Lead Tomorrow with a PhD in Societal Computing
Design and Assess Society-Transforming Tech
Prospective Students
Why Societal Computing?
The PhD program in Societal Computing at Carnegie Mellon University's School of Computer Science prepares researchers to design technology that shapes the digital world while simultaneously understanding and addressing its societal challenges. Our program recognizes the profound interconnection between computing technologies and societal dynamics, goals, and outcomes. As our daily experiences become increasingly intertwined with computers and networks, computing technology profoundly influences how we socialize, work, and communicate. It presents new opportunities and risks, shaping the tools we use to manage our lives and our world.
In today's rapidly evolving digital landscape, design choices in computational environments have far-reaching consequences. These decisions shape our behavior, knowledge, and control over our environment. They also generate vast amounts of data that provide unprecedented insights into the digital world, presenting both opportunities and challenges that traditional analytical methods struggle to address.
Through our PhD program at Carnegie Mellon University, students learn to tackle these complex challenges. Our curriculum and research leverage a diverse array of tools and disciplines to understand the relationship between computing technology design and the nature of digital society. While rooted in traditional computer science, our approach incorporates cross-disciplinary perspectives, drawing from fields such as sociology, psychology, economics, public policy, cultural studies, machine learning, sustainability, applied statistics, and ethics.
Our interdisciplinary focus allows students to explore a broad spectrum of research areas, including but not limited to cybersecurity, privacy protection, complex socio-technical systems, and policy analytics. The program equips our students with the necessary tools, techniques, theories, and research methods to effectively address pressing societal issues and comprehend the intricate relationship between computing technologies and our digital society.
Where do our students go when they graduate?
Industry
GOVERNMENT
ACADEMIA
Applying for Admission
Students are drawn to our program by their desire to conduct research at the confluence of computer science and areas such as management, social science, law, or policy. Our students are pioneers who aspire to go beyond specialized degree programs, driven by a strong interest in interdisciplinary research that incorporates rigorous computational approaches.
We seek individuals who are passionate about tackling large-scale problems with meaningful impact on everyday people, both in the short term and long into the future. Our students are those who recognize the value of thinking systemically and holistically about the complex interplay between people, technology, and society.
Prerequisites
Our program welcomes students from diverse backgrounds. Our primary criteria for admission are research potential and demonstrated excellence. We are looking for students who will truly excel in our program and in their future careers, pushing the boundaries of what's possible in the field of Societal Computing.
We may admit exceptionally promising students whose preparation falls short in a particular area, with the understanding that they may need to take additional courses to gain the competency necessary to fully engage with our curriculum.
Our ideal candidates are those who are excited by the challenge of working across disciplines, who are eager to develop innovative solutions to complex societal problems, and who are committed to shaping a digital future that benefits all of humanity.