Program Overview

The Division of Computational & Data Sciences (DCDS) at Washington University in St. Louis trains students interested in problems from across a range of disciplines that share a common reliance on data and computing.

The introduction of now-standard tools from statistical analysis and hypothesis testing transformed the practice of natural and social science in the mid-twentieth century. Emerging tools from computational and data science have the potential to bring about an even larger transformation of scientific practice, especially in the social sciences. The questions raised by data generated by and about human behavior are engaging and profound. However, many, if not most, of these questions can only be tackled using a multi-disciplinary approach that combines deep knowledge of the capabilities and operation of data science techniques, with the domain expertise needed to apply them effectively to the problems under consideration.

Doctoral students in Computational & Data Sciences receive strong methodological training in modern computational and statistical methods, and also acquire expertise in a particular social science application area.

The program is inherently interdisciplinary and brings together leading experts across the university who are using data to solve some of the greatest challenges that our world faces today. Faculty include both data and computing experts as well as domain experts from different application areas.

Meet our PhD Students

DCDS in the News

$3M grant funds training to harness power of AI for social, environmental challenges

$3M grant funds training to harness power of AI for social, environmental challenges

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is investing $3 million over the next five years in the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Advancements and Convergence in Computational, Environmental and Social Sciences (AI-ACCESS) program at Washington University in St. Louis.

TRIADS-funded group studies how AI changes human behavior

TRIADS-funded group studies how AI changes human behavior

WashU faculty Chien-Ju Ho and Wouter Kool are fascinated by the interplay between humans and the AI algorithms that our decisions help to train. They’ve published their first study exploring how people modify their behavior when knowingly interacting with artificial intelligence.