The School of Social Sciences offers six certificate programs for both degree and non-degree seeking students. Certificate programs are a valuable component of the School�s educational mission and can be an important resource for both mid-career professionals and others seeking to advance their knowledge and expertise. The Certificates are offered in: Crime and Justice Analysis, Evaluation Research, Financial Economics., Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Nonprofit Management and Quantitative Analysis of Social and Economic Data (QASED).
This program introduces students to graduate study and the field of criminology. The certificate in Crime and Justice Analysis is available to both non-degree and degree-seeking students. Professionals employed in positions within criminal justice agencies and related private organizations pursue the certificate to obtain additional education related to their jobs. Other students obtain the certificate while progressing toward a master�s or doctoral degree. This fifteen-credit hour certificate is designed to introduce students to a variety of foundation courses and the substantive areas that comprise the field of criminology.
The certificate program allows students to choose courses within four designated areas.
Students can also receive credit for other courses that are relevant to one of the above substantive areas and are offered on a periodic basis. Students should consult the coordinator for the Graduate Program for additional information.
The School of Social Sciences also offers a certificate in the quantitative analysis of demographic and economic data. The certificate may be acquired by graduate degree-seeking and non-degree-seeking students. For the certificate, students must complete 15 graduate hours (5 courses). Students are required to take (A) POEC 5313 Descriptive and Inferential Statistics and POEC 5316 Advanced Regression Analysis. (B) Students must choose at least one of the following courses: ECO 5311 Applied Econometrics or POEC 6318 Structural Equation Modeling or POEC 6344 Categorical and Limited Dependent Variables. (C) In addition, two other empirically oriented courses must be completed. Students should check with the Director of the Certificate Program or the program office for details as to the list of acceptable courses.
Students seeking the certificate who do not plan to seek a degree should (1) submit an application and (2) an undergraduate transcript. No GRE score is required. Note: (a) up to 15 hours of coursework taken as a non-degree seeking student can be applied later to a graduate degree. (b) a maximum of 6 hours may be formally transferred from another institution with the approval of the certificate director. Students with equivalent knowledge, but no formal transfer, may substitute an additional course for Descriptive and Inferential Statistical with the approval of the certificate director. (c) Currently enrolled students may use up to 9 hours of courses required for their degree for the certificate.
A graduate-level certificate program in Evaluation Research is offered jointly by the Schools of Social Sciences and Behavioral and Brain Sciences. Students who complete this program will have an opportunity to gain competencies in the design and implementation of program evaluations in fields such as education, health care, human services, criminal justice, and economic development. The Certificate in Evaluation Research program may be incorporated into graduate degree programs in the Schools of Social Sciences or Behavioral and Brain Sciences, or may be taken on its own by non-degree seeking students. Students in the Evaluation Research certificate program are normally expected to have completed undergraduate courses in social statistics and research design; students lacking appropriate preparation may be asked to take needed courses prior to admission to the program.
In order to receive the certificate, students must successfully complete three required courses and a two-semester long evaluation research project that culminates in a final report. The courses in the School of Social Sciences leading to the Certificate in Evaluation Research are POEC 5313 Descriptive and Inferential Statistics for the Social Sciences, POEC 6352 Evaluation Research Methods in the Social Sciences. An elective course approved by the Evaluation Research certificate program coordinator, and POEC 6V91 Evaluation Research (six credit hours) for a total of 15 semester credit hours. With permission of the Evaluation Research program coordinator, students may substitute appropriate courses from the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences or prior coursework taken at other institutions. This is discussed in the Behavioral and Brain Sciences section of the catalog.
Students interested in applying for admission to the Certificate in Evaluation Research program should consult the graduate advising office in the School of Social Sciences or the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences.
The Certificate in Financial Economics is a 15-hour program that provides students with the fundamentals necessary to prepare them for the CFA� exam and a career path in economics or finance. CFA� candidates are also advised to take a 100% dedicated CFA� review course to assist them in preparation for the CFA�. For more information on the CFA� exam interested parties should contact the Association for Investment and Management Research�, the grantor of the CFA� designation. Students wishing to complete the Certificate take POEC 5313 Descriptive and Inferential Statistics, ECO 6321, ECO 6322 and ECO 6323 (Financial Economics I, II and III, respectively) and AIM 6333 Advanced Financial Reporting. Students should be aware that the AIM 6333 course is available only for degree-seeking students.
The School of Social Sciences offers a certificate in Geographic Information Systems for both novice and experienced GIS professionals. The certificate is available to both graduate degree-seeking and non-degree-seeking students. The certificate requires 15 graduate hours (5 classes). Students must complete GISC 6381 Geographic Information Systems Fundamentals, GISC 6382 Applied GIS, GISC 6383 GIS Management and Implementation, GISC 6387 Geographic Information Systems Workshop, and one course from: POEC 5317 Computer Techniques in Policy Analysis, GISC 5317 Visual Basic for GIS, PA 5318 Information Systems in Policy Environments, GISC 6384 Spatial Analysis and Modeling, GISC 6386 Urban and Environmental Applications of Geographic Information Systems (GIS)/Remote Sensing, GISC 6388 GIS Application Development, GISC 7361 Spatial Statistics, GISC 7363 Internet Mapping and Information Processing, GISC 7365 Remote Sensing Digital Image Processing, GISC 7366 Applied Remote Sensing or other approved courses in Geosciences, Management or Political Economy.
Admission requirements: Students seeking the GIS certificate must have completed an undergraduate degree. Admissions requirements include (1) an application to U.T. Dallas and (2) an undergraduate transcript. You do not need a GRE (Graduate Records Examination) for the certificate program. Students seeking the GIS certificate should apply as �non-degree-seeking� students to the Master of Science in Geographical Information Sciences program. Admissions requirements are the same for students who would simply like to take one or more of the related courses without pursuing a certificate.
Nonprofit organizations constitute an increasingly significant sector of the American economy as well as an essential element in American civic life. Nonprofits are found in such diverse fields as health care, education, human services, and criminal justice, as well as in cultural and civic activities. Faced with resource constraints and rising demands for accountability, nonprofit organizations require professional managers with an understanding of both administrative principles and techniques and of the distinctive legal, economic, and social environment within which nonprofits operate.
The Certificate in Nonprofit Management is designed to provide an overview of the nature and context of nonprofit organizations combined with skill-based courses to develop the competencies needed by nonprofit managers. The Certificate is intended for professionals already working in the nonprofit sector, those working in private for-profit or governmental settings who would like to work or volunteer in the nonprofit sector, and students without professional experience who seek to prepare themselves for nonprofit careers.
Completion of fifteen (15) semester credit hours are required to attain the Certificate in Nonprofit Management, including the core courses SOC 5371 Non Profit Organization and SOC 5372 Non-profit Management and Leadership along with three guided electives from the following: PA 5315 Public Management, PA 5321 Government Financial Management and Budgeting, PA 6326 Decision Tools for Managers, POEC 6352 Evaluation Research Methods in the Social Sciences, POEC 7340 Domestic Social Policy, POEC 7V62 Policy Research Workshop in Social Policy and PA 7315 Fundraising and Media Relations for Nonprofit Organizations. Other courses may be substituted with the permission of the certificate coordinator.