Social Research Methods and Statistics – (M.Sc.)

Social Statistics is a new discipline area, set up as part of the commitment by the University of Manchester to develop Social Statistics as a key component of its School of Social Sciences. All academic staff from the Centre for Census and Survey Research are formally located within this discipline.

Our research, along with colleagues in Sociology, was rated joint first in the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise, with the highest proportion of research judged to be world leading of any UK higher education institution.

Career opportunities here is an increasing need for well-trained social scientists who are able to apply advanced methods of analysis to complex data. Graduates of our programme in Social Research Methods and Statistics and also in Social Change are in a good position to obtain jobs in central government, including the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the academic sector, local government and within the commercial research sector. We have excellent links with ONS and government departments such as the Department for Children, Schools and Families, local authorities and many commercial organisations and thus well placed to assist students in finding jobs.

A number of our students already hold research positions (typically in local government or overseas) and take the MSc as part of career development programmes. The SRMS and ISC courses are ideal preparation for students wishing to pursue doctoral study, and is a formal component of our 1+3 PhD training model.