PhD in Network Science

Interdisciplinary approach

Our network science program aims to enhance your understanding of networks arising from the interplay of human behavior, sociotechnical infrastructures, information diffusion, and biological agents — an intrinsically multidisciplinary activity.  We partner with colleges across Northeastern University — including the College of Social Sciences and Humanities, College of Science, Bouvé College of Health Sciences, and D’Amore-McKim School of Business — to prepare you with the deep knowledge, broad perspectives, and research opportunities you need to succeed in the field.

Specialize in your area of interest

Network science represents a wide range of fields, including computer science, information science, complexity, physics, sociology, communication, organizational behavior, political science, and epidemiology. 

You will have the opportunity to specialize in your area of interest, or take 20 semester hours of coursework from the electives course list:

• Computer Science
• Epidemiology
• Math
• Physics/Theory
• Social Science 
• Coursework

Career prospects across industry and academia

A PhD in Network Science opens doors to diverse and high-demand career paths, including opportunities in research institutions, academia, and industry:

• Tenure-track faculty 
• Network researcher
• Network architect
• Network policy advisor
• Cybersecurity analyst or consultant

Research with world-class faculty

You will engage in intensive research early in your doctoral experience as you work on cutting-edge projects led by renowned faculty from our innovative Network Science Institute.

Internships

You can gain industry exposure, build important connections, and form new perspectives on the impact of your work through internship opportunities at forward-thinking companies like:

• AstraZeneca
• Google
• Reddit
• TrustLab
• IBM
• Meta

Graduate assistantships and fellowships

Learn more about financial support for this program

Learning outcomes

Students graduating with a PhD in Network Science will demonstrate a graduate-level understanding of foundational network science concepts, including:

• The mathematics of networks, their use in complex natural and man-made systems, and their applications to biology, sociology, technology, and other fields
• Essential network data mining techniques from real-world datasets to networks
• Statistical descriptors of networks and statistical biases
• Measures and metrics of networks
• Network clustering techniques
• Network modeling
• Process modeling on networks
• Network visualization

Additionally, students will demonstrate a graduate-level understanding of non-network methods that enable network research, including:

• Measurement and research design
• Computational statistics (e.g., for social science track, a wide array of inferential methods)
• Data acquisition and handling