The Office of the Provost has approved a CLAS undergraduate Certificate in Social Science Analytics to be implemented by August 24, 2015, the first day of the fall semester. The certificate should be available for students to declare by that date. 

Content Summary: As the proposal for the certificate states, the certificate’s outcomes are to teach “students how to approach the social‐political world using data‐driven methods” and to “prepare students for a first career where these skills are increasingly important.” The certificate is part of the larger UI Informatics Initiative.  (Please note that this certificate focuses on the application of data analysis while the CLAS Certificate in Large Data Analysis, approved in Fall 2014, centers on formal computational and analysis tools appropriate for students in computer science, statistics, and mathematics.)

Title: Certificate in Social Science Analytics

Level of Study: Undergraduate

Program College: College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Curricular College: College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Academic Unit: This is an interdisciplinary credential with a number of departments involved in its administration. The Department of Political Science will serve as the academic home of the program within MAUI. The certificate should be listed within its own chapter of the General Catalog, with links (created when feasible) to affiliated departmental General Catalog chapters (i.e., Sociology, Computer Science, Geographical and Sustainability Sciences, and Statistics and Actuarial Science).

CIP Title and Specialty Number: The required CIP information may be assigned by the Registrar, in consultation with CLAS as needed.

Legacy MADD Code: The Registrar will assign the required legacy code.

Course Subject Acronym: Unique courses are not affiliated with the certificate at this time. Please confer with the College about creation of a course subject acronym for future use.

Declaration: CLAS students may declare the certificate through their ISIS account. CLAS students advised through the Academic Advising Center may also declare the certificate through that office. CLAS students not advised by AAC may declare the certificate in 120 Schaeffer Hall. Students not affiliated with CLAS should first contact Admissions. There are no special admission requirements for declaration.

Curricular Details:  Official requirements for the certificate will be published in the 2015-2016 General Catalog. (Note: The attached proposal is for your interest only. The official requirements for the certificate will appear in the updated Catalog, once published, and in the degree audit which will follow the requirements stated in the Catalog.)

Degree Audit: A degree audit should be created and be available for students by the implementation date of August 24, 2015, if at all feasible.

Advising: Students may be assigned to the following advisors: Martha Kirby, Political Science; Janet Norton, Computer Science; Denise Barnard, Sociology; Heather Sander (faculty), Geographical and Sustainability Sciences. The advisor for Statistics and Actuarial Sciences will be sent to the Registrar once know. These advisors may be assigned based on a student’s existing major affiliation or as requested by the student.

Students with questions may also be directed to these faculty affiliated with the certificate:

• Frederick J. Boehmke (Political Science), chair and coordinator
• Juan Pablo Hourcade (Computer Science)
• Joseph Lang (Statistics and Actuarial Sciences)
• Freda Lynn (Sociology)
• Mary Noonan (Sociology)
• Rene Rocha (Political Science)
• Heather Sander (Geographical and Sustainability Sciences)

Credential Conferral: The certificate may be awarded no earlier than December 2015.

Degree and Transcripts: The title of the program of study should be printed on the award and transcript.

Contact Person: Frederick J. Boehmke (Political Science), chair and coordinator; +1 319 335 2342; frederick-boehmke@uiowa.edu