The Master of Science in Applied Data Science program develops and empowers students to use state-of-the-art political assessment models across all scales of political interactions.  Students are exposed to various political theories, domains, process, and methods knowledge to help them understand and predict human created uncertainty through the mechanism of politics.  Successful students acquire the ability to use a variety of political, economic, statistical, bit data and data analytics tools to solve policy problems that provide them with a distinct competitive advantage in their professional careers.  Topics covered span conflict and cooperation, income inequality, national policy development, economic growth, trade, exchange rates, demographic change, and sustainable development.    

For admission requirements, see the Admission  section of this Bulletin.

Degree Requirements

Coursework: 36 units; no Master’s research paper required.

Final Paper Portfolio:  All students are required to submit two papers to the program office.  One paper must be written during the student’s first semester in the program.  A second paper should represent the student’s best work and may come from any subsequent semester that the student is enrolled in the program.  Papers are used for accreditation reviews of the program.  The program’s Student Handbook provides additional details.

University Policies:  University policies detailed in the Academic Policies  section of the Bulletin apply.

Core Course Requirement (12 units)

Choose from the following:

• SP&E 486 - Data Analytics & Visualization
• SP&E 317 - Advanced Formal Models
• SP&E 448 - Seminar in Social Network Analysis
• SP&E 471 - Strategic Modeling for Politics, Economics, & Business

Research Methods (16 units)

Select one sequence only:

 Sequence A

• PP 481 - Quantitative Research Methods
• SP&E 488 - Data Analysis Using SAS/R
• PP 487 - Applied Data Analysis

Sequence B

• Econ 382 - Econometrics I (Prerequisite: Econ 381 Probability & Statistics for Econometrics)
• Econ 383 - Econometrics II OR ECON 384 - Time Series Econometrics
• PP 487 - Applied Data Analysis

Sequence C

• MATH 352 - Nonparametric & Computational Statistics (Prerequisite: MATH 252 - Statistical Theory or instructor’s permission)
• MATH 354 - Reliability theory (MATH 251 Probability; MATH - 256 Stochastic Processes would also be helpful) OR MATH 366 - Data Mining OR MATH 452 Large-Scale Inference
• PP 487 - Applied Data Analysis

Electives (8 units)

Choose two classes from one of the following fields:

Security  

• INST 401 - World Politics
• PP 430 - Seminar in Conflict & Peace OR PP 432 - Seminar in Civil War OR INST 403 - Deterrence and Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons

International Political Economy

• SP&E 411 - International Political Economy
• SP&E 418 - Political Economy of International Development OR PP 408 Seminar in Political Demography OR SP&E 429 Political Economy of China OR SP&E 371 Globalization

Computational Analytics

• SP&E 315 - Game Theory
• SP&E 316 - Seminar in Computational Agent-Based Modeling
• SP&E 438 - Dynamic Modeling

Health

• CGH 300 Theoretical Foundations in Health Promotion and Education
• CGH 302 Epidemiology

Foreign Policy

• PP 420 A-H Foreign Policy (USA, Latin America, Middle East, Africa, Europe, Asia, etc.)

Note: Students who wish to substitute classes or create alternative tracks must gain prior approval by a Faculty Advisor.