MSc Applied Social Research Methods
Manchester, United Kingdom
DURATION
1 up to 2 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time, Part time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
Request application deadline
EARLIEST START DATE
Sep 2025
TUITION FEES
GBP 14,000 / per year *
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* full-time International students; Home students £9,100 per year
Introduction
This master’s in Applied Social Research Methods will equip you with the practical skills, academic knowledge, and professional attributes necessary to design and deliver research projects from start to finish. At heart, this course will build your capacity, expertise, and confidence in designing and undertaking research from inception to delivery. Our course is underpinned by academic rigour twinned with a commitment to workplace readiness.
Unlike other courses, we dive straight into designing research projects to help inform the tackling of real-world social problems. Using workshop and activity-based learning, you’ll explore how best to recruit participants and work with stakeholders; you’ll try out different methods to explore their pros and cons; you’ll be introduced to project management tools and supported to think critically about the ethical dimensions of research work.
Each session on the course is scaffolded with academic insight and rigour but delivered in a way that inspires discussion, action, and professional growth. Instead of being lectured for hours, you’ll be progressing your own projects in an interactive environment. Instead of essays, you’ll be writing research proposals in response to a live social problem. Instead of exams, you’ll submit a portfolio of your own work, based on your direct research and methods experience.
You will:
- Develop advanced skills in designing, conducting, analysing, and reporting social research projects, using both qualitative and quantitative methods.
- Gain a deeper understanding of the philosophical and theoretical foundations of social research and how to appraise these.
- Gain a critical understanding of the ethical issues that underpin social research and the ability to reflect on your own positionality and practice as a researcher.
- Learn to critically evaluate existing research and evidence and to communicate your findings effectively to different audiences.
- Be exposed to diverse perspectives and approaches from different disciplines and cultures and encouraged to collaborate with other researchers and practitioners.
- Gain the knowledge and practice base necessary for further study at the doctoral level.
Ideal Students
This is for you if...
- You want a career in social research in the public sector, civil service, or voluntary sectors.
- You want to work in roles where appraising data and thinking critically is fundamental to giving good advice and enabling change (such as in think tanks, political parties, or communications).
- You are driven by curiosity, creativity, critical thinking, and collaboration and want to develop problem-solving, project management, and research leadership skills.
- You are currently in a policy or service delivery role but are looking to step up your career by developing expertise and leadership in research.
- You have recently completed an undergraduate degree and are committed to understanding a particular social phenomenon – this course will give you the tools to really explore that topic.
- You have recently completed an undergraduate degree and are committed to understanding a particular social phenomenon – this course will give you the tools to really explore that topic.
Curriculum
This course sits within a suite of recently developed innovative social science postgraduate courses which bring together academic rigour with workplace readiness. This course will develop your practical, academic, and professional skillset in research methods and design across the following modules. Each module builds upon the former to deepen your understanding and build your confidence as a research practitioner.
Each module is worth 30 credits, and you can study full-time (one year) or part-time (two years), and dissertation module worth 60 credits – with a Postgraduate Certificate (PgCert) made up of 60 credits, and a Postgraduate Diploma (PgDip) made up of 120 credits. The full master's award (MSc) is made up of 180 credits.
Core modules
- Applied Research in Practice
- Making Methods
- Supporting Research: Leadership and Impact
- Social Sciences Postgraduate Dissertation
Optional modules
You can take one optional module from the core modules on the other courses within this suite of postgraduate courses.
- Changing Lives: Living with Justice and Injustice (CJPP)
- Making Change Happen (ESC)
Career Opportunities
Whilst many master's courses in social research focus on directing students into PhD programmes, our course brings the rigour, methodological curiosity, and philosophical awareness of an academic programme into conversation with real-world social issues and challenges. With that in mind, you will be well-placed for careers in a variety of sectors and organisations that engage with social issues and challenges. Likely future roles include:
- Social researchers: Design and conduct social research to improve policy or to examine the effectiveness of existing policy. Social researchers work in research agencies, health organisations, charities, local governments, independent organisations, trade unions, and think tanks.
- Government social research officers: Provide high-quality social research, analysis, and advice, to inform the development, implementation, and evaluation of government policies and programmes. As part of the civil service, you can work for various government departments, such as education, health, justice, and transport.
- Policy analysts: Research and evaluate the impact of policies and programmes on society and the economy. Policy analysts can work in healthcare, think tanks, consultancy firms, and charitable and private sector bodies.
- Project managers: Are responsible for leading, planning, delivering, and evaluating organisational projects. Found in the private and public sectors, they work with stakeholders, lead teams, and coordinate partners to ensure that projects are delivered on time, within budget, and to the required quality standards.
- Local government officers: Engaged in research, policy development, and service provision activities. Especially those involved in commissioning, monitoring, and evaluating service provision.
- Consultants: Providing expert advice and guidance to clients on specific issues or projects. Consultants can work in various fields, such as management, health, or education. They commonly undertake or commission research on behalf of clients.
Finally, many graduates with high-quality social research knowledge and skills often go on to establish their own research agencies and social enterprises.