A major and a minor
QSS combines quantitative training with one or more social sciences, and the major is highly individualised.
Undergraduate · Dartmouth
Dartmouth Quantitative Social Science: methods first, a social science second
Dartmouth admits students to the College and does not require a major until sophomore year. Quantitative Social Science (QSS) is one of its majors, combining statistical, computational and mathematical tools with one or more social sciences, and ending in an honours thesis or a one-quarter research project. For an A-level or IB applicant, the questions are what QSS contains, how it differs from Economics and what Dartmouth's testing routes offer students outside the United States. This guide makes no claim about admission to the major.
Official information · read 31 October 2026, no entry-year label
What Dartmouth says about Dartmouth Quantitative Social Science
Taken from Dartmouth Admissions' Majors & Minors and Testing Policy pages and the Program in Quantitative Social Science's major and curriculum pages, read on 31 October 2026. The pages carry no entry-year label, so for a 2028-entry application every statement below is evidence for the previous cycle and may change; check Dartmouth's pages for the 2028-entry details.
Four quantitative foundations
Mathematics, modeling, programming and statistics, with named course options for each.
A thesis or a research project
The culminating experience is a fourth-year honours thesis or a one-quarter faculty-guided research project.
Declare by sophomore year
Dartmouth says students do not need to declare a major until sophomore year.
A-Levels and the IBDP named
Students from outside the US may meet the testing requirement through five routes, including predicted or final A-Levels or IBDP results.
Official sources
- Dartmouth Admissions: Majors & Minorsadmissions.dartmouth.edu
- Dartmouth Quantitative Social Science: Major and Questions About Curriculumqss.dartmouth.edu
- Dartmouth Admissions: Testing Policyadmissions.dartmouth.edu
Read on 31 October 2026 on Dartmouth Admissions' Majors & Minors and Testing Policy pages and the Program in Quantitative Social Science's major and curriculum pages, which describes 2027 entry. The pages carry no entry-year label. Dartmouth's Organization, Regulations and Courses pages, the full QSS elective lists, the honours programme detail, deadlines and financial aid were not read and are not stated.
The major
What QSS says it is
The programme brings together faculty and students who apply statistical, computational and mathematical tools to social science questions. The major requires mathematics, modeling, programming and statistics foundations, then applied social science coursework and a culminating experience. The prerequisites list a programming course such as COSC 1, introductory and intermediate statistics, mathematical modeling and an introductory social science course, and the core includes QSS 17 (Data Visualization, taught in R) and QSS 20. This guide did not read the full elective lists.
Is it the right major?
QSS, Economics or Computer Science
Dartmouth describes each as a separate major, so the choice is made after admission. Avandy's comparison is general.
QSS fits if
you want quantitative methods across several social sciences and a self-directed research project.
Economics fits if
you want economic theory and research. Avandy's Dartmouth Economics guide covers it.
Computer Science fits if
your interest is computing itself. Avandy's Dartmouth Computer Science guide covers it.
Admission and testing
Five testing routes for students outside the US
Dartmouth says students who attended high school in the US must submit SAT or ACT results, while students from outside the US can meet the requirement in one of five ways, which include predicted or final British A-Level results and predicted or final IBDP results. This guide states no score.
A decision framework
Three questions before you commit
This is Avandy's own framework, not Dartmouth's.
Do you like programming and statistics?
Both are foundations of the major.
Which social science would you pair with them?
The major combines methods with one or more social sciences.
Which testing route fits your school?
Dartmouth lists five routes for students outside the US.
Planning for 2028 entry
Planning for 2028 entry: what carries over and what is awaiting publication
Dartmouth's pages carry no entry-year label, so nothing on them is confirmed for 2028 entry. Use them to understand the structure of the application, then check Dartmouth's own pages for the 2028-entry details.
The requirements and descriptions on the pages read on 31 October 2026, which carry no entry-year label
These are the best guide to what to prepare. Dartmouth has not confirmed them for 2028 entry.
Deadlines, fees, financial aid and any department prerequisites not quoted here: not stated
This guide has not read them. Check Dartmouth for the values that apply to your application year.
What to do now
Read the QSS major page and choose a testing route.
Support
Independent support with planning your own application
Avandy provides independent academic and admissions support. It is not affiliated with Dartmouth College or any of its colleges or departments. Preparation sits within the Avandy Trinity Advisory Model: a Strategic Admissions Consultant, a PhD-level Academic Mentor and a Subject-specific Tutor, working to the actual requirements of each course. Support here is limited to understanding the requirements and planning the applicant's own work; Avandy does not write or edit essays, does not submit any materials and has no partnership with Dartmouth College. No outcome is promised.
Questions
Questions applicants ask
When do I declare QSS at Dartmouth?
Dartmouth says students do not need to declare a major until sophomore year.
Is there a thesis?
All majors complete either an honours thesis or a one-quarter research project as their culminating experience.
Do I need to know R?
QSS 17, a required course, is taught in R, and introductory statistics is not a prerequisite for it.
Does Dartmouth accept A-Levels and the IB for testing?
Yes. Students from outside the US can meet the requirement through five routes, including predicted or final A-Levels or IBDP results.
Do I need the SAT or ACT?
Students who attended high school in the US must submit them; students outside the US have five routes.
Are these the rules for 2028 entry?
No. They are Dartmouth's wording with no entry-year label. Check Dartmouth's pages again when Dartmouth publishes its 2028-entry requirements.
Students and families
Talk to us about Dartmouth Quantitative Social Science
Tell us about the student's curriculum, their mathematics, which social science they would pair with it and their testing route, the universities on the list, and the intended year of entry. A senior adviser will review the academic profile before recommending how to prepare.