About the Certificate in Social Data Analysis
The Certificate in Social Data Analysis is an interdisciplinary undergraduate program offered by the Department of Sociology and consists of 15-17 hours of coursework focused on research methods and data analysis. This certificate will help students in any major to develop skills in collecting, analyzing, interpreting, and communicating results from social science data (i.e., data on human attitudes, behaviors, and patterns of social interaction). This program is designed to prepare students to obtain entry-level positions in careers that involve managing and analyzing qualitative or quantitative data. The certificate also provides a strong foundation for students planning to pursue a graduate degree in the social and behavioral sciences or related fields.
The certificate is open to all majors and is composed of core requirements and elective courses from a variety of disciplines at UAH. The certificate is especially relevant to students majoring in fields that already emphasize research methodology and decision-making (e.g., sociology, business, economics, marketing, psychology, and political science).
Certificate Learning Objectives:
- Students will learn to distinguish between qualitative and quantitative analytical techniques and their uses in the social sciences.
- Students will develop basic competency in how to design, collect, analyze, and interpret results from both qualitative and quantitative data.
- Students will develop competency in using software programs to conduct qualitative and statistical analyses.
- Students will learn how to identify which data analysis techniques are best suited to addressing specific research problems.
- Students will develop skills to effectively communicate results from data analysis in written reports and presentations.
Certificate in Social Data Analysis (15 - 17 hours)*
| Code | Title | Semester Hours |
|---|---|---|
| I. Basic Methods | 3 | |
| Choose one course from: | ||
| SOC 301 | RESEARCH METHODS | 3 |
| PY 303 | PY RESEARCH METHODS | 3 |
| MKT 343 | MARKET RESEARCH DESIGN | 3 |
| II. Basic Statistics | 3-4 | |
| Choose one course from: | ||
| SOC 303 & SOC 304 | STATISTICS/SOCIAL SCIENCES and STATISTICS LAB | 4 |
| PY 300 & 300L | PSYCHOLOGICAL STATISTICS and PSYCHOLOGICAL STATISTICS LAB | 4 |
| MSC 288 | BUSINESS STATISTICS II | 3 |
| III. Advanced Social Data Analysis | 6 | |
| Complete both: | ||
| SOC 313 | QUALITATIVE RESEARCH METHODS | 3 |
| SOC 314 | DATA ANALYSIS | 3 |
| IV. Specialized Application | 3-4 | |
| Choose one course from: | ||
| PY 302 | EXPERIMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY | 4 |
| ECN 480 | INTRO ECONOMETRICS | 3 |
| EH 442 | USABILITY STUDIES | 3 |
| Any course from Category l not already selected. | ||
*Note: A grade of C or better is required in all courses counted towards the certificate.