Social Science Research Methods MSc
Our Masters in Social Science Research Methods provides advanced and mixed-methods training to build your confidence as a researcher. The programme offers practical, expert-led teaching that connects qualitative and quantitative methods to prepare you to understand and address major global challenges. You will work with real data and build strong research skills in areas such as interviews, fieldwork, creative and participatory methods, text analysis, surveys, and network analysis. You can also choose one disciplinary pathway to focus your studies on topics across sociology, politics, or urban studies.
- Academic contact:
- Teaching start: September
- Glasgow: Gilmorehill campus
- MSc: 12 months full-time; 24 months part‑time
Why this programme
- In this programme, you will acquire specialised and mixed-methods training through research-led and problem-focused teaching. The option for subject specialisation makes it a flexible and powerful foundation for a PhD, or research career in the publicor private sector.
- Course activities and assessments are designed to help you gain fluency across qualitative and quantitative methods, while providing flexibility for you to build specialised expertise in the methods that speak to you most.
- Our teaching team spans diverse research methods and subject areas, supporting you in creating a personalised learning journey. Their excellence is recognised through honours such as the University's Teaching Excellence Awards.
- The school is a leading centre of research excellence for social and political science, with 90% or more of its research assessed as ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’ in REF2021.
- Our teaching team spans diverse research methods and subject areas, supporting you in creating a personalised learning journey. They have received prestigious recognition for teaching quality, including the University's Teaching Excellence Awards.
- This programme is recognised by the Scottish Graduate School for Social Science (SGSSS) as a training Masters on its +1 scheme. It is a recognised core methods training pathway for SGSSS-funded PhD students.
- Watch: Social Sciene Research Methods programme overview
Programme structure
You will take a mix of core and optional courses. Courses are delivered across two semesters via a mix of lectures and tutorials. You will also undertake an independent research project (dissertation) that provides an opportunity for in-depth critical exploration of an area of your choosing.
Core courses
Core courses in semester one provide a robust foundation for research design and methods. Taking a problem-driven and applied approach, these courses situate methods in the broader context of social enquiry. They support you in developing confidence with different forms of qualitative and quantitative data, research design, data collection, and analysis. Applied “data projects” provide hands-on time to work with both qualitative and quantitative data and apply skills to ensure participatory and deep learning.
- Understanding Society: Critical Social Research 1
- Understanding Data: Critical Social Research 2
- Working with Secondary Data: Data Project 1
- Working with Digital Data: Data Project 2
Optional courses
In semester two, you will enhance your learning through specialist methods courses, with the option to pursue a subject specialisation of your choice.
- General Pathway: Qualitative and Creative Methods, 40 credits of your choosing, plus free choice of dissertation/research project
- Disciplinary Pathway: one specialist methods course, up to two optional courses from any of our disciplinary offerings, plus disciplinary dissertation/research project (confirmed by approval of dissertation convenor)
Specialist methods courses
- Advanced Regression: Limited and Categorical Dependent Variable Regression (M)
- Art and Science of Surveys: Designing Questions and Analysing Data (M)
- Introduction To Social Theory For Researchers
- Multilevel and Network Analysis for Social Scientists (M)
- Navigating Fieldwork in Complex Settings: From Theory to Practice (M)
- Qualitative and Creative Methods for Research With People: From Interviews to Photovoice (M)*
- Qualitative Text Analysis (M)
- Quantitative Data Analysis
*required for General Pathway
Disciplinary courses
While you may choose any Level 5 courses in the School of Social & Political Sciences, some recommended optional courses recommended for a strong disciplinary foundation are listed below. We recommend consulting with the programme convenor to make a well-informed selection tailored to your unique profile and goals.
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Criminology
- Crime, Media And Popular Culture
- Policing and Security in a Global Context: Critical Perspectives on Power, Justice and Change
- Rethinking Justice
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Global Economy
- Business in the Global Economy
- Business in Times of Global Instability
- Corporate Social Responsibility in Global Context
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Global Health
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International Relations
- China and the Global South
- Conflict Analysis
- Gender, Race and International Relations
- International Relations of the Middle East
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Public Policy
- Data & Artificial Intelligence in Policy and Society
- Fundamentals of GIS for Planning, Property, and Policy (10 credits)
- Global Urban Challenges
- Global Urban Challenges (10)
- Smart Cities and Infrastructure
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Russian & East European Studies
- Europe-Russia Relations since the Collapse of the USSR
- Media and Democratisation in Central and Eastern Europe and the Former Soviet Union
- Russian Foreign Policy
- Statehood and Nationality in Russia, Central and Eastern Europe
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Sociology
- Communist Regimes and their Societies
- Sexualities And Society
- Sociology of Culture
- The Disabling Society
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Urban Studies
- Community Engagement and Empowerment
- Migration Policy Making
- Place Adaptation and Green Infrastructure
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Research project
Choose one:
- MSc Dissertation Project (Central & East European Studies)
- MSc Dissertation Project (Criminology)
- MSc Dissertation Project (Global Economy)
- MSc Dissertation Project (Global Health)
- MSc Dissertation Project (Politics)
- MSc Dissertation Project (Sociology)
- MSc Dissertation Project (Urban Studies)
If you are pursuing a disciplinary pathway, you must take the dissertation project that corresponds to your selected discipline.
Programme alteration or discontinuation
The University of Glasgow endeavours
to run all programmes as advertised. In exceptional circumstances, however, the University may withdraw
or alter a programme. More information: Student contract.
Career prospects
This programme offers you the opportunity to either explore a social research career or to continue on your academic journey into PhD study. Outside of academia, the programme provides you with key knowledge and analytical tools relevant to a career in social research.
Career opportunities and pathways
Graduates of the Social Science Research Methods MSc fully meet ESRC and SGSSS training requirements for doctoral students. Graduates are thus well positioned to apply for PhD positions, nationally and internationally. Graduates who have studied research methods master’s in the School of Social & Political Sciences historically have gone on to establish careers as academics and researchers across the world.
For those interested in a career outside of academia, the programme provides you with key research skills and substantive knowledge to pursue careers across social research. Our graduates will be well-prepared for careers including in:
- International and non-governmental organisations
- Government agencies
- Media
- Think tanks
- Business/private sector/industry
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Professional development
Our programme embeds professional development into your learning, with assessments structured to allow you to demonstrate your mastery of evidence synthesis, critical thinking and analysis skills within your chosen course. You’ll also be developing key workplace skills such as communication, leadership, social influence, project management, and problem-solving.
Throughout the programme you will also have the opportunity to build active networks through speaker events, social activities and engagement with our alumni community.
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Career support from the University of Glasgow
As a postgraduate student at the University of Glasgow you will have access to our Careers, Employability and Opportunity service. This service offers students the opportunity to network through organised events, help with finding employment, internships and work experience, and career development masterclasses.
Learn more about Careers, Employability & Opportunity.
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Fees & funding
Tuition fees for 2027-28
MSc
Home & RUK
- Full-time fee: £11,481
- Part-time fee: £1,276 per 20 credits
International & EU
- Full-time fee: £27,390
Fee status
Deposits
International and EU applicants are required to pay a deposit of £2000 to secure a place on this programme.
Deposits: terms & conditions
The following guidelines will apply in determining whether a deposit will be refunded. Where the deposit is refunded, a 25% administration fee will be deducted unless otherwise stated.
a: Deposits WILL be refunded to applicants under the following circumstances:
- Where the University is unable to offer you a place on the programme as specified on the offer. A full refund will be issued in this case.
- Death of a close family member (parent/guardian, grandparent, sibling, spouse, child/dependent). Official evidence (signed and stamped) must be provided.
- SERIOUS ill health of the applicant or a close family member (parent/guardian, grandparent, sibling, spouse, child/dependent). Official evidence (signed and stamped) must be provided.
- Applicant does not meet conditions of offer. This may be academic or language test requirements. Satisfactory evidence must be uploaded to the student’s applicant self-service to prove that they have not met the conditions of their offer (note that applicants who do not meet the language condition of their offer must show reasonable attempt to meet this, i.e. they must provide at least two language tests which were taken after the date the deposit was paid).
- Visa / ATAS refusal: we will only consider a refund if the visa / ATAS refusal was based on matters outside of the applicant’s control.
- If a refund request is received within 14 days of the deposit being received a full refund will be issued under the Consumer Protection Regulations.
b: Deposits WILL NOT be refunded to applicants under the following circumstances:
- An applicant decides not to attend the University for any reason not outlined above.
- Personal financial constraints / unsuccessful scholarship application.
- Applicant has decided to defer – in this situation the University will retain the deposit and hold it against the applicant’s account to secure their place for the following year of entry. You may defer twice. After the second deferral standard conditions will apply.
- There is still time to meet the English language test requirement before the final upload date. Please see section a) 4.
- Visa / ATAS was applied for too late. Please see section a) 5.
- Any documents used for admission are proven to be fraudulent. We work in partnership with Qualification Check to check academic qualifications. English language qualifications are verified with the provider.
- The refund request is received more than 30 days after the official course start date as outlined in your offer email.
Timeframe for requesting a refund
Refund requests must be received no later than 30 days after the official course start date as outlined in your offer email. As per section b)7 above the request will be denied.
Receiving a refund
- To comply with Money Laundering Regulations, the University will pay all refunds to the original payer using the source payment details. This is known as a “return to source” payment.
- All appropriate documentation and evidence relating to the original payment must be provided, when requested.
- All payments and refunds are in GBP currency - the University is not responsible for any exchange rate fluctuations or beneficiary bank charges associated with the refund.
- Where University approved payment methods have not been used, this may cause significant delays or prevent payment altogether.
- We will aim to issue the deposit refund within 8 weeks of receipt of information per point 2 above. At peak times this may be longer.
How to request a deposit refund
Please go to our enquiry form and select 'Fees and Deposit' as the enquiry reason and then 'Can I have a deposit refund?'.
Please upload all supporting documentation to your applicant self-service portal before submitting the above request.
Additional fees
- Fee for re-assessment of a dissertation (PGT programme): £370
- Submission of thesis after deadline lapsed: £350
- Registration/exam only fee: £170
Funding opportunities
The scholarships shown are relevant to this programme. For more funding opportunities search the scholarships database
Entry requirements
2.1 Hons (or non-UK equivalent) in any Social Science, Humanities or Arts subject.
We may sometimes accept degrees at 2.2 Hons or non-UK equivalent.
Extensive work experience in Government or a policy related field may be considered with a degree outside the standard entry requirements. We would also welcome students with experience in creative industries or broader humanities, including curatorial, history or similar fields. Students with experience of project management, research ethics and research methods, including surveys, interviews and ethnographic methodologies are welcome to apply.
English language requirements
For further information about English language requirements, please contact the Recruitment and International Office using our enquiry form
International students
We are proud of our diverse University community that includes students and staff from more than 140 different countries.
How to apply
To apply for a postgraduate taught degree you must apply online. We cannot accept applications any other way.
Please check you meet the Entry requirements for this programme before you begin your application.
Documents
As part of your online application, you also need to submit the following supporting documents:
- A copy (or copies) of your official degree certificate(s) (if you have already completed your degree)
- A copy (or copies) of your official academic transcript(s), showing full details of subjects studied and grades/marks obtained
- Official English translations of the certificate(s) and transcript(s)
- One reference letter on headed paper
- Evidence of your English language ability (if your first language is not English)
- Any additional documents required for this programme (see Entry requirements for this programme)
- A copy of the photo page of your passport
You have 42 days to submit your application once you begin the process.
You may save and return to your application as many times as you wish to update information, complete sections or upload supporting documents such as your final transcript or your language test.
For more information about submitting documents or other topics related to applying to a postgraduate taught programme, see how to apply for a postgraduate taught degree
Guidance notes for using the online application
These notes are intended to help you complete the online application form accurately; they are also available within the help section of the online application form.
If you experience any difficulties accessing the online application, see Application System Help.
- Name and Date of birth: must appear exactly as they do on your passport. Please take time to check the spelling and lay-out.
- Contact Details: Correspondence address. All contact relevant to your application will be sent to this address including the offer letter(s). If your address changes, please contact us as soon as possible.
- Choice of course: Please select carefully the course you want to study. As your application will be sent to the admissions committee for each course you select it is important to consider at this stage why you are interested in the course and that it is reflected in your application.
- Proposed date of entry: Please state your preferred start date including the month and the year. Taught masters degrees tend to begin in September. Research degrees may start in any month.
- Education and Qualifications: Please complete this section as fully as possible indicating any relevant Higher Education qualifications starting with the most recent. Complete the name of the Institution (s) as it appears on the degree certificate or transcript.
- English Language Proficiency: Please state the date of any English language test taken (or to be taken) and the award date (or expected award date if known).
- Employment and Experience: Please complete this section as fully as possible with all employments relevant to your course. Additional details may be attached in your personal statement/proposal where appropriate.
Reference: Please provide one reference. This should typically be an academic reference but in cases where this is not possible then a reference from a current employer may be accepted instead. Certain programmes, such as the MBA programme, may also accept an employer reference. If you already have a copy of a reference on letter headed paper then please upload this to your application. If you do not already have a reference to upload then please enter your referee’s name and contact details on the online application and we will contact your referee directly.
For applicants from non-majority English speaking countries, as defined by the UK Government, the University sets a minimum English Language proficiency level.
Accepted English Language Tests
We accept a wide range of English language tests for entry to this programme. Tests must have been taken within 2 years 5 months of programme start date, and requirements must be met using a single test.
IELTS Academic/IELTS Academic for UKVI/ IELTS Academic online
- 6.5 overall with no subtest less than 6.0
- IELTS One Skill Retake Accepted
- We do not accept General Training
TOEFL iBT (including MyBest and Home Edition)
Test taken up to 20 January 2026
- 90 overall with no subtest less than Reading 20; Listening 19; Speaking 19; Writing 21
Tests taken from 21 January 2026
- 92 overall with no subtest less than 4.5
PTE Academic (test centre only)
- 65 overall with no subtest less than Reading 60; Listening 60; Speaking 65; Writing 60
- We do not accept the online PTE Academic
Cambridge C1 Advanced and C2 Proficiency
- 176 overall with no subtest less than 169
Oxford ELLT
- 7 overall with no subtest less than 6
LanguageCert Academic/Academic SELT/ Academic Online
- 70 overall with no subtest less than 65
Password Skills Plus
- 6.5 overall with no subtest less than 6.0
Trinity College Integrated Skills in English II
- 96 overall with no subtest less than 90
Kaplan Test of English
- Any two subtests at 480 or higher, and any two subtests at 450 or higher
PSI Skills for English
- B2 Pass with Merit
Duolingo English Test
- 120 overall with writing at 120 and no subtest less than 110
Oxford Test of English Advanced
- 140 Overall with any two subtests at 126 or higher, and any two subtests at 136 or higher
Alternatives to English Language test
Degree from majority-English speaking country (as defined by the UKVI including Canada if taught in English)
- students must have studied for a minimum of their final year at Undergraduate level, or 9 months at Master's level, and must have completed their degree in that majority-English speaking country within 6 years of programme start.
TNE degree from UK university taught at a campus outside of the UK
- students must be awarded the degree by the UK university and must have completed the degree within 6 years of programme start.
Pre-sessional courses
The University of Glasgow accepts evidence of the required language level from the English for Academic Study Unit Pre-sessional courses. We would strongly encourage you to consider the pre-sessional courses at the University of Glasgow's English for Academic Study (EAS) Unit. Our Pre-sessional courses are the best way to bring your English up to entry level for University study and remain valid for 2 years following date of successful completion.
Our courses give you:
- direct entry to your University programme for successful students (no need to take IELTS);
- essential academic skills to help you study effectively at University;
- flexible entry dates so you can join the right course for your level.
For more detail on our pre-sessional courses please see: https://www.gla.ac.uk/schools/mlc/eas/pre-sessionalcourses/
We can also consider the pre-sessional courses accredited by the below BALEAP approved institutions to meet the language requirements for admission to our postgraduate taught degrees:
- Heriot Watt
- Kingston Upon Thames
- Middlesex University
- Manchester University
- Reading University
- Edinburgh University
- St Andrews University
- UCL
- Durham
Application deadlines
For entry in September 2027
International & EU applicants
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International application rounds
Applications are considered on a rolling basis within each round, and the decision date shown for each round is the latest date by which you will receive an outcome on your application.
Round 1: 1 October 2026 to 5 November 2026
You will receive our decision on your application by 18 December 2026.
Round 2: 6 November 2026 to 17 December 2026
You will receive our decision on your application by 3 March 2027.
Round 3: 18 December 2026 to 4 February 2027
You will receive our decision on your application by 8 April 2027.
Round 4: 5 February 2027 to 25 March 2027
You will receive our decision on your application by 6 May 2027.
Round 5: 26 March 2027 to 13 May 2027
You will receive our decision on your application by 10 June 2027.
Round 6: 14 May 2027 to 8 July 2027
You will receive our decision on your application by 29 July 2027.
As we receive a high volume of applications, prospective students are only allowed to apply to each programme once per year.
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UK applicants
- 24 August 2027
Related programmes
Central & East European Studies
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