Social Data Science, MA
Social media manipulates opinions and influences people's views of the world. Gain a deeper understanding of the technology that powers social media's grip on society, and learn tools and insights to quantify those effects.
Quick facts
Credits
Additional facts
STEM-OPT extension eligible: Yes
International students (F1) can extend U.S. work experience by 24 months.
Accreditation
Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
Degree description
If you are interested in the social implications of big data and the ways that data science can provide insight into the understanding of social systems, the Master of Arts program in social data science is designed for you. You engage in research at the intersection of data and society, preparing to become a leader in the field.
Artificial intelligence and algorithmic structures of social interaction represent significant challenges to society, and questions of equity, privacy and autonomy have become a recurring public concern. These technologies also may provide the keys for addressing substantial social issues. The critical analysis of these socio-technical systems requires both technical abilities and an understanding of social theory. This program provides those skills.
The program combines a thorough grounding in digital social science with the skills needed to analyze social data. This distinct combination enables you to understand and contribute to building ethical social platforms, to manage creative communities, and to understand network-mediated social change. You work through a series of courses that provide a grounding in social theory and digital research methods, and you produce work that exemplifies your understanding of the state of the art in applying social data science within organizational and community contexts.
Curriculum
This graduate degree includes courses focused on a specialized topic, so you can advance your skills for further professional opportunities. Explore all courses below.
30 credit hours - course-based master's, or
30 credit hours and a thesis
OPTION WITH CULMINATING EXPERIENCE Required Core (18 credit hours) Electives (6 credit hours) Culminating Experience (6 credit hours) COURSE-BASED OPTION Required Core (18 credit hours) Electives (12 credit hours) Additional Curriculum Information
SDS 501 Theories of Data and Society (3)
SDS 510 Data Wrangling (3)
SDS 527 Ethics and Policies of Social Data (3)
SDS 537 Technologies of Community (3)
SDS 550 Computational Social Methods I (3)
SDS 551 Computational Social Methods II (3)
SDS 599 Thesis (6)
SDS 501 Theories of Data and Society (3)
SDS 510 Data Wrangling (3)
SDS 527 Ethics and Policies of Social Data (3)
SDS 537 Technologies of Community (3)
SDS 550 Computational Social Methods I (3)
SDS 551 Computational Social Methods II (3)
This master's degree offers a course-based option and a thesis-based option. The course-based option is ideal for students seeking a fast and flexible path to the job market. Students completing the course-based option will complete 18 credit hours from the required core classes and 12 credit hours of electives. The thesis option is best suited for students pursuing research careers or doctoral study, offering in-depth experience in hypothesis-driven investigation. Thesis students explore original research topics that intersect social theory, ethics, and data science, preparing them to make scholarly contributions to the evolving field of digital social research. Thesis students complete 18 credit hours from the required core, six credit hours of electives and six hours of thesis credit.
What you'll learn
The following learning outcomes highlight some of the knowledge and skills you'll develop to support your future success.
- Evaluate theoretical frameworks that explain the relationships between data, technology, and society.
- Apply computational and digital methods in analysis of a social dataset.
- Evaluate technologies for their potential to address community needs.
- Communicate complex social data concepts and findings effectively through written, oral, visual, and interactive formats.
- Evaluate ethical principles and policy frameworks governing the collection, use, and governance of social data.
Evaluate theoretical frameworks that explain the relationships between data, technology, and society. Admission requirements
Here are the admission and application details
All students are required to meet general university admission requirements.
U.S. applicants (opens in new window) | International applicants (opens in new window) | English proficiency (opens in new window)
Applicants must fulfill the requirements of both the Graduate College and the New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences. Applicants must have earned a bachelor's or master's degree in any field from a regionally accredited institution. Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in the last 60 hours of their first bachelor's degree program or a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in applicable master's degree program. All applicants must submit: Additional Application Information This application requires a statement of purpose. The following prompts should be answered within the statement. The response to each question should be no longer than 250 words.
An applicant whose native language is not English must provide proof of English proficiency regardless of their current residency.
Explore expanded study opportunities
This program allows you to obtain both a bachelor's and a master's degree in as little as five years. As a high-achieving student, accelerated bachelor's plus master's degree programs are designed for you to share undergraduate coursework with graduate coursework to accelerate completion of your master's degree. These programs feature the same high-quality curriculum taught by ASU's world-renowned faculty.
This program is offered as an accelerated bachelor's plus master's degree with:
Approval to pursue the accelerated master's is typically granted during the junior year of your bachelor's degree program. If you are interested, you can learn more about eligibility requirements and how to apply.
Paying for college
Use our calculator to estimate your full-time or part-time tuition fees for this program prior to any financial aid. Keep in mind that most of our students recieve financial aid, which can reduce out-of-pocket costs.
Get an estimateCareer opportunities
Graduates are prepared to advise institutions on appropriate policies and to draw on large-scale trace data to help address significant social issues. They are well-positioned for research roles in businesses, nonprofits and government organizations; to work with organizations to help them make ethical and effective use of social data; and for consulting roles regarding broader issues of social change and networked technologies. They also may continue on to doctoral work in cognate fields.
The program deliberately seeks to be more reflective of the diversity of those who are affected by datafication and to actively promote the careers of professionals who are underrepresented in data-related fields.
Career examples include:
- chief information officer
- communications director
- community manager
- data journalist
- intelligence or policy analyst
- program or project manager
- public affairs specialist
- research and data analyst
- social media manager
- social strategist
Contact information
Use the contact information below to get in touch if you're a current student or have general questions.
Prospective students should fill out the Request for Information form.
School of Social and Behavioral Sciences
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FAB N101
NCGradAdvising@asu.edu
602-543-3000
Admission deadlines
Frequently asked questions about degree programs
Accelerated programs allow students the opportunity to expedite the completion of their degree.
Accelerated master's
These programs allow students to accelerate their studies to earn a bachelor's plus a master's degree in as few as five years (for some programs).
Each program has requirements students must meet to be eligible for consideration. Students typically receive approval to pursue the accelerated master's during the junior year of their bachelor's degree program. Interested students can learn about eligibility requirements and how to apply.
Concurrent degrees allow students to pursue their own personal or professional interests, earn two distinct degrees and receive two diplomas. To add a concurrent degree to your existing degree, work with your academic advisor.
Joint programs, or jointly conferred degrees, are offered by more than one college and provide opportunities for students to take advantage of the academic strengths of two academic units. Upon graduation, students are awarded one degree and one diploma conferred by two colleges.
ASU adds new programs to Degree Search frequently. Come back often and look for the "New Programs" option.
ASU Online offers programs in an entirely online format with multiple enrollment sessions throughout the year. See https://asuonline.asu.edu/ for more information.
The Western Regional Graduate Program (WRGP) provides a reduced tuition rate to non-resident graduate students who qualify. Visit the WRGP/WICHE webpage for more information: https://graduate.asu.edu/wiche.
