Summer Workshop on Computational Social Science
206 Church Street SE
Minneapolis,
MN
55455
Summer Workshop on Computational Social Science
Join us for an intensive Summer Workshop on Computational Social Science at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. This workshop is designed for graduate students across disciplines: liberal arts students will learn to integrate computational tools into their research, while students in computer and data science fields will gain a deeper understanding of social science theories and problems. Through hands-on coding labs, methodological training, and conceptual discussion, participants will explore new research methodologies and learn to frame social questions through data-intensive approaches.
Dates & Times
Event Dates: June 2–6 and June 9–10, 2025
Times: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM (daily)
Format
The workshop balances practical training with conceptual exploration:
- Methodological Training: Daily interactive coding labs in R and Python will teach computational techniques for social data collection, analysis, and modeling. These hands-on sessions allow participants to develop and apply data science skills to real social science datasets and problems.
- Conceptual Discussion: Seminar-style discussions will cover key literature in computational social science, drawn from multiple social science disciplines. Participants will engage with foundational readings, debate theoretical implications, and see how data-driven methods can reframe social science questions and inform their theories. Two guest speakers will also deliver talks during the week to share insights from their research and professional experience.
Who Should Apply?
This workshop is open to UMN graduate students (Master’s and PhD) from any discipline interested in computational approaches to social science research. We especially encourage applicants from the College of Liberal Arts (CLA) and those with computer science or data science backgrounds. We welcome students from a variety of academic perspectives to foster interdisciplinary learning and collaboration.
How to Apply
Interested students should complete a short online application. Apply early as space is limited to about 20 participants. If more than 20 students apply, participants will be selected to form a diverse cohort, with priority given to CLA graduate students. Selected applicants will be notified via email with further instructions.
Apply Now
We’ve received a high volume of responses. Registration will remain open until May 10. The workshop organizer will select 20 final participants and notify them by May 15. In the meantime, if you have any questions, please contact Alvin Zhou at [email protected].