Michigan Program in Survey Methodology Traineeship Opportunities

The Program in Survey Methodology MS program has available two traineeships for MS applicants submitting applications by January 1, 2009. The traineeships are with the Survey Research Operations (SRO)* unit in the Survey Research Center of the University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research.

The Full time study traineeship (FTS) provides support for two years of study. The trainee is appointed as a Graduate Student Research Assistant for fall and winter semesters at a 0.5 fraction and at a 1.0 fraction in summer semester. The GSRA appointment provides competitive salary, health care coverage, and tuition for fall and winter semesters. In return, the trainee must be a full time MS student in good standing in the Program in Survey Methodology following a two-year course of study recommended by the Program (graduation April 2011), and must work at SRO for at least three years following graduation (through April 2014).

The Part time study traineeship (PTS) provides support for three years of study. The trainee will be appointed a Research Assistant in SRO at a 1.0 fraction for six years. The appointment provides a competitive salary, full University of Michigan staff benefits, and tuition for part time study. In return the trainee must be a part time MS student in good standing at the Program in Survey Methodology in a program of study designed to complete the MS degree in three years (graduation April 2012), and must work at SRO for at least three years following graduation (through April 2015). The PTS trainee will be given release time to attend class.

Applicants must include a separate letter in the application for admission to the Program in Survey Methodology MS program indicating desire to be considered for the FTS or the PTS (applicants can indicate both). In the letter, applicants must indicate relevant prior experience and willingness to accept the terms of the traineeship. Qualified FTS or PTS applicants will have been admitted to the MS program, possess strong academic records in previous undergraduate and graduate programs of study, GRE scores in the top one-third of all applicants, excellent verbal and written communication skills, demonstrated ability to work in a team environment, and high motivation to become a full time professional in survey methodology. Special aptitude in statistical or sampling methods is also desirable.

* Survey Research Operations (SRO) is the main data collection unit within the Survey Research Center (SRC). SRO constitutes over half of SRC, and provides a wide range of survey design, data collection and data processing services. SRO staff members work closely with members of the Survey Methodology Program and incorporate cutting-edge methodology and technical systems into their projects. SRO conducts national surveys as well as small-scale, regional, and methodological surveys.