Master of Science in Survey and Data Science

Housed in U-M’s Institute for Social Research — the world’s largest academic social science research organization — our survey and data science master’s program blends sociology, psychology, statistics, and data science, with a focus on the importance of survey data quality. As a result, you’ll build a strong knowledge base and solid foundation in survey and data science.

When you pursue a survey and data science master’s degree from the University of Michigan, you will join a small cohort of graduate students in enjoying all the benefits offered by one of the best master’s in data science and survey programs in the country.

Students benefit from small class sizes and close access to faculty who are leading researchers in the field. The program offers flexibility through elective coursework to gain broad, interdisciplinary skills, but produces graduates with a specialized concentration in one of the following tracks: 

• Survey Statistics: focuses on the ability to design complex samples, propose statistical and machine learning methods for compensating for missing data, and analyze complex sample survey data.
• Data Science: focuses on the ability to acquire and manage organic data from multiple sources, analyze organic data, and identify potential errors in organic data.
• Social and Psychological Science: focuses on the ability to diagnose and reduce potential errors stemming from measurement, non-observation, and post-data-collection processing.

Many students take advantage of assistantships, internships, and collaborative projects with organizations like Pew Research Center, SurveyMonkey, Westat, and various research centers within ISR. 

Graduates of the program go on to work in government, academia, tech, healthcare, international organizations, and research institutions. The master’s program provides not only technical training but also a foundation for leadership and innovation in the growing field of designed data.

Questions about the MPSDS Master’s Program can be addressed to [email protected].