Electives
RAISE-C (computational background) students can take Advanced Computational, or Intro Humanistic.
RAISE-H (humanistic background) students can take Advanced Humanistic, or Intro Computational.
Typical Electives for RAISE-C students
Typical Electives for RAISE-H students
PUBPOL 506 Ethics and Public Policy (3/4)
Teaches students to identify moral issues in public life. Special focus on the integration of moral concerns into public discussion in a manner which contributes to good policy and does not polarize issues. Discusses moral and political theory by focusing on contemporary cases and issues.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 506
SOC W 505 Foundations of Social Welfare Research (3)
Overview of research process/methods in social work, with focus on consuming and performing practice-related research and evaluating one’s own practice. Emphasis on critical understanding of empirical literature, development of useful and appropriate questions about social work practice, and strategies and techniques for doing research and applying findings to practice.
View course details in MyPlan: SOC W 505
SOC W 501 Poverty and Inequality (3)
Analysis of poverty and inequality in United States. Analytic and descriptive focus on measurement, processes of production and perpetuation, and public policy responses. Examines causes of poverty, the role of policy, and socioeconomic dimensions of stratification, including race, ethnicity, class, gender, immigration status, disability, age, sexual orientation, and family structure.
CSE 512 Data Visualization (4)
Covers techniques and algorithms for creating effective visualizations based on principles from graphic design, visual art, perceptual psychology, and cognitive science. Topics include data and image models; visual encoding; graphical perception; color; animation; interaction techniques; graph layout; and automated design. Lectures, reading, and project.
View course details in MyPlan: CSE 512
CSE 515 Statistical Methods in Computer Science (4)
Introduction to the probabilistic and statistical techniques used in modern computer systems. Graphical models, probabilistic inference, statistical learning, sequential models, decision theory. Prerequisite: either CSE 312,STAT 341, STAT 391 or equivalent.
View course details in MyPlan: CSE 515
CSE 517 Natural Language Processing (4)
Overview of modern approaches for natural language processing. Topics include language models, text, classification, tagging, parsing, machine translation, semantic, and discourse analysis.
View course details in MyPlan: CSE 517
CSE 546 Machine Learning (4)
Explores methods for designing systems that learn from data and improve with experience. Supervised learning and predictive modeling; decision trees, rule induction, nearest neighbors, Bayesian methods, neural networks, support vector machines, and model ensembles. Unsupervised learning and clustering. Prerequisite: either CSE 312, STAT 341, STAT 391 or equivalent.
View course details in MyPlan: CSE 546
CSE 547 Machine Learning for Big Data (4)
Covers machine learning and statistical techniques for analyzing datasets of massive size and dimensionality. Representations include regularized linear models, graphical models, matrix factorization, sparsity, clustering, and latent factor models. Algorithms include sketching, random projections, hashing, fast nearest-neighbors, large-scale online learning, and parallel learning (Map-Reduce, GraphLab). Prerequisite: either STAT 535 or CSE 546. Instructors: Fox, Guestrin Offered: jointly with STAT 548; W.
View course details in MyPlan: CSE 547
CSE 573 Artificial Intelligence I (4)
Intensive introduction to artificial intelligence: Problem solving and search, game playing, knowledge representation and reasoning, uncertainty, machine learning, natural language processing. Prerequisite: either CSE 421 or equivalent; exposure to logic, probability, and statistics.
View course details in MyPlan: CSE 573
CSE 574 Artificial Intelligence II (4)
Advanced topics in artificial intelligence. Subjects include planning, natural language understanding, qualitative physics, machine learning, and formal models of time and action. Students are required to do projects. Prerequisite: CSE 573.
View course details in MyPlan: CSE 574
CSE 576 Computer Vision (3)
Principles and methods for interpreting the three-dimensional world from images. Topics include feature detection, image segmentation, motion estimation, image mosaics, 3D-shape reconstruction, object recognition, and image retrieval. Prerequisite: solid knowledge of linear algebra; good programming skills. Offered: jointly with E E 576.
View course details in MyPlan: CSE 576
CSE 578 Convex Optimization (4)
Basics of convex analysis: Convex sets, functions, and optimization problems. Optimization theory: Least-squares, linear, quadratic, geometric and semidefinite programming. Convex modeling. Duality theory. Optimality and KKT conditions. Applications in signal processing, statistics, machine learning, control communications, and design of engineering systems. Prerequisite: A A 510, CHEM E 510, E E 510, or M E 510. Offered: jointly with A A 578/E E 578/M E 578.
View course details in MyPlan: CSE 578
CSE 581 Computer Ethics (4)
Ethical and philosophical approaches to thinking critically about computing technology. Tools and strategies for considering unintended consequences. Responsibilities of computer science researchers and practitioners. Application to various technology areas.
View course details in MyPlan: CSE 581
STAT 502 Design and Analysis of Experiments (4)
Design of experiments covering concepts such as randomization, blocking, and confounding. Analysis of experiments using randomization tests, analysis of variance, and analysis of covariance. Prerequisite: either STAT 342, STAT 390/MATH 390, or STAT 509/CS&SS 509/ECON 580; and MATH 208. Offered: A.
View course details in MyPlan: STAT 502
STAT 503 Practical Methods for Data Analysis (4)
Basic exploratory data analysis with business examples. Data summaries, multivariate data, time series, multiway tables. Techniques include graphical display, transformation, outlier identification, cluster analysis, smoothing, regression, robustness. Departmental credit allowed for only one of 403 and 503. Prerequisite: B A 500 or QMETH 500 or equivalent or permission of instructor. Offered: jointly with QMETH 503.
View course details in MyPlan: STAT 503
STAT 504 Applied Regression (4)
Least squares estimation. Hypothesis testing. Interpretation of regression coefficients. Categorical independent variables. Interactions. Assumption violations: outliers, residuals, robust regression; nonlinearity, transformations, ACE, CART; nonconstant variance. Variable selection and model averaging. Prerequisite: either STAT 342, STAT 390/MATH 390, STAT 421, STAT 509/CS&SS 509/ECON 580, or SOC 505. Offered: jointly with CS&SS 504.
View course details in MyPlan: STAT 504
STAT 512 Statistical Inference (4)
Review of random variables; transformations, conditional expectation, moment generating functions, convergence, limit theorems, estimation; Cramer-Rao lower bound, maximum likelihood estimation, sufficiency, ancillarity, completeness. Rao-Blackwell theorem. Hypothesis testing: Neyman-Pearson lemma, monotone likelihood ratio, likelihood-ratio tests, large-sample theory. Contingency tables, confidence intervals, invariance. Decision theory. Prerequisite: STAT 395 and STAT 421, STAT 423, STAT 504, or BIOST 512 (concurrent registration permitted for these three). Offered: A.
View course details in MyPlan: STAT 512
STAT 519 Time Series Analysis (3)
Descriptive techniques. Stationary and nonstationary processes, including ARIMA processes. Estimation of process mean and autocovariance function. Fitting ARIMA models to data. Statistical tests for white noise. Forecasting. State space models and the Kalman filter. Robust time series analysis. Regression analysis with correlated errors. Statistical properties of long memory processes. Prerequisite: STAT 513.
View course details in MyPlan: STAT 519
STAT 535 Statistical Learning: Modeling, Prediction, and Computing (3)
Covers statistical learning over discrete multivariate domains, exemplified by graphical probability models. Emphasizes the algorithmic and computational aspects of these models. Includes additional topics in probability and statistics of discrete structures, general purpose discrete optimization algorithms like dynamic programming and minimum spanning tree, and applications to data analysis. Prerequisite: experience with programming in a high level language. Offered: A.
View course details in MyPlan: STAT 535
STAT 558 Statistical Machine Learning for Data Scientists (5)
Bias-variance trade-off; training versus test error; overfitting; cross-validation; subset selection methods; regularized approaches for linear/logistic regression: ridge and lasso; non-parametric regression: trees, bagging, random forests; local regression and splines; generalized additive models; support vector machines; k-means and hierarchical clustering; principal components analysis. Prerequisite: STAT/BIOST/DATA 557, or permission of instructor. Offered: jointly with BIOST 558/DATA 558; Sp.
View course details in MyPlan: STAT 558
STAT 566 Causal Modeling (4)
Construction of causal hypotheses. Theories of causation, counterfactuals, intervention vs. passive observation. Contexts for causal inference: randomized experiments; sequential randomization; partial compliance; natural experiments, passive observation. Path diagrams, conditional independence, and d-separation. Model equivalence and causal under-determination. Prerequisite: course in statistics, SOC 504, SOC 505, SOC 506, or equivalent. Offered: jointly with CS&SS 566.
View course details in MyPlan: STAT 566
LING 473 Basics for Computational Linguistics (3)
Examines computer applications involving automatic processing of natural language speech or text by machines. Intended as preparation for CLMS core courses. Includes concepts form probability and statistics; formal grammars and languages; finite-state automata and transducers; review of algorithms and data structures; and software for using parallel server cluster. Prerequisite: CSE 326; STAT 391; programming in Perl, C, C++, Java, or Python. Offered: S.
View course details in MyPlan: LING 473
LING 400 Survey of Linguistic Method and Theory (5) A&H/SSc, RSN L. MCGARRITY
Examines major linguistic theories in phonology, syntax and semantics; linguistic analysis and argumentation. Not available for credit to students who have completed LING 200.
View course details in MyPlan: LING 400
LING 570 Shallow Processing Techniques for Natural Language Processing (4) Fei Xia
Techniques and algorithms for associating relatively surface-level structures and information with natural language corpora, including POS tagging, morphological analysis, preprocessing/segmentation, named-entity recognition, chunk parsing, and word-sense disambiguation. Examines linguistic resources that can be leveraged for these tasks (e.g., WordNet). Prerequisite: a minimum grade of 2.7 in CSE 373; and either a minimum grade of 2.7 in MATH 394/STAT 394, a minimum grade of 3.0 in LING 473, or a passing grade on the CLMS placement exam. Offered: AW.
View course details in MyPlan: LING 570
LING 571 Deep Processing Techniques for Natural Language Processing (4) Gina-Anne Levow
Algorithms for associating deep or elaborated linguistic structures with naturally occurring linguistic data (parsing/semantics/discourse), and for producing natural language strings from input semantic representations (generation). Prerequisite: a minimum grade of 2.7 in CSE 373; and either a minimum grade of 2.7 in MATH 394/STAT 394, a minimum grade of 3.0 in LING 473, or a passing grade on the CLMS placement exam. Offered: AW.
View course details in MyPlan: LING 571
LING 566 Introduction to Syntax for Computational Linguistics (3) Bender
Introduction to syntactic analysis and concepts with emphasis on the formally precise encoding in linguistic hypotheses and the design of grammars that can be scaled to practical applications. Coursework progressively builds up a consistent grammar for a fragment of English, while also considering data and phenomena from other languages. Offered: A.
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SOC 537 Modeling Emergence: Social Simulation (3)
Seminar and practicum in computational modeling of social processes with emphasis on using agent-based simulation models to investigate and refine theory.
INSC 501 Theoretical Foundations for Information Science (3)
In-depth exploration of the philosophical, theoretical, methodological, and historical foundation of information science and the study of information.
View course details in MyPlan: INSC 501
INSC 512 Community Analysis (4)
Explores key concepts of community in its broadest sense, methodological approaches for analyzing information needs and available resources, how to design information services in response to identified needs, and service evaluation. Facilitating the information behavior of all groups within a community and identifying how their needs interconnect. Offered: jointly with LIS 512.
View course details in MyPlan: INSC 512
INSC 543 Value Sensitive Design (4)
Develops knowledge and skills to account for human values in design, development, and deployment of information systems. In-depth examination of value sensitive design theory, methods, and practice, including stakeholder project. Prerequisite: permission of instructor.
View course details in MyPlan: INSC 543
INSC 571 Quantitative Methods in Information Science (5)
Describes uses, characteristics, and theoretical bases of research methods and data analysis techniques used in quantitative research, emphasizing uses in information and library science. Topics include experimental design, descriptive and inferential statistics, the normal distribution, elementary probability, nonparametric statistics, and exploratory data analysis techniques. Prerequisite: INSC 570.
View course details in MyPlan: INSC 571
INSC 572 Qualitative Methods in Information Science (5)
Principles and approaches to conducting qualitative research in information science, including how to design a qualitative study, role of context, methods of data collection and analysis, increasing the trustworthiness of data, minimizing observer effect, how to incorporate and build theory. Exposure to field research and data analysis. Prerequisite: INSC 570.
View course details in MyPlan: INSC 572
SOC 504 Applied Social Statistics (3-)
Applications of statistics in sociology and related social sciences. Emphasis on problems of analysis with imperfect data. Probability in statistical inference. Analysis of variance; contingency table analysis, nonparametric procedures; regression analysis in social research.
View course details in MyPlan: SOC 504
SOC 538 Data Science, Population Processes, and Health (3)
Today’s large and complex data sets (“big data”) allow social scientists to address core social questions in new ways. Examines how traditional social science and demographic methods can be used to make sense of new data sources, and how these new data sources may require new approaches and research design.
View course details in MyPlan: SOC 538
CS&SS 508 Introduction to R for Social Scientists (1)
Familiarizes students with the R environment for statistical computing (http://www.r-project.org). R is a freely available, multi-platform, and powerful program for analysis and graphics similar to S-PLUS. Covers the basics of organizing, managing, and manipulating social science data; basic applications; introduction to programming; links to other major statistical packages. Credit/no-credit only.
View course details in MyPlan: CS&SS 508
CS&SS 533 Research Methods in Demography (3)
Basic measures and models used in demographic research. Sources and quality of demographic data. Rate construction, standardization, the life table, stable population models, migration models, population estimation and projection, measures of concentration and dispersion, measures of family formation and dissolution. Offered: jointly with CSDE 533/SOC 533.
View course details in MyPlan: CS&SS 533
CS&SS 567 Statistical Analysis of Social Networks (4)
Statistical and mathematical descriptions of social networks. Topics include graphical and matrix representations of social networks, sampling methods, statistical analysis of network data, and applications. Prerequisite: SOC 504, SOC 505, SOC 506, or equivalent. Offered: jointly with STAT 567.
View course details in MyPlan: CS&SS 567
CS&SS 568 Game Theory for Social Scientists (5)
Studies non-cooperative game-theory and provides tools to derive appropriate statistical models from game-theoretic models of behavior. Equilibrium concepts, learning, repeated games and experimental game theory. Prerequisite: MATH 112, MATH 124, or MATH 134; STAT 311/ECON 311 or equivalent. Offered: jointly with ECON 568.
View course details in MyPlan: CS&SS 568
CS&SS 589 Multivariate Data Analysis for the Social Sciences (4, max. 8) E. EROSHEVA
Multivariate analysis aims to summarize and describe patterns among multiple observed characteristics. Explores theoretical introduction and practical skills to carry out multivariate analysis methods such as cluster analysis, principal components, factor analysis, and latent class analysis. Prerequisite: SOC 504, SOC 505, or SOC 506. Offered: jointly with SOC WL 589; A.
View course details in MyPlan: CS&SS 589
CS&SS 526 Structural Equation Models for the Social Sciences (3)
Structural equation models for the social sciences, including specification, estimation, and testing. Topics include path analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, linear models with latent variables, MIMIC models, non-recursive models, models for nested data. Emphasizes applications to substantive problems in the social sciences. Prerequisite: SOC 504, SOC 505, SOC 506 or equivalent. Offered: jointly with SOC 529.
View course details in MyPlan: CS&SS 526
PUBPOL Special Topics: Machines, Markets, & Organizations: The Artificial Intelligence Ecosystem
PUBPOL Special Topics: Artificial Intelligence and Governance
PUBPOL Special Topics: Technology Law & Policy
PUBPOL 510 Foundations of American Democracy (4)
Examines the fundamental values such as equality, liberty, dignity, freedom, and autonomy that individuals justify and shape American political culture and institutions. Focuses upon the philosophical and religious foundations of these values and examines the relations among them as well as how they influence American political culture, institutions, and conflict.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 510
PUBPOL 585 Topics in Science, Technology, and Public Policy (3-5)
Examines relationship between advancement of technical knowledge and pace of technological change, and public policies to induce or respond to these trends. Generic issues of government research, development, and personnel training programs are addressed. Applications of policy issues involving biomedical, communications, energy, environmental, transportation, and weapons technologies.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 585
PUBPOL 588 Data Science for Public Policy (4)
Introduction to various data science methods and use of data science in public policy analysis. Topics include machine learning, network analysis, and numerical analysis. Offered: AW.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 588
SOC 508 Logic of Social Inquiry (3)
Study design from problem formulation to the analysis and interpretation of data.
View course details in MyPlan: SOC 508
SOC 513 Demography and Ecology (3)
Theories and research on human fertility, mortality, mobility, migration, and urbanization in social/economic context. Comparative and historical materials on Europe, the United States, and the Third World. Offered: jointly with CSDE 513.
View course details in MyPlan: SOC 513
SOC W 558 Gender, Gender Identity, and Sexuality (3)
Anti-oppression focus on social work practice with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, two-spirit, intersexed, and queer communities. Emphasizes cultural, social, and political context within which such practice occurs as well as an examination of the diversity and heterogeneity within these communities. Enhances students’ micro and macro practice skills.
View course details in MyPlan: SOC W 558
SOC W 555 Global Perspectives in Social Work Practice (3)
Focuses on contemporary social issues of global importance: poverty; HIV/AIDS; population growth; gender inequality; and war, conflict, and displacement, with specific focus on these issues in the global south. Examines sociocultural, economic, and political processes that shape these issues, and entwined perspective of human rights and development.
View course details in MyPlan: SOC W 555
SOC 565 Inequality: Current Trends and Explanations (3)
Discussion of recent growth in economic inequality in the United States and competing explanations for these new trends through examination of labor market demographics, industrial composition and restructuring, and the broader political context that impacts policies like minimum wage, strength of unions, and foreign trade. Prerequisite: SOC 504, SOC 505, SOC 506, or equivalent. Offered: jointly with CS&SS 565.
View course details in MyPlan: SOC 565
COM 539 Theories of Technology and Society (5)
Provides an theoretical foundation for study in the area of communication technology and society by examining different contemporary theories of the social, political, and cultural implications of technological change. Takes a broad view of theories of communication innovations, tools, and technologies – including historical, critical, and comparative approaches.
View course details in MyPlan: COM 539
COM 540 The Rhetoric of Science (5)
Examines selected topics in the rhetoric of science, underscoring the interplay of language, situation, culture, and prior tradition in the quest for exact knowledge of the natural world. Scrutinizes scientific communication in intradisciplinary, interdisciplinary, and extradisciplinary contexts.
View course details in MyPlan: COM 540
COM 551 Political Communication (5)
Surveys classic works and new directions in political communication, including functionalist, structuralist, constructivist, network, and comparative approaches, reflecting a range of methods. Examines political organizing, electoral and legislative processes, civic (dis)engagement, media and politics, public deliberation and opinion formation, political identify and discourse. Offered: jointly with POL S 551.
View course details in MyPlan: COM 551
COM 553 Public Opinion and Communication (5)
Conceptual and methodological approaches to public opinion and communication as historical and behavioral phenomena. United States and international perspectives.
View course details in MyPlan: COM 553
COM 563 Black Cultural Studies (5)
Takes a critical approach to studying media representations of blackness. Drawing upon traditions in African studies and cultural studies, students engage through theory and practice by presenting on academic works, historicizing events, and unpacking cultural texts.
View course details in MyPlan: COM 563
COM 564 Media, Myth, and Ritual (5)
Examines the way media operate in a secular society with many of the characteristics that traditionally have been imputed to spirituality and religion. Analyzes media’s mythological and ritualistic function in society by taking an interdisciplinary approach informed by religious studies, cultural studies, journalism, and communication theory.