Social Research – (M.Sc.)

The MSc in Social Research aims to provide you with an expert grounding in the practice of social research. Upon completion of the course you will have acquired the necessary academic skills to develop, implement and evaluate social research, making the MSc an excellent basis for career development. The ability to design and execute research is a transferable skill that is highly valued in the workplace and for many graduates the MSc has been a gateway to a research-based career or a means of advancing their career with a current employer. Others have found that the MSc is an excellent foundation for doctoral research and an academic career. In particular, the MSc will provide you with:

* A thorough, critical knowledge of both qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection and analysis and the philosophical, theoretical and technical problems associated with these methods.
* A full appreciation of the political problems and ethical considerations that need to be borne in mind when conducting research, in particular a sensitivity to issues of 'race', gender, age and sexuality.
* A detailed knowledge of the range of data sources available to social scientists, including secondary data sets of various kinds.
* A range of practical research skills, including computing skills, writing, presentation, grant application and publishing skills, and the ability to identify researchable questions and formulate an appropriate, practical design to address such questions.
* A theoretically and philosophically informed understanding of the major approaches to, and substantive literature on, research within your field of interest.
* An understanding of the links between social research and social policy formulation and administration.