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Computational Social Science, Master's Programme

120 credits

Use statistical and computational methods to understand society and human behaviour. The programme prepares you to harness complex data and advanced computational tools to address these and other important social questions.

Computational Social Science, Master's Programme - First and main admission round

Autumn 2024 / Full-time / Norrköping

Computational Social Science, Master's Programme - Second admission round (open only for Swedish/EU students)

Autumn 2024 / Full-time / Norrköping

Closed for late application

Computational Social Science, Master's Programme - First and main admission round

Autumn 2025 / Full-time / Norrköping

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The increased integration of technology into our lives has created unprecedented volumes of data on everyday human behaviour. Troves of detailed social data related to choices, affiliations, preferences and interests are now digitally archived by internet service providers, media companies, other private-sector firms, and governments. New computational approaches based on predictive modeling, agent-based simulations, text analysis, and network science make it possible to analyse these data in insightful and novel ways.

This is a chance to develop skills in cutting edge computational techniques alongside a strong grounding in the principles and practice of contemporary social research. The programme’s quantitative methods training will help you harness complex data and use them to explore social theories and fundamental questions about human societies. The programme’s theoretical and substantive training will introduce you to the principles of social inquiry and theories of human behaviour, and help you apply your technical skills to pressing social issues such as ethnic segregation in schools, income inequality, entrepreneur- ship, political change, and cultural diffusion.

Future opportunities

The skills you develop in social theory and data analysis during the programme are in high demand in the private sector and in government. Graduates will be qualified to pursue social science research in a number of roles: data analyst, marketing analyst, sales researcher, user experience researcher, policy analyst, etc. After graduation, you will also qualify for many PhD programmes.

Syllabus and course details

Further information

A detailed syllabus, curriculum, and information on the courses you may take can be found in our study information database via the link below. Entry requirements and tuition information can be found by selecting the drop-down ”Admission requirements” available under the Autumn 2025 tab.
Syllabus and curriculum

Course details

The programme runs over two years and encompasses 120 credits, including a thesis.

During your first year you gain perspectives on the philosophy of social science, primers in the science of human decision-making, and frameworks for connecting individual behaviours to outcomes in social systems. You will also learn to apply advanced computational methods–including discrete choice modelling, social network analysis, agent-based simulation, and machine learning—to draw inferences about micro-level behaviours and macro-level outcomes.

With these building blocks in hand, you spend the third semester assembling critical knowledge of key theories and contemporary research in areas relevant to academic social science, government, and industry. During the third semester, you also have the option to study abroad at a partner institution.

In the final semester, you integrate the knowledge, skills, and theoretical approaches garnered in the first three semesters by writing a master’s thesis. As part of your thesis you conduct your own, original, computational research addressing a social scientific topic of your choosing.

Webinar

Link to webinar about Computational Social Science

This webinar covers the programme structure, the master’s thesis, examination forms, job opportunities, related research, and what it’s like to live in Sweden.

Student and alumni insights

Link to recorded interview with Hassan, student at the Master's Programme in Computational Social Science

Hassan

Meet our student Hassan and hear what he has to say about the programme and life in Sweden.

Research

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The Institute for Analytical Sociology (IAS)

IAS conduct cutting-edge research on important social, political and cultural matters. The research is sociological - in its original and broadly conceived meaning.
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Cultural Dynamics

Formulating and testing theories of peer influence among interconnected consumers of culture i.e. songs, books, movies, etc. to understand the emergence of hits, the establishment of new artists and genres, and cultural change more generally.
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Computational Text Analysis

Computational analysis offers new ways to derive meaning from text. We use large corpora of text as social sensors to measure what people feel, think, and talk about, which allows us to track the emergence of shared social understandings.
Buildings illustrating a segregated Mexico City.

Segregation Dynamics

Examining how different ethnic, economic, and gender groups become segregated across urban spaces, schools, and firms, and the consequences of this segregation for those affected.
Icons of different social media.

Social Network Analysis

Developing and applying novel methods to examine the formation of social ties and the consequences of these ties for patterns of segregation, inequality, polarization and social change.

Application & admission

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How to apply for master's degree studies at LiU

A step-by-step guide to everything you need to know about applying for LiU's international master's degree programmes using the application system in Sweden.

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