Intelligent Survey Design
Program Description:
This intensive, asynchronous course offers a rigorous yet practical introduction to the craft of survey research. Designed with the realities of executives, education leaders, and graduate students in mind, the 2.5-week format provides both flexibility and structure. It allows participants to engage deeply with the material while balancing the professional and personal commitments that come during this time of year.
Through focused micro-lectures, guided exercises, and applied assignments, participants will move step-by-step from defining a research purpose and framing effective questions, to selecting appropriate samples, designing culturally responsive instruments, and planning ethical data collection. Each module emphasizes hands-on application, ensuring that participants not only learn foundational principles but also leave with a complete, field-ready survey research proposal tailored to their own professional or academic context.
Whether you are preparing to conduct original research, evaluating organizational practices, or building capacity for evidence-based leadership, this course equips you with the methodological skills and critical awareness needed to design surveys that yield valid, reliable, and actionable insights. All this in a format that travels with you.
Dates & Registration
This course is offered on a for-credit basis only.
Dates: January 2 - 18, 2026
Format: Asynchronous
Registration:
This course can be taken for credit in accordance with TC's enrollment policies for 3 credits. If you are not a current student and would like to take this course for credit, please review the Non-Degree Application Instructions page on our website and proceed accordingly. Also, please note that if you plan to take this on a for-credit basis, college tuition and fees will apply. If you are a continuing student in a degree program and have approval from your advisor, you can register for this course beginning on December 1st. Winter session courses will follow spring registration and payment deadlines.
Please Note: This course is offered on a for-credit basis only.
For more information, questions, or to register: Email tcacademy@tc.columbia.edu
Faculty
Brian K. Perkins
Associate Professor of Practice in Education Leadership; Director, Summer Principals Academy - New York City and New Orleans
Dr. Brian K. Perkins is the Director of the Summer Principals Academy Master’s Degree Program offered by Teachers College Columbia University in New Orleans and New York City. He was previously the director of the doctoral program in Urban Education Leadership at Teachers College. He is the former Chair and Professor of Education Law and Policy at Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven, Connecticut. As Chair, Dr. Perkins successfully led his department through the accreditation and licensure of the university’s first doctoral program and was the university’s youngest full, tenured professor in its 112-year history.
Dr. Perkins is a distinguished Yale alumnus and was named a Timothy Dwight Fellow in 2004. During his studies at Yale School of Medicine, Dr. Perkins was named Wilbur G.H. Downs International Health Fellow. He was a member of a research unit at the Yale University School of Medicine at the Child Study Center. Dr. Perkins was an instructor in the Yale University Department of Chemistry and was awarded the distinguished teaching award for instruction in Inorganic Chemistry Problems. Dr. Perkins also served as the Director of Education Programs within the Yale University School of Medicine Department of Pediatrics.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
- Explain the historical development and foundational principles of survey research and identify major sources of survey error.
- Translate topics into surveyable research questions (RQs) and measurable constructs/variables.
- Distinguish types of survey questions and apply best practices for wording, response options, sequencing, and cultural responsiveness; plan and conduct pretesting (e.g., cognitive interviewing, think‐alouds).
- Define a target population and propose an appropriate sampling strategy (probability or nonprobability) mindful of representativeness, feasibility, and ethics; select survey mode(s) aligned to purpose and access.
- Develop a draft instrument (5 - 8 items) with rationale, flow/UX, and pretest plan; justify the sampling and administration approach.
- Plan ethical survey administration (recruitment, consent, communications, participation maximization) and anticipate nonresponse/missing‐data issues.
- Prepare data for analysis by outlining coding, entry, and basic cleaning steps (no full statistical analysis required in this course).
Who Should Attend
TC and external Master's & PhD students, especially those engaged in their thesis and dissertation research.
Upon Completion
Participants who successfully complete this program will earn a verified Certificate of Participation and an official Digital Badge—valuable credentials that showcase your commitment to professional growth and can be shared on LinkedIn or digital portfolios.
View our sample program badge and certificate below:
