The Program

The Department of Sociology offers a Certificate in Social Research Analysis. Its purpose is to master basic skills in gathering and analyzing data. Students obtaining the certificate are prepared to obtain entry-level jobs in environments where research is conducted. The certificate also provides a strong foundation for students wishing to pursue a master’s degree in fields such as survey research, public health, program evaluation, market research, public policy and public administration.

Please note, the Social Research Analysis certificate is not offered through UWW Sociology Online.

To declare, students fill out a Completion Form upon enrollment in their final course for the certificate. The completed form along with an unofficial transcript may be submitted by email or mail to:

Social Research Analysis Certificate, Sociology Department
1010 Thompson Hall
200 Hicks Way
University of Massachusetts
Amherst, MA 01003-9277

Requirements

Students take three core courses and one approved elective course.

To receive the certificate, a cumulative GPA of 2.0 is required across the courses applied to certificate requirements.

Three Required Courses

  • Sociol 212 Statistics, 4 credits, (an introductory statistics course in another department may be substituted for Sociol 212)
  • Sociol 213 Data Collection and Analysis, 4 credits
  • Sociol 314 Field Research Methods, 4 credits

Elective Course

Course offerings frequently change, creating more options. Students should consult with the Director of Undergraduate Advising (DUA) when choosing their elective(s). Possibilities include advanced courses in research methods in the Sociology Department as well as in other departments. Potentially acceptable choices include:

  • Anthro 360 Methods in Linguistic Anthropology
  • Comm 355 Behavioral Research in Communication
  • Comm 414 Studying Everyday Talk
  • DACSS 602 Research Design
  • DACSS 603 Introduction to Quantitative Analysis
  • Educ 327 Research Methods and Evidence-Based Practices
  • Educ 619 Qualitative Research Methods in Education
  • Educ 797 Special Topics - Seminar in Research Methods
  • Educ 797G Special Topics - Arts-Based Research Methods
  • Geograph 352 Computer Mapping
  • Honors 495K Research Gets Real: Principles and Practices of Community Engaged
  • Journal 352 Public Relations Research and Analysis
  • Legal 450 Legal Research and Writing
  • Marketing 412 Marketing Research
  • PoliSci 328 Research Methods for Political and Social Sciences
  • PoliSci 394RI Political Polling and Survey Research
  • PoliSci 750 Research Design
  • PoliSci 755 Introduction to Quantitative Analysis
  • PoliSci 797BB Special Topics: Qualitative Research Methods
  • PoliSci 797SR Special Topics: Survey Research Methods
  • Psych 241 Methods of Inquiry in Psychology
  • PubHealth 224 Epidemiology in Public Health
  • ResEcon 313 Quantitative Methods in Applied Economics
  • Sociol 313 Survey Design and Analysis
  • Sociol 351 Social Network Analysis
  • Sociol 710 Research Methods I
  • SPP 607 Policy Methods
  • SPP 636 Qualitative Research Methods

There are also many research methods courses available from the Five Colleges that may count for this certificate - other courses (UMass and Five College) may be approved on a case by case basis by the Director of Undergraduate Advising.

Internships or Research Assistantships

Students are strongly encouraged to pursue a research-based internship or research assistantship in order to apply the skills they will develop in their coursework. These do not count toward certificate requirements.
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