UMass Amherst Data Analytics and Computational Social Science

The UMass Amherst Data Analytics and Computational Social Science program is for anyone who wants to design research, collect and analyze data, and communicate results to general audiences. No previous background in data science, statistics, or computer programming is necessary. Acquire skills used in political analysis, marketing analysis, financial analysis, product or project management, demographic analysis, social media analysis, strategic communication, reputation management, and many other fields. Students who graduate from this program will be equipped to design research to support evidence-based decision-making, work with large datasets using a range of analysis methods, and communicate their results to general audiences—both visually and in writing. Degree students will pursue interdisciplinary coursework and learn to: *Identify sources of evidence to use in decision-making *Work with large datasets *Develop reliable and ethical data management practices *Interpret and visualize results of analysis *Communicate about data and research to a general audience Only a handful of universities offer similar degrees that specifically go beyond training in core computer programming and data management skills to also train students to collect, analyze and interpret data in order to inform decision-making and communication in the public and private sector. We train people to translate data into stories so non-data experts can understand what the data means.