Doctor of Philosophy in Survey and Data Science

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

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Why Pursue a Survey and Data Science Graduate Program?

Survey and data science as a field needs leaders who can manage interdisciplinary teams of scientists. At the same time, individuals who can guide and mentor future experts in our ever-changing profession are also in high demand. If you’re passionate about methods of surveying — and their intersection with data science — U-M’s survey and data science PhD program may well be the right program for you.

Our survey and data science graduate program attracts leading minds from around the globe. From our faculty to our graduate students, we share an interest in developing, researching, and evaluating new methods for conducting social science research using survey data, big data, or a combination of both.

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.

Learn from accomplished experts in survey and data science — then become one

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.

An affordable investment in survey and data science jobs

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.

Pursue groundbreaking research with a worldwide leader in survey and data science

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.

Gain a global view of survey and data science

While you will receive a top-notch doctorate in data science and survey methods from Michigan, we know that gaining multiple perspectives in our field is important. With them you’ll grow into a well-rounded professional prepared for success in research and education in the workplace where the mission is focused on survey research and data science techniques. As a U-M doctoral student, you will have the opportunity to study for a semester, or more, in the United Kingdom at University of Essex, another international leader in developing methods for and conducting longitudinal research.

“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

What Can You Do With a PhD in Data Science and Survey?

Students in our survey and data science graduate program are leaders in their respective fields and earn promising survey and data science salaries. What sets our graduates apart is their ability to work with survey data and big data.

Our graduates have found impactful and rewarding jobs in a wide variety of industries and locations. They’ve also found promising survey and data science salaries.

These survey and data science jobs are housed at universities, social and market research companies, health care research organizations, government agencies, technology companies, and more. Examples of where their jobs in survey and data science have taken them include:

  • Research and academic programs at Harvard University, UCLA, the Universidad del Desarrollo, the University of Colorado, the University of Costa Rica, the University of Mannheim, the University of Maryland, the University of Michigan, the University of Munich, the University of Nebraska, and Zhejiang University
  • Research and survey companies such as the Institute for Employment Research, Pew Research Center, Survey Monkey, Facebook, Google, Southpaw Insights, and Westat

Explore Coursework for the Survey and Data Science PhD Program

Our four-year doctoral degree program will prepare you to lead in data science and survey jobs that drive decision making.

First- and second-year survey and data science PhD students take courses offered by the program such as Design and Implementation of Web Surveys, Questionnaire Design and Evaluation, and Analysis of Complex Sample Survey Data. You will also take courses across the university that are relevant to your dissertation research.

Plus, a doctoral seminar during your first two years immerses you in literature and cutting-edge research to help you learn to identify where more research is needed and how to design research that fills those gaps. During the doctoral seminar, you will develop an original research proposal on a topic of your choice — under the guidance of two faculty instructors — that will likely serve as the basis of your doctoral dissertation.

You will then spend your final two years of the survey and data science PhD program conducting research, reviewing literature, and documenting your findings. Our doctoral students typically present their dissertation results during one or more conference presentations and publish several journal articles or chapters based on their research — helping them develop a professional network.

Examples of past doctoral dissertations include:

  • Careless Survey Respondents: Approaches to Identify and Reduce Their Negative Impacts on Survey Estimates
  • The Effects of Respondent Commitment and Feedback on Response Quality in Online Surveys
  • Mobile Web Surveys: A First Look at Measurement, Nonresponse, and Coverage Errors

View all required classes for this program.

Get Started on Your Survey and Data Science PhD

Advance your research or teaching career in survey and data science. If you have questions, please fill out a request for more information or call us at 734-647-0038.

Apply today

Submit your application online today for the PhD in Survey and Data Science from the University of Michigan.

Learn more about admission requirements

See what admission requirements are required to pursue Michigan’s PhD in survey and data science.