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Social Science & Policy Studies

As we advance into the 21st century, we are faced with a growing array of social, economic, environmental and public policy challenges, many at the technology and society interface. These range from price instability and unemployment to urban deterioration and environmental pollution. WPI's Social Science and Policy Studies Department integrates technological, engineering and scientific studies with traditional social science disciplines. Tomorrow's executives, politicians, administrators, activists, economists and leaders gain a comprehensive understanding of economics, politics, psychology, law, science and technology. More important, they learn to use that knowledge to effectively address national and global issues.

WPI undergraduates have the added advantage of attending a university whose project-based educational philosophy ensures that they'll graduate not only with theoretical knowledge but also with the practical skills to apply that knowledge to real-world situations. Most socioeconomic problems go beyond the boundaries of traditional social science disciplines.That's why many students choose to integrate knowledge and research techniques from their major areas of study with those of sociology, psychology, law and political science. Many also learn to use system dynamics to develop computer models and experiment with complex relationships to not only understand a variety of problems, but also design policies to alleviate them.

Programs

System Dynamics

A key element of WPI's social science and policy studies program is the major in system dynamics, a cutting-edge, computer-modeling-based discipline that enables students to predict the potential outcomes of any policy actions within a system, try out various scenarios, and determine likely outcomes and consequences before an intervention is attempted. Applying system dynamics to engineering, economic and societal systems enables administrators to institute more effective policies with fewer unintended consequences and errors. This multidisciplinary major will prepare you for a career as a consultant or for a career in public- or private-sector organizations, where you will be a part of in-house planning and problem-solving groups. More about System Dynamics...

Economics

Students majoring in economics prepare for careers in public administration, labor-management relations, or the economic, finance, international, sales and general management areas of industry. This major also provides an excellent foundation for graduate students, not only in economics, but also in business and law. Undergraduates ordinarily begin their studies in the basic theory areas: analysis of macroeconomic problems and public policy, analysis of problems of the firm, and market organization. To develop a capacity in the area of economic modeling, students should also study econometrics or system dynamics. In addition, they may undertake project work in specialized fields of study, such as economic growth and stablity, industrial organization and public policy, environmental economics and resource management, economic development, urban and regional planning, and international economic relations.

Economics and Technology

In this major, undergraduates study economic theory and model building and learn the techniques of economic decision-making and the collection and analysis of economic data. They fulfill the requirements by building a program from more than a dozen courses in economics, management and the other social sciences that have applications to such areas as the environment, health care, industrial organization, fiscal and monetary policy, and quantitative methods. At the same time, they develop a minor in science or engineering. A student with a bachelor's degree in economics and technology is well-suited to pursue a career in such areas as law and/or public service, or to manage pharmaceutical companies, investment banks, brokerage firms, public utilities and similar organizations.

Environmental Policy and Development

The impact of the environment on households, companies, cities and nations is the focus of this interdisciplinary program. At most universities, the environment is studied from either a technological or a policy perspective. At WPI, we believe that environmental issues are too complex to be limited to a single view. Our program meets the challenge of the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, which called for nations to adopt balanced and integrated approaches to environment and development questions. EP&D majors examine economic, psychological, social, political, legal and technical issues to fully understand them and to develop effective solutions to environmental challenges.

Society, Technology and Policy

In this major, students address critical problems of society that stem from the interplay of technology and society. The environment, energy, productivity, population, education, defense and global competition are policy areas in which technical change plays an important role. Students complete a major in social science and a minor in a science or engineering discipline of their choice, including biotechnology, computer science, manufacturing engineering and management. They also have the opportunity to engage in in-depth research on social policy issues as well as the interactions between society and technology. Their social science background enables them to understand contemporary public policy issues and interpret and synthesize technical materials for policy considerations by government and industry. An STP education provides the comprehensive foundation needed to function effectively as members of a research or administrative staff at a business, regulatory agency, government department or contract research organization.

Pre-Law

In addition to the four majors, the Social Science and Policy Studies Department offers advising programs in pre-law and law and technology. Students with interests in law and government create solid foundations of courses and project experiences upon which they can build successful and exciting careers.

Projects

Major Projects in the Social Science and Policy Studies Department focus on discovering why complex social systems behave the way they do, how to predict and compensate for those behaviors, and how technology interacts with society. In recent projects, system dynamics students used computer models to identify the social forces that cause changes within lending institutions and to determine how to prevent these forces from eroding these institutions' original mandates. They predicted logistical bottlenecks within a major chemical company and alleviated them through effective management practices. They helped organizations make decisions based on probable outcomes and avoid mistakes during implementation. They also developed models to study fishing, dairy farms, health care delivery, production operations, and sustainable development of communities, cities and nations.

Facilities

Because social sciences and policy studies are not facilities-intensive disciplines, the department focuses on creating a highly interactive and collaborative classroom environment that stresses collective learning instead of traditional lectures. In recent years, the department also has begun to emphasize more international exposure by bringing in visiting scholars from other areas of the world to expose students to multiple perspectives on system dynamics and other topics in the social sciences. Scholars from Russia, U.K., Malaysia and Japan have visited WPI's Department of Social Science and Policy Studies.

Careers

Social science and policy studies majors who choose to begin their careers upon graduation are actively sought by major corporations, public agencies, consulting organizations, and research and development operations in the United States and abroad, where they work as policymakers, analysts, public and private services administrators, business managers and consultants. Others become environmental policy activists, economists, financial planners, sales representatives and politicians in both public and private sectors, where their combination of analytical, human, scientific and technical skills makes them a tremendous asset to their employer. Still others choose to further their education with graduate studies in economics, business, law, public administration, public policy and other fields.

Many of our students begin consulting with external organizations when they are juniors and seniors and continue their work as full-time employees when they graduate. The strength of our graduates--and their appeal to employers--is in their ability to analyze information based on perspective, logic and facts rather than on adversarial or territorial concerns.

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Last modified: November 08, 2006 15:02:19