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MSc Social Research Methods and Statistics
Year of entry: 2020
Overview
- Degree awarded
- Master of Science (MSc)
- Duration
- 1 year (full-time); 2 years (part-time)
- Entry requirements
-
An Upper Second class honours degree, or the overseas equivalent in a social science discipline.
- How to apply
- Apply online
Course options
| Full-time | Part-time | Full-time distance learning | Part-time distance learning | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MSc | Y | Y | N | N |
| PGDip | Y | Y | N | N |
Course overview
- Benefit from a thorough grounding in advanced quantitative methods taught within an applied social science framework.
- Learn methods of data analysis, including advanced statistics for complex data.
- Study a skills-based course with practical training that is highly regarded for future employment within government, the private and voluntary sectors and academia.
Open days
Fees
For entry in the academic year beginning September 2020, the tuition fees are as follows:
-
MSc (full-time)
UK/EU students (per annum): £12,000
International students (per annum): £20,500 -
MSc (part-time)
UK/EU students (per annum): £6,000
International students (per annum): £10,250 -
PGDip (full-time)
UK/EU students (per annum): £8,000
International students (per annum): £13,666 -
PGDip (part-time)
UK/EU students (per annum): £4,000
International students (per annum): £6,833
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
- Commonwealth Scholarships and Fellowships Plan (CSFP) General Scholarship
- Faculty of Humanities/School of Social Sciences - Manchester Alumni Scholarship Scheme
- School of Social Sciences - MSc Social Research Methods and Statistics Scholarship - 2019
- School of Social Sciences - Q-Step Bursary for MSc in Social Research Methods and Statistics
- School of Social Sciences - Manchester Master's Bursary
- School of Social Sciences - India Scholarship for Masters Study - September 2020
Contact details
- School/Faculty
- School of Social Sciences
- Contact name
- Debra Hau
- Telephone
- +44 (0)161 306 7521
- pg-soss@manchester.ac.uk
- Website
- https://www.socialsciences.manchester.ac.uk/social-statistics/
- 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
English language
- IELTS - overall score of 7, including 7 in writing with no further component score below 6.5;
- TOEFL IBT 103 with 28 in writing and no further score below 25 in each section. TOEFL code for Manchester is 0757.
- Pearson - overall 73 with 73 in writing and no further score below 66
For students who require a Tier 4 visa to study in the UK, your test score is valid for 2 years preceding the course start date.
Please note that CAS statements are issued only when all conditions of the offer have been satisfied, PDF copy of passport received and the offer accepted.
Pre-Sessional English Courses
If you are eligible to do a pre-sessional English course (either 6 weeks or 10 weeks, depending on your English score), you will need to successfully complete the course at the required level before you are permitted to register on your academic course.
English language test validity
Application and selection
How to apply
Advice to applicants
Due to high demand for this course, we operate a staged admissions process with selection deadlines throughout the year, as follows:
- 1 November (decision by 8 December; accept offer by 15 January);
- 7 January (decision by 14 February, accept offer by 16 March);
- 2 March (decision by 8 April, accept offer by 8 May);
- 1 May (decision by 1 June, accept offer by 1 July).
If we make you an offer, you will have approximately 4 weeks to accept (conditional and un-conditional offers). Any offers not accepted by the deadline will be withdrawn so that an offer can be made to another candidate.
All conditional offer holders will have until 1 August to satisfy the conditions of their offer.
Due to competition for places, we give preference to students with grades above our minimum entry requirements.
You need to ensure that you submit your supporting documents with your online application as it may delay us processing your application.
Whilst we aim to give you a decision on your application by the decision date, in some instances due to the competition for places/volume of applications received, it may be necessary to roll your application forward to the next deadline date. If this is the case we will let you know after the deadline date.
Applications received after our final selection deadline will be considered at our discretion if places are still available.
We can accept your application before you complete your undergraduate studies; please submit your latest transcripts with your online application.
Please note:
- all places are subject to availability and if you apply for one of the later dates, some courses may already be closed, we recommend that you apply early in the cycle to secure your place with us;
- meeting the minimum entry requirements does not guarantee an offer;
- if you are a current undergraduate student at The University of Manchester, you may be eligible to apply via the 'Fast-Track' scheme, email pg-soss@manchester.ac.uk for further information;
- for a copy of the postgraduate prospectus, email pg-soss@manchester.ac.uk .
How your application is considered
Course details
Course description
The MSc in Social Research Methods and Statistics is designed to be accessible to non-statisticians, yet is more focussed than many other existing master's courses in social research methods.
You'll need a base level of knowledge in undergraduate research methods which you will build on throughout the course, to gain comprehensive statistical and analytical skills. A series of pre-sessional training courses are available prior to the MSc start date.
The MSc has a strong connection with the Cathie Marsh Institute for Social Research (CMI), reflecting our commitment to interdisciplinary, integrated research. Research activities within the Social Statistics discipline area are both methodological and substantive. We focus on a wide range of subject areas including social inequalities, population dynamics and survey methodology.
The course is recognised by both the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and the North West Doctoral Training Centre, from whom we receive a large number of Advanced Quantitative methods (AQM) and CASE awards each year.
We develop future social scientists who will have a thorough grounding in research, and are equipped with the tools for collecting and analysing statistical data.
Special features
- Join one of the very few Social Statistics groupings in the UK.
- We focus on effective collaboration, working closely with our colleagues in Data Science, Sociology, Health, Geography and Mathematics.
- Gain full access to The Cathie Marsh Institute for Social Research .
Course unit details
This course provides a thorough grounding in advanced quantitative methods, taught within an applied social science framework.
Whilst the training focuses on advanced quantitative methods, the course is designed to be accessible to students coming from a broad range of disciplinary backgrounds and with varying levels of prior statistical knowledge.
The course is available full-time over one year or part-time over two-years, and may be studied as either an MSc or a Postgraduate Diploma.
All students take course units totalling 120 credits (eight 15-credit course units) over the year (or two years).
Course units typically include:
- Methodology and Research Design;
- Introduction to Statistical Modelling;
- Statistical Foundations;
- Qualitative Research Methods;
- Survey Research;
- Multilevel Modelling;
- Longitudinal Data Analysis;
- Advanced Survey Methods;
- Social Network Analysis;
- Introduction to Demography;
- Structural Equation Modelling.
All students proceeding to MSc must complete a research dissertation of up to 15,000 words. Those on the Postgraduate Diploma may upgrade to the full MSc, subject to satisfactory course performance.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foundational and advanced perspectives on qualitative research | SOCY60230 | 0 | Mandatory |
| Foundational and advanced perspectives on qualitative research | SOCY60231 | 10 | Mandatory |
| Survey Research Methods | SOST60421 | 15 | Mandatory |
| Dissertation | SOST65000 | 60 | Mandatory |
| Introduction to Statistical Modelling | SOST70011 | 15 | Mandatory |
| Statistical Foundations | SOST70151 | 15 | Mandatory |
| Multilevel Modelling | SOST70292 | 15 | Mandatory |
| Methodology and Research Design | SOST70521 | 15 | Mandatory |
| Using Documents in Social Research | POLI60252 | 5 | Optional |
| Biography and life-history in the social sciences | POLI60332 | 5 | Optional |
| Displaying 10 of 23 course units | |||
| Display all course units | |||
Scholarships and bursaries
We offer a number of scholarships, including:
- the Faculty of Humanities/School of Social Sciences - Manchester Alumni Scholarship Scheme ;
- the School of Social Sciences - MSc Social Research Methods and Statistics Scholarship - 2019 ;
- the School of Social Sciences - Q-Step Bursary for MSc in Social Research Methods and Statistics (to be confirmed) .
The Manchester Alumni Scholarship Scheme offers a £3,000 reduction in tuition fees to University of Manchester alumni who achieved a first-class Bachelors degree and are progressing to a postgraduate taught masters course.
For more information, see fees and funding or search the University's postgraduate funding database .
Disability support
Careers
Career opportunities
There is an increasing need for well-trained social scientists who are able to apply advanced methods of analysis to complex data.
As a graduates of our MSc course in Social Research Methods and Statistics, you will gain relevant marketable skills that will put you in a good position to obtain jobs in:
- the academic sector;
- central and local government; and
- within the commercial and voluntary research sector.
We have excellent links with ONS and government departments, local authorities and many commercial organisations and we are well-placed to assist students in finding jobs.
A number of our students already hold research positions (typically in local government or overseas) taking the MSc as part of a career development programme. The course is ideal preparation for students wishing to pursue doctoral study, and is a formal component of our 1+3 PhD training model.