MATHEMATICAL METHODS IN THE SOCIAL SCIENCES

MMSS is a great fit for students who enjoy deep, analytical thinking, appreciate structure, and  use math and logic to understand the world. You don’t need to know your exact path after college — but you should be excited by challenging questions, comfortable with uncertainty, and willing to explore complex ideas with patience and precision. 

The students who thrive in MMSS are not only strong in math — they’re also intellectually curious, open to different viewpoints, and willing to collaborate. They ask not only how things work, but why they work that way — and what would happen if it didn’t.

MMSS teaches you how to think critically and analytically across disciplines. It’s not just about math or statistics — it’s about using those tools thoughtfully to ask better questions and find meaningful answers. The program’s interdisciplinary approach, taught by diverse faculty, prepares students to tackle complex social issues from multiple angles.

Our students are trained, adaptable problem-solvers. They’re not just smart — they know how to take a complex situation, organize the information, and build a structured analytical solution.

MMSS students also know how to work in teams. Students go through the program as a cohort, so they are used to working in groups, listening to diverse perspectives, and collaborating toward solutions. They’re not handed a template; they learn to build their own frameworks — and to explain their reasoning clearly and confidently.

MMSS is not a business major. It’s not based on case studies, and it doesn’t teach from a script or a cookbook. What sets the program apart is its emphasis on abstraction, modeling, and the logic behind each analytical tool. We don’t just teach the how — we emphasize the why. We want students to ask: Why this model? Why these assumptions? What changes if we think differently?

That mindset carries through the senior thesis. It’s a year-long research project, supported by a full course sequence (MMSS 398-1,2 and 3), where students choose a question they care about and go deep. They’re not just writing a paper — they’re designing an analysis, figuring out how to get the data, what methods to use, and how to draw conclusions. It’s a formative, capstone experience whether you’re headed for research or industry.

 

 

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MMSS is a small program with a big sense of community. Students take 12 core classes together, which creates lasting bonds — the kind that carry through late-night problem sets, group projects, and thesis deadlines.

What truly makes it work is the mix of people. Our students come from different majors — economics, math, computer science, psychology, journalism, data science. That range of perspectives leads to richer, more dynamic academic conversations. You must learn to explain ideas in ways others can understand, and to listen and learn from others who approach problems differently.

We also have our own MMSS lounge — a space where students gather to work, meet with faculty, or just hang out. And of course, we have Nicole, our amazing program coordinator, who not only keeps things running but is also a trusted source of guidance and support. It’s a rigorous program, but no one goes through it alone.

Don’t approach MMSS as just another line on your résumé. It’s not a program to add to your tenth extracurricular or to signal ambition on paper. It’s a serious commitment — but a rewarding one. Our faculty invest deeply in the classes, and we expect students to have that same focus and energy.

If you love digging into hard questions, thinking abstractly, and discovering how math and statistics can help make sense of people, policies, and systems — you’ll find a home here. MMSS will stretch you, but it will also give you a way of thinking that lasts a lifetime.

Graduates may have a favorite course or topic. But what sticks with them is how the program shaped the way they think.  The program trained them to be clear, rigorous, and adaptable. They leave knowing how to tackle unfamiliar challenges and break them down logically.

And that mindset pays off. MMSS alumni go on to thrive in consulting, tech, grad school, investment banking — even projects like improving police department operations or launching their own startups. MMSS opens doors because it equips students with tools that are broadly applicable  — and the confidence to use them well.

As one alum put it, “MMSS was a true highlight of my time at NU.” Another said, “MMSS pushed me to be a better thinker and boosted my confidence.” That’s the kind of lasting impact we aim to deliver.

While MMSS was designed to prepare students for research and grad school, its rigor is exactly what makes them stand out in consulting, finance, tech, and beyond.

Consulting firms and tech companies want people who can tackle messy, ambiguous problems, think clearly, and apply the right tools under pressure. That’s the core of the MMSS experience — not memorizing methods, but learning how to frame problems and solve them strategically.

MMSS students also bring a social science mindset to technical work — understanding incentives, bias, and the difference between correlation and causation. That’s valuable whether you’re analyzing data, designing a product, or structuring a deal.

It’s theoretical by design — because we’re not teaching students to follow a script. We’re training them to write it.