Social Science and Policy Studies
J.K. Doyle. Head
Professors: J. T. O’Connor, K. Saeed
Associate Professors: J. K. Doyle, M. J. Radzicki, K. J. Rissmiller, J. M. Wilkes
Assistant Professors: O. Pavlov, J. Skorinko
Professor of Practice: J. Lyneis
Adjunct Faculty: W. Baller, R. Eberlein, A. Ford, J. Gobert, G. Heaton, J. Hines, B. Karanian, M. Miller, K. Warren
Research Associate Professor: J. Gobert
Mission Statement
SSPS programs are concerned with the substance and the process of socioeconomic problem solving especially as related to technological development, the environment, and public policy. Most socioeconomic problems - e.g., inflation, unemployment, urban deterioration, environmental pollution, income inequality, or infrastructure creation and maintenance - go beyond the boundaries of the traditional social science disciplines. Hence, the courses offered by the Department of Social Science and Policy Studies attempt to integrate knowledge and research techniques from multiple disciplines. Our curriculum covers system dynamics, economics, sociology, psychology, law and political science. System dynamics exclusively focuses on a computer modeling and experimental analysis approach to problem solving and policy analysis while other areas employ a variety of modeling and analysis methods including system dynamics. The department also encourages students to view social and economic problems, and the relationship of technology to society, from a variety of perspectives and to become acquainted with different methods of gathering and analyzing social data.
SSPS department offers undergraduate majors in several policy related disciplines. In addition, the department administers WPI's two-course requirement in the Social Sciences.
Complete descriptions of the department’s major and minor requirements, and recommendations for completing the social science requirement are available on the SSPS Department web site.
Program Outcomes
Graduates of a social science major must have demonstrated through coursework and projects:
- An ability to recognize patterns in real world data, qualitative and quantitative, in order to be able to define problems.
- An ability to formulate hypotheses and models representing problems and understand their logic.
- An ability to experiment with such models to establish their validity.
- An ability to carry out exploratory analysis to arrive at remedial instruments addressing the defined problems.
- Literacy in the technical aspects of a problem in the student's area of concentration.
- An ability to effectively communicate the results of an analysis.
- An ability to work in groups.
- Computer literacy.
Program Distribution Requirements for the System Dynamics, Economic Science, Society Technology and Policy, Psychological Science, and Environmental Policy and Development Majors
The normal period of residency at WPI is 16 terms. In addition to the WPI requirements applicable to all students, completion of a minimum of 10 units of study is required in social science, basic science, and mathematics as follows:
Economic Science
| Requirements | Minimum Units |
|---|---|
| 1. Economics (Note 1) | 3 |
2. Economics and/or Management (Note 2) | 2/3 |
3. Other Social Science | 1 |
4. Modeling Techniques | 2/3 |
5. Mathematics (Note 3) | 2 |
6. Basic Science | 1 |
7. Electives | 2/3 |
8. MQP | 1 |
Notes:
- Must include courses in both micro and macro economic theory at the intermediate level and in econometrics and international trade (available through the Consortium or independent study).
- Must include financial accounting, ACC1100. May include other relevant management courses as approved by the Departmental Program Review Committee.
-
Must include differential equations, integral calculus, and statistics.
Environmental Policy and Development
| Requirements | Minimum Units (Note 1) |
|---|---|
| 1. Social Science and Policy Studies (Note 2). | 4 |
| 2. Mathematics (Note 3). | 5/3 |
| 3. Basic Science (Note 4). | 2/3 |
| 4. Technical Concentration (Note 5). | 2 |
| 5. Department Electives (Note 6). | 2/3 |
| 6. MQP. | 1 |
Notes:
- 1/3 unit = 1 course. 15 units are required for graduation.
- Students must complete 5/3 units (5 courses) in one of three social science areas: (a) economics, (b) psychology/sociology, (c) political science (includes SS & PS courses in law and policy analysis) and 2/3 unit (2 courses) in each of the other two social science areas. The particular courses chosen must include six out of the following nine courses: Environmental Problems and Human Cognition, American Public Policy, Development Economics, Environmental Economics, International Environmental Policy, Introduction to System Dynamics Modeling, Environmental Policy and Law, Governmental Decision Making and Administrative Law, and the Society-Technology Debate. Students must also complete three other social science courses (1 unit) of their choosing.
- Must include both calculus and statistics.
- asic science courses must be selected from the disciplines of Physics, Chemistry, or Biology.
- The technical concentration must include at least six thematically related courses in science, engineering or management that have been approved by the Department’s Program Review Committee.
- Departmental electives must be selected from the areas of mathematics, basic science, social science, or the technical concentration.
Psychological Science
| Psychological Science Requirements | Minimum Units |
|---|---|
| 1. Psychological Science (Note 1) | 3 |
| 2. Psychological Science and/or Related Courses (Note 2) | 1 |
| 3. Other Social Science (Note 3) | 1 |
| 4. Basic Science, Computer Science, and/or Engineering (Note 4) | 5/3 |
| 5. Mathematics (Note 5) | 4/3 |
| 6. Electives (Note 6) | 1 |
| 7. MQP | 1 |
Notes:
- Must include introductory psychology, social psychology, cognitive psychology, and research methods.
- Related courses must be chosen from a list of psychologyrelated courses from other departments maintained by the Psychology Program Review Committee.
- May include no more than two courses at the 1000-level.
- Must include 1/3 unit of biology. Must include 1/3 unit of computer science (except CS 2022 and CS 3043).
- Must include 2/3 units of calculus and 2/3 unit of statistics.
- The 1 unit of electives must be coherently defined and approved by the Psychology Program Review Committee.
Society, Technology and Policy
| Requirements | Minimum Units |
|---|---|
| 1. Social Science (Notes 1, 2). | 4 |
| 2. Minimum Basic Science background. | 2/3 |
| 3. Minimum Mathematics background (Note 3). | 1 |
| 4. Technical concentration (Note 4). | 5/3 |
| 5. Electives (Note 5). | 5/3 |
| 6. MQP | 1 |
Notes:
- Students must obtain approval of their proposed program from the Departmental Program Review Committee. Course distribution will focus on a disciplinary specialty and either policy analysis or a society-technology specialization such as Social Impact Analysis or Technology Assessment.
- Relevant Humanities or Management courses approved by the Departmental Review Committee may be counted for a maximum of 2/3 of a unit in fulfilling the 4-unit requirement.
- One course in calculus-based statistics is required.
- A series of courses in one field of science, engineering, or management or a combination of courses approved by the departmental review committee which focus on issues to be developed in the MQP.
- These courses are to be approved by the Departmental Review Committee and are meant to broaden the technical concentration and tie it to social concerns.
System Dynamics
| Requirements | Minimum Units | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | System Dynamics (Note 1) | 5/3 |
| 2. | Other Social Science (Note 2) | 5/3 |
| 3. | Management (Note 3) | 2/3 |
| 4. | Mathematics/basic sciences/engineering (Note 4) | 8/3 |
| 5. | Computer Science (Note 5) | 2/3 |
| 6. | Application Area (Note 6) | 5/3 |
7. | MQP | 1 |
Notes:
- Only social science courses with a “5” in the second digit of the course number count toward the system dynamics requirement.
- Must include microeconomics or macroeconomics, cognitive or social psychology, and public policy.
- Must include organizational science.
- Must include differential and integral calculus, differential equations, and numerical or statistical analysis.
- Courses on computer programming and programming languages are recommended.
- This requirement is satisfied by a cohesive set of work from the fields of social science, management, science, mathematics, computer science, or engineering as specified in the curriculum the guidelines for system dynamics major.
Descriptions of Concentration Areas Available in Economic Science
Economic Science majors may focus their studies by choosing a Concentration within one of the following two specific areas of Economics: Sustainable Economic Development and Computational Economics. These concentration areas reflect the growing importance of environmental issues and computational tools within the discipline of economics and are areas of strength in teaching and research in economic science at WPI. Concentrations within the Economics Science major comply with WPI’s requirements for concentrations. Students must complete an MQP and two units of integrated study in the area of their Concentration.
Sustainable Economic Development. The term sustainable economic development means choosing policies that balance environmental preservation and economic development so as to meet the needs of the present generation without seriously compromising the needs of future generations. The sustainable development concentration examines the economic, psychological, social, political, legal, and technical issues surrounding the creation of policies aimed at establishing sustainable economic systems at the local, national, and international levels.
1. 1 unit from the following list of courses in economic development:
ECON 2125 Development Economics
ECON 2117 Environmental Economics
CE 3070 Urban Environmental Planning
CE 3074 Environmental Analysis
HI 3333 Topics in American Technological Development
2. 1 unit from the following list of environmental courses in other social science disciplines, humanities, and biology, o additional courses from list 1:
BB 1002 Environmental Biology
BB 4140 Ecological Management
GOV 2311 Legal Regulation of the Environment
GOV 2312 International Environmental Policy
PSY 2405 Environmental Problems and Human Cognition
PY 2717 Philosophy and the Environment
Computational Economics. Students in the computational economics concentration supplement their knowledge of traditional tools of economic analysis by studying modern computational techniques. Student projects may address problems of complex macroeconomic modeling, chaos, computational finance, design of automated Internet markets, and many more. This concentration draws on the expertise and talent of the faculty in various departments throughout the university.
1. 1 unit from the following list of courses in system dynamics:
SD 1510 Introduction to System Dynamics Modeling
SD 1520 System Dynamics Modeling
SD 2530 Advanced Topics in System Dynamics Modeling
SD 3550 System Dynamics Seminar
2. 1 unit from the following list of courses offered in other departments:
BB 4250 Ecological Simulation Modeling
CS 2022/MA2201 Discrete Mathematics
CS 4032/MA3257 Numerical Methods for Linear and Nonlinear Systems
CS 4033/MA3457 Numerical Methods for Calculus and Differential Equations
CS 4341 Introduction to Artificial Intelligence
ES 3011 Control Engineering I
OIE 3460 Simulation Modeling and Analysis
OIE 3501 Management Science II: Risk Analysis
MA 2210 Mathematical Methods in Decision Making
MA 2431 Mathematical Modeling with Ordinary Differential Equations
MA 3471 Advanced Ordinary Differential Equations
MA 4235 Mathematical Optimization
MA 4411 Numerical Analysis of Differential Equations
Double Major in Scocial Science and Policy Studies
Any of the department majors programs outlined above may be taken as part of a double major in which the student majors in an area of science, engineering or management as well as social science. To obtain a double major, the student must satisfy all of the degree requirements of the technical discipline including an MQP and Distribution requirements. In addition, the double major in Social Science and Policy Studies requires four units of study in social science (inclusive of the normal two-course social science requirement) and the completion of a second qualifying project which combines the IQP and social science MQP into a single one-unit project. Unlike other double majors, the double major in Social Science and Policy Studies does not require three qualifying projects: two MQP’s and an IQP. However, the combined social science MQP and IQP must meet the goals of both. It must be interactive in nature involving an aspect of technology as well as in application of social science knowledge and analytical techniques. The decision to pursue the social science double major should be made fairly early in the student’s academic career, certainly early enough to ensure the selection of an appropriate IQP/MQP.
Social Science Minors
A Social Science Minor is available in any of the following disciplines:
Economics
Sociology
Political Science and Law
Psychology
System Dynamics
Social Science
A minor in the Social Sciences consists of 2 units of academic activity satisfying the following conditions:
1. Foundations
Introductory level courses in any one or two social science disciplines taught at WPI: economics (ECON), sociology
(SOC), political science (and law) (GOV), psychology (PSY), and system dynamics (SD). Introductory courses are
identified by the first digit of the course number, which must be a 1. The second digit of the course number indicates the discipline
(1–economics, 2–sociology, 3–political science and law, 4–psychology, and 5–system dynamics).
2. Applied Courses (At least 1 unit)
Three or more higher level courses in the same social science discipline as the foundation courses, which involve applications or extensions of the material covered in the introductory courses and list the introductory courses as recommended background. High level courses have either a 2, 3, or 4 as the first digit of the course number. The capstone experience will consist of a paper in the last applied course taken. The paper must draw upon and integrate material covered in the previous courses. An IQP may provide the capstone experience and substitute for the last applied course provided that the IQP was advised or co-advised by a member of the Social Science & Policy Studies department, and contains appropriate social science analysis.
3. If five or more of the six 1/3 units required for the minor are in a single social science discipline, the title of the minor will be “Minor” in that discipline.* Otherwise the title of the minor wil be “Minor in Social Science.” Examples of minor
programs in economics, sociology, political science (and law), psychology, system dynamics and interdisciplinary social
science are available at the SS & PS department office. The course selected for an interdisciplinary social science minor should follow an identifiable theme, such as the relationship between technology and society or social, political, economic or environmental policies.
Students taking minors in the social sciences are expected to designate a member of the SS & PS department as their SS minor advisor, who will assist them in preparing a program that meets the requirements of the minor. Students can obtain assistance at the SS & PS departmental office in designating an
advisor.
Students completing any major in the Social Science and Policy Studies Department may not also complete a minor in
social sciences.
* In designating sociology the minor, the course
PSY 1402, Social Psychology, can be counted as one of the five
courses required in Sociology. In designating the economics
minor, at least 3 of the 5 required courses must be chosen
from among the following four theory courses:
ECON 1110 Introductory Microeconomics;
ECON 1120 Introductory Macroeconomics;
ECON 2210 Intermediate Microeconomics; and
ECON 2120 Intermediate Macroeconomics.
Last modified: February 26, 2008 10:46:50