MSc Social Science Research Methods (Social Legal) (Law)

The MSc Social Science Research Methods will provide you with advanced training in research methods across the full range of the social sciences. All course pathways have ESRC recognition and meet the training requirements for ESRC PhD funding.

This programme offers extensive opportunities for interdisciplinary study, the application of social research expertise for occupational career development, and the pursuit of substantive area of interest at postgraduate level.

Youll be provided with a thorough theoretical and practical knowledge of how to construct effective research studies, of the variety of data collection methods available to the social scientist and of the principal methods of analysing social scientific data. Youll also be introduced to the political and ethical frameworks within which social science research is conducted, and to some of the ways in which the results of social science research are disseminated.

Socio-legal pathway

The School of Law and Politics has a well-established reputation for outstanding research across the range of legal studies that makes a vital contribution to scholarship and the development of the law. The 2014 Research Excellence Framework recognised the School as a leading legal research institution, with most activity classed as world leading or internationally excellent.

This pathway builds on that reputation for scholarship in the area of socio-legal studies and is supported by academics in the Centre for Law and Society, which in turn is supported by the Journal of Law, and Society. The research environment is enriched by extensive collaboration with the Department of Politics and International Relations, as well as other schools in the University and beyond.

Typically, you will need to have either:

a 2:1 honours degree in a relevant subject area such as social science and cognate disciplines including sociology, politics, critical psychology, education, social policy and social work, criminology, management and business studies, history, area studies, geography, pedagogy, public administration, industrial and employee relations, and law or an equivalent international degree
a university-recognised equivalent academic qualification.
or relevant professional experience evidenced by a reference. The reference must be provided by your employer to evidence that you currently work in an area relevant to the programme. This should be signed, dated and less than six months old at the time you submit your application.
English Language requirements:

IELTS with an overall score of 6.5 with 5.5 in all subskills, or an accepted equivalent.
TOEFL (iBT) - At least 90 overall with minimum scores of 17 for writing, 17 for listening, 18 for reading, and 20 for speaking
International Baccalaureate Language A- HL 4 or SL 5