Research Methods (Science, Technology and Society) (MA) – (M.A.)

This degree will equip you with the theoretical understanding and practical skills required to carry out independent research in social science-based studies of science, technology and society (STS), using a variety of methodological approaches and research techniques.
It will interest graduates preparing for doctoral studies, who are now required to have an in-depth training in research methods before undertaking their PhD.
The course includes modules in Research Design, Practice and Ethics, Philosophy of Social Sciences, Qualitative and Quantitative Methods, as well as specialist modules in Biomedicine, Biotechnology and Society and Introduction to Science in Society.
A dissertation forms an important part of the course.
The emphasis throughout is upon linking theoretical and methodological understandings with practical experience of research design and implementation.

Key facts
This MA is part of the University of Nottingham’s ESRC Doctoral Training Centre (DTC), established as part of the new Postgraduate Training Framework introduced by the ESRC from the start of the 2011/12 session, which created 21 DTCs across the UK. Nottingham is one of just 12 DTCs which has gained recognition in its own right, rather than as part of a consortium. The Nottingham DTC will therefore play a key role in a national network, training the next generation of social scientists who will have to confront the strategic challenges of an increasingly complex and uncertain world.