Social Research MSc

What is special about this course?

The demand for skilled social researchers is growing rapidly across public, private, and third-sector organisations, as complex social issues continue to shape our world. This MSc Social Research programme is designed to meet this demand by equipping you with a strong foundation in both the theory and practice of social research. Grounded in critical and ethical approaches, the course enables you to engage confidently with a wide range of research methods and tools within the social sciences.

This flexible programme can be studied either online or on campus, allowing you to tailor your learning experience to suit your interests and career goals. You’ll gain expertise in qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods approaches, and graduate ready to take on roles in policy analysis, programme evaluation, or to pursue further academic research at PhD level.

For those looking to specialise further, the MSc Social Research with Advanced Quantitative Methods (AQM) offers an additional focus on cutting-edge quantitative and computational techniques. This pathway includes training in large-scale data analysis and advanced methods such as natural language processing, preparing you for data-intensive roles or further study involving sophisticated statistical research.

Special features

• Explore a wide range of contemporary topics through specialist modules designed to deepen your knowledge and technical skills, with the opportunity to tailor your learning through either of the following pathways:
  • MSc Social Research: Focus on areas such as human ecology, comparative governance, youth-led research, participatory action research, and statistical methods
  • MSc Social Research with Advanced Quantitative Methods: Specialise in advanced techniques including Geographic Information Systems, text mining, and computational analysis
• Approved by UK's Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and can be followed as part of ESRC-funded studentships with the Scottish Graduate School of Social Sciences
• Flexible learning environment with hybrid activities for on campus and online learning
• Seminar series and additional training in research facilitation and dissemination, with opportunities for networking with research staff
• Comprehensive resources and training across social science research methods, with fully-funded supplementary events and training from the Scottish Graduate School of Social Sciences

Entry requirements

• A minimum of 2:2 honours degree from a university in the United Kingdom, or an equivalent international qualification
• Minimum English language requirements to study at the University of the Highlands and Islands
• Applicants with appropriate professional experience who hold an ordinary degree will be considered on an individual basis
• This is a Category 2 PVG course: PVG Scheme membership is required for specific optional modules/unit(s), where there is guaranteed contact with vulnerable groups in optional module/unit(s), but an alternative pathway exists to achieve target qualification. For further information visit our PVG scheme webpage

MSc

MSc Social Research / MSc Social Research with Advanced Quantitative Methods (AQM)

Core modules (60 credits – required for both pathways)
You will study the following 20-credit modules:

• Engaged research: concepts and theories
• Ethics and data science
• Research methods and techniques

Optional Modules (60 credits total)
You will then choose optional modules to suit your interests and pathway focus. The number and type of modules you select depends on your chosen route.

Pathway Options:

• MSc Social Research
  • Choose a minimum of 1 and up to 3 from List A
  • Then choose up to 2 additional modules from List B (to reach 60 optional credits total)
• MSc Social Research with AQM
  • Choose a minimum of 2 and up to 3 from List C
  • Then choose up to 1 additional module from List A and B (to reach 60 optional credits total)

List A – optional modules (20 credits each):

• Action research and mixed methods
• Applications of GIS
• Discovering the past: introduction to interdisciplinary research methods
• Introduction to R and data visualisation
• Participatory social research and sustainability: concepts, methods and practice
• Qualitative inquiry
• Quantitative research and data analysis
• Understanding the policy environment

List B – additional options (20 credits each):

• Agroecology: regenerative food systems
• Communities, nature and sustainability
• Every child’s right to be heard: research with children and young people
• Global mountain geographies
• Globalisation, work and society
• Governance in small islands
• Politics of the developing world
• Sustainable land use
• Voices from the past: understanding and using oral histories

List C – Quantitative Focused Modules for AQM Pathway (20 credits each):

• Advanced GIS and remote sensing
• Applications of statistics
• Fundamental statistics

Dissertation (60 credits – required for both pathways)

• To complete your degree, you will undertake a 12,000–15,000 word research dissertation on a topic of your own choice

Fees

For information on costs of this course please contact the campus where you wish to study.

Funding

The MSc Social Research can be followed as part of a Scottish Graduate School of Social Sciences (SGSSS) studentship in cases where one year of study at the Masters level is included in the studentship pathway. Click here for information on upcoming deadlines and how to apply for SGSSS studentships. 

Additional costs

Additional costs for fieldwork may apply for the social research dissertation depending on your topic choice. Fieldwork costs are not incurred when you choose a desk-based research topic.