Other QMSA students will take STAT 24400 (Statistical Theory and Methods I) in the Fall or Winter) quarter and STAT 24500 (Statistical Theory and Methods II) in the Winter or (Spring) quarter.

Advanced Series: Those with particularly strong mathematics and statistics backgrounds may, in consultation with their faculty mentor or QMSA Senior Instructional Professor, take BUSN 41901 (Probability and Statistics) and BUSN 41902 (Inference in Econometrics and Statistics) to satisfy these course requirements. This sequence of PhD-level courses provides a thorough introduction to classical and Bayesian statistical theory, and offers the necessary tools for many of the advanced courses in the Chicago Booth curriculum.

QMSA students must take MAPS 30000: Perspectives in Social Science Analysis in the Fall and SOSC 36007: Overview of Quantitative Methods in the Social and Behavioral Sciences in the Winter.

The former provides an orientation to major theoretical perspectives that have influenced multiple disciplines in the social sciences and guides students through the process of developing a thesis project. The latter offers an overview of a wide range of quantitative methods, reveals their common logic and inherent connections, and provides a gateway to more advanced coursework across the University.

In consultation with their faculty mentors and the QMSA Senior Instructional Professor, students select two advanced methods courses from the wide range of approved courses listed on the QMSA webpage , which is updated quarterly.

Eligible courses must not be at the introductory level or exclusively about learning a software package. They must not be only incidentally about quantitative methods or applications of quantitative methods learned in other courses. Students who hope to take a course not on the QMSA course list must contact the QMSA Senior Instructional Professor before the quarter begins to start a petition process.

In consultation with their faculty mentor and/or MAPSS preceptor, students select up to 3 social science electives that equip them with the theoretical understanding and the empirical knowledge necessary for their MA projects. Eligible courses must introduce students to the literatures surrounding a significant research problem, and they must have a writing component.

A minimum “B” average is required to earn the QMSA concentration. QMSA students who take SOSC 36006: Foundations for Statistical Theory in the Fall must obtain at least a B+ to ensure that they will succeed in STAT 24400: Statistical Theory and Methods I. Up to two elective courses may be taken pass/fail.

Under the supervision of a faculty mentor and the MAPSS preceptor, every QMSA student is required to complete a research article by the end of the academic year that demonstrates the student’s ability to conduct and present rigorous investigations of a significant research question.

QMSA students must attend the biweekly Workshop on Quantitative Methods that meets every other Friday from 10:30-noon. The Workshop invites leading methodologists to present their work and offers an ideal venue for students to get up to speed with the latest developments in quantitative research. In addition, QMSA students are required to attend a pre-workshop session designed to provide scaffolding and prepare them for active participation in the intellectual discourse around the topic of each workshop.

SOSC 36006: Foundations for Statistical Theory. This course is designed for graduate and advanced undergraduate students who aim to develop conceptual understanding of the fundamentals of statistical theory underlying a wide array of quantitative research methods. The course introduces students to probability and statistical theory and emphasizes the connection between statistical theory and the routine practice of statistical applications in quantitative research. Students will gain basic understanding of the concepts of joint, marginal, and conditional probability, Bayes rule, probability distributions of random variables, principles of statistical inference, sampling distributions, and estimation strategies. The course can serve as a preparation for mathematical statistics courses such as STAT 244 (Statistical Theory and Methods 1) and as a theoretical foundation for various advanced quantitative methods courses in the social, behavioral, and health sciences. Prerequisites: Basic knowledge of linear algebra and calculus, specifically differentiation and integration, is necessary to understand the material on continuous distributions, multivariate distributions, and functions of random variables.

STAT 24400: Statistical Theory and Methods I. This course is the first quarter of a two-quarter systematic introduction to the principles and techniques of statistics, as well as to practical considerations in the analysis of data, with emphasis on the analysis of experimental data. This course covers tools from probability and the elements of statistical theory. Topics include the definitions of probability and random variables, binomial and other discrete probability distributions, normal and other continuous probability distributions, joint probability distributions and the transformation of random variables, principles of inference (including Bayesian inference), maximum likelihood estimation, hypothesis testing and confidence intervals, likelihood ratio tests, multinomial distributions, and chi-square tests. Examples are drawn from the social, physical, and biological sciences. The coverage of topics in probability is limited and brief, so students who have taken a course in probability find reinforcement rather than redundancy.  Prerequisite(s): MATH 19520 or 20000 with a grade of B or better, or MATH 16300 or 20250 or 20300 or 20700 or STAT 24300 or PHYS 22100.  

STAT 24500: Statistical Theory and Methods II. This course is the second quarter of a two- quarter systematic introduction to the principles and techniques of statistics, as well as to practical considerations in the analysis of data, with emphasis on the analysis of experimental data. This course continues from STAT 24400 and covers statistical methodology, including the analysis of variance, regression, correlation, and some multivariate analysis. Some principles of data analysis are introduced, and an attempt is made to present the analysis of variance and regression in a unified framework. Statistical software is used.  Prerequisite(s): Linear algebra (MATH 19620 or 20250 or STAT 24300 or equivalent) and STAT 24400 or STAT 24410.

BUSN 41901: Probability and Statistics. This is a PhD course that introduces fundamental statistical methods for academic research in business and economics. It covers basic concepts in probability and statistics, including conditional probability, limit theorems, estimation and inference, and linear regression. Prerequisites: Real analysis and linear algebra. BUSN 41901 is cross-listed as STAT 32400.

BUSN 41902: Inference in Econometrics and Statistics. The focus of this course is methods to draw inferences in econometric models. The course covers linear regression models, generalized methods of moments, nonlinear models, and time series models. The majority of the discussion covers frequentist methods focusing on the use of approximations to finite- sample sampling distributions as a means for obtaining inference. It covers methods that are appropriate for independent data as well as dependent data. We will discuss intuition for how and when to use the econometric tools developed in the class in addition to deriving some of the relevant theoretical properties. Three recommended texts are Econometrics by Hayashi, Econometric Analysis of Cross Section and Panel Data by Wooldridge, and Time Series Analysis by Hamilton. Asymptotic Theory for Econometricians (revised edition) by White provides a useful and concise reference on asymptotic results. Prerequisites: BUSN 41901.

MAPS 30000: Perspectives in Social Science Analysis. This course is an introduction to interdisciplinary social theory which aims to teach students how to read social science research at the graduate level and develop their ability to formulate and execute a successful master’s thesis. It is required of all MAPSS students, regardless of concentration.

SOSC 36007: Overview of Quantitative Methods in the Social and Behavioral Sciences. The course is designed to offer an overview of and present the common logic underlying a wide range of methods developed for rigorous quantitative inquiry in the social and behavioral sciences. Students will become familiar with various research designs, measurement, and advanced analytic strategies broadly applicable to theory-driven and data-informed quantitative research in many disciplines. Moreover, they will understand the inherent connections between different statistical methods, and will become aware of the strengths and limitations of each. In addition, this course will provide a gateway to the numerous offerings of advanced quantitative methods courses. It is suitable for undergraduate and graduate students at any stage of their respective programs. Prerequisite: Introductory level statistics.

See https://voices.uchicago.edu/qrmeth/mapss-qmsa/ for the most updated list of approved courses in advanced quantitative methods. Final course selections must be approved by the QMSA Senior Instructional Professor.

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