General Information

Welcome to the Michigan Program in Survey Methodology (PSM).

PSM is a program where students learn the science of surveys. Our students study with some of the world's leading survey methodologists while pursuing their Master's or PhD degree. The Program provides a rich intellectual environment for study and work at one of the premier public universities in the world.

PSM brings together faculty and scientists from the social and behavioral sciences in the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts; the School of Public Health; and the Institute for Social Research. Moreover, the quantitative strengths of disciplines such as communication studies, economics, education, political science, psychology, sociology, and statistics are integral to the empirical underpinnings of the program. With its depth and breadth of curriculum; faculty who are outstanding researchers, teachers, and mentors; exceptional research opportunities at the Institute of Social Research; and the extraordinary range of course offerings at the University of Michigan, the program offers qualified students superb educational opportunities.

Students in the program receive theoretical grounding in all aspects of survey methodology, from sample design and measurement, to modes of data collection, statistical estimation, and probability and distribution theory. Students have the opportunity to explore novel ways to develop applications of survey methodology in a wide variety of fields. Survey methodology principles can be applied to professions such as market research, nursing, public health, natural resources, information sciences, and operations engineering, through courses taken in cognate areas within the rich, diverse academic environment of the University.