In addition to JPSM's historical emphasis on survey design, methodology, and statistical tools for analyzing complex survey data, we now have a newly expanded JPSM Master's program in Survey and Data Science. We have made this important change to meet increasing demands from the federal statistical system and the private sector to expand their data science capabilities. There are several reasons for considering the JPSM MS program.
The Master of Science in Survey and Data Science from the University of Maryland has three tracks of study namely, Statistical Science, Social and Psychological Science, and Data Science. This is a designated STEM program.
The statistical science track is designed for students who wish to specialize in areas such as sample design, estimation in complex samples, variance estimation, statistical measurement error models, and statistical adjustments for missing data.
The social science track is designed for students who wish to specialize in areas such as questionnaire design, design of interviewing systems, computer assistance in data collection, effects of mode of data collection, cognitive psychological insights into survey measurement, and efforts to reduce various non-sampling errors in data collection.
The data science track is designed for students who wish to specialize in the more computational aspects of survey methodology and research involving "big data," including data visualization, management and analysis of large and messy data sets, human-computer interaction in survey research, and machine learning algorithms.
The three areas of specialization share a set of courses in the core curriculum, including courses in data collection methods, statistical methods, and data science methods and courses that give students the opportunity to apply what they have learned.
The key components of the program are:
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Total of 46 credit hours with an average grade of B, or better
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3-month internship with a government agency or private survey firm
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.
M.S. students can not apply more than one grade of C towards their graduation requirements. Students who are working in a job related to survey methodology during the time of their matriculation can use that job to satisfy the internship requirement. The degree must be completed within five years of date of entry.
A full listing of JPSM courses is available here.
3 Tracks: Social and Psychological, Survey Statistics, and Data Science (tentative schedule)
For Master of Science
The M.S. in Survey and Data Science degree requires you to complete 46 credit hours of academic work. This includes a set of general core courses, track-specific core courses, and elective courses. The program also requires students to complete a summer internship or work in a job related to survey methodology to satisfy the internship requirement.
General Core Courses for all tracks (31 credits)
- Surv621 Fundamentals of Data Collection 1
- Surv622 Fundamentals of Data Collection 2
- Surv615 Statistical Modeling and Machine Learning 1
- Surv616 Statistical Modeling and Machine Learning 2
- Surv617 Applications of Statistical Modeling
- Surv720 Total Survey Error and Quality 1
- Surv721 Total Survey Error and Quality 2
- Surv727 Fundamentals of Data Display and Computing
- Surv740 Fundamentals of Inference
- Surv745 Practical Tools for Study Design and Inference
- Surv772 Survey Design Seminar
Track-specific core courses
| Social Science (12 total credits) | Statistics (12 total credits) | Data Science (9 total credits) |
| Surv625 Applied Sampling | Surv410 Introduction to Probability | Surv613 Machine Learning for Social Science |
| Surv630 Questionnaire Design | Surv420 Introduction to Statistics | Surv625 Applied Sampling |
| Surv632 Cognition, Communication & Survey Measurement | Surv440 Sampling Theory | Surv701 Analysis of Complex Sample Survey Data |
| Surv701 Analysis of Complex Sample Survey Data | Surv742 Inference from Complex Surveys |
Potential Electives
Any core courses listed as required in other tracks can be taken as electives. For example, a student on the Social Science track may take Surv613 (Machine Learning for Social Science) as an elective. As another example, a student in the Data Science track may take Surv630 (Questionnaire Design) as an elective.
Courses in the following list may also be taken as electives:
Courses in the following list may also be taken as electives:
When planning your schedule, please consult the suggested schedule that is available here:
All JPSM students are required to complete a summer internship to graduate with a Master in Survey and Data Science, typically between the first and second years of the full-time program, part-time students can use their work experience to substantiate an equivalent internship experience. This requirement serves three main purposes:
- Practical Experience: To provide students with hands-on experience in a real-life survey and data environment.
- Career Pipeline: Many organizations use internships as a pathway to future full-time employment. Internships allow students to showcase their talent and assess their fit within an organization.
- Professional Skills: Beyond substantive knowledge, internships help students understand team dynamics, organizational workflows, communication, and other essential professional skills.
Internships can be either paid or unpaid, but this is beyond JPSM’s control. They may involve survey design, data analysis, or survey and data management. JPSM is flexible with the internship profile as long as it aligns with the program's objectives. Ideally, internships should last at least 12 weeks, but shorter durations are acceptable, with a minimum of 8 weeks and each week requiring a 20-hour workload. Internships can also be remote, allowing students to pursue international opportunities.
Students can seek internships from various organizations, including private for-profit survey firms, non-profit trusts, academic institutions, and market research companies.
- Statistical Science: Prior coursework in calculus (three courses); linear algebra (one course); and statistics (one course).
- Social and Psychological Science: Prior coursework that includes at least two undergraduate courses in the social sciences and two quantitative courses, at least one of which must be a statistics course.
- Data Science: Applicants should have some formal training in programming and at least one semester of statistics.
Tuition & Total Cost of Attendance
The University of Maryland is a public institution, committed to providing excellent education at affordable prices. Our 46-course MS program’s flat tuition rate is $1,187 per credit.
Total cost of our MS program (46 credits / 2 years): $54,602 Tuition + *$2,770 University fees = $57,372
The technology fee is $76.50 for courses held at another location other than campus (SV01 sections).
JPSM Flat Tuition Rate for Federal Employees
JPSM offers a flat rate tuition of $1187/credit. This replaces the standard in-state and out of state tuition rates listed by the University. This rate is effective regardless of MD residency and submission of in-state tuition requests to JPSM will no longer be necessary.
JPSM Tuition for GRAs
Students funded as UMD GRAs with tuition covered by their department will not be asked to pay out-of-pocket tuition expenses, regardless of the tuition rate. UMD GRAs will need to apply for the JPSM Differential Tuition Waiver and the GRA's bill will be adjusted to reflect the standard UMD in-state tuition rate for JPSM/SURV courses.
Financial Aid
Financial aid for graduate students is typically limited, JPSM is mostly self-pay. However, financial assistance is available to qualified JPSM students in the form of graduate research assistantships, teaching assistantships, internships at federal statistical agencies and University of Maryland awarded fellowships. Students interested in being considered for financial aid must note this on their application for graduate admission.
Admission to the program is a prerequisite for the award of a research assistantship or a fellowship. Some awards are made based on the applicant's academic merit, others on the basis of need. Detailed information on types of financial assistance is available in the Graduate School catalog or by calling the Office of Student Financial Aid at (301) 314-8313.
Fee Waiver Information & Eligibility (Note that only domestic students are eligible)
The University of Maryland Graduate School waives application fees to eligible students in participating programs. The list of participating programs and eligibility information can be found on the UMD Graduate School website here.
* Fees subject to increases per University; Some items included in the fees are: shuttle bus, health center, student facilities, technology, etc. Click here for more information.
*These costs do not include Room and Board.
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.
- Some course electives are available online*
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.
*All MS required courses must be taken on-site.
International applicants who will need the University of Maryland to sponsor an F-1 student visa must apply for fall enrollment to UMD. International applicants who already reside in the US on existing visas that permit study (G-4 and H-4 visas, for example) may apply to any version of the program.
Fall 2025 International Student Admissions
- March 13 2025 - Latest allowable deadline for F-1/J-1 international applicants to apply from outside the United States
- April 30, 2025 - Deadline for department to recommend F-1/J-1 international applicants for admission to the Graduate School
- May 30, 2025 - ISSS’ Fall 2025 deadline for F-1 students to have their I-20 in-hand for the best possible chance to get the visa
- August 8, 2025 - Deadline for F-1/J-1 student/department to request deferral from Fall 2025 to Fall 2026
- ISSS Intent Form approximate dates: July 18 - August 1, 2025
To start with the process of International Admissions, please check the overview of the application process here.
Students with F-1 or J-1 visas must be enrolled full-time (3 courses per semester) for each of the first 3 semesters. The only possible exception that might allow an F-1 or J-1 student to remain in the United States while not being enrolled in 9 credits per semester is being on an approved leave of absence for a serious illness or medical condition. Students are advised to consult with International Student and Scholar Services for more information when considering a leave of absence.
International Students Employment
The terms of F-1 student visas place restrictions on the types of employment and internships that international students can pursue while studying in the US. Visa compliance issues are handled at the University of Maryland by our Office of International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS). Additional details related to permissible employment for students on F-1 visas are posted here.
English Language Proficiency Requirements
Any student – international or domestic – whose previous degrees are all from non-English speaking countries must submit TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE scores. The list of English-speaking countries for UMD Graduate School admissions purposes is posted along with additional detailed information on the Graduate School’s website.
All applicants must comply with this policy regardless of citizenship status, number of years residing in the United States, and/or language of instruction of their university.
For the PTE (Pearson Test of English) a minimum score of 68 is required for full admission. The TOEFL and IELTS requirements for full admission are listed below. Please note that for TOEFL and IELTS, the requirement in each section as well as the overall score must be met.
iBT TOEFL Requirements for Full Admission:
- Total: 96
- Speaking: 22
- Listening: 24
- Reading: 26
- Writing: 24
IELTS Requirements for Full Admission:
- Total: 7.0
- Speaking: 6.5
- Listening: 7.0
- Reading: 7.0
- Writing: 7.0
Official copies of your scores must be sent directly to the UMD Graduate School. Our TOEFL reporting code is 5814.
Additionally, we ask that applicants also upload a PDF of their TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE report with their online application. That will permit us to process your application even before the official score report has been processed by our Graduate School. Do not assume that your TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE scores will be reported to the University promptly simply because you have taken the test. We will not be able to complete our review of your application without your TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE scores.
For more information, read the University of Maryland’s graduate admissions requirements for English proficiency.
Our live online Information Sessions are held throughout the year. They feature a detailed presentation of about 1 hour, and opportunities for Q&A with our program’s Director, Dr. Partha Lahiri, The Director of Graduate Studies, Dr. Brian Kim and with other representatives from our department.
Click here to access the recording.
Links in the Presentation:
https://jpsm.umd.edu/academics/why-study-here
https://reslife.umd.edu/terp-housing/additional-housing-options/campus-housing
https://marylandglobal.umd.edu/global-learning-all/international-students-scholars/life-umd/housing
https://uhr.umd.edu/student-employment/
https://gradschool.umd.edu/admissions/english-language-proficiency-requirements
