MA Political Science - Democracy and Elections (Research Route) / Course details

Manchester is a leading centre for the study and research of democracy and elections on the national and global stage. We are home to the greatest concentration of election scholars in the country and co-host (with Oxford) of the British Election Study, one of the longest-running election studies worldwide.

On our MA Political Science – Democracy and Elections, you will study core tenets of political and philosophical thoughts surrounding modern democracies, formal and informal politics, the elected and the electors, and Britain’s party-political system. In parallel, you will develop advanced skills in qualitative and quantitative research design, specialising in politics research.

You’ll also be able to tailor your course to fit your interests, exploring topics such as:

• International relations;
• European politics;
• Gender in comparative politics;
• Politics and data science.

See a full list of mandatory and optional course units below.

Through the course, you will develop subject area expertise as well as highly transferrable skills such as research design, critical inquiry, and writing and communication skills, setting you up for multiple career paths in the public, private, or third sectors. You will also be well-placed to continue developing and using your research expertise, either professionally or in PhD study.

Research or Standard Route?

The key difference between our MA Political Science – Democracy and Elections (Research Route) and our MA Political Science – Democracy and Elections (Standard Route) is the amount and scope of mandatory course units you will take.

On the Research Route, in addition to your dissertation, you will take six mandatory course units and two optional course units. Mandatory units on this route are:

• POLI60312 Research Design and Skills;
• POLI60341 Tools and Techniques of Applied Quantitative Analysis;
• SOCS60230 Qualitative Research Methods;
• POLI70771 Philosophy of Politics Research;
• POLI60121 Political Parties in Contemporary Britain;
• POLI71042 Understanding Political Change.

On the Standard Route, in addition to your dissertation, you will take five mandatory course units and three optional course units. Mandatory units on this route are:

• POLI60312 Research Design and Skills;
• POLI60341 Tools and Techniques of Applied Quantitative Analysis;
• POLI60301 Comparative Political Analysis;
• POLI60121 Political Parties in Contemporary Britain;
• POLI71042 Understanding Political Change.
  

Prestigious department

The University of Manchester boasts one of the largest and best-known politics departments in the UK. We are home to some of the world’s leading experts and academics in the subject, and co-hosts (with Oxford) of the British Election Study, one of the longest-running election studies in the world and the longest-running social science survey in the UK.

Unique city

In our biased opinion, there’s no better place to study politics and economics than Manchester. Politics and history, revolutionary ideas and radical reform, are etched into the city’s streets and character, from workers' rights to feminism, Marxism to devolution.

Interdisciplinary approach

Interdisciplinary study is actively pursued at Manchester, with many course units involving expertise and contributions from a number of different schools and departments at the University, such as economics, social statistics, and global development.

The MA Political Science (Democracy and Elections) is taught by an interdisciplinary team using a variety of delivery methods:

• lectures;
• workshops;
• student-led presentations and debate;
• group work;
• individual research.
  

Most course units are assessed by written assignments and essays. Some course units may differ and may be assessed by methods relevant to the units’ contents, such as data analyses, presentations, or research design documents.

Part-time students

Part-time students complete the full-time course over two years. There are no evening or weekend course units available on the part-time course.

You will also have access to the John Ryland's University Library , with over 4.5m books and vast archives of historical material and rare volumes, it is one of the best-resourced academic libraries in the country.