2016-48

Arizona State University
University Senate
Spring 2016

Senate Motion #2016-48

Motion Introduced by: Curriculum and Academic Programs Committee, Steven Semken, Chair

Date of First Reading: March 28, 2016

Date of Second Reading: April 25, 2016

Title of Motion: Request from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences – School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning – for the establishment of a graduate certificate – Social Science Research Methods

Action Requested: This curricular proposal has received all college, school, unit and university administrative approvals, and is being presented to the Senate for review and voting decision.    

Rationale: In our increasingly global society, employers in the private and public sectors alike seek employees who understand how to focus on important research questions and how to collect and analyze data to answer those questions. This certificate will encourage existing students to participate in cross-disciplinary research across the university while being enrolled in a degree program (or non-degree seeking students) to acquire skills in the collection and analysis of data on human thought and human behavior.

This program will make courses in social science research methods more accessible and will offer students opportunities to conduct and interpret social science research data for current and future research projects. This, in turn, will enhance students’ career opportunities.