Skip to content Accessibility statement
Home>Study at York>Postgraduate taught>Courses 2024/25>Social Research (MA)

MA Social Research

Develop the skills and knowledge to become a highly skilled social science researcher.

Year of entry: 2024 (September)

Length

1 year full-time,
2 years part-time

Start date

September 2024 (semester dates)

Meet us

Join us online or in person to find out more about postgraduate study at York.

Upcoming events

Prepare for a career in social science research. 

This course gives you the ideal platform to showcase your capabilities to future employers and PhD programmes alike – so you can break new ground in the worlds of professional and academic research.

Drawing on expertise from across the social sciences, you'll develop highly sought-after research skills to world-class standards. You can tailor your studies to your own interests from the social sciences, and you'll complete a dissertation in one of our departments in the Faculty of Social Sciences:

Accreditation

The MA is recognised by the UK Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), so it's ideal if you are seeking ESRC funding for a PhD. This recognition also demonstrates the high quality of the training you'll receive.

Creative and research-led teaching

Our staff are world-leading experts, and this translates directly to our interdisciplinary postgraduate teaching

Employability

Develop highly sought after practical, qualitative and quantitative research skills

Course content

You'll be taught by internationally recognised experts, across a number of social science disciplines and experience exceptional teaching in both qualitative and quantitative methods. From day one, you'll be encouraged to produce your own original research and become an autonomous researcher capable of researching key societal issues.

When you’re equipped with the latest concepts, methods and techniques that underpin the research process, you’ll strengthen your analytical skills to take your research career to the next level. You'll develop interview and other data collection techniques and become proficient in methods of data analysis, including visual, conversation, regression and multiple correspondence analysis.

At the heart of this degree is an opportunity to put your training into practice through an original research project, with expert guidance from academics that are at the forefront of research.

Modules

You'll study core modules and undertake a dissertation. You'll choose option modules to complement your research interests.

Core modules

We cannot accept credit transfer or recognition of prior learning in place of any of the core modules on this course, as outlined in the ESRC Postgraduate Training and Development Guidelines.

Option Modules

You will also study two option modules. We work with a range of academics departments across the University, to give you a wide variety of options. In previous years, options have covered topics such as:

The options available to you will be confirmed later in the year. For further information please get in touch.

Our modules may change to reflect the latest academic thinking and expertise of our staff.

Dissertation

You'll undertake an in-depth study of a topic of your choice, guided one-to-one by an academic supervisor based in a department relevant to your area of research.

You'll develop and demonstrate skills in the planning, definition and management of a substantial piece of enquiry that will further knowledge in your chosen specialist field.

You'll demonstrate skills in literature review, research design, data analysis and critical evaluation and synthesis.

The York approach

Every course at York is built on a distinctive set of learning outcomes. These will give you a clear understanding of what you will be able to accomplish at the end of the course and help you explain what you can offer employers. Our academics identify the knowledge, skills, and experiences you'll need upon graduation and then design the course to get you there.

Students who complete this course will be able to:

  • Make informed research decisions (such as study design, selection of methodologies) based on specialist knowledge of particular areas of Social Science combined with an appreciation of interdisciplinary debates, an awareness of different epistemological approaches, and of the impact of research on society.
  • Independently design effective research strategies by assessing the context, utility and impact of proposed research and formulating research questions and hypotheses which can be tested and are amenable to empirical investigation.
  • Confidently apply the principles of research ethics and professional practice in the design and conduct of research.
  • Select and competently apply appropriate qualitative, quantitative or mixed methods to the investigation of social science phenomena.
  • Manage data by designing efficient data-gathering instruments; accessing and linking data sets (both primary and secondary); dealing with missing data and measurement error; and representing data in an accessible manner.
  • Analyse research findings using up-to-date techniques by interpreting numerical data using statistical inference, modelling and quantitative analysis software, and by interpreting a range of phenomenological or textual data using qualitative approaches and appropriate software.
  • Effectively present and disseminate complex research findings tailored to the needs and levels of prior knowledge and expertise of varied audiences.
  • Confidently collaborate and communicate with peers and colleagues across interdisciplinary fields of research and practice.
I've enjoyed thinking at an academic level again, especially about new concepts that have developed since I finished my undergraduate degree.
Tim, MA Social Research

Fees and funding

Annual tuition fees for 2024/25

Study modeUK (home)International and EU
Full-time (1 year) £10,590£23,900
Part-time (2 years)
This is the year 1 fee. Fees for future years are subject to confirmation.
£5,295£11,950

Students on a Student Visa are not currently permitted to study part-time at York.

For courses which are longer than one year, the tuition fees quoted are for the first year of study.

  • UK (home) fees may increase in subsequent years (up to a maximum of 2%).
  • International fees may increase in subsequent years in line with the prevailing Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation rate (up to a maximum of 10%).

Fees information

UK (home) or international fees? The level of fee that you will be asked to pay depends on whether you're classed as a UK (home) or international student. Check your fee status.

Find out more information about tuition fees and how to pay them.

Additional costs

You may need to buy a small number of textbooks. Printing costs will depend on if you prefer to read online or on paper. 

Funding information

Discover your funding options to help with tuition fees and living costs.

We'll confirm more funding opportunities for students joining us in 2024/25 throughout the year.

If you've successfully completed an undergraduate degree at York you could be eligible for a 10% Masters fee discount.

Funding opportunities

Course-specific funding

Living costs

You can use our living costs guide to help plan your budget. It covers additional costs that are not included in your tuition fee such as expenses for accommodation and study materials.

Teaching and assessment

You’ll work with world‐leading academics who’ll challenge you to think independently and excel in all that you do. Our approach to teaching will provide you with the knowledge, opportunities, and support you need to grow and succeed in a global workplace.

Teaching format

You'll learn through a combination of lectures, seminars, lab work and one-to-one supervision. We offer a personal approach to learning with much of our teaching conducted in small groups.

A member of the teaching staff will act as your supervisor throughout the degree, to help guide your studies and monitor progress.

  • You'll develop your skills both through working in groups and through independent reading and research.
  • You'll also have the opportunity to attend seminars and workshops from across the social sciences from visiting scholars on a wide variety of sociological topics.

Teaching location

Teaching location to be confirmed

About our campus

Our beautiful green campus offers a student-friendly setting in which to live and study, within easy reach of the action in the city centre. It's easy to get around campus - everything is within walking or pedalling distance, or you can always use the fast and frequent bus service.

Assessment and feedback

You'll be assessed through a variety of methods including ‘open’ essays (where an assignment is prepared in your own time), presentations, group work and a dissertation.

Careers and skills

Graduates finish this course well equipped to pursue further study, such as a PhD. You will also gain relevant and highly sought-after skills that qualify you for a research career in academic institutions, local and central government or commercial research.

Career opportunities

  • Social Researcher
  • Youth Development Worker
  • Civil Service Fast Streamer
  • Market research executive
  • Higher Education research and teaching
  • Insight Executive

Transferable skills

  • The ability to research, source and examine information
  • The capacity to critically analyse evidence and construct arguments
  • Excellent written and oratory skills
  • Intellectual independence and autonomy
  • Teamworking skills.

Entry requirements

Typical offer
Undergraduate degree 2:1 or equivalent in a relevant subject. We are willing to consider your application if you have lower qualifications, especially if you have high marks in relevant modules and/or appropriate professional experience. If you are applying with a lower qualification, you must include a written work sample with your application.
Other international qualifications Equivalent qualifications from your country

English language

If English isn't your first language you may need to provide evidence of your English language ability. We accept the following qualifications:

Minimum requirement
IELTS (Academic and Indicator) 6.5, minimum 6.5 in Writing and 6.0 in all other components
Cambridge CEFR B2 First: 176, with a minimum of 176 in Writing and no less than 169 in all other components
Oxford ELLT 7, minimum of 7 in writing and no less than 6 in all other components
Duolingo 120, minimum 120 in production and 105 in all other components
LanguageCert SELT B2 with 33/50 in each component
LanguageCert Academic 70 with a minimum of 70 in Writing and no less than 65 in all other components
KITE 459-494, with 459-494 in writing and 426-458 in all other components
Skills for English B2: Merit overall, with Merit in writing and Pass with Merit in all other components
PTE Academic 61, minimum 61 in Writing and 55 in all other components
TOEFL 87, minimum 23 in Writing and 21 in all other components
Trinity ISE III Merit in all components

For more information see our postgraduate English language requirements.

If you haven't met our English language requirements

You may be eligible for one of our pre-sessional English language courses. These courses will provide you with the level of English needed to meet the conditions of your offer.

The length of course you need to take depends on your current English language test scores and how much you need to improve to reach our English language requirements.

After you've accepted your offer to study at York, we'll confirm which pre-sessional course you should apply to via You@York.

Applying

You can apply and send all your documentation online. You don’t need to complete your application all at once: you can start it, save it and finish it later.

Apply for this course

Next steps

Contact us

Get in touch if you have any questions

Learn more

School for Business and Society

Discover York

Accommodation

We offer a range of campus accommodation to suit you and your budget, from economy to premium.

Student life

Explore campus and city life and hear what our current students have to say about living here.

The city

Lively, full of culture and beautiful, York is regularly voted one of the best places to live and visit in the UK.

Meet us

Find out more about York. Chat to staff and students and take the tour, on campus or online.