Social and Decision Sciences

'''Social and Decision Sciences''', informally known as '''SDS''', is an interdisciplinary academic department within the [[Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences]] at [[Carnegie Mellon University]] headquartered in Porter Hall in [[Pittsburgh, PA]] and led by Department Head John H. Miller. ==History== The department grew out of the social science programs in the [[Margaret Morrison Carnegie College]] and became part of the [[Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences]] (H&SS) under Dean [[John Patrick Crecine]] with approval from [[Heinz College]] Dean Otto Davis which housed the department between 1969 and 1976. The department was staffed by political scientists, sociologists, and economists from within the H&SS and from the Heinz College and [[Tepper School of Business]]. In the 1980s, the department was led by Patrick Larkey and developed the undergraduate information systems program which became a huge success, eventually being spun off into an independent interdisciplinary program in H&SS. In 1985, [[Robyn Dawes]] joined the department and began to re-focus it into its current form and expertise in behavioral decision-making. ==Education== The department runs highly regarded undergraduate [[bachelor of science]] programs in [[decision science|Decision Science]] and [[Policy]] and [[Management]] as well as a minor in Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and [[Economic Development]]. SDS is also a partner in various interdisciplinary programs at Carnegie Mellon such as the [[International Relations]] and [[Politics]] program, [[Sociology]] minor, Environmental Studies program, the Quantitative Social Science Scholars Program, and the Engineering and Technology Innovation Management program. The graduate [[PhD]] program allows doctoral students options in Social and Decision Sciences, Behavioral Decision Research (BDR), Strategy, Entrepreneurship, and Technological Change (SETchange), as well as a joint PhD in Behavioral Decision Research and Psychology with the Department of Psychology. All students are trained in [[policy analysis]] and [[research methods]]. The [[information systems]] program at Carnegie Mellon is closely associated with the SDS department due to the program being spun off from the department in the late 1990s. ==Research== The department's primary strength lies in interdisciplinary research, particularly in the intersection of politics and sociology with economics, psychology and human decision making. [[Statistics]], [[microeconomics]], rational [[decision theory]] and [[game theory]] are among the many areas of specialization. SDS faculty are very involved in interdisciplinary research throughout the university, and are drawn from fields as diverse as [[economics]], [[psychology]], [[sociology]], [[history]], [[management science]], and [[political science]]. SDS is affiliated with several research centers: *[http://www.cmu.edu/ir/ Center for International Relations and Politics] *[http://sds.hss.cmu.edu/risk/ Center for Risk Perception and Communication] *[http://www.hss.cmu.edu/departments/sds/ddmlab/ Dynamic Decision Making Laboratory] *[http://www.cbdr.cmu.edu/index.asp Center for Behavioral Decision Research] *[http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/user/morewedg/SCJL/ Social Cognition and Judgment Lab] As part of the Center for Behavioral Decision Research, SDS manages the Data Truck and the Carnegie Mellon Research Cafe. The Data Truck is a mobile behavioral science lab and the Research Cafe is a cafe located in [[downtown Pittsburgh]] and is designed to perform behavioral research outside of the student population on the [[Oakland (Pittsburgh)|Oakland]] campus where the main SDS labs are located. ==Rankings== In 2004, the Decision Analysis Society (a division of [[INFORMS]]) gave four of five stars to the graduate program in prescriptive decision making and five stars in descriptive decision making. These two ratings tied the department for first place among decision science programs in the United States with [[Duke University]] and the [[University of Pennsylvania]]. ==Faculty== SDS is home to some of the world's top faculty in the fields of [[decision science]], [[decision support systems]], [[behavioral economics]], [[organizational behavior]], and [[Risk analysis (business)|risk analysis]]. Some notable faculty members have included Baruch Fischhoff, Paul Fischbeck, [[Robyn Dawes]], [[George Loewenstein]], [[Jennifer Lerner]], [[Kathleen Carley]], [[David Krackhardt]], Steven Klepper, Linda Babcock, [[David A. Hounshell|David Hounshell]], William Keech, Mark Kamlet, [[Herbert Simon]], [[Jendayi Frazer]], Kiron Skinner, [[Sara Kiesler]], [[John Patrick Crecine]], [[Cristina Bicchieri]], Patrick Larkey, and Otto Davis. In addition the department works closely with the departments of [[Engineering and Public Policy]], Psychology, and Statistics, as well as the [[Tepper School of Business]], [[Heinz College]], and the Information Systems program. Many SDS faculty have joint appointments in these departments. ==External links== *[http://www.hss.cmu.edu/departments/sds/ Department of Social and Decision Sciences] *[http://decision-analysis.society.informs.org/Activities/ActivitiesAppraisal.html Decision Science program rankings] *[http://www.cmu.edu/esg-cat/pdf/HSS/sds.pdf Undergraduate programs and courses] *[http://www.cmu.edu/SETChange/ Program in Strategy, Entrepreneurship, and Technological Change] {{coord missing|United States}}