Joint Program in Survey Methodology (JPSM)

Data and public opinion drawn from surveys inform many of the important decisions that affect our lives. Survey methodology and data science can inform policy in ways as profound as measuring poverty, predicting electoral outcomes, evaluating media consumption and fighting crime. At the Joint Program in Survey Methodology (JPSM), we’re discovering new data science methods, and we’re increasing the accuracy of key estimates. Founded in 1993, JPSM is housed in The College of Behavioral and Social Sciences at the University of Maryland. To date, more than 270 of our graduates work in government agencies, academic settings, and private survey research firms. Our award-winning faculty is drawn from the University of Maryland, the University of Michigan, Westat and other organizations. JPSM's mission is to educate the next generation of survey researchers, survey statisticians, and survey methodologists. To that end, we offer a Ph.D. program, an M.S. in survey and data science, and certificate and citation programs. We also offer a program of short courses. We have both full-time and part-time students, many of them drawn from government agencies, survey organizations, and international institutions. Our full-time students are routinely placed in summer internships at different survey organizations. Our programs are flexible and innovative, with numerous online classes and many opportunities to collaborate across disciplines, especially through our work with UMD’s Social Data Science Center. Many of our graduates go on to have careers in government agencies such as Bureau of the Census, Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Center for Health Statistics, National Center for Education Statistics, National Agricultural Statistical Service as well as survey organizations such as Westat, RTI International, Gallup and Mathematica. We invite you to learn more about our offerings and our efforts to improve societies through gathering and applying social and behavioral data.