The M.S. degree in Survey Methodology requires a total of 45 credit hours with an average grade of B or better. M.S. students can not apply more than one grade of C towards their graduation requirements. The degree must be completed within five years of date of entry. 

Required courses for the Statistical Science and Social Science areas of the concentration are shown in the diagram below. A student who has already taken courses in probability and statistical theory, statistical methods, or social statistics at the levels of the required courses in these subjects may, with the approval of his or her faculty advisor, replace these courses with more advanced courses.

In addition to the required courses, there are two elective courses in the Statistical Science concentration and three such courses in the Social Science concentration. At least one of the Social Science electives must be a JPSM (SURV) course.

The Statistical Science electives and the other two Social Science electives may be chosen from a wide spectrum of study. This elective may, for instance, be chosen from a related field. (e.g., sociology, psychology, education, economics, demography, epidemiology), from an area of survey methodology, or from statistical theory and methods. The choice of electives has to be approved by the student's faculty advisor.

Please Also See:

• Special Requirements

• Course Schedule

• Prerequisite Chain

The Working Student

Several features of the Joint Program are designed with the working student in Mind:

• Many class times are tailored to be compatible with the work day
• A 12-month curriculum offers core courses throughout the year
• The work experience requirement can be integrated with work activities
• Some courses are offered at the federal agency�s facility
• Remote access to the JPSM Network is available 24 hours a day for students to use our computer network and software.
• A computer lab set up solely for use by JPSM students
• Course email groups are created in which students share questions and answers on course content and assignments.
• Most class materials are available online, allowing student to access these from anywhere with an internet connection.

Successful completion of a graduate program by working students requires a partnership between the student, the employer, and the educational program. The M.S. program can be undertaken in a variety of ways and according to many different schedules. JPSM works with potential students to choose a program of study that fits best into their lives and is sensitive to differing levels of support from employers. Some working students pursue the M.S. curriculum at the rate of four courses per term (full-time students), to complete the program in 21 months. Others pursue the program at the rate of two courses per term (half-time students). The 12 month (i.e. fall, spring and summer semesters) core curriculum permits the half-time students to complete the M.S. program in 33 months. Finally, some working students may elect to pursue the program at the rate of one course per term (part-time students). Such students will take 57 months to complete the program. The University of Maryland requires that all coursework for the M.S. degree be completed in five years.


Students of JPSM

The students served by the program are those considering or pursuing a professional career in survey statistics or methodology. Many have gained experience in practical sample survey work in a commercial survey or polling firm, a state government statistical agency, or a federal statistical agency. All have realized that they have received too little formal education in their chosen field and that developments in survey methodology have made technical knowledge key to their professional advancement. Some have bachelor's degrees in statistics, mathematics, sociology, psychology, or a host of other majors; others have master's level degrees; a few have Ph.D.'s. In the past, such persons continued to learn on the job, but rarely were able to make original contributions to survey methodology. Most were limited to repeatedly applying the same statistical and methodological designs they knew.  JPSM is changing this situation.

Backgrounds of JPSM Degree Students
Thirty one percent of the students who started the program in the Fall 2007 semester are currently employed by federal agencies and are taking the M.S. program on a part-time basis.  About a quarter of the the Fall 2007 cohort are full-time students. The agencies currently represented by our degree seeking students are listed below:

Bureau of the Census
Bureau of Labor Statistics
Office of Personnel Management

Other students come from market research, nonprofit, applied social research firms and international survey organizations. A growing number of students enter the program straight out of undergraduate programs.