The Program

The Sociology Department offers a certificate in Social Research Analysis to give students an opportunity to master basic qualitative and quantitative research skills used to gather and analyze data. Students completing the certificate will be prepared to obtain entry-level jobs in environments where research is conducted while providing a strong foundation for students wishing to pursue graduate work in fields like sociology, survey research, public health, program evaluation, market research, public policy and public administration, and other disciplines within the social sciences.

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

Students take three core courses and one approved elective course. We also strongly suggest doing a graded internship.

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

Core 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 Chief Undergraduate Advisor 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:

Sociol 313 Survey Design and Analysis, 4 credits
Psych 241 Methods of Inquiry in Psychology, 4 credits
Honors 495K Research Gets Real: Principles and Practices of Community Engaged
Legal 450 Legal Research and Writing, 3 credits
Marketing 412 Marketing Research, 3 credits
Poli Sci 394RI Political Polling and Survey Research, 3 credits
Res-Econ 313 Quantitative Methods in Applied Economics, 3 credits
Geo-Sci 352 Computer Mapping, 3 credits
PubHlth 324 Epidemiology in Public Health, 3 credits
Comm 355 Behavioral Research in Communication, 3 credits

Internship
Students are strongly encouraged to pursue a research-based internship or practicum in order to apply the skills they will develop in their coursework. To be certain of receiving credit, students’ internships must be approved by the Chief Undergraduate Adviser (CUA) in Sociology. In ordinary circumstances, students will enroll in one three-credit internship under a sponsor. The CUA can help students locate sponsors. Possible sponsors include faculty members in the Sociology Department, faculty and professional staff registered with the Office of Undergraduate Research and Scholarship (1001 DuBois Library), or agencies registered with the Field Experience Office (Goodell 511). Internships appear as Sociol 398 on students' records. Internships do not count toward the certificate requirements, but are strongly encouraged.