Joint Degree

Beginning with the 2025 – 2026 academic year, MACSS will offer a new joint degree option for currently enrolled Master of Arts Program in the Social Sciences (MAPSS) and International Relations (CIR) students looking to deepen their computational training. This is a fantastic opportunity for students already working towards a certificate in CSS or students with some background in Python. 

Students accepted to the joint degree will complete their MAPSS/CIR coursework in Year 1, and then in Year 2 will complete remaining MACSS General Track requirements. Students will receive two degrees. 

Students enrolling in this option will need to fulfill the requirements of the MACSS program, including:

  • Computational Math Camp and Computing Fundamentals Boot Camp
  • 9 social science electives
  • 3 course Perspectives sequence (Perspectives on Computational Analysis, Perspectives on Computational Modeling, and Perspectives on Computational Research)
  • 3 course core computing sequence
  • 3 computational methods electives
  • Weekly participation in the Computational Social Science Workshop
  • Thesis with a clear computational component, with supervision from a MACSS preceptor

MAPSS/CIR coursework can count towards any of the requirements, meaning in the second year a student would only need to complete boot camps, 9 courses to complete any remaining MACSS requirements/electives, the workshops, and the MACSS thesis. 

Application Requirements

Currently enrolled MAPSS and CIR students (i.e. students graduating in Spring 2025 or Summer 2025) can apply now. Incoming students beginning their programs in Autumn 2025 can apply to the joint program beginning in Winter 2026. 

Requirements for those applying to begin in 2025 include:

  • A completed application.
  • Current UChicago transcripts (unofficial)
  • 2-4 page candidate statement outlining your research interest, relevant training, prior academic accomplishments, career plans, and why MACSS is a good program to advance those.
  • Writing sample of at least 15 pages.

Questions about the program? Contact Associate Senior Instructional Professor Jean Clipperton (clipperton@uchicago.edu) or Associate Dean of Students Lindsey Weglarz (lweglarz@uchicago.edu).