MSc Social Research Methods
- Programme director
- Jane Fielding
- Programme length
- Full-time: 12 months, Part-time: 24 months
- Programme start date
- September 2013
Offered as part of the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) programme.
The Department of Sociology offers a stimulating and supportive environment for our Social research methods students.
Programme overview
Recent graduates of the MSc Social Research Methods have been appointed to the Home Office, the Department of Health, the Office for National Statistics, the National Centre for Social Research, and market research companies such as BMRB. Many others have completed a PhD and gone on to an academic career. Part-time students often already work in a research context, and take the MSc for continuing professional development.
Social researchers use a constantly developing range of qualitative and quantitative methods to explore attitudes and experiences, and to understand patterns of social behaviour. As a highly regarded research department specialising in cutting-edge research methods, the Department of Sociology offers a stimulating and supportive environment for our Masters students. This is enhanced by our research activities in fields such as the environment, health and ageing, new technologies, identities, childhood and criminal justice.
Our students remain highly sought after owing to their ability to think logically about social problems, together with their skills in conducting effective research to address them. Taught modules cover key topics in research design and evaluation. Skills are put into operation through a group research project and an individual dissertation.
Entry requirements
Usually a UK first or 2.1 honours degree or equivalent in a social science or related subject. Entry is also open to professionally trained non-graduates with relevant experience and qualifications.
We also require evidence of basic numeracy (a GCSE pass at grade C or above in maths).
English language requirements
IELTS minimum overall: 7.0
IELTS minimum by component:
6.0
Fees and funding
All fees are subject to increase or review for subsequent academic years. Please note that not all visa routes permit part-time study and overseas students entering the UK on a Tier 4 visa will not be permitted to study on a part-time basis.
| Programme name | Study mode | Start date | UK/EU fees | Overseas fees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MSc Social Research Methods | Full-time | Sept 2013 | £5,155 | £12,845 |
| MSc Social Research Methods | Part-time | Sept 2013 | £2,770 | £6,615 |
Funding
The Department of Sociology has a strong track record of attracting ESRC funding for PhD students. The Department of Sociology manages the ESRC-funded South East Doctoral Training Consortium which offers doctoral training in association with the Universities of Kent, Reading and Royal Holloway. The MSc Social Research Methods can comprise the training component of a 1+3 PhD studentship in Sociology within the Doctoral Training Consortium. Opportunities to apply for ESRC doctoral funding via the Doctoral Training Consortium will be advertised annually on the departmental website.
University research studentships and overseas research support studentships will also be advertised on the departmental website as they become available, as will studentships linked to ESRC or EU-funded departmental research projects.
Bursaries for 2013/14 Entry
One bursary may be available for each of the Department’s MSc courses, to be awarded on a competitive basis to self-funding students offered a place on the MSc for the academic year 2013/14. Bursaries will be paid in the form of a partial fee remission. Bursaries and deadlines for 2013/14 will be advertised on the departmental website.
Programme content
Core Modules
- Data Analysis
- Field Methods
- Theory and Methodology
- Statistical Modelling
- Principles of Survey Design
- Documentary Analysis and Online Research
- Research: From Design to Dissemination
- Evaluation Research
- Workshops in Advanced Methods
- Dissertation
Core Modules
Data Analysis
The aim of this module is to provide you with a grounding in the basic principles of data analysis and statistical methods and to familiarise you with the use and capabilities of the statistical package SPSS for Windows.
Field Methods
This module aims to provide you with a firm methodological basis for conducting various forms of qualitative analysis. Principal data sources are observational fieldnotes, interview transcripts and video.
Theory and Methodology
This module aims to provide you with an understanding of the importance of conceptual and theoretical issues in social research and some of the philosophical concepts and assumptions that underpin the practice of research.
Statistical Modelling
This module provides an introduction to the core ideas and principles of statistical modelling and multivariate data, with particular reference to factor analysis, logistic regression and log-linear modelling.
Principles of Survey Design
This module will provide you with an outline of the main issues in contemporary social research methodology, with a particular focus on the design and conduct of large-scale surveys.
Documentary Analysis and Online Research
This module provides an overview of the techniques used to analyse written, visual and oral documents, and examines methodological innovations in relation to the internet.
Research: From Design to Dissemination
This module aims to develop students’ research skills through the design and conduct of a small-scale collaborative research project. The practical experience on the project is supported through specific training in research-based skills and professional development. Through taking this module, students will come to understand the practices and procedures involved in initiating, managing and disseminating a research project.
Evaluation Research
This module covers the theoretical, methodological and practical aspects of evaluative research. Emphasis is placed upon the major research methods employed by evaluators to determine the impact of social programmes and evaluate the effectiveness of planned change.
Workshops in Advanced Methods
This unassessed series of workshops and lectures introduces students to a range of innovative and advanced research methods. These provide an opportunity to gain an appreciation of developments in methods for collecting and analysing data, to reflect on the pragmatics of their use and to gain some hands-on experience of the techniques involved. Topics may include: data management using qualitative software; focus groups; geographic information systems; random control trials in social research; latent variables/structural equation models; multilevel modelling; event history modelling; and longitudinal data analysis.
Dissertation
You will complete a report of not more than 15,000 words based on your own original empirical research.
MSc Social Research Methods full-time
| Contact Hours | Credits | |
| Data Analysis | 30 | 15 |
| Field Methods | 20 | 15 |
| Theory and Methodology | 20 | 15 |
| Statistical Modelling | 20 | 15 |
| Principles of Survey Design | 20 | 15 |
| Documentary Analysis and Online Research | 20 | 15 |
| Research: From Design to Dissemination | 37 | 15 |
| Evaluation Research | 20 | 15 |
| Dissertation Supervision | 10 | |
| Workshops in Advanced Methods | 20 | |
| MSc Dissertation | 60 | |
| Total | 217 | 180 |
Classes are held on Tuesdays and Fridays
MSc Social Research Methods part-time
| Year 1 | Contact Hours | Credits |
| Data Analysis | 30 | 15 |
| Field Methods | 20 | 15 |
| Theory and Methodology | 20 | 15 |
| Statistical Modelling | 20 | 15 |
| Sub-total Year 1 | 90 | 60 |
| Year 2 | Contact Hours | Credits |
| Principles of Survey Design | 20 | 15 |
| Documentary Analysis and Online Research | 20 | 15 |
| Research: From Design to Dissemination | 37 | 15 |
| Evaluation Research | 20 | 15 |
| Dissertation Supervision | 10 | |
| Workshops in Advanced Methods | 20 | |
| MSc Dissertation | 60 | |
| Sub-total Year 2 | 127 | 120 |
| Total | 180 |
Classes are held on Fridays in Year 1 and on Tuesdays in Year 2.
Dissertation
You will complete a report of not more than 15,000 words based on your own original empirical research.
Contact hours
217 hours
Part-time students attend on one day per week during the teaching semester.
Programme aims
The aim of this degree is not just to train you in the application of specific research techniques. It also aims to illuminate the connections between sociological theory and empirical research, and to relate research to the development of public policy and the analysis of substantive social issues.
Wider issues of the social research process are also covered. These include the planning and management of research projects, research ethics and the presentation and publication of research findings.
The programme aims to:
- Provide training across a range of technical and practical social research skills
- Equip you with a good understanding of the contribution that quantitative and qualitative approaches make to the collection, interpretation and analysis of data
- Encourage you to reflect critically on methodological, theoretical, philosophical and ethical aspects of social research practice
- Develop an understanding of the contribution that social research makes to social policy formation and the evaluation of planned social interventions
- Provide you with the opportunity to complete a piece of research, in the form of a dissertation, on a topic in which you have a professional interest
Sociology teaching methods
A variety of teaching methods is used. In addition to formal lectures, you will participate in workshops and undertake individual practical assignments. You will have full access to University and departmental facilities and resources, including a well-equipped computer laboratory with a wide range of statistical packages and qualitative data analysis software.
Department of Sociology
The Department is a leading centre of applied social research and methodological innovation, with an international reputation for excellence in both research and teaching. In the 2008 RAE we were ranked joint sixth out of all the sociology departments in the UK. This reflects our excellence in research and publications, and the high quality of our research environment. The Department of Sociology was voted second for sociology in The Times Good University Guide 2010, reflecting our commitment to high-quality teaching and research.
Sociology research
The Department of Sociology is internationally recognised as a centre of research excellence. A particular area of strength is research methodology and research training. Our research is organised into six groupings which reflect contemporary concerns:
- Criminology and Criminal Justice
- Developments in Methodology
- Identities, Generation and Everyday Life
- Media, Culture and Communication
- Science, Environment and Technologies
- Work, Organisations and Inequalities
In addition to the research groups, members of staff undertake a wide variety of internationally renowned individual scholarship including work on gender, employment, organisations, cross-national survey work, culture, ethnicity, language and communication, sociological theory, childhood, youth and identities, sociology of sleep and the sociology of social policy.
Three leading journals are edited from the Department:
- Ethnic and Racial Studies
- Journal of Artificial Societies and Social Simulation (JASSS)
- Popular Communication: International Journal of Media and Culture
- The online journal, Sociological Research Online, has been produced from the Department of Sociology since 1996, run by a consortium of partners including the University of Surrey.
The Department’s commitment to developing technical competence in research methods and encouraging the use of appropriate information and communication technologies in social research is reflected in the fact that it houses the UK national centre for software for qualitative data analysis (CAQDAS) and the Centre for Research on Simulation in the Social Sciences (CRESS) which applies computer simulation to the understanding of social phenomena.
The Department’s Institute of Social Research runs a successful international fellowship scheme which enables international researchers to visit Surrey each year.
These strengths in research, and in innovative research methods in particular, feed into our master’s-level teaching and inform the continued updating of content within modules. A further departmental research centre, the Centre for Research on Ageing and Gender (CRAG) brings together social scientific expertise to conduct policy-relevant research on gender and ageing. There are also strong research links between members of the Department of Sociology and the Digital World Research Centre.
Placements
On the MSc Social Research Methods, we offer the opportunity to take a four-week research placement during the Easter vacation. This will provide you with first-hand experience of large-scale and real-life research in action. In the past, placements have been with organisations such as the National Centre for Social Research, the ESRC Data Archive, the Policy Studies Institute, the Home Office, the Institute for Employment Studies, MORI, the British Market Research Bureau, the National Children’s Bureau, the Centre for Longitudinal Studies, the National Foundation for Educational Research, ONS, Surrey Police and so on.
Where a long placement is not practical, as may be the case for part-time students, it is also possible to take up the opportunity of a short work placement of two to four weeks, usually during the summer period. Placements are arranged with the help of the Department’s placement tutor.
Residential conference and day conference
The MSc Social Research Methods includes a residential conference in Bournemouth, usually in November. The conference provides an opportunity for discussion in an informal atmosphere, around current research issues and debates, technologies and methods at the forefront of social research.
The programme includes lectures from guest speakers, seminars, workshops and small group discussions. The Department also organises a day conference for MSc students at the University, with student presentations and guest speakers.
Department links
Contact us
For general enquiries
0800 980 3200 or +44 (0)1483 681 681
For admissions enquiries
+44 (0)1483 681 681