Skip to main content

Undergraduate Seminar (298-0-71)

Topic

Big Data & Social Media Analytics

Instructors

Marc Jones

Meeting Info

Northwestern Qatar Room 3-216: Mon, Wed 10:00AM - 11:15AM (AST)

Overview of class

Big Data & Social Media Analytics provides students with essential tools and methods for analyzing social media and other media data. The course focuses on practical skills in network analysis, data visualization, and AI-assisted content analysis. Students will learn to use Gephi for network analysis, Tableau for creating visualizations, and Voyant Tools for textual analysis. Additionally, they will develop basic skills in data preparation, including cleaning and transforming datasets.The course emphasizes a hands-on approach, allowing students to apply these tools to real-world datasets from platforms like X (formerly Twitter), Tiktok, newspapers, and other media sources. Students will gain experience in identifying patterns, anomalies, and relationships within complex data, producing visual representations that can inform research or decision-making.By the end of the course, students will be able to define key concepts in network theory and data analytics, create visualizations, dashboards and conduct text analysis. The course is ideal for students in media, communication, and international studies programs, and it also serves as an elective for those in related fields interested in understanding how big data and media analytics shape global discourse.

Registration Requirements


  • Prerequisites: None

  • Open for cross-registration

  • Open to Sophomores and above

  • MIT Technical-Practical Course

  • Satisfies Media and Politics Minor & AI and Media Minor

Enrollment Requirements

Enrollment Requirements: Registration is reserved for sophomore, juniors, and seniors only.