2011-2012 University Catalog 
  
2011-2012 University Catalog

Computational Social Science, PhD


Banner Code:  KR-PHD-CSS

The core objective of the computational social science (CSS) PhD program is to train graduate students to be professional computational social scientists in academia, government, or business. The program offers a unique and innovative interdisciplinary academic environment for systematically exploring, discovering, and developing skills to successfully follow careers in one of the areas of computational social science.

For policies governing all graduate degrees, see the Academic Policies  chapter of the catalog.

Admission Requirements

Applicants should have as background a bachelor’s degree in one of the social sciences; computer science, engineering, or a relevant discipline; and undergraduate courses in these and related areas. Bachelor’s degrees in the physical or biological sciences are also eligible, but applicants may be advised to take additional courses in social science or computer science as prerequisites to admission. Minimal requirements also include one undergraduate course in calculus and knowledge of a computer programming language, preferably object-based. Applicants should have an undergraduate degree from an accredited institution, with a GPA of at least 3.25. To apply, prospective students should send to the CSS Academic Programs Office a completed Mason graduate application, two copies of official transcripts from each college and graduate institution attended, a current résumé, an expanded goals statement not to exceed 2,000 words, and the names of two Mason faculty members who may be suitable advisors. Applicants should also include three letters of recommendation from faculty members or individuals with direct knowledge of the student’s academic or professional capabilities. The letters must arrive directly from the senders. Applicants should also submit an official report of scores obtained on the GRE-GEN. TOEFL scores are required for all international applicants.

CSS Academic Programs Office
Rm 382 Research I Bldg
4400 University Drive, MS 6B2
Fairfax, VA 22030

Students should also review the university-wide graduate admissions standards and procedures discussed in the Admission  section of this catalog.

Degree Requirements


The program requires 72 credits beyond the baccalaureate degree, with a minimum of 48 credits in course work, and 24 credits of dissertation research. For those holding a master’s degree, the 72 required credits may be reduced by up to 30 credits, depending on graduate courses. A maximum of 24 credits of prior graduate course work may be transferred, provided such credits have not been used for another degree. The 48 credits of courses have the functional distribution and learning objectives indicated below.

15 credits of discipline-based courses


15 credits of discipline-based social science courses in a specific area such as anthropology, economics, geography, history, linguistics, political science, or sociology, as approved by the student’s advisor, to provide domain-specific knowledge.

15 credits of elective courses


15 credits of elective courses or independent research, as approved by the student’s advisor, to provide further substantive or methodological specialization as needed. (Students with a strong background in computing, for example, a prior MS in computer science, but weaker social science training will be required to use all or most of these electives in a substantive social science. Conversely, students with a strong background in social science, for example, a BS in economics, will be required to use most or all of these electives in computing courses.)

24 credits of dissertation research


24 credits of dissertation research to demonstrate doctoral level originality and research excellence taken from:

  • CSS 998 - Doctoral Dissertation Proposal Credits: 1-12
  • CSS 999 - Doctoral Dissertation Credits: 1-12
  • Areas for dissertation research include, but are not limited to, the following:

    • Agent-based computational economics: trade, finance, decision making under risk
    • Computational political economy: voting, institutions, norms, inequality
    • Computational linguistics: generative grammars, parsing, classifiers, inference
    • Social network analysis: connectivity, structure, evolution of the Internet, cyberwarfare
    • Computational anthropology: emergence of hierarchy, settlement patterns
    • Computational political science: systems of government, conflict and war, cooperation
    • Computational sociology: segregation, collective action, leadership, trust
    • Complexity theory: power laws, potential theory, criticality, bifurcation
    • Computational methodology: multiagent systems, evolutionary computation

Total: 72 credits


Additional Information:


During the first year, each student will form a graduate studies committee, called the first-year committee, consisting of the student’s advisor plus two or three appropriately qualified individuals. The committee assists the student in designing a specific plan of study and evaluating the student’s progress by the end of the first year. During the second year, the student forms a doctoral committee, with membership approved by the CSS Program director. The committee will advise the student on preparing for the doctoral candidacy exams and preparing, developing, and defending the doctoral dissertation.

The candidacy exam is taken after students have completed all core requirements and a majority of additional course work (18 plus 15 credits), which typically corresponds to the fifth semester in the program. The purpose of the candidacy exam is to assess the student’s substantive and methodological knowledge in CSS as a whole and in the chosen focus area; the ability to integrate materials from different courses; and the potential for a successful dissertation.

The exam will consist of written and oral parts. Upon passing the candidacy exam and submitting an acceptable dissertation proposal, students are advanced to doctoral candidacy. The degree is awarded on the successful defense of a PhD dissertation that represents a detailed written report of an original and significant research contribution to the CSS field.