Accredited in the U.S. and Austria, BA in Quantitative Social Sciences (QSS) combines the study of human societies with a rigorous foundation in mathematics, statistics, computation and data science. The program teaches the interdisciplinary skills necessary to extract scientific understanding from societal data and consists of a comprehensive training in computational data analysis and mathematical modeling, as well as core theory and methods from sociology, economics, environmental science and political science.
You will learn how to take advantage of the unprecedented quantity and level of detail of available information on human habits, health, communication, opinions, political and economic behavior in a manner that is built upon quantitative theory and methods, while being directly integrated with the scholarship in the various areas of the social sciences.
Course details
The program includes mandatory modules on mathematics, programming and data analysis, and social sciences. After completing the mandatory modules, you can major (specialize) in:
- Sociology
- Economics
- Environmental Sciences
- Political Science
- Data Science
You will be expected to conduct interdisciplinary research as part of your BA thesis and capstone project in your chosen areas of specialization.
The program both integrates into the European-wide Bologna system and offers the best of the American undergraduate education system. After successful completion of a four-year BA, you will receive an Austrian and an American BA degree.
Career outcomes
Continuing in graduate school
A QSS degree will offer you the opportunity to pursue MA/MSc and PhD degrees in a variety of disciplines, including:
- economics
- political science
- environmental science
- sociology
- network science and
- computational social science
Possible careers in Business, Industry, Governance, and NGOs
Specialist quantitative skills in social sciences are in short supply and are valued by a variety of employers in:
- businesses
- startups
- public service
- intergovernmental organizations (e.g. UN)
- NGOs
- journalism
- financial consulting and
- marketing