Social Science Research Methods MSc

Our Masters in Social Science Research Methods will make you a confident, capable researcher across quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods approaches. It features intensive expert-led training and hands-on data projects. You will develop critical data literacy, ethical research practices, and advanced skills in data management. The programme centres on your own research questions, ensuring relevance and engagement.<br/><br/><strong>WHY THIS PROGRAMME</strong><br/>• This programme combines social science research skills training with subject specialisation making this a flexible and powerful foundation for a PhD and beyond.<br/><br/><br/><br/>• Methods training can be tailored with specialist courses in Criminology, Economic & Social History, Global Health, International Relations, Public Policy, Russian and East European Studies, Sociology, and Urban Research, preparing you for subsequent PhD study or a career in social research.<br/><br/><br/><br/>• Key skills are acquired via several hands-on data projects that develop your skills to become independent researchers.<br/><br/><br/><br/>• We provide you with the space to explore and apply diverse forms of knowledge production related to different social science disciplines, fields and contexts.<br/><br/><br/><br/>• The fully flexible degree structure allows for expert and disciplinary training to be tailored to your interests and career plans.<br/><br/><br/><br/>• Our commitment to research-led teaching ensures that courses reflect the cutting-edge research of our teaching staff.<br/><br/><br/><br/>• Home to several world-leading research centres, the School of Social & Political Sciences boasts highly active research community of scholars.<br/><br/><br/><br/>• The school is a leading centre of research excellence for social and political science, with 90% or more of its research assessed as ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’ in REF2021.<br/><br/><br/><br/>• Our intensive orientation programme features introductory teaching and guided study sessions, as well as additional support for those learning research methods for the first time.<br/><br/><br/><br/>• This programme is recognised by the Scottish Graduate School for Social Science (SGSSS) on behalf of the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) as a training Masters on its +1 scheme.<br/><br/><br/><br/><strong>PROGRAMME STRUCTURE</strong><br/><br/>You will take four core and three optional courses. Courses are delivered across two semesters via mix of lectures and tutorials. You will also undertake an independent research project that provides an opportunity for in-depth critical exploration of your chosen subject specialism.<br/><br/>Core courses provide an introduction to understanding social science data, with a focus on developing data literacy, research design, and data collection and analysis skills. Applied data project courses on secondary data and digital data will develop your research skills (data curation, analysis and reporting) around a project of your own interest using a specific type of data.<br/><br/>Optional courses will enhance your research skills through a series of expert research methods courses, while also allowing for subject specialisation.<br/><br/><strong>Core courses</strong><br/>Understanding Society: Critical Social Research 1<br/>Understanding Data: Critical Social Reseach 2<br/>Working with Secondary Data: Data Project 1<br/>Working with Digital Data: Data Project 2<br/><br/><strong>Research project</strong><br/>Choose one:<br/>Dissertation (Criminology)<br/>Dissertation - Global Health<br/>Dissertation - Sociology<br/>Dissertation: Urban Studies<br/>Global Economy Dissertation<br/>MSc Dissertation<br/>Postgraduate Dissertation (Politics)<br/><br/><strong>Optional courses</strong><br/>Advanced Regression: Limited and Categorical Dependent Variable Regression<br/>Art and Science of Surveys: Designing Questions and Analysing Data<br/>Introduction To Social Theory For Researchers<br/>Multilevel and Network Analysis in Social, Educational & Public Health Research<br/>Working with Interactive Interpersonal Data: Data Project 3 <br/><br/>You may choose up to two optional courses from an extensive list available from across the School of Social & Political Sciences portfolio, allowing you to specialise in a subject discipline.