Data Analytics for Social Policy Certificate - UPenn

Data Analytics for Social Policy Certificate - UPenn
MASTER OF SCIENCE IN SOCIAL POLICY +
DATA ANALYTICS FOR SOCIAL POLICY CERTIFICATE
Use data science to actively impact equity, equality, and social good.
The MSSP Program + Data Analytics for Social Policy Certificate (MSSP+DA) is a STEM-designated degree that empowers you to leverage social policy and data analytics to address economic, educational, and health inequities. Throughout the program, the data analytic material is taught in relationship with the various theories, approaches, and domains of social policy analysis. You’ll learn to use data to help solve disparities of race/ethnicity, gender, and class across systems such as immigration, child welfare, and education.
For students interested in pursuing the MSSP program without the data analytics certificate, please see our
Master of Science in Social Policy degree
The MSSP+DA degree is offered on a full-time basis only. MSSP+DA students are also not eligible to pursue dual degrees.
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Director’s Welcome
Welcome to the MSSP+DA Program at the University of Pennsylvania!
Are you interested in pursuing a master’s degree in social policy and data analytics? If so, you have come to the right place. In this innovative program, you will learn from world-class faculty who are experts in their fields and passionate about teaching. You will also learn from your peers who come from diverse backgrounds and experiences. Policy practicum and projects will give you the opportunity to apply your skills in real-world settings. As the academic director of the program, I am eager to work with you and help you achieve your academic and professional goals.
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I am an economist with U.S. federal policy experience as the principal economist at the Department of Justice Antitrust Division. My research touches on many social policy issues, including low-wage work, the universal basic income, and environmental justice. I am committed to using data analytics to inform policy decisions that promote social justice. I believe that data analytics is a powerful tool that can help us understand and address complex social problems, but it also requires critical thinking to ensure its fair and accurate use.
Our interdisciplinary program provides you with rigorous training in policy analysis, data analytics, and critical theory. You will study a wide range of social policy domains, such as social welfare, education, health, technology, and environmental justice, among many others. We will examine social policy from a social justice perspective, challenging assumptions and biases in data analytics, and seeking effective solutions to promote social justice. As artificial intelligence is able to execute more and more tasks, we more than ever need critical and strategic thinking about policy.
In addition to our rigorous academic training, you will gain real-world experience through a policy internship that will connect you with policy practitioners and organizations in multiple sectors and settings. You will become part of a vibrant and diverse community of scholars who share your passion for data analytics and social change.
Whether you are a current or prospective student, I hope you are as excited as I am about this program and what it can offer you. I wish you all the best in your studies and look forward to meeting you soon!
Ioana E. Marinescu, PhD
Faculty Director, MSSP+DA Program
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“Our interdisciplinary program provides you with rigorous training in policy analysis, data analytics, and critical theory.”
The SP2 Difference
Complete your degree full-time in 3 semesters (the MSSP+DA is only offered on a full-time basis; no variation or extension is possible)
Gain hands-on, career-focused experience through
policy practicum
in data analytics
Learn programming languages such as SAS, R, Python, Java, GIS, and ArcGIS
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Engage in practical policy research in the
Data for Equitable Justice Lab
Become part of a diverse global alumni network
World-Class Faculty
The MSSP program faculty are here to help you shape your own area of policy expertise, drawing on decades of scholarship, teaching, and experience in areas including education and social policy, homelessness, integrated database systems, the labor market, and technology, ethics, and social policy. The MSSP+DA program faculty are here to help you shape your own area of policy expertise, drawing on decades of scholarship, teaching, and experience. Their expertise spans areas as diverse as ontologies of computational and data analytics, the integration of administrative data for research, and the usage of interactive visual analytics systems.
Curriculum
The MSSP+DA curriculum provides students with core policy courses and training and skills in the conceptual foundations of data analytics, programming of data structures, applications of machine learning and predictive analytics, spatial analytics, and the data processing techniques for web scraping and data visualization for a broader public audience. Students will learn programming languages such as SAS, R, Java, Python, GIS, and ArcGIS for the processing, cleaning, and analyzing of digital data for social policy.
Electives
You may choose two elective courses to maximize breadth in multiple substantive policy areas or to specialize your degree in an area of social policy analysis and conduct further research.
Elective courses may be taken either at the School of Social Policy or at any of the 12 graduate schools at Penn. For more information on selecting elective courses, please visit the
MSSP Resources page
Course Grid
The course grid reflects the required 12 course unit course of study for MSSP+DA students to ensure on-time graduation. Any alteration from the plan of study requires approval from an academic advisor.
1st Semester (Fall)
MSSP 6280: Policy: Analysis of Issues, Strategy and Process (1 CU)
MSSP 7100: Democratizing Data (1 CU)
MSSP 6070: Practical Data Science (1 CU)
MSSP 8970: Applied Linear Modeling (1 CU)
4 CU
2nd Semester (Spring)
MSSP 6310: Law and Social Policy or MSSP 7805: Law and Social Policy: Foundations (1 CU)
MSSP/SWRK 7300: Community Mapping (1 CU)
MSSP 6080: Practical Machine Learning (1 CU)
Elective (1 CU)
4 CU
3rd Semester (Fall)
MSSP 6380: MSSP+DA Capstone Seminar: Telling Stories with Data (1CU)
MSSP 6390: MSSP+DA Policy Practicum in Data Analytics Seminar (0CU)
MSSP 6680: Economics for Social Policy (1CU)
MSSP 6290: Research & Evaluation Design (1CU)
Elective (1CU)
4 CU
Social Policy Practicum
The MSSP+DA program provides students with competitive and cutting-edge opportunities to complete
policy practicum
in data analytics that emphasize competency development in both policy analysis and data analytics. These parallel competencies position graduates to work in the fast growing and developing world of data analytics for social policy. Credit for practicum is incorporated into the MSSP+DA Capstone Seminar, and students most often complete the practicum in their final spring semester. The Data Analytics policy practicum must consist of a minimum commitment of 150 hours.
Ready to join the MSSP+DA community?
Apply now
Register for an Information Session
Sign up for a Pre-Application Appointment
FEATURED ALUMNI
Naimat Chopra, MSSP+DA ’22
“My decision to attend SP2 was driven by my passion to specialize in the intersection of data analysis, policy, and development studies. The ENERGIA fellowship I pursued at the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy significantly deepened my understanding of gender, energy, and climate policies. With the skills acquired at SP2, I successfully transitioned to roles at UN Energy and the Asian Development Bank. Currently, I am working as an independent energy and climate specialist. The professors and administrative staff at SP2 have played a crucial role in fostering my academic and professional growth. They have been deeply invested in my career achievements and continue to provide invaluable support and guidance. Choosing SP2 was one of the most pivotal decisions of my life, and marks a transformative milestone in my professional journey.”
Related News
Student Life
03/04
Blending empathy & analytics: A Q&A with MSSP+DA student Nature Hu
In this Q&A, MSSP+DA student Nature Hu reflects on what brought her to social policy work, her favorite SP2 course, and where she hopes to make a difference next.
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Student Life
06/05
SP2 master’s programs celebrate partnerships & student impact
On Thursday, May 15, Penn’s School of Social Policy & Practice (SP2) hosted its second annual Celebrating Partnerships and Student Impact event. The event brought together SP2 master’s programs and their community partners from Greater Philadelphia area schools, faith-based organizations, charitable foundations, and more.
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Faculty & Research
02/07
Improving lives through data: SP2’s Actionable Intelligence for Social Policy boosts national impact through students and alumni
Like a number of SP2 students and alumni, Sharon Zanti, PhD in Social Welfare ’24, has taken a path that is interwoven with SP2’s Actionable Intelligence for Social Policy (AISP). An initiative co-founded by Professor Dennis Culhane, AISP has paved the way for state and local governments to better support residents by responsibly connecting data.
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MSSP Program
msspprogram@sp2.upenn.edu
Related Links
MS IN SOCIAL POLICY >
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MASTER’S STUDENT HANDBOOK >
MSSP SPECIFIC POLICIES >