The MA Program in the Social Sciences (MAPSS)

How do we know what we know? What makes expertise? What can we gain in the 21st century by exploring the contexts of knowledge production, past and present? Housed at the Institute on the Formation of Knowledge (IFK), the Formation of Knowledge MAPSS certificate explores how claims to knowledge are shaped by disciplinary, social, historical, and political contexts, as well as local cultural factors both explicit and unspoken. Students in the Formation of Knowledge MAPSS certificate are introduced to the nascent and dynamic field of inquiry into the formation of knowledge through a broad range of historical, sociological, and anthropological case studies that exemplify and challenge disciplinary practices in the social sciences. In addition to traditional social science research, the program highlights experiential learning, collaboration, and opportunities guided faculty advisor. 

Led by an interdisciplinary team of faculty advisors with a broad range of specializations across campus, students in the Formation of Knowledge MAPSS certificate will be supplied with the methodological tools to look beyond their disciplinary silos in order to defamiliarize their intuitive approaches to research, and to reflect on the complex relationship between facts, truth, and the importance of examining the contexts of knowledge formation. Accepted students will choose from a range of advanced seminars dedicated to exploring the interface of theory, practice, and social action. Our goal is to prepare these students for a broad range of advanced careers, from PhD study in the social sciences to leadership positions at research institutions, government agencies, non-profits, and the private sector. The Formation of Knowledge certificate is for students who seek rigorous training in the social sciences and critical exposure across academic disciplines, cultures, historical periods, as well as experiential learning. Admitted candidates may participate on research teams or conduct independent projects applying cross-disciplinary thinking and analysis to important research questions.

IFK's Mission

The MAPSS certificate in the Formation of Knowledge draws from the interdisciplinary faculty of the University-wide Institute on the Formation of Knowledge (IFK). The Institute was launched at the University of Chicago in the fall of 2015 as as a laboratory for faculty and students to test their own underlying beliefs and assumptions, and those of their disciplines, an important complement to the deep thinking done in multiple modes across the University. IFK is guided by a set of five principles that inform how we think about knowledge as 21st century leaders and scholars:

  1. 1. The study of knowledge is the study of claims to knowledge.  
  2. 2. All knowledge forms are embedded in a specific context, and are shaped by that context.  
  3. 3. Knowledge is processual, not static.  
  4. 4. Knowledge occurs in response to particular questions.  Unasked questions have produced silence, not knowledge.
  5. 5. The study of knowledge formation recognizes that sub-knowledges, unauthoritative knowledges, and disputed knowledges can all exist simultaneously within a given culture.

Students in the Formation of Knowledge MAPSS certificate will have an opportunity to engage in the institute's dynamic intellectual life, including a regular “Cultures & Knowledge” workshop series, a University of Chicago press journal entitled KNOW: A Journal on the Formation of Knowledge, and a collection of critical essays published regularly on IFK's blog Formations

Certificate Requirements

The Formation of Knowledge MAPSS certificate requires students to take 1 core seminar, Ways of Knowing (which also counts towards the MAPSS Methods requirement), two additional seminars, to present their thesis in a colloquium and to write a blog post for Formations.

In addition to the core and two elective seminars, MAPSS students are required to produce an MA thesis (30–40 pages in length) that explores a foundational question in the formation of knowledge. During this process students will benefit from active support by faculty and instructors. The Formation of Knowledge certificate challenges students to creatively employ the tools they have acquired in their core MAPSS Perspectives on Social Science course as well as the core and elective seminars they have taken at IFK, in order to refine and reshape the intellectual framework of their research questions and theses. A financial award will be given to the most innovative MAPSS thesis on the formation of knowledge. 

Application Procedure

Students can declare an interest in the Formation of Knowledge MAPSS certificate by signing up for our MAPSS students mailing list below. The Formation of Knowledge certificate requires all students to enroll in the IFK Core: Ways of Knowing, offered in Winter 2024. Moreover, all students are expected to take graduate courses offered by IFK faculty. The Institute on the Formation of Knowledge holds regular workshops and events. All MAPSS students are encouraged to attend and form part of our vibrant community. The MAPSS Formation of Knowledge certificate can be taken in combination with other MAPSS certificates.

Click here to learn more about the MAPSS Formation of Knowledge Certificate and declare your intention for the certificate. 

Course Offerings

The Institute on the Formation of Knowledge offers a broad range of courses cross-listed with a broad range of departments at the University of Chicago, including History, the Committee on Conceptual and Historical Studies of Science, Comparative Race and Ethnic Studies, Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology, and Comparative Human Development.

Our goal is to prepare students for interdisciplinary PhD study in social science, and for leadership positions at research institutions, government agencies, non-profits, and the private sector. 

2021-22 courses:

A selection of previous courses offered at The Institute on the Formation of Knowledge include:

 

Joint BA/MA in the Social Sciences

Interested undergraduate students can also pursue a joint BA/MA in Social Sciences with a certificate on the Formation of Knowledge. Past KNOW MAPSS courses include “Exploration of Mars”, “Knowing Animals”, and “Technologies of Race Making Past and Present”. If you are second or third year undergrad and interested in taking your studies to the next level and pursuing a joint BA/MA, learn more here.

THESIS ADIVISING: "I approach advising by meeting students where they are at in their educational journey, learning about their intellectual and career goals, and support them in crafting research projects that are methodologically and intellectually rigorous. I work closely with them during the proposal writing phase to ensure that they have developed clear and feasible research questions and that their methods are well suited to answer their empirical questions. I have advised a wide range of thesis projects that align with my methodological and substantive expertise." Dr. Melanie Jeske

"The support I’ve received from IFK faculty, and the knowledge I’ve gained from IFK courses, have made a significant impact on my experiences as a graduate student. It can be difficult to find intellectual spaces on campus that not only allow but encourage intentionally interdisciplinary research and thought, and I was thrilled to have found that space in IFK. Receiving mentorship from IFK faculty has probably been the most influential, insightful, and beneficial aspect of my time at UChicago. I appreciate the opportunity to work with people who are so passionate and genuine about their work. "

  • Graduate student, MAPSS Sociology with IFK mentor

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