Computational Social and Political Science 24 months Postgraduate Programme By University of Milan |TopUniversities

Programme overview

Main Subject

Economics and Econometrics

Degree

MA

Study Level

Masters

Study Mode

On Campus

The Master's Degree Programme in Computational Social and Political Science (CSPS) equips students with the knowledge and competences needed to provide empirically-grounded and theoretically-informed explanations of political and social phenomena applying computational and quantitative methods of analysis to quantitative and qualitative data. Entirely taught in English, the program combines the hypothesis-driven deductive approach typical of the social sciences with the inductive approach of data science, enabling students to develop a robust conceptual, methodological, and practical repertoire for empirically grounded analysis of social and political phenomena. Graduates are able to conduct projects in social and political research, with observational or experimental research designs, with the aim of testing theoretically-grounded hypotheses, exploring aggregate phenomena and trends, and developing evidence-based proposals for political and social interventions. Students work with primary survey data, digital data (including social media data), and secondary data, including numerical and textual data, to be collected, managed and analyzed using statistical or computational models, large language models, machine learning, and statistical learning techniques. By integrating attention to theory, qualitative data and factors, and advanced computational techniques, students are stimulated to develop a mindset for causal inference and fine-grained detection of generative, causal mechanisms driving complex socio-political outcomes, including collective opinions, social dynamics, and political trends.

Throughout the Programme, students receive extensive, integrated, and cutting-edge training in analytic methods, statistics, and computational science. Students are equipped with solid methodological foundations by means of a compact training on different designs for social research and policy analysis and evaluation. The focus is on survey, experimental, and computational approaches, and will be supported by appropriate foundations in computer programming and data management, including related ethical and legal issues. Course topics include state-of-the-art techniques in multivariate analysis, machine learning, text-as-data, social network analysis and network science, causal inference, and agent-based computer simulation models. Epistemological frameworks, disciplinary theories and qualitative insights and data from the field are incorporated as the context supporting an informed use of each modelling technique.

The courses include a substantial amount of practical training, as well as individual and group project activities, closely connected with real-world data and case studies. The teaching methods aim to foster the methodological posture of computational social and political scientists, enabling students to approach the analysis of political and social phenomena starting from the formulation of relevant, empirically testable hypotheses, linking phenomena to models, designing consistent procedures for data collection and evidence mapping, and evaluating the implications of results in terms of strategic political decisions, intervention and evaluation.

The Programme requires the attainment of 84 credits from compulsory exams, including 27 credits from courses on observational and experimental designs for computational political and social research, 6 credits in computer science methods for large language models, 6 credits on ethical and legal issues related to data and computational analyses, and 45 credits on computational and statistical models for survey, digital, network, and text data. In addition, students acquire 12 credits from other additional elective and optional activities, 9 credits from internships (6 for students who need to earn 3 ECTS for Italian language A2), and 15 credits for the final thesis are provided.

PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS PROGRAMME IS ENTIRELY TAUGHT IN ENGLISH

Programme overview

Main Subject

Economics and Econometrics

Degree

MA

Study Level

Masters

Study Mode

On Campus

The Master's Degree Programme in Computational Social and Political Science (CSPS) equips students with the knowledge and competences needed to provide empirically-grounded and theoretically-informed explanations of political and social phenomena applying computational and quantitative methods of analysis to quantitative and qualitative data. Entirely taught in English, the program combines the hypothesis-driven deductive approach typical of the social sciences with the inductive approach of data science, enabling students to develop a robust conceptual, methodological, and practical repertoire for empirically grounded analysis of social and political phenomena. Graduates are able to conduct projects in social and political research, with observational or experimental research designs, with the aim of testing theoretically-grounded hypotheses, exploring aggregate phenomena and trends, and developing evidence-based proposals for political and social interventions. Students work with primary survey data, digital data (including social media data), and secondary data, including numerical and textual data, to be collected, managed and analyzed using statistical or computational models, large language models, machine learning, and statistical learning techniques. By integrating attention to theory, qualitative data and factors, and advanced computational techniques, students are stimulated to develop a mindset for causal inference and fine-grained detection of generative, causal mechanisms driving complex socio-political outcomes, including collective opinions, social dynamics, and political trends.

Throughout the Programme, students receive extensive, integrated, and cutting-edge training in analytic methods, statistics, and computational science. Students are equipped with solid methodological foundations by means of a compact training on different designs for social research and policy analysis and evaluation. The focus is on survey, experimental, and computational approaches, and will be supported by appropriate foundations in computer programming and data management, including related ethical and legal issues. Course topics include state-of-the-art techniques in multivariate analysis, machine learning, text-as-data, social network analysis and network science, causal inference, and agent-based computer simulation models. Epistemological frameworks, disciplinary theories and qualitative insights and data from the field are incorporated as the context supporting an informed use of each modelling technique.

The courses include a substantial amount of practical training, as well as individual and group project activities, closely connected with real-world data and case studies. The teaching methods aim to foster the methodological posture of computational social and political scientists, enabling students to approach the analysis of political and social phenomena starting from the formulation of relevant, empirically testable hypotheses, linking phenomena to models, designing consistent procedures for data collection and evidence mapping, and evaluating the implications of results in terms of strategic political decisions, intervention and evaluation.

The Programme requires the attainment of 84 credits from compulsory exams, including 27 credits from courses on observational and experimental designs for computational political and social research, 6 credits in computer science methods for large language models, 6 credits on ethical and legal issues related to data and computational analyses, and 45 credits on computational and statistical models for survey, digital, network, and text data. In addition, students acquire 12 credits from other additional elective and optional activities, 9 credits from internships (6 for students who need to earn 3 ECTS for Italian language A2), and 15 credits for the final thesis are provided.

PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS PROGRAMME IS ENTIRELY TAUGHT IN ENGLISH

Admission Requirements

5.5+
72+

Undergraduate diploma (or higher)

For information about this programme, please visit the University’s website.

Entry Qualifications:

The entry qualification documents are accepted in the following languages: English / German / French / Spanish / Italian.

Please note that we only accept official translations (either issued by your former higher education institution or carried out by a certified or sworn translator).

Language Requirements:

English

A B2 or higher level of proficiency in English is required for admission.

How to Prove Your English Proficiency

  • If you have a language certificate accepted by the University, just attach it to your application for admission. Please note that the University accepts only certificates obtained in the last 3 years (2 years for TOEFL ).
  • If you don’t have a language certificate or if you are a native speaker, the University will send you an email and invite you to take an English entry test. The test is free of charge and can also be taken remotely.

If you miss or fail the English entry test, you will still have a chance to be cleared for admission, by submitting a B2 language certificate accepted by the University before the applicable deadline.

List of language certificates accepted by the University

2 Years

Tuition fees

International
156 EUR

Scholarships

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