Cyber and Big Data Analytics

Governments and businesses collect large amounts of data about people and behavior and rely on information systems more than ever before. This provides both opportunities and threats. Data can be used to solve pressing policy problems, increase efficiencies, and create new business solutions, but also raises concerns about ethics, security and privacy.

In the School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences (EPPS), our faculty and students have experience working with “messy data.” They apply computer science tools to predict and identify efficient solutions to public policy and social challenges. Newer techniques, like machine learning, natural language processing, crowdsourced surveys, and text scraping are taught alongside tried-and-true tools like Stata, R, Python and JavaScript.

• Students interested in data analytics can pursue degrees in Public Policy, Economics or Social Data Analytics and Research to gain expertise in data collection and cleaning, analysis, simulation and visualization.
• Students interested in spatial data science can pursue a degree in Geospatial Information Sciences.
• Doctoral students in EPPS are able to integrate this quantitative training into any of our six PhD programs.
• Graduate students from other programs can hone their expertise by completing a certificate in Economic and Demographic Data Analysis, Geographic Information Systems, Geospatial Intelligence or Remote Sensing.

EPPS has also partnered with the Department of Computer Science to offer our new MS in Cyber Security, Technology and Policy degree. This degree is designed for students who want the training to analyze cybersecurity and technology issues and implementation challenges using an interdisciplinary and strategic approach.  Graduates will be prepared for managerial and analyst positions in a wide array of professional settings in the public and private sectors. 

Undergraduate

• Economics
• Geospatial Information Sciences
• Public Policy

Master’s

• Cyber Security, Technology and Policy
• Data Science Dual Degree
• Economics
• Geospatial Information Sciences
• Public Policy 
• Social Data Analytics and Research   

Doctoral

• Criminology 
• Economics
• Geospatial Information Sciences
• Political Science
• Public Affairs
• Public Policy and Political Economy

Certificate Programs

• Graduate Certificate in Economic and Demographic Data Analysis
• Graduate Certificate in Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
• Graduate Certificate in Geospatial Intelligence (GeoInt)
• Graduate Certificate in Remote Sensing

Complete your online application

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