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Quantitative Methods in the Social Sciences (QMSS) is an interdisciplinary, social science, free-standing M.A. degree program that focuses on quantitative methods. QMSS integrates the perspectives and research strategies of six social science disciplines: Economics, History, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology, and Statistics. It is structured to bring together a group of students with widely-varying backgrounds, drawing on their different strengths and interests in a core set of classes, and learning from their course work, faculty advisors, and each other.

QMSS trains students in how to apply quantitative methods to social science problems as they arise in business, government, and nonprofit organizations. Individuals already working in these areas who would like more specialized training in this methodology also benefit from this degree.

QMSS was established in 1999 with support from the Ford Foundation. In 2002, QMSS became part of the Institute for Social and Economic Research and Policy (ISERP). As the research arm of the social sciences at Columbia, ISERP hosts a wide array of activities and programs. Its interdisciplinary structure and range of research activities make it an ideal home for QMSS, one that provides numerous research and scholarly opportunities for QMSS students.

The QMSS curriculum provides students with a common grounding in the tools and perspectives of the social sciences while allowing them to pursue their own interests and develop specialized skills. The two-semester core sequence focuses first on research design in the social sciences and then on statistical techniques, with readings and examples drawn from all six core disciplines. Concurrently, students participate in a year-long weekly seminar series, with presentations by faculty from Columbia and other New York City universities, as well as researchers from private and nonprofit settings. These seminars reinforce the lessons of the core courses, while exposing students to an essential part of the research process. In a capstone course, QMSS students write the M.A. thesis.

Students also take several electives, which they may select from the offerings of the six QMSS partner departments as well as from other departments and schools at Columbia. Columbia has numerous strengths in the social sciences, and QMSS students draw on these resources in making the most of their experience at the University.

Applicants should have a strong background in either social sciences or quantitative methods.

Degree Requirements

Requirements: 30 points of graduate course credit at the 4000 level and above, including an M.A. thesis; two Residence Units. Students must complete the following four core courses: QMSS G4010 (Theories and Methodologies of the Social Sciences), QMSS G4015 (Data Analysis), QMSS G4021, and QMSS G4022 (two semesters of the QMSS Research Seminar series). In addition, students must complete five elective courses related to social science, of which two must focus on statistics or research methods. Listings of elective courses recommended for QMSS students in fall, spring, and summer terms are available at http://www.qmss.columbia.edu.

M.A. thesis: All students must complete QMSS G5999 (M.A. Thesis) under the supervision of the student’s advisor and the QMSS program director.

Full-time students usually complete the degree in one to one-and-a-half years. Half-time students usually complete the degree in about two years. Students enrolled for less than half-time usually complete the degree in two-and-a-half to three years. All part-time students must complete the program in four years or less.

A typical curriculum for a full-time M.A. student completing the degree requirements in two semesters might look as follows:

Fall Semester, First Year (1 Residence Unit)

• QMSS G4010. Theory and Methodology of the Social Sciences

• QMSS G4021. QMSS Research Seminar

• Elective—Social Science Course 1

• Elective—Social Science Course 2

• Elective—Research Methods/Statistics Course 1

Spring Semester, First Year (1 Residence Unit)

• QMSS G4015. Data Analysis for the Social Sciences

• QMSS G4022. QMSS Research Seminar

• Elective—Social Science Course 3

• Elective—Research Methods/Statistics Course 2

• QMSS G5999. M.A. Thesis

A typical curriculum for a part-time student completing degree requirements in four semesters might look as follows:

Fall Semester, First Year (1/2 Residence Unit)

• QMSS G4010. Theory and Methodology of the Social Sciences

• QMSS G4021. QMSS Research Seminar

• Elective—Social Science Course 1

Spring Semester, First Year (1/2 Residence Unit)

• QMSS G4015. Data Analysis for the Social Sciences

• QMSS G4022. QMSS Research Seminar

• Elective—Research Methods/Statistics Course 1

Fall Semester, Second Year (1/2 Residence Unit)

• Elective—Research Methods/Statistics Course 2

• Elective—Social Science Course 2

Spring Semester, Second Year (1/2 Residence Unit)

• QMSS G5999. M.A. Thesis

• Elective—Social Science Course 3

Quantitative Methods in the Social Sciences, dual degree, M.A./M.P.A.