Our survey and data science PhD degree program will prepare you to identify problems, design solutions, and evaluate results at the intersection of survey methods and data science. You will work with a wide range of leading academic scholars who are faculty in the U-M’s Institute for Social Research, the world’s largest academic social science research center. Collaborate with experts in survey methods and data science to investigate issues that have broad impact across the social sciences, statistics, and data science.
U-M’s survey and data science graduate program has a higher completion rate than our peer programs, according to the Association of American Universities Data Exchange. That means by enrolling in the MPSDS PhD program you will be well positioned to lead in virtually any industry that conducts quantitative research on human social behavior. You will also have the expertise to help train the next generation of survey and data scientists.
Complete your survey and data science PhD in as little as four years, which is faster than the average completion time for many other social science PhD programs
Learn from leading experts in survey methods and data science
Get ahead through groundbreaking research initiatives with U-M’s Institute for Survey Research
Prepare to lead in survey research or academia
A Doctoral Program That Gives You the Best of Both Worlds
While other doctoral programs may focus on just survey methods or only data science, U-M’s survey and data science graduate program prepares you for survey and data science jobs with broad interdisciplinary applications. You will learn to identify trends in survey and data science and develop theories and applications for which there is great demand among survey and data science jobs. In the end, you will be well prepared for research and teaching positions in both academic and non-academic institutions.
U-M’s national and international reputation in survey methods and data science is unrivaled. Our program faculty members are leading contributors in the field and are highly engaged in their respective research communities, contributing their time in professional organizations, as editors or members of the editorial boards for top journals, invited speakers, and much more.
These accomplished professionals will guide, mentor, and support you as you grow your career in survey methodology and data science.
PhD students in our survey and data science graduate program are fully funded for four years. This means your tuition and fees will be paid while you earn your survey and data science PhD. Plus, you will also receive a paid, four-year Graduate Student Research Assistantship to work on a faculty-led project or assist in the classroom.
Several research fellowships help cover the cost of conducting your original research and in some cases, provide you a stipend. These financial resources help make your doctoral studies affordable. You will receive the training you need for a career with competitive survey and data science salaries.
Our survey and data science graduate program is housed in the U-M Institute for Social Research (ISR), which is the world’s oldest social science research organization. ISR employs more than 300 research scientists in over 20 academic disciplines. ISR’s Survey Research Operations are home to a telephone interviewing lab and headquarters for a national field staff, as well as a large staff who provide logistical and analytical support.
This means you will be exposed to methods for survey data collection as they are developed and about to be deployed. This experience will help you learn about survey methods and their intersection with data science. You will also stand out as conversant with cutting-edge developments as you pursue data science and survey jobs.
“Michigan’s survey and data science PhD program stands out because of their emphasis on applications of data science into the survey world. Faculty teach not only what data science is, but how it changes based upon the collection of data. Michigan has everything I wanted.”
— Curtiss Engstrom, PhD in Survey and Data Science, 2025