The following courses are offered online for completion of the graduate certificate. Students can complete the program in two, three, or four semesters.

Core Course (Required)

PP 5379 Principles & Methods of Survey Research I (3 credits, fall online)

Description: The course provides a comprehensive review of the major issues associated with survey research methods and prepares students in the fundamental skill areas necessary to design and conduct survey research projects. These areas include survey research design, questionnaire construction, and scientific sampling. Students will discuss how to design survey questionnaires and pay special attention to the psychological and social processes that may influence the survey response in unanticipated ways. This will enable the student to assess and minimize the risk of eliciting response effects that might lead to biased results. Further, students will discuss how different methods of sampling may influence the accuracy and quality of survey data. 

Elective Courses (Choose three of the following)

PP 5376 Applied Quantitative Methods* (3 credits, fall online)

Description: A review of basic statistics, designed to develop an intuitive and practical understanding of statistical techniques that will enable students to understand, evaluate, generate, and present data. The course will review the following key elements of statistics: descriptive statistics, exploratory data analysis, probability theory, statistical inference, hypothesis testing, and regression analysis. By the end of the semester, students will have basic facility with describing a data set, using it to make inferences about the world, and to begin analyzing management, public policy, program evaluation, or public opinion issues. 

*Recommended for students who do not have professional survey research experience.

PP 5383 Principles & Methods of Survey Research II (3 credits, spring online)

Description: This course introduces students to the art and science of designing survey questionnaires. Special attention will be paid to the psychological and social processes that may influence the survey response in unanticipated ways. This will enable the student to assess and minimize the risk of eliciting response effects that might lead to biased results. Drawing on theory from psychology, sociology and linguistics, topics covered include question wording and order effects, response options, the interview setting, and the interpretation of survey responses. Students will also discuss issues of questionnaire translation, inter-cultural response comparison, and scale construction. 

PP 5385 Attitude Formation (3 credits, fall online)

Description: Students will examine theories of attitude formation and attitude change paying special attention to the psychology of the survey response. This course begins with a psychological look at the historical conundrum of Converse’s (1964) non-attitude claim. It investigates different models of attitude formation which political scientists have devised to explain Converse’s findings. Students will discuss where individuals get their political attitudes from: parents, peers, and/or political events. Based on our understanding of attitude formation, students will discuss ways in which survey respondents may interpret the questions that policy researchers ask of them and how this may influence the results of research. 

PP 5386 Survey Research Analysis & Reporting (3 credits, spring online)

Description: This course focuses on the development of research reports and report-writing. Topics include: using graphics to present survey findings, preparation of a full-length survey research findings report, preparation of executive summaries of survey findings, reporting survey methods and technical aspects of survey findings. This course is writing-intensive, as students will prepare research reports throughout the semester. 

To be awarded a certificate, a student must satisfactorily complete (with a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher) a set of courses specified in the certificate program requirements. Please see the Graduate School Academic Regulations for further information.

Admission to the program is based on an assessment of the applicant’s potential to succeed in graduate study. Applicants are evaluated based on their demonstrated aptitude for graduate study, experience, and academic achievement. Learn more about our admissions process. 

Visit our Cost and Financial Aid page for more information about this certificate program.

For more information about the Graduate Certificate in Survey Research, please submit our online Information Request Form and a member of our team will contact you.