Overview
- Degree awarded
- Master of Science (MSc)
- Duration
- 1 year
- Entry requirements
-
We require a UK bachelor's degree with a First or Upper Second classification or the overseas equivalent, in Sociology or a Social Science Subject.
When assessing your academic record we consider your degree subject, grades you have achieved and the standing of the institution where you studied your qualification.
- How to apply
- Apply online
Course options
| Full-time | Part-time | Full-time distance learning | Part-time distance learning | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MSc | Y | Y | N | N |
Course overview
- Discover a course that provides a thorough grounding in advanced quantitative and qualitative methods taught within an applied social science framework.
- Gain an understanding in learning methods of data analysis, including advanced statistics for complex data.
- Benefit from a skills-based course with practical training that is highly regarded for future employment within government and academia.
Open days
On this day, you will find out more about the School, our resources, and meet academic and admissions staff who will be able to answer any questions you have.
See open days and visits for more information.
Fees
Fees for entry in 2025 have not yet been set. For reference, the fees for the academic year beginning September 2024 were as follows:
-
MSc (full-time)
UK students (per annum): £12,500
International, including EU, students (per annum): £24,500 -
MSc (part-time)
UK students (per annum): £6,250
International, including EU, students (per annum): £12,250
Further information for EU students can be found on our dedicated EU page.
The fees quoted above will be fully inclusive for the course tuition, administration and computational costs during your studies.
All fees for entry will be subject to yearly review and incremental rises per annum are also likely over the duration of courses lasting more than a year for UK/EU students (fees are typically fixed for International students, for the course duration at the year of entry). For general fees information please visit: postgraduate fees . Always contact the department if you are unsure which fee applies to your qualification award and method of attendance.
Self-funded international applicants for this course will be required to pay a deposit of £1000 towards their tuition fees before a confirmation of acceptance for studies (CAS) is issued. This deposit will only be refunded if immigration permission is refused. We will notify you about how and when to make this payment.
Policy on additional costs
All students should normally be able to complete their programme of study without incurring additional study costs over and above the tuition fee for that programme. Any unavoidable additional compulsory costs totalling more than 1% of the annual home undergraduate fee per annum, regardless of whether the programme in question is undergraduate or postgraduate taught, will be made clear to you at the point of application. Further information can be found in the University's Policy on additional costs incurred by students on undergraduate and postgraduate taught programmes (PDF document, 91KB).
Scholarships/sponsorships
The Manchester Alumni Scholarship Scheme offers a £3,000 fee reduction to Manchester alumni who achieved a first-classbachelor'sdegree within the last three years and are progressing to postgraduate study.
For more information,seeour Fees and funding page.
Contact details
- School/Faculty
- School of Social Sciences
- Contact name
- School of Social Sciences Admissions Office
- Telephone
- +44 (0) 161 306 5500
- pg-soss@manchester.ac.uk
- Website
- https://www.socialsciences.manchester.ac.uk/sociology/
- School/Faculty
-
See: School Subjects
Courses in related subject areas
Use the links below to view lists of courses in related subject areas.
Entry requirements
Academic entry qualification overview
When assessing your academic record we consider your degree subject, grades you have achieved and the standing of the institution where you studied your qualification.
English language
Applicants whose first language is not English should meet the following language requirements:
- IELTS Academic test score of 7 overall, including 7 in writing with no further component score below 6.5
- TOEFL IBT 100 with 25 in writing and no further score below 22 in each section. TOEFL code for Manchester is 0757
- Pearson Test of English (PTE) score of 76 overall, with 76 in writing and no further score below 70
Pre-Sessional English Courses
We will consider applicants who do not meet these scores but you will be required to complete a pre-sessional English language course at the University of Manchester prior to the start of the course.
To be considered for a pre-sessional English language course for this programme we require the following minimum IELTS (Academic) scores:
6 Week Pre-Sessional Course : IELTS 6.5 overall with 6.5 in writing and no more than one sub-skill of 6.0.
10 Week Pre-sessional Course : IELTS 6.0 overall with 6.0 or above in each sub-skill
If you have not yet completed your current academic study and are interested in studying a pre-sessional course, you must hold an IELTS for UKVI (Academic) test certificate to ensure that you are eligible for a separate visa for the English language course.
English language test validity
Some English Language test results are only valid for two years. Your English Language test report must be valid on the start date of the course.
Applicants from Majority English-speaking countries
If you are a national of a majority English-speaking country (or have studied for a full bachelor's degree or higher from one of these countries) you may be exempt from submitting further evidence of English language proficiency.
Other international entry requirements
We accept a range of qualifications from across the globe. To help international students, the university provides specific information for many individual countries. Please see our country-specific information page for guidance on the academic and English language qualifications which may be accepted from your country.
Application and selection
How to apply
Advice to applicants
Please note, due to the high volume of applications we receive the course may close before the advertised deadline and as such, early application is advised.
If you meet our entry requirements but we are unable to make you an offer you may be placed on a waiting list. Candidates on a waiting list will receive an offer only if places become available.
Re-applications
Course details
Course description
This course aims to educate and train you to give you the requisite skills and knowledge to become an effective, professional sociological researcher.
This entails teaching:
- the philosophical underpinnings of sociology;
- key issues and questions in sociology;
- key sociological theories;
- key issues in selected substantive areas of sociology (students are offered a range of options of such substantive areas);
- principles of research design;
- techniques and principles of quantitative analysis;
- techniques and principles of qualitative analysis.
This is a recognised 1+3 entry route for ESRC PhD training.
Teaching and learning
Part-time students complete the full-time course over two years. There are no evening or weekend course units available on the part-time route.
You must first check the schedule of the compulsory course units and then select your optional units to suit your requirements.
Updated timetable information will be available from mid-August and you will have the opportunity to discuss your unit choices during induction week with your Course Director.
Coursework and assessment
Course unit details
Throughout the MSc Sociological Research course, you will take six course units, which are:
- Research Design;
- Introduction to Qualitative Methods (IQM);
- Philosophical and Methodological Foundations of Social Research;
- Qualitative Research Methods
- Research Strategy and Project Management;
- SocialTheory: Structure, Relations and Interaction.
Plus two optional course units, including:
- Theories of Gender and Sexuality;
- Urban Sociology;
- Environmental Activism and Advocacy;
- Social Network Analysis: Concepts and Measures;
- The Sociology of the Environment and Sustainability;
- Theories of social relations, networks, and social structure;
- Sociology of Consumption;
- Science Sustainability and Society;
- Social Capital & Social Change;
- Understanding Social Change for Environemnt and Sustainability;
- Cultural Criticism: Sources for a Public Sociology.
You may also negotiate an independent studies course unit, linked to your particular research interests, subject to a suitable academic supervisor being available. You would need to complete a 12,000-word dissertation, on a research topic of your choice, in addition to the eight taught course units.
Course unit list
The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.
| Title | Code | Credit rating | Mandatory/optional |
|---|---|---|---|
| Qualitative Research Methods | SOCS60230 | 15 | Mandatory |
| Dissertation | SOCY60000 | 60 | Mandatory |
| Social Theory: Structure, Relations and Interaction (SRI) | SOCY60332 | 15 | Mandatory |
| Research Design | SOCY60401 | 15 | Mandatory |
| Research Strategy and Project Management | SOCY60412 | 15 | Mandatory |
| Philosophical and Methodological Foundations of Social Research | SOCY60431 | 15 | Mandatory |
| Introduction to Quantitative Methods | SOST70511 | 15 | Mandatory |
| Introduction to Qualitative Research Methods | SOCY60231 | 15 | Optional |
| Critical Theory | SOCY60282 | 15 | Optional |
| Doing research with social network data and visualizations | SOCY60292 | 15 | Optional |
| Displaying 10 of 22 course units | |||
| Display all course units | |||
Scholarships and bursaries
The School offers a number of awards for students applying for master's study.
To find our more, please visit our master's funding opportunity search page.
What our students say
Disability support
Careers
Career opportunities
You will develop a considerable range of transferable skills as part of the course enabling you to keep open a wide range of career options.
Students who complete the MSc Sociological Research course are suitably placed to pursue PhD study. In addition, you will be skilled to pursue a wide-range of graduate-level occupations, and social research careers in public, private and voluntary sectors.
As a School of Social Sciences postgraduate at The University of Manchester, you will have access to a variety of careers support tailored to your career of further study. For more information, see Careers and Employability .
The University has its own dedicated Careers Service that you would have full access to as a student and for two years after you graduate. At Manchester you will have access to a number of opportunities to help boost your employability .