Frequently Asked Questions

Our flexible and interdisciplinary program allows you to master analytical approaches and statistical techniques developed across a number of social and behavioral science research areas. It is an excellent option for students looking to strengthen their quantitative abilities to analyze varied issues. Students will learn how to decide which analytic approaches and methodologies are most suitable for specific research problems and will master their application. They will graduate with proficiency in the procedures for acquiring, managing, and analyzing data and reporting their findings in a direct and compelling manner.

Our program is designed to build on a set of fundamental skills in the required core courses and to allow students the flexibility to pursue one of four optional concentrations:

1. Methods, designed for students who want to focus exclusively on quantitative techniques;
2. Analysis of Socio-Economic Inequality at the Global, National, and Urban/Regional Levels
3. Data Analytics for Learning; and
4. Demographic Methods.

These concentrations draw on the expertise of faculty from a range of disciplines, including sociology, educational psychology, political science, demography, psychology, and education. Students have the opportunity to choose which classes they take in completing the concentration.

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The program is excellent preparation for professional opportunities that involve data analysis. These include positions in government and public policy, think tanks, social service agencies, technology companies, school systems and educational services organizations, and much more. Our program also prepares students for Ph.D. programs.

Our program is designed for experienced professionals and scholars as well as recent college graduates. Students from a variety of academic backgrounds are welcome.

Please see our Admissions and Aid page for detailed information and application requirements.

GRE scores taken within the past five years are required for admission, and they cannot be waived. Program faculty recognize, however, that GRE scores do not always fully capture applicants’ talents or preparation, especially so for those from other countries or those who have been out of school for some years. We carefully consider applicants’ entire admissions packages, of which GRE scores are only one element.

The M.S. program is a 30-credit program, and how quickly students complete it depends on their chosen course load. For example, full-time students taking 9 credits (three courses) or more per semester can finish in a year and a half to two years; part-time students taking 6 credits (two courses) per semester will finish in two and half years.

Please see our Admissions and Aid page for information and guidance on tuition, fees and financial aid.

All courses are typically offered at the Graduate Center as face-to-face courses, which usually meet once a week. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, some or all courses may currently be offered in a hybrid or online-only format. 

Please note that we do not guarantee the availability of online courses in the future.

You are likely to find many other students in the Quantitative Methods in the Social Sciences program and in related master’s and doctoral programs who share your interests. Students at the Graduate Center participate in many student groups and advocacy organizations. There are numerous opportunities to attend speakers’ series hosted by many of the QMSS-affiliated programs at the Graduate Center, which regularly draw faculty and students from across the Graduate Center and CUNY.