The College of Social Sciences and Public Policy (COSSPP) and the College of Communication and Information (CCI) at Florida State University now present a graduate credential in Digital Applied Social Science (DASS) designed to tackle intricate social science inquiries utilizing state-of-the-art digital instruments and ethical considerations. Graduates from the DASS curriculum will be distinctly equipped for meaningful professions situated at the confluence of data science and social science, with prospects spanning across diverse sectors such as social research, public policy, marketing, communications, business intelligence, and academia.

“The Digital Applied Social Science graduate credential offers learners insights and practical experience with AI and large datasets regarding issues vital to social science and policy sectors,” remarked Tim Chapin, the Dean of COSSPP. “This new certification guarantees that learners are thoroughly prepared to address social and policy challenges with the most recent tools and frameworks, ensuring they enter the contemporary job market with the abilities and assurance necessary to confront these obstacles.”

This 18-credit graduate credential encompasses four foundational courses and two elective options, instructing students on how to collect data via databases, crowdsourcing, and application programming interfaces (APIs). It also cultivates key competencies in data management, analysis, and visualization to guarantee precise and effective outcomes.

Practical training in computational tools, such as network analysis, natural language processing, and artificial intelligence (AI), equips DASS scholars to thoughtfully and efficiently engage with societal challenges.

“This new certificate guarantees that learners are thoroughly prepared to address social and policy challenges with the most recent tools and frameworks, ensuring they enter the contemporary job market with the abilities and assurance necessary to confront these obstacles.”

– Tim Chapin, Dean of FSU’s College of Social Sciences and Public Policy

The initiative adopts an “ethics as practice” methodology, which integrates ethical reasoning throughout the research journey and underscores the responsible application of digital data and tools.

The coursework prepares students to adeptly navigate information policy matters, with a focus on information ownership rights, privacy rights, and public accessibility to information. The approved elective courses are available through both COSSPP and CCI.

“Interdisciplinary collaboration permits students to acquire additional knowledge from a broader array of sources, and in ways they may not have previously conceived, to approach an issue or subject,” stated Dean Michelle Kazmer of CCI. “We are delighted to collaborate with COSSPP for this certification and excited to offer students a multidisciplinary perspective that will enhance their worldview as they transition into the modern workforce and society.”

Admission is selective, with applications for this cycle due by April 1, 2025. Students must submit applications each spring for admission to commence the certificate program in the fall semester or await the subsequent application cycle.

Qualified candidates are graduate students maintaining a 3.50 GPA and currently enrolled in chosen colleges: Communication & Information, Social Sciences & Public Policy, Criminology & Criminal Justice, Social Work, or Business. Students from other colleges and those not seeking a degree are ineligible at this moment.

For more information regarding the Graduate Certificate in Digital Applied Social Science (DASS) and detailed course prerequisites, please visit cosspp.fsu.edu.

The article FSU launches new graduate certificate to equip students with advanced digital tools and ethical frameworks first appeared on Florida State University News.