Aki Roberts, Associate Professor of Sociology, Co-Coordinator, aki@uwm.edu
Thomas Holbrook, Wilder Crane Professor of Government, Political Science, Co-Coordinator, holbroot@uwm.edu

The Certificate in Quantitative Social Data Analysis is structured to ensure that students are exposed to a breadth of data analysis topics, including research methods, Geographical Information System (GIS), multiple regression, and advanced electives on a variety of quantitative topics in various social science fields, as well as software packages that are in common use by potential employers. The program is interdisciplinary in that it draws on courses from 9 departments (Africology, Anthropology, Communications, Criminal Justice, Economics, Geography, Psychology, Political Science, and Sociology) in social science-related fields, but it is intended to complement students’ social science degree with additional concrete quantitative skills in social data analysis.  Different majors have distinctive emphases in the topics that are most central to their practice of quantitative research, so that methods courses in different fields will significantly differ in their content. Therefore, the choice of courses embodied in the certificate program will allow students to focus their training in their own field, while still ensuring a strong base of general knowledge.

Eligibility

The certificate is open to current UWM undergraduates, UWM bachelor’s degree holders, or graduates of other accredited four-year colleges; to be admitted to the certificate program, students must have a current overall GPA of 3.0 at UWM or their bachelor’s degree institution. Students completing the certificate not in conjunction with a degree are not eligible for financial aid. 

Requirements

To obtain the certificate, the student must obtain a grade of at least C in any course used to satisfy the certificate requirements, and a cumulative GPA of 3.0 over all courses used for the certificate. Twelve of the 15-18 required credits must be earned in residence at UWM. 9 of the credits must be on the 300-level or above. Courses for the certificate may not be taken on a credit/no credit basis.

Students currently enrolled at UWM who have fulfilled some of the program’s requirements prior to the program’s approval may have their credits applied retroactively to the certificate program.

Students are required to take one course each from 5 areas:

1. Introductory statistics (3-4 credits);
2. Research methods (3-4 credits);
3. GIS (3 credits);
4. Multiple regression (3 credits); and
5. Electives (3-4 credits).

Awarding the Certificate

Students currently involved in baccalaureate studies who successfully complete the requirements of the program will be awarded the certificate at the time of graduation.  Students who already have a bachelor’s degree will receive the certificate upon completion of the program requirements.