Jan. 25, 2000
Contact: Carey Hoffman
513-556-1825
carey.hoffman@uc.edu

Cincinnati -- It is a point likely to be reinforced every day during the remainder of this presidential election year -- polls have become a driving force in modern politics. For students who find that aspect of politics exciting, the University of Cincinnati has a new academic option to produce opportunities in a high-demand field.

UC's Department of Political Science began offering a graduate certificate program in Public Opinion and Survey Research last September. The program offers training designed to provide students with the skills to design and conduct surveys, statistically analyze survey results, write reports and make public presentations of survey findings.

"This is an option that allows for training people to become public opinion pollsters," said George Bishop, director of the certificate program and professor of political science. "There are a lot of jobs in this area, making this a very marketable degree."

UC is one of only six universities in the nation offering this kind of training. While politics is a prime destination for those with survey skills, the certificate also opens doors in a variety of other fields that involve survey research.

"The certificate program is designed to be both a free-standing graduate program for those who are interested in adding survey research skills to their present complement of professional capabilities, as well as a supplement to the Department of Political Science's master's degree program," Bishop said.

Other graduate students who might find the certificate useful, he added, are those from fields such as communications, journalism, sociology, social psychology, marketing research, community planning and public health.

Pollsters hold a variety of responsibilities in the realm of politics. "They work directly for political campaign organizations and governmental agencies, but also anything having to do with media," Bishop says. Public relations firms, private marketing firms and organizations in or affiliated with mass media could all be potential employers.

"Last year at a national conference I attended, I learned from someone with Gallup organization that they were looking to hire 500 social science analysts over the next few years," Bishop says. "Now some of those positions will require PhDs, but some will be master's. I think, today, a master's degree along with this certificate will open up a lot of opportunities."

Curriculum for the certificate is designed to be completed within one academic year. Although the program is oriented to students who are able to take day classes, working professionals are also welcome. The certificate program can be a valuable means to upgrade existing skills and job market competitiveness.