MA and PhD Certificates

The Division of the Social Sciences offers several certificate opportunities for currently enrolled University of Chicago master’s and doctoral students. Including a certificate in your UChicago graduate experience further distinguishes your accomplishments as you plan for the next step in your academic or professional career. Successfully completed certificate programs are noted on the individual’s transcript.

Certificate Advanced Quantitative Methods

Eligibility: Doctoral students only.

Advanced Quantitative Methods (AQM) is offered by the Committee on Quantitative Methods in Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences, a University-wide interdisciplinary group of distinguished scholars from the Social Sciences, Biological Sciences, Physical Sciences, and the Harris School of Public Policy. Its faculty are committed to improving methodological research and training in bio statistics, econometrics, psychometrics, and social statistics and in cross-cutting fields including formal modeling, survey methodology, and computational strategies, with the goal of advancing applied research of individuals, populations, and societies. Eligibility is limited to students who are currently enrolled full time in a doctoral degree program at the University of Chicago. Students may apply to the certificate program at any stage of the doctoral study. 

Certificate in Computational Social Science

Eligibility: Enrolled in any degree-granting graduate program (master’s or doctoral level).

The Certificate in Computational Social Science provides an innovative, cutting-edge approach to computational skills and is intended for students looking to deepen their research skills or develop a competitive portfolio for industry positions. It is designed to compliment a student’s training at the University of Chicago, allowing them to broaden their methodological expertise and apply this across a range of social scientific domains.

Requirements can be met in a single year or over several years of study.

View certificate requirements on the Computational Social Science website.

Certificate in Education and Society

Eligibility: Master of Arts students only.

Students in all MA programs at the University can pursue a certificate in Education and Society. To qualify for the certificate, students must first apply and be accepted into a terminal master’s program at the University.  Once accepted into such a program, students can declare their intention to complete a certificate in Education and Society. While students from any terminal MA program at the University of Chicago are eligible to complete this certificate, a recommended course of study is the Master of Arts Program in the Social Sciences (MAPSS).

View certificate requirements and application procedures on the Committee on Education website.

Certificate in Environment, Geography, and Urbanization

Eligibility: Doctoral students only.

The Doctoral Certificate in Environment, Geography and Urbanization is intended to support advanced research, build intellectual community, and facilitate scholarly collaboration among doctoral students and faculty working in diverse fields of environmental social science and environmental humanities. Grounded in the regular meetings of the long-standing Environmental Studies Workshop as well as specialized doctoral coursework in environmental social science and environmental humanities, the CEGU Doctoral Certificate aims to contribute to the further development of innovative, interdisciplinary doctoral research in these areas. Eligibility is limited to all full-time Ph.D. students in the Division of Social Science and the Division of the Humanities, although students pursuing a Ph.D. in other Divisions or Schools may also petition to pursue the certificate. Students may apply to the certificate program at any stage of their doctoral coursework (admissions are rolling). 

For more information, please contact the CEGU Chair or Student Affairs Administrator. Students wishing to pursue the certificate should notify CEGU administration by filling out this form.

Certificate in Knowledge Formations

Eligibility: Master of Arts Program in the Social Sciences.

The Certificate in Knowledge Formations in MAPSS explores how claims to knowledge are shaped by disciplinary, social, historical, and political contexts, as well as local cultural factors both explicit and unspoken. Students in the Knowledge Formations certificate program are introduced to the nascent and dynamic field of inquiry into the formation of knowledge through a broad range of historical, sociological, and anthropological case studies that exemplify and challenge disciplinary practices in the social sciences. In addition to traditional social science research, the program highlights experiential learning, collaboration, and opportunities guided faculty advisor.

Learn more about the Graduate Certificate in Knowledge Formations.

Certificate in Gender and Sexuality Studies

Eligibility: Master of Arts Program in the Social Sciences, Divinity School master’s programs, any doctoral program.

The Certificate in Gender and Sexuality Studies allows students in a variety of programs to deepen their academic interest in gender and/or sexuality. The interdisciplinary nature of the subject can lead to academic exploration above and beyond the specific course of study undertaken by UChicago MA/PhD students. Students are able to select relevant courses across departments and divisions in order to expand their knowledge of gender and sexuality. Students also participate in the CSGS Workshop/Working Group to learn about active research happening across campus. These opportunities allow students to gain an understanding of the breadth of subjects where gender/sexuality can be, and are, a focus of study. Requirements differ depending on the degree you are pursuing.

Interested students should review certificate requirements carefully on the Center for the Study of Gender and Sexuality website.

Certificate in Latin American and Caribbean Studies

Eligibility: Enrolled in any degree-granting graduate program (master’s or doctoral level).

The Center for Latin American Studies (CLAS) at the University of Chicago offers a certificate (or option, for students enrolled in MAPH) in Latin American and Caribbean Studies (LACS), open to all graduate students within the University. The LACS certificate/option provides proof of area studies specialization and will be noted on the transcript.

Learn more at the Center for Latin American Studies website.