Explore Data Sciences for Social Impact
The Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences and the Case School of Engineering, two of Case Western Reserve University's top schools, have developed a Certificate in Data Sciences for Social Impact (0551).
The Certificate
- Is intended to prepare students to navigate and influence this new era of technology and data-driven solutions in social welfare and policy, ensuring proper ethical guidelines are developed and followed
- Intersects social science, social work and data science in an increasingly critical field, bringing a diverse group of people to the table in order to shape the way technology is used to advance social justice
A total of 12 credit hours is required to earn the certificate; it can be completed on campus in 1 year.
The diploma is signed by the deans in the schools of social work and engineering, in recognition of the successful completion of the program.
Specific Learning Objectives
- Develop data science and analytical skills to inform decision-making in social work, social policy and non-profit organizations, integrating the knowledge of communities represented in the data, and addressing societal biases reflected in it
- Develop skills to structure and analyze administrative data and other available or unstructured data sources
- Develop the ability to produce visualizations from the data that supports data discovery and communication of findings to diverse stakeholders
- Develop leadership skills to critically inform the ethical use of social algorithms and the analysis of social data in general
- Develop fluency in methods of reproducible research, including RMarkdown, LaTeX and Git
Integrated and Focused Curriculum
The DSSI Certificate will be issued upon successful completion of four courses for 12 credit hours. Two of the courses are Mandel School SASS classes and two are DSCI offerings in the School of Engineering.
- SASS 471: Introduction to Data Science for Social Impact – 3 credits, Fall
- DSCI 451: Exploratory Data Science – 3 credits, Fall
- DSCI 453: Modeling and Prediction – 3 credits, Spring
- SASS 472: Semester Research Project in Data Science for Social Impact – 3 credits, Spring
The SASS courses are offered in-person. The ENG courses are offered in person and in remote synchronous modalities.
Prerequisites
The Certificate in Data Sciences for Social Impact is geared towards students or professionals with a bachelor’s degree. This includes degree-seeking students in graduate programs at CWRU, non-degree students at CWRU and other institutions, and professionals. An introductory statistics undergraduate class is desirable.
Career Outcomes
Obtaining the Certificate in Data Sciences for Social Impact can lead to careers in:
- Consulting
- Foundations
- Journalism
- Local Government
- Nonprofits
- PhD Compliment
- Social Service Agencies
- Think Tanks
- Urban Planning and Development
Contact
Prospective students, please complete the Notice of Intent to Pursue the Data Sciences for Social Impact and email a copy of form to Richard Sigg at the Mandel School.
For more information, please contact Francisca García-Cobián Richter or Richard Sigg at the Mandel School.