Courses Offered

Computational Social Science (CSS)

The following courses are offered by the CSS program:

CSS 600 Introduction to Computational Social Science (3:3:0). Graduate level introduction to computational concepts, principles, and modeling approaches in the social sciences, with an emphasis on simulations and elements of complexity theory as these apply to social phenomena. Survey includes systems dynamics, cellular automata, and agent-based models.

CSS 605 Object-Oriented Modeling in Social Science (3:3:0). Prerequisite or co-requisite: CSS 600 or approval by instructor and program director. Presents and applies concepts and principles from the object-based modeling paradigm. Emphasis on the Unified Modeling Language (UML) as a tool for rendering the structure and operation of complex social systems and processes.

CSS 610 Computational Analysis of Social Complexity (3:3:0). Prerequisite or co-requisite: CSS 600 or permission of instructor. Provides a hands-on examination of agent-based models in the social sciences by examining and experimenting with a variety of social simulation projects conducted in modeling environments such as Swarm, Repast, Ascape, and GMU’s own MASON (Multi-Agent Simulator Of Networks and Neighborhoods).

CSS 620 Origins of Social Complexity (3:3:0). Prerequisite or co-requisite: CSS 600 or permission of instructor. Examines when, where, and how social complexity first emerged in human societies, with an emphasis on long-term analysis and comparative information processing in four civilizations of the ancient world: West Asia, East Asia, Andean Peru, and Mesoamerica.

CSS 625 Complexity Theory in the Social Sciences (3:3:0). Prerequisite or co-requisite: CSS 600. Examines social phenomena like language, terrorism, the internet, warfare, and wealth, that is based on power laws and far-from-equilibrium nonlinear dynamics. Emphasis on data analysis, modeling and interpreting complexity-theoretic dynamics.

CSS 630 Comparative Computational Social Science (3:3:0). Prerequisite or co-requisite: CSS 600. Application of the comparative method for analyzing different types of computational models in the social sciences. Strong cross-domain and interdisciplinary emphasis, akin to comparative economic systems, comparative government, or comparative linguistics.

CSS 635 Cognitive Foundations of Computational Social Science (3:3:0). Prerequisite or co-requisite: CSS 600, CSS 610 or permission of instructor. Examines cognitive foundations and information processing in computational social agents and compares to comparable human cognitive phenomena, including emotions, trust, reciprocity. Emphasis on modeling project.

CSS 640 Human and Social Evolutionary Complexity (3:3:0). Prerequisite or co-requisite: CSS 600, CSS 620, and permission of instructor. Examines the long-term evolution of human and societal complexity from a global, cross-cultural perspective, with an emphasis on computational aspects leading towards today’s globalization. Global history from the computational social science perspective.

CSS 643 Land-Use Modeling Techniques and Applications (3:3:0). Prerequisite or corequisite: CSS 600 or permission of instructor. Survey of literature on spatially explicit empirical models of land-use change. Hands-on experience developing and running simple models. Techniques covered include statistical models, mathematical programming models, cellular automata, agent-based models, and integrated models.

CSS 645 Spatial Agent-based Models of Human-Environment Interactions (3:3:0). Prerequisite or co-requisite: GEOG 631 or CSS 600 or permission of instructor. CSS 600 may be taken concurrently. Discusses key challenges in spatial modeling of human-environment interactions. Reviews agent-based modeling applications in urban/rural interactions, agriculture, forestry, and other areas. Hands-on development of simple ABM models and investigation of linkages between GIS and ABM. Cross-listed EVPP/GEOG 631.

CSS 650 Physics Methods for Analyzing Social Complexity (3:3:0). Prerequisite or co-requisite: CSS 600 and permission of instructor. Survey of complexity-theoretic tools including strange attractors, Ising models, correlation functions, ergodic theory, power spectra, meanfield theory, renormalization group. Emphasis on application to social, economic, or political systems.

CSS 655 Social Systems Dynamics (3:3:0). Prerequisite or co-requisite: CSS 600. Introduction to systems dynamics modeling of social systems governed by levels/rates or stocks/flows processes, with applications such global modeling, terrorism, urban dynamics, organizations, social and international conflict.

CSS 660 Computational Social Science of Spacefaring Civilization (3:3:0). Prerequisite or co-requisite: CSS 600, 610 and permission of instructor. Focus on goals, resources, history and modeling issues concerning human and social dimensions of the space program using CSS. Design and development of socially viable human communities in extreme environments.

CSS 692 Social Network Analysis (3:3:0). Prerequisite or co-requisite: CSS 600. Methods and applications that examine complex social systems based on relations, structures, connectivity, matrix representations, location, roles, interactions and other network properties. Applications to terrorism, cognition, organizations, and other social phenomena.

CSS 739 Topics in Computational Social Science (3:3:0). Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. Selected topics in computational social science not covered in fixed-content computational social science courses. May be repeated for credit as needed.

CSS 796 Directed Reading and Research (3:3:0). Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. Reading and research on a specific topic in computational social science under the direction of a faculty member. May be repeated as necessary.

CSS 798 Research Project (3:0:0). Prerequisites: Twelve graduate credits from the core requirements and permission of instructor. Project chosen and completed under the guidance of a graduate faculty member, which results in an acceptable technical report.

CSS 799 Master’s Thesis (1-6:0:0). Prerequisites: Twelve graduate credits from the CSS core and permission of instructor. Project chosen and completed under the guidance of a graduate faculty member, which results in an acceptable technical report (master's thesis) and oral defense. Graded S/IP.

CSS 898 Research Colloquium in Computational Social Science (1:1:0). Presentations in specific research areas in computational social science by Center for Social Complexity associated faculty and professional visitors. May be repeated for credit; however, a maximum of three credits of CSS 898 and 899 may be applied towards the Ph.D.

CSS 899 Colloquium in Computational Social Science (1:1:0). Presentations in a variety of areas of computational social science by Center for Social Complexity associated faculty and professional visitors. May be repeated for credit; however, a maximum of three credits of CSS 898 and 899 may be applied towards the Ph.D.

CSS 909 Advanced Topics in Computational Social Science (3:3:0). Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. Covers selected topics in computational social science and socioinformatics not covered in fixed-content courses. May be repeated for credit as necessary.

CSS 996 Doctoral Reading and Research (1-12:0:0). Prerequisites: Admission to doctoral program and permission of instructor. Reading and research on a specific topic in computational social science under the direction of a faculty member. May be repeated as necessary.

CSS 998 Doctoral Dissertation Proposal (1-12:0:0). Prerequisite: Permission of advisor. Covers development of a research proposal, which forms the basis for a doctoral dissertation, under the guidance of a dissertation director and the doctoral committee. May be repeated as needed; however, no more than 12 credits of CSS 998 may be applied towards satisfying the doctoral degree requirements.

CSS 999 Doctoral Dissertation (1-12:0:0). Prerequisite: approval of dissertation proposal. Doctoral dissertation research under the direction of the dissertation director. May be repeated as needed; however, no more than 24 credits in CSS 998 and 999 may be applied towards satisfying the doctoral degree requirements.