The Program

Demographers study various types of human population processes and play a key role in the fields of education, international development, environmental impact analysis, marketing, urban planning, healthcare, public safety, government, actuarial science and academia. (For specifics on the career application of population studies, see here). Using empirical, evidence-based data, demographers shape government policy and contribute ideas to the betterment of society. The certificate in Population Studies prepares undergraduate students for careers requiring demographic skills or for entering graduate programs in related areas. The certificate program is not a major in itself. It requires 18 semester hours of coursework, some of which may satisfy other University and major requirements.

Contact: Sociology Advising Office
Office: 1008 Thompson Hall
Phone: (413) 545-4059
Website: https://www.umass.edu/sociology/undergraduate/current/certificates/population-studies
Email: advising@soc.umass.edu

Requirements

Students must take 18 credits:

  1. Soc 261 Population Studies (or SOC 232 at Smith College)
  2. One (1) of the following substantive courses:

    Soc 222 The Family
    Soc 223 Work and Society
    Soc 244 Sociology of Immigration
    Soc 252 S-Intro to Human Rights
    Soc 287 Sexuality and Society
    Soc 316 Environment and Society
    Soc 353 Sociology of Medicine
    Soc 360 Urban Sociology
    Soc 361 Demography Of Minority Groups
    Soc 385 Gender & the Family
    Soc 388 Gender & Globalization
    Soc 389 Sexuality by the Numbers

  3. Soc 212 Statistics

    A statistics course in another department or college, such as Psych 240, PUBHLTH 391B, ResourceEcon 212, etc. may be substituted.

  4. One (1) of the following methods courses:

    Soc 213 Data Collection & Analysis
    Soc 313 Survey Design and Analysis
    Comm 355 Behavioral Research in Communication
    Geo-Sci 352 Computer Mapping
    PoliSci 328 Research Methods for Political and Social Sciences
    Psych 241 Methods of Inquiry in Psychology
    PubHlth 324 Epidemiology in Public Health
    Res-Econ 313 Quantitative Methods in Applied Economics

    Methods courses from the surrounding four colleges may be substituted with prior approval from the Sociology Director of Undergraduate Advising.

  5. Two (2) elective courses:

    Global Development
    Comm 297A Intro Global Communication
    Econ 367 Post Independence African Development
    Econ 397D Latin American Economic Development
    Geograph 102 Diversity, Globalization, and Sustainability
    Geograph 360 Economic Geography
    Geograph 364 Geography of Development
    Geograph 450 Indigenous Peoples and Conservation
    PoliSci 290P Power, Privilege, and Inequality on a Global Scale
    Res-econ 263 Natural Resource Economics

    Urbanization
    Geograph 370 Urban Geography
    Geo-Sci 372 Urban Issues

    Immigration
    Anthro 218 Anthropology of Transnational Migration
    BLST 294 / EUST 294 Black Europe (at Amherst College)
    His 297E Immigration and Migration in the US 1877-Present
    His 297U History of Refugees, Borders, and Migration
    Labor 204 Labor & The Global Economy

    Global Environment
    Anth 208 Human Ecology
    Econ 308 Political Economy of the Environment
    Envirsci 213 Introduction to Environmental Policy
    Envirsci 214 Ecosystems, Biodiversity and Global Change
    Geo-Sci 250 Natural Disasters
    Geo-Sci 364 Geography Of Development
    REGIONPL 587 People and the Environment

    Health
    Anth 233 Kinship and Social Organization
    Comm 319 - Health Communication
    PubHealth 200 Introduction to Public Health
    PubHealth 203 Intro to Environmental Health Sciences
    PubHealth 224 Epidemiology in Public Health
    PubHlth 301 Principles of Community Health Education
    PubHlth 323 Public Health Communications
    PubHlth 390E Understanding Health Disparities
    PubHealth 397A ST- Intro to Global Health

    Elective courses from the surrounding four colleges may be substituted with prior approval from the Sociology Director of Undergraduate Advising.