The Program

Demographers study the types of human population processes that 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. (Find specifics on the career application of population studies.) Using empirical, evidence-based data, demographers shape government policy and contribute ideas to the betterment of society. The Department of Sociology’s Certificate in Population Studies prepares undergraduate students for careers requiring demographic skills or for entering graduate programs in related areas.

In just the last few years our world has experienced a number of major demographic milestones. The global population reached its 7 billionth mark, triple the size of what it was just a century ago. For the first time in human history, more people are now living in cities than in rural areas. And, although the HIV/AIDs epidemic remains a significant mortality threat, it reached its peak and has begun to decline. Almost half of the global population living in every region of the world now has below-replacement fertility. Thus, the world’s growth rate is slowing and very soon the elderly will outnumber young children in the world. The 2013 United Nations Human Development Report showed that health, education, and income gains have accelerated over recent years for many developing countries. Nevertheless, global poverty and disease remain pressing issues and environmental concerns stemming from rising global consumption continue to mount. Skills that can understand these complex human processes are needed now more than ever.

Please note that the Population Studies certificate is not offered through UWW SocOnline.

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 Intro to Human Rights
    Soc 262 Globalization and Inequality
    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

  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
    Soc 351 Social Network 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 224 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 366 Economic Development
    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
    Res-econ 397E Special Topics - Economic Development

    Urbanization
    Educ 357 Intro to Urban Education
    Geograph 370 Urban Geography
    Geo-Sci 372 Urban Issues
    PoliSci 214 Urban Government and Politics

    Immigration
    Anthro 218 Anthropology of Transnational Migration
    BLST 294 / EUST 294 Black Europe (at Amherst College)
    Econ 335 Economics of Immigration
    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
    PoliSci 382 Environmental Policy
    PoliSci 397S Special Topics: Environment and Sustainability
    REGIONPL 587 People and the Environment
    ResEcon 262 Environmental Economics

    Health
    Anthro 233 Kinship and Social Organization
    Anthro 273 People and Pathogens: An Introduction to Disease Ecology
    Anthro 415 Women's Health Across the Lifecourse
    Comm 319 - Health Communication
    Econ 340 Economics of Health
    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
    WGSS 205 Feminist Health Politics

    There are many additional courses available as part of the Five College consortium 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.