CAS PO 399 Data Science for Politics (4 credits)
Prerequisite: Any 100-level course in Political Science

Data science is changing how we understand and study politics, policy, and decision-making. This course introduces students to the fundamental tools of data science, including collecting, modeling, and visualizing data, and how to apply these tools to study political and policy questions. Effective Spring 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub area(s):

  Quantitative Reasoning I
  Digital/Multimedia Expression

CAS PO 501 Formal Political Theory (4 credits)
Undergraduate Prerequisite: PO 111, 141, 151, or 171. Calculus (MA 121, 123, or 127) and probability (MA 113, 115, or 213) are helpful, but not required.

Graduate Prerequisite: completion of BU Social Science Math Boot Camp. Some additional familiarity with calculus and microeconomics is helpful, but not required.

A course on formal theory, covering decision theory, game theory, and social choice theory. Topics include spatial models, electoral competition, bargaining, deterrence, and signaling models. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub area(s):

  Quantitative Reasoning II
  Social Inquiry II
  Critical Thinking

CAS PO 502 Political Analysis: A Primer (4 credits)
The logic and methods of empirical analysis in political science. Introduces research design for a variety of social science applications, as well as data analysis, data visualization and statistical software.

*This course does not currently satisfy any BU Hub requirements.

GRS PO 840 Political Analysis (4 credits)
An introduction to the methodology of social science as applied to the study of politics. Includes discussion of core debates in philosophy of science, various approaches to political science, and questions of research design.

*This course does not currently satisfy any BU Hub requirements.

GRS PO 841 Quantitative Research (4 credits)
Prerequisite: Social Science Math Boot Camp or Consent of instructor.

An applied graduate level introduction to probability, descriptive statistics, hypothesis testing, and ordinary least squares regression analysis.

*This course does not currently satisfy any BU Hub requirements.

GRS PO 842 Qualitative Approaches to the Study of Political Science (4 credits)
Prerequisite: Graduate student or consent of instructor.
Introduces the analytical tools and methods that underpin qualitative and multi method research in the social sciences. Covers conceptualization and measurement, process tracing, comparative historical analysis, archival research, ethics, ethnography and participant observation, interviews, content and discourse analysis, and mixed methods.
*This course does not currently satisfy any BU Hub requirements.

GRS PO 843 Techniques in Political Analysis: Maximum Likelihood Estimation (4 credits)
Prerequisite: GRS PO 841; or equivalent, or consent of the instructor.

An applied course in quantitative empirical analysis using the method of maximum likelihood. Covers models for binary, ordered, unordered, count and duration dependent variables. Focus is on social science data and computation in R.

*This course does not currently satisfy any BU Hub requirements.

GSR PO 844 Methods for Causal Inference (4 credits)
Prerequisite: GRS PO 841 or consent of instructor.
Research methods for causal inference in political science. Randomized experiments (lab, survey, and field), natural experiments (including regression discontinuity and instrumental variable designs), difference-in-differences and fixed effects models, multiple regression and matching, comparative case studies, process tracing, and multi-method designs.
*This course does not currently satisfy any BU Hub requirements.