Program Overview

Computational Social Science Graduate Certificate

Overview

This program is designed for students who seek training in computer simulation and related computational methods for analyzing social systems and processes. The program is open to all students with graduate standing at George Mason University and all students who hold a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited university. The Computational Social Science (CSS) certificate allows students with social science or computational backgrounds to acquire new knowledge and modeling skills to improve their qualifications and attractiveness to employers in government, academia, or industry. The core courses provide a common foundation; additional elective courses allow for a variety of student interests across diverse social domains.

Admissions

University-wide admissions policies can be found in the Graduate Admissions Policies section of this catalog. International students and students having earned international degrees should also refer to Admission of International Students for additional requirements.

Eligibility

• Applicants should have an undergraduate degree from an institution of higher education accredited by a Mason-recognized U.S. institutional accrediting agency or international equivalent with a GPA of at least 3.00.

Application Requirements

• To apply for this certificate, prospective students should submit the George Mason University Admissions Application and its required supplemental documentation.
• The GRE is not required for admission into this certificate.

Policies

• For policies governing all graduate certificates, see AP.6 Graduate Policies.
• Students intending to obtain the CSS certificate must apply to the certificate before beginning any coursework intended to satisfy its requirements.
• Coursework plans must be approved by the director.

Transferring Previous Graduate Credit into this Certificate

• Previously earned and relevant graduate credits may be eligible for transfer into this certificate; details can be found in the Credit by Exam or Transfer section of this catalog.

Certificate Requirements

Total credits: 15

This certificate may be pursued on a full-or part-time basis.

Students should refer to the Admissions & Policies tab for specific policies related to this certificate.

Core Courses

• CSS 600: Introduction to Computational Social Science (3 credits)
• CSS 610: Agent-based Modeling and Simulation (3 credits)
• Total Credits: 6

Electives

• Nine credits of electives, selected from:
  • CSS 605: Object-Oriented Modeling in Social Science
  • CSS 620: Origins of Social Complexity
  • CSS 692: Social Network Analysis
  • Other graduate courses in the fields of computational social science, social science, computer science, statistics, and other quantitative methods such as data visualization, information technology, and geographic information science.
• Total Credits: 9

These courses should be selected in conjunction with, and approved by, the student’s advisor. Students may include a maximum of 3 credits of programming courses to meet the elective requirements. Procedural, object-oriented languages, or other approved programming approaches may be used with permission of the director. Some courses on computational techniques, modeling, or statistics, such as visualization, graphics, and statistical and database packages may also be used to meet the requirements with prior approval of the director.