MAPSS Applied Social Science in Industry Certificate

Eligibility: MAPSS students only

The Applied Social Science in Industry Graduate Certificate provides a structured opportunity through which students enrolled in the Master of Arts Program in the Social Sciences (MAPSS) learn about ways that social science is utilized outside the academy and explore possible career paths in the non-profit, for-profit, and/or government sectors. The certificate is designed to complement students’ training at the University of Chicago, allowing them to obtain requisite skills for specific career paths, learn to communicate their academic training to non-academic audiences, and connect with MAPSS alumni in the non-profit, for-profit, and/or government sectors through Alumni Career Mentor workshops, employer information sessions, career conferences, and Fellows in Industry courses. 

Certificate Requirements:

All students enrolled in the Master of Arts Program in the Social Sciences (MAPSS) are eligible to pursue the certificate, which will appear on their transcript. To do so, they must fulfill the following requirements:

  1. Completion with a passing letter grade of two (2) of the four (4) following curricular options: 
  • A MAPSS Fellows in Industry course, including 
    • MAPS 3150: Fundraising & Strategic Communication
    • MAPS 32255: Data & Decision Making in Organization
    • MAPS 30220: Exploratory Research Design
    • MAPS 30210: UX Research Foundations
  • MAPS 30005: Graduate Practicum in the Social Sciences (offered in Winter Quarter)
  • An applied social science course taught outside of MAPSS, with permission of MAPSS Director Darcy Hughes Heuring (darcy@uchicago.edu) 
  • An additional methods course, on top of the one required MAPSS methods course. This should be a graduate-level course, unless it is in statistics, math, or computer science, in which case an undergraduate course is acceptable. Methods courses can be taken anywhere at the University assuming the student meets all prerequisites. Questions about whether a course satisfies the methods requirement should be addressed to the student’s MAPSS Instructional Professor.
  1. Participation in at least two (2) Division of the Social Sciences MA Career Services workshops.
  2. Presentation of an applied social science research project (a course project, a thesis, or a capstone) at the Applied Social Science in Industry Symposium as part of the Division of the Social Sciences MA Student Academic Conference in early June of their MAPSS graduation year. To meet certificate requirements, the project presented must demonstrate the application of social science theory and methods to a problem or question as it pertains to a specific non-profit, for-profit, or government industry. Certificate students will be required to seek approval in advance of the symposium from MAPSS Director Darcy Hughes Heuring (darcy@uchicago.edu) to ensure that the project they wish to present meets these criteria.
  3. Earn a minimum average grade of 3.0 for all courses taken as part of the MAPSS degree.
  4. After completing requirements one (1) through four (4), certificate candidates must submit form to petition for approval by MAPSS and by the Dean of Students for the Division of the Social Sciences.

How to Apply

To declare interest in pursuing the Applied Social Science in Industry Certificate, please fill out this Applied Social Science in Industry Certificate Interest form.

If you have any questions about the certificate, please contact MAPSS Director Darcy Hughes Heuring (darcy@uchicago.edu).